Alexandra Dacey Record winter wheat yields Great Lakes YEN’s innovation and progress The fourth year of the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) marked another successful chapter of this innovative program. The concept of the YEN, which began in the U.K. in 2012 by ADAS, encourages collaboration among farmers, researchers, industry supporters, and multiple agricultural organizations to share crop management approaches and ultimately improve yields. With almost 200 farmers completing the program, 2024 marked the biggest Great Lakes YEN year. Half of this year’s participants were in Ontario, with the rest spread across the Great Lakes region of the U.S. and beyond, including Missouri, Kentucky, and Washington state. The program has captured data from over 480 fields, creating a dataset that researchers can analyze and answering more questions about how farmers can grow higher-yielding winter wheat. SEASONAL OVERVIEW Winter wheat planting was delayed in 2023 due to a delay in soybean maturity. Persistent dry conditions through much of September also delayed planting for some farmers. Continual rainfall in mid to late October caused further delays. Winter conditions were favourable, resulting in excellent winter survival. Dormancy was broken early; however, cool temperatures and persistent rainfall throughout the spring delayed nitrogen applications. Herbicide applications were also delayed, leading to bluegrass and chickweed issues. Disease levels were low early in the growing season, but stripe rust spread rapidly as fields approached flag leaf, requiring growers to apply a fungicide. Warm, humid conditions through pollination also prompted fungicide applications for protection against Fusarium head blight. Other diseases and pests (such as powdery mildew, septoria, and cereal leaf beetle) were present but well-controlled with timely crop protection applications. Harvest started early in much of the region, but as harvest progressed, rainfall prolonged harvest for some. Overall, 2024 winter wheat yields across the province were average, with good quality and low DON levels.
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