Winners announced for 2023-2024
Great Lakes Yield Enhancement (YEN) program!

The Michigan Wheat Program; Michigan State University; the Grain Farmers of Ontario; the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Agribusiness; and the University of Guelph are proud to announce the winners of the 2023-2024 Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) competition. The competition caps participating wheat growers’ work over the past growing season.

Great Lakes YEN was established in 2021, as a partnership between the above organizations which are located on both sides of the Canadian-US border. Its purpose is to both improve crop returns of winter wheat with a greater understanding of crop performance, and to increase collaboration between industry and farmers.

Great Lakes YEN is data-heavy program, and requires participating growers to enter and track information on their wheat crop. At year-end, each grower sees his or her rank among peers; growers who participate multiple years will see a comparison to their own previous wheat crops.

Each participant receives a 30-page report of specific detailed information for their farm, to help make continued production gains.

For the 2023-2024 production season, the high-yield winners are:

  1. Nick Suwyn (Wayland, Mich.) – 171.9 bushels/acre growing ISF 780.
  2. Jeffery Krohn (Elkton, Mich.) – 170.1 bushels/acre growing DF 271W.
  3. John Kilbourne (Mount Brydges, Ontario) – 160.2 bushels/acre growing 25R64.

“Farmers greatly appreciate the knowledge and insights related to the potential of winter wheat and enhancing yield. The Great Lakes YEN has provided us with valuable data regarding yields and more,” said Paul Hoekstra, vice president of strategic development for the Grain Farmers of Ontario.

“Grain Farmers of Ontario is thrilled with the achievements of the Great Lakes YEN. We extend our congratulations to the winners and look forward to what the future holds in subsequent years of the Great Lakes YEN,” Hoekstra said.

The YEN also recognizes growers’ percentage of possible yield achieved. The variables in this calculation are capture of light energy; conversion efficiency; harvest index and capture of all available water.

For 2023-2024, winners of the competition for the highest yield potential are:

  1. Jeffery Krohn (Elkton, Mich.) – 155% growing DF 271W.
  2. Tim Layton (Charleston, Missouri) – 105.2% growing AgriMAXX 513.
  3. Rich D’Arcy (Kingston, Mich.) – 105.1% growing MCIA Wharf.

Great Lakes YEN participants are proving that attention to detail when managing winter wheat pays off: This year’s average yield across all participants reached over 115 bushels per acre. With delayed soybean maturity in the fall of 2023 and persistent rainfall, planting of winter wheat in much of the region was delayed into October.

Despite the delayed planting, a mild winter resulted in early green up and excellent winter survival. Growers were challenged to make timely fertilizer and crop protection applications due to persistent rain throughout the growing season. Increased insect and disease pressure was also observed across the region. Yet, despite a challenging growing season, the harvest was early in much of the region and grain quality was generally good.

With four project years completed, the Great Lakes YEN project has been instrumental in fostering knowledge exchange among participating farmers who are seeking innovative methods to enhance their winter wheat yields. This year’s Great Lakes YEN participants will meet in January and February for wrap-up meetings, providing them with a valuable opportunity to connect and share successful farming practices with their peers.

Yield-increases and percentage-of-yield-achieved are great benchmarks for farmers in tracking gains in winter wheat production,” said Jody Pollok-Newsom, executive director of the Michigan Wheat Program. “The detailed, written reports that are compiled and sent to growers provide valuable information on over 200 data points they entered during the growing season.

“By reviewing those reports to see how their farm stacks up and by participating in our grower networking opportunities, farmers are able to share what works on their farms to enhance their winter wheat yields and decide what they may want to try next year to boost it even more,” Pollok-Newsom said. “The Great Lakes YEN is all about gathering data, sharing information and networking with others to grow the best wheat.”

A program of this caliber would not be possible without the support of sponsors, Pollok-Newsom said. Sponsors of the 2023-2024 YEN program for the US are:  Mennel Milling, Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association, King Milling, Eastman, Star of the West, Ardent Mills, Michigan Ag Commodities, Mosaic, Chelsea Milling, Coop Elevator and Knappen Milling.

Registration is now open so farmers interested in learning more or wanting to participate in the 2024-2025 Great Lakes YEN should visit https://greatlakesyen.com/how-to-participate/ for more information, or to register. In addition to the website, watch for updates and information through the #GreatLakesYEN handle on “X” (formerly Twitter). Registration for the program is open now and closes January 31, 2025. The new program will be launched in February 2025.

For sponsorship info, contact Jody Pollok-Newsom at jody@miwheat.org.