Production Articles

On these pages, the Michigan Wheat Program will highlight important updates on wheat production that may or may not be the result of check-off research, yet provide very important information to Michigan wheat farmers.

There are many researchers at MSU and you can view their work and final reports under the Research Results tab. However, there are also many other articles and stories that are important to wheat production.

Two primary contributors are Dennis Pennington, MSU Wheat Specialist and Martin Nagelkirk, retired MSU Extension Educator. Both have a vast knowledge of Michigan agriculture and the wheat industry. Efforts have focused on all aspects of winter wheat production with particular emphasis on managing diseases and nitrogen fertilizer; using growth regulators; and maintaining collaborative linkages between Michigan State University and the Michigan Wheat Program.

Dennis Pennington M.S. (msu.edu), Michigan State University Wheat Systems Specialist, is the critical link between the applied research projects performed by MSU professors and funded by the Michigan Wheat Program. His “boots on the ground” help document crop conditions and problems around the state, coordinate the various research projects and deliver educational updates to wheat producers. The Wheat Specialist position has been jointly funded by MSU and the Michigan Wheat Program since 2015.

Previously, Pennington was a Bioenergy Educator with MSU Extension since 2008, and before that an Agriculture and Natural Resources Coordinator in Barry and Kent counties since 1997. He holds both BS and MS degrees in Crop and Soil Science from MSU. Pennington and his family reside in the Hastings (Barry County) area.

Dennis Pennington

Another one of our primary contributors is Martin L. Nagelkirk, Michigan State University Senior Extension Educator. Nagelkirk has served in this capacity for 30 years, and has a vast knowledge of Michigan agriculture and the wheat industry.

In recent years, Nagelkirk’s field research and MSU Extension efforts have focused on all aspects of winter wheat production with particular emphasis on managing diseases and nitrogen fertilizer; using growth regulators; and maintaining collaborative linkages between Michigan State University and the Michigan Wheat Program.

Nagelkirk was raised in West Michigan and earned agronomy degrees from Michigan State University and Cornell University. He resides in the “thumb” region of Michigan with his family.