By Scout Nelson
Nebraska producers and agricultural partners gathered on January 31, 2026, to celebrate the ninth year of the Testing Ag Performance Solutions program during its annual awards banquet. The event was hosted by University of Nebraska Lincoln and marked another successful year of research-based farm management learning.
The 2025 TAPS season included six farm management competitions held at three research locations across Nebraska. These included irrigated sprinkler corn and continuous corn at the West Central Research Extension and Education Center in North Platte.
A food grade corn competition sponsored by Bayer Crop Science was held at the Water Utilization Learning Center in Gothenburg. Additional irrigated soybean irrigated corn and N Source corn competitions took place at the Eastern Nebraska Research Extension and Education Center near Mead.
Participants made real world decisions throughout the growing season. These included crop insurance choices seed and hybrid selection nitrogen rates irrigation timing pest management nutrient applications to cover crop termination and crop marketing. All decisions were tested side by side in the same fields, creating a fair and low risk learning environment.
Awards were presented for most profitable, highest input use efficiency and greatest grain yield with prizes of up to 1500 dollars.
At WCREEC irrigated corn the most profitable and greatest grain yield award went to Sam McCord and Jeff Landon while highest input use efficiency was earned by Brandon Rimpley Ron Robison Brent Stroebel and Adrian Stroebel.
In WCREEC continuous corn, the most profitable honors went to Jamey Balthazor and Dan Fitts with highest input use efficiency to Kevin Harsch Amy Harsch Jeremy Gewecke and Jay Johnson and greatest grain yield to Lorn Dizmang.
In food grade corn Matt Dalrymple earned all three awards.
At ENREEC soybean Kenny Reinke earned most profitable highest input use efficiency and greatest grain yield.
ENREEC irrigated corn awards went to the Nebraska Department of Water Energy and Environment team for most profitable Lauren Benoit Katie McFarlane and Gabrielle Croft for highest input use efficiency and Dave Nelson Josh Reed Chad Guthrie Justin Trompke Lane Schoff and Cole Guthrie for greatest grain yield.
ENREEC N Source corn honors went to Curtis Scheele Carrie Putnam and Pat Nott for the most profitable and highest input use efficiency and Brandon Andrews for greatest grain yield.
Matt Stockton was recognized for his role in developing TAPS and virtual TAPS. The Outstanding TAPS Advocate award was presented to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The full 2025 competition report is available through the TAPS Media Library, and more information can be found at https://taps.unl.edu.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-livingimages
Categories: Nebraska, Crops, Corn, Soybeans, Education