LANSING, Mich.  – Wheat growers interested in becoming part of the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network can begin registering now, so they don’t lose out on the 2024 opportunity to learn more about their wheat crop and how to hit their yield potential.

For growers interested in participating, registration closes February 2. To register or for more information on Great Lakes YEN visit https://www.GreatLakesYEN.com. 

Every farm involved in the Great Lakes YEN shares soil, tissue and whole plant analysis for comparison and benchmarking. Growers receive reports specific to their field at the end of the season, allowing the opportunity to learn more about how their wheat crop develops and produces yield, and how they compare to their peers.

Growers must be registered and submit the $300 participation fee prior to program launch in late February 2024.

“We have a lot of work to get done to get growers their boxes with all the materials needed to take the samples including pre-addressed and stamped envelopes,” said Jody Pollok-Newsom, executive director of the Michigan Wheat Program, the check-off program collaborating to bring the Great Lakes YEN to wheat farmers. “We also need to get first-time participants set up with access to the database so they can enter their selected YEN field. We need everything ready to go before growers head out into the fields this spring – and it’s anyone’s guess when that will happen!”

“With three years under our belt we have come a long way and have learned a lot about how wheat grows and produces yield,” said Dennis Pennington, YEN collaborator and Michigan State University wheat specialist. “The data we collect and report back to participants is proving to provide valuable insights to their farm operation and identify management practices that would improve yields”.

“In 2023, much of the grain fill period was cut short due to below normal rainfall or even drought conditions across the YEN region.  Despite that, we set a new record high yield in the YEN at 173 bushels per acre,” Pennington said.

As the fourth year of Great Lakes YEN gets underway, it’s already proving to be a program that encourages farmers to try new things and learn from wheat growers across the Great Lakes region. Every field is different and has different yield potential based on a multitude of factors, such as environment (rainfall, sunlight), soil (water holding capacity, nutrient level), and management (inputs used and timing).  Growers are responsible to enter their data throughout the growing season.

Once harvest is complete, data is compiled and reported back to each participant via a field-specific written report as well as through regional events. Individual farm data will be specific to each grower and is safeguarded and not reported back to anyone except that grower.