By Krystle Rhoades

With a record-setting wet growing season and some unique differences in management decisions by competitors, as well as a new contest, this year's Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) awards banquet is sure to be interesting.

The 2019 culmination event will be Dec. 12 at the Holiday Inn Express Conference Center in North Platte, Neb. The event will start with a social hour at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and the awards presentation at 7 p.m.

The awards for greatest grain yield, highest input use efficiency, and the highest honor — most profitable team — will be announced for each competition.

The 2019 competitions included the third annual sprinkler corn competition, the second annual sprinkler sorghum contest, and the first subsurface drip irrigation competition at the West Central Research and Experiment Center in North Platte, along with the sprinkler irrigated corn competition in Guymon, Okla., in partnership with Oklahoma State University.

Attendees will have the opportunity to converse with competitors, industry leaders and TAPS organizers during the social hour, as well as bid on teams in the TAPS sprinkler corn contest via a silent-bidding, Calcutta-style auction.

The auction will give people the opportunity to bid on and purchase the corn sprinkler team they believe will take home the highest award, that of most profitable. Bidding will start at $25 for each team and will be available from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

The winner of the auction will be announced at the end of the evening after the awards have been presented. The proceeds will be split 50-50 between the top bidder of the winning team and the TAPS program. If people are unable to attend but still want to place a bid, email Krystle Rhoades at [email protected].

After dinner, the evening will conclude with TAPS organizers discussing their findings from this year's competitions, presenting data derived from teams' decisions, and presenting awards for each contest.

If you would like to attend the TAPS awards banquet, RSVP to Krystle Rhoades, TAPS program coordinator, at [email protected] by Dec. 1.

Space is limited, so make sure to save your spot for this evening of peer-to-peer interaction and recognition.

Rhoades is TAPS program coordinator.

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