173 bushels per acre tops 2023 wheat YEN

Ontario growers had the top scores in this year’s Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) results.

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Jeff Cook has the highest yield in the program at 173.4 bushels per acre and Mark Davis had the highest yield potential at 117.6 per cent.

Why it matters: Networking, large volumes of data and competition is helping to encourage better winter wheat management and yields in Ontario.

The Great Lakes YEN encompasses growers in the United States and Canada and is run by the Grain Farmers of Ontario, Michigan State University, Michigan Wheat Program, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the University of Guelph.

The second and third place winners in both the overall yield and the highest yield potential categories were from Michigan.

Great Lakes YEN participants increased this year’s average yield by two bushels per acre to 118 bushels per acre. Fall 2022 planting conditions were excellent across the Great Lakes YEN region, giving winter wheat an ideal start to the growing season. Weather conditions in spring and early summer 2023 brought some challenges to program participants, with unseasonably cool temperatures across most of the region in the spring, followed by a significant lack of rainfall in May and June. Despite a wet harvest, cool nighttime temperatures through the grain fill period translated to higher yields than anticipated.

Now in its third year, the Great Lakes YEN project fosters knowledge exchange among farmers seeking innovative methods to enhance their winter wheat yields. This year’s Great Lakes YEN project participants will come together in January for wrap-up meetings, providing them with a valuable opportunity to connect and share successful farming practices with their peers.

Farmers interested in participating in the 2023-2024 Great Lakes YEN are encouraged to visit greatlakesyen.com/how-to-participate/ for more information and to register to receive program updates, and to watch for the hashtag #GreatLakesYEN on Twitter/X. Registration for the program opens on December 4, 2023 and closes on February 2, 2024.

Here’s the list of the winners:

The winners of the Great Lakes YEN competition for the highest yield potential include:

Mark Davis (Ontario) – 117.6 per cent

Jeffery Krohn (Michigan) – 107.2 per cent

Wallace Loewen (Michigan) – 107.2 per cent

The winners of the highest yield are:

Jeff Cook (Ontario) – 173.4 bushels/acre

Nick Suwyn (Michigan) – 171.43 bushels/acre

Jeffery Krohn (Michigan) – 167.1 bushels/acre