Benchmark Wheat in the Yield Enhancement Network
Benchmark Wheat in the Yield Enhancement Network
Chad Lee and Allie Mutter | University of Kentucky Extension
The Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) is a program managed by Dennis Pennington at Michigan State University. This program is curated towards farmers interested in maximizing their wheat yield and profitability. Farmers and crop consultants in the program can compare their management and yields to other farmers in Kentucky and across the Soft Red Winter Wheat Region. The goal of the program is to connect agriculturalists who are curious about how they can close the gap between actual yield and potential yield. By incorporating on-farm benchmarking and connecting with peers, participants can continue improving their own operations while sharing insights with other farmers to do the same.
Farmers in the YEN program select an area within a field for wheat production which will become a designated site to pull samples from. Those farmers may work with crop scouts to collect samples throughout the growing season. Farmers are also asked to submit field management practices which add an additional layer to understanding yield. All data that is collected from the selected field is then compared with other YEN entries within Kentucky and across the Soft Red Winter Wheat region in the United States. This way of benchmarking helps farmers and crop scouts identify which practices are associated with the best yields. To identify the best practices, farmers must rely on other farmers to submit their data to compare, collaborate, and be inspired.
YEN program entry fees help pay for tissue and grain nutrient analyses, data summary, and reports to each farmer. These analyses and reports are where farmers that are involved in the program can see where they do well, and where there is area for improvement.
Kentucky Small Grain is in support of the YEN Program. KY Small Grain has partnered with Dr. Chad Lee and graduate student, Allie Mutter, to conduct additional research based on the YEN outcomes in Kentucky. If you have questions about the YEN program, feel free to contact KY Small Grain or Dennis Pennington at the email addresses below.
Dennis Pennington, Wheat Extension Specialist, Michigan State University | pennin34@msu.edu
Laura Knoth, Executive Director, KY Small Grain | laura@kysmallgrains.org