AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. — The results are in. Talladega County farmers Clay Campbell and Jeremy Wilson took home top prize in an inaugural farmer competition facilitated by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) and Auburn University College of Agriculture. The competition was a part of the Auburn University Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) program. Producers were paired into seven teams in this season-long corn management competition. Together, each pair made management and economic decisions, competing for the best all-around crop. Farmers who participated were recognized Dec. 10 at the Alabama Farmers Federation office in Montgomery.

Winning Farmers

The competition had two categories: Highest Input Use Efficiency and Highest Net Return. Campbell and Wilson made a clean sweep, winning first place in both categories and taking home almost $3,000 in prizes. Together, they considered environmental conditions and talked through strategies to make their corn crop come out on top.

Both Campbell and Wilson said the competition was a great way to see how different growers make crop management decisions based on different factors.

“Yield is very important, but through this competition, I was able to see that all of the participating farmers needed to improve their marketing plan,” Campbell said. “It was eye-opening to realize that all of the producers had that same struggle, but we will be able to improve in that area because it emerged as a need going forward.”

Wilson said he was grateful for an opportunity to work with producers and agricultural researchers to highlight practical management practices.

“I am thankful to have the opportunity to participate in this program with other producers from across the state,” Wilson said. “There is always more to learn, but I am thankful to see research on this scale that will be directly beneficial to corn producers in Alabama.”

Second and third place were also awarded in the Highest Input Use Efficiency category. Brad Smith and Eric Lee of Dallas County won second place, and Will Curtis of Pike County won third place.

TAPS Program

Following the lead of four other land-grant institutions, the TAPS competition’s goal is to integrate farmer management recommendations with crop research.

Brenda Ortiz, TAPS coordinator and Alabama Extension precision agriculture specialist, said researchers and Extension personnel are changing their Extension approach from a top-down, scientist-driven approach to a bottom-up, farmer-driven approach.

“Farmers provide feedback, contribute ideas and bring fresh perspective that sometimes we don’t think about,” said Ortiz, who is also an Auburn College of Agriculture professor. “Most importantly, they have real-world experience that helps us make better management decisions as we explore best management practices.”

Partners Throughout the Season

Ortiz, who also has an AAES appointment, worked with Auburn and AAES colleagues to facilitate the competition at the E.V. Smith Research and Extension Center’s Farm Research Unit.

Adam Rabinowitz, an Alabama Extension economist and associate professor in the Auburn College of Agriculture, said the competition demonstrated that corn yield responds to different management decisions.

“This study shows that while yield is important, managing input costs is critical to increasing returns,” said Rabinowitz, who also has an AAES appointment. “Marketing plans can provide increased revenue and can be combined with crop insurance as a risk mitigation strategy.”

Affecting Change

Ortiz said the TAPS mission is to engage farmers, industry partners and university and Extension personnel in a collaborative effort to advance agriculture in Alabama and beyond.

Through the exchange of knowledge, adoption of cutting-edge technologies, fostering partnerships and implementing best management practices, TAPS aims to provide effective solutions to achieve long-term productivity, sustainability and profitability on farm operations.

Eros Francisco, an Alabama Extension grain crops specialist and assistant professor in the Auburn College of Agriculture, said the TAPS program is exciting because these are real crop-management-application decisions coming from real farmers.

“Sometimes, what farmers would try on their farm is different than the decisions we would make while doing research,” said Francisco, who also has an AAES appointment. “The program is not only about best management practices, but it is about competitor engagement and collaboration to drive production progress in Alabama.”

Next Steps

With the first year under their belt, the TAPS team is looking forward to the 2025 growing season. Greg Pate, the AAES director of research operations for outlying units, said the inaugural TAPS competition has yielded valuable results, but he anticipates even better things will come from this program in the future.

“The TAPS program showcases how research evolves over time,” Pate said. “Years ago, researching on stations was basic science to set the foundations of what we do today. Farmers need complex recommendations during the growing season. This kind of integrated approach is highlighting the importance of scientific research and real-world application to farmers across the state.”

Steven Hague, department head of the Auburn Department of Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences, said the TAPS program demonstrates that Auburn research is relevant to what is happening in producers’ fields all across Alabama.

“One of the things I’m most proud of is that Auburn is conducting research that is relevant to Alabama farmers,” Hague said. “These stations are here to benefit farmers. By engaging with them and providing information that is relevant to their operation, we are serving our intended purpose.”

More Information

Learn more about TAPS by contacting a team member listed above. The 2024 TAPS report will be available to the public in the upcoming weeks. Learn more about crop production or farm and agribusiness management by visiting www.aces.edu.