Kentucky Small Grain News

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2023 Kentucky Wheat Yield Contest Breaks Records

We have a new highest overall yield reported in the contest at 143.42 bushels per acre. This 2023 No-Till State Champion wheat entry from Jason Crisp in McLean County followed soybeans. Camron, Clay and Mark Wells in Union County reported the second-highest overall yield ever at 139.64 bushels per acre with the 2023 Tillage State Champion. The Wells Brothers also reported the third-highest yield ever at 135.80 bushels per acre. The previous highest yield ever reported (now 4th highest ever) was from Keith Hendrickson in Union County in 2015 with 134.27 bushels per acre. That was followed by the 2022 state champion, S & J Emmick in Hancock County at 132.68 bushels per acre.   

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University of Kentucky Launches New Crop Variety Testing Site

The University of Kentucky Wheat and Small Grains Variety Testing Program evaluates wheat and small grain (barley, cereal rye, oats, triticale, ancient grains) varieties that are commercially available or may soon be available to farmers. Annual variety performance testing provide farmers, seed producers, extension agents and consultants with current, unbiased information to help them select the varieties best adapted to their locality and individual requirements.

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UK Wheat Field Day is May 9

Wheat is big business in the Bluegrass state. According to the Kentucky Small Grain Growers’ Association, the state’s farmers harvested 30 million bushels of winter wheat from 375,000 acres in 2022. The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment’s Grain and Forage Center of Excellence supports the state’s wheat growers in many ways, including an annual field day.  The 2023 Wheat Field Day is May 9 at the UK Research and Education Center farm in Princeton.  

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Fall 2022 Wheat Planting Decision

Corn harvest is now underway and Kentucky grain farmers will soon decide if and how much wheat they will plant this fall. Compared to last year there are significant increases in wheat and soybean prices, major increases in all fertilizer prices, and fuel prices that have almost doubled. The following analysis quantifies these relative changes to estimate the profitability for crops harvested in 2023. The analysis includes estimated returns comparing double-cropped wheat/soybeans with full-season soybeans for the 2023 crop, and the likely implications for Kentucky grain farmers.

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