Early discount ends April 15 for winter wheat entries in the 2022 National Wheat Yield Contest

Much-need moisture is soaking in across Kansas wheat fields, and Kansas wheat producers have renewed enthusiasm for this year’s harvest prospects. Kansas Wheat encourages them to capitalize on the recent rain in yet another way — entering the 2022 National Wheat Yield Contest. The discount for early entries for winter wheat ends on April 15, providing a solid window for producers to survey and select their best potential plots as they green-up.

“The National Wheat Yield Contest allows producers to compete against their counterparts from across the country and learn how to maximize the management of their wheat crop to improve wheat yields and quality,” said Kansas Wheat CEO Justin Gilpin. “Kansas wheat producers demonstrate why our state is America’s breadbasket by proving year-in and year-out how their fields stand out.”

The National Wheat Yield Contest is organized by the National Wheat Foundation (NWF). The contest is divided into two primary competition categories: winter wheat and spring wheat, and two subcategories: dryland and irrigated.

The 2021 National Yield Contest included 63 wheat growers from 20 different states. In the dryland winter wheat category, Tyler Ediger from Meade took the top Kansas slot with a final yield of 125.66 bushels per acre. The entry also earned Ediger the fifth-place “bin buster” award in the national winter wheat-dryland category.

Darwin Ediger, Tyler’s father, was the second-place Kansas winner with a final yield of 123.48 bushels per acre.

Matt Jaeger was the third-place winner in the state in the winter wheat-dryland category, thanks to a final yield of 122.47 bushels per acre. The entry also won Jaeger fifth place nationally, based on the percent increase over the county average.

The variety for all three top Kansas winter wheat entries was WestBred WB4792.

In the dryland spring wheat category, Michael Anshutz from Russell took first place in the state with a final yield of 50.41 bushels per acre. The planted variety was WestBred WB9719.

“The Kansas winners of the 2021 contest demonstrated how adopting new practices that utilize the full potential of top-of-the-line wheat genetics pays off — even in challenging growing seasons,” Gilpin said. “We look forward to this year’s entries proving that point again, showing the results of variety selection, management decisions and received moisture.”

The 2022 National Wheat Yield Contest will recognize the top 24 individual winners, each of whom will be recognized at the 2023 Commodity Classic and receive trophies. The discount for early entries ends on April 15 for winter wheat and June 15 for spring wheat. Final winter wheat entries for the contest are due May 16, followed by spring wheat entries due August 1. Kansas farmers must be members of the Kansas Association of Wheat Growers to enter the national contest. Learn more about membership at kswheat.com/join.

This year’s contest features new rules. First, as with prior years, producers entering the contest should retain a six-pound sample from their plot at harvest. But, instead of sending in the physical sample along with harvest results, producers should keep that sample at home. The contest now also requires contestants have their sample graded at a local elevator and upload proof that the sample is either Grade 1 or Grade 2 as part of their harvest record.

If the submitted harvest report qualifies the producer as one of the 24 winners, the entrants will then be required to send in their sample for official testing.

The 2022 National Wheat Yield Contest also features a new quality component. Each of the yield winners’ samples will be tested for milling and baking qualities. If the samples meet all the markers for industry-desired quality, the producer will receive an additional $500 cash award.

“U.S. hard red winter wheat sets the standard that international buyers gauge for bread wheat quality,” Gilpin said. “Rewarding the quality attributes of this year’s yield contest entries helps build trust that U.S. wheat producers will continue providing the world’s most reliable supply of high-quality wheat.”

The 2022 National Yield Contest is sponsored by WestBred, U.S. Wheat Associates, BASF, John Deere, Ardent Mills, AgriMaxx, Elevate Ag, GrainSense, Grain Craft, Mennel Milling, Ohio Corn & Wheat, Croplan, GrowPro Genetics, North Dakota Mill and Elevator, Northern Crops Institute, Miller Milling, DynaGro, Limagrain, and CoAxium.

Learn more about the 2022 National Wheat Yield Contest or submit your entry at yieldcontest.wheatfoundation.org.

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Written by Julia Debes, Kansas Wheat