ONTARIO GRAIN FARMER AGRONOMY 31 Farmers, agronomists, extension specialists, and researchers met in London in February to attend the year-end Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) wrap-up meeting. The meeting capped off the fifth year of this innovative program. Inspired by the ADAS YEN program in the UK, the Great Lakes YEN launched in 2021 through a partnership between Grain Farmers of Ontario, Michigan State University Extension, Michigan Wheat Program, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, and the University of Guelph. As part of a global YEN network, the Great Lakes YEN empowers local farmers to better understand their yield potential and identify what may be holding them back. The YEN brings together agricultural organizations, extension specialists, academics, agronomists, and farmers, all working to boost crop returns by narrowing the gap between potential and actual yields. In addition to Ontario, wrap-up meetings were held in Michigan and Kentucky. Over 180 farmers and their agronomists had the opportunity to dive deeper into data collected from the 2025 growing season, talk with other top grower participants, and hear from world-class researchers. 2025 SEASON OVERVIEW The 2025 winter wheat season in Ontario and the U.S. was marked by successful planting, favourable overwintering, and resilient yields despite weather-related challenges. HIGHLIGHTS: • Timely fall planting and strong crop establishment in Ontario, with 1.18 million acres seeded across the province. • Good overwintering conditions, with consistent snow cover and few freeze-thaw events. Overall, vigorous spring growth supported rapid recovery from snow mould. • Timely split nitrogen and sulphur applications boosted growth; U.S. fields benefited from gradual warming and extra tillering. • Low early disease pressure in Ontario; however, as the season progressed, powdery mildew and stripe rust were a challenge in many regions. US fields managed powdery mildew throughout the season. • Weather allowed for wide spray windows but high daytime temperatures impacted grain-fill; Ontario produced high-quality grain, and the U.S. maintained quality despite late rains. Overall, the season showcased effective management and crop resilience, resulting in strong yields and quality across the region. THE UK CONNECTION The Great Lakes YEN was honoured to have Roger Sylvester-Bradley join the Michigan and Ontario wrap-up meetings. Sylvester-Bradley co-founded the YEN concept, is a leading expert in crop performance with ADAS’s Crop Physiology Group, and recently received the Royal Agricultural Society of England’s Science and Technology medal for 2025. With over 50 years of experience in crop productivity and nutrition, Roger remains passionate about advancing ‘farm action research’ alongside farmers and has contributed to more than 250 scientific publications. During his presentation, Sylvester-Bradley highlighted findings from 15 years of the UK YEN, showing that 40 per cent of wheat yield is tied directly to farmer decisions, including management strategies and field-specific factors. He also described the ideal ‘ideotype’ for winter wheat in the UK, detailing the characteristics, such as the targeted number of heads, number of grains, nutrient requirements, variety , and rooting characteristics that enable UK farmers to achieve world record yields. Several Great Lakes YEN participants had the opportunity to see those record-breaking wheat fields up close during the 2025 YEN summer networking tour, where 30 tour participants toured Tim Lamyman’s impressive wheat fields. The tour also showcased how farmers in the UK are adopting innovative, sustainable practices, as well as world-class research on wheat breeding and weed control. The Great Lakes YEN leadership team hosted their first summer tour in Michigan in 2024, followed by a second successful tour in Ontario in 2025. These tours, in addition to the in-person wrapup meetings, several virtual help sessions, and the very active WhatsApp chat group, offer program participants unique opportunities to learn from cutting-edge research and connect with continued on page 32 2025 GREAT LAKES YEN YIELD WINNERS 1. Nick Suwyn (Wayland, Michigan): 182.7 bu/ac (achieved 118 per cent of his calculated yield potential). 2. Wayne Metzger (Proton Station, Ontario): 170.1 bu/ac (achieved 93 per cent of his calculated yield potential). 3. Ben Wilson (Carson City, Michigan): 156.2 bu/ac (achieved 82 per cent of his calculated yield potential).
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