Kansas farmers encouraged to enter the 2021 National Wheat Yield Contest

Wheat fields are greening up across Kansas — just in time for the 2021 National Wheat Yield Contest to open for grower enrollment. The contest features two primary competition categories: winter wheat and spring wheat, plus two subcategories: dryland and irrigated.

“The National Wheat Yield Contest showcases how management can maximize yield potential while maintaining excellent quality,” said Justin Gilpin, Kansas Wheat CEO. “Kansas growers in the contest not only compete with fellow U.S. wheat farmers but also have the opportunity to learn about how the latest innovative practices can be put into action on their fields.”

The contest is organized by the National Wheat Foundation (NWF), with new project manager Anne Osborne leading this year’s effort. The 2021 National Wheat Yield Contest sponsors include AgriMaxx, Ardent Mills, BASF, CROPLAN® by WinField United, Grain Craft, John Deere, Miller Milling, Nutrien and WestBred.

“We hope to continue to break our record of eligible entries and for the quality criteria to continue to make the contest more competitive,” said NWF Board President and Texas wheat grower David Cleavinger. “Again, the National Wheat Foundation would like to thank our sponsors for helping to make the contest available to all wheat growers across the United States, and DTN/Progressive for providing exclusive coverage of the contest.”

The National Wheat Yield Contest awards the highest yielding entry from each state, from which national winners are selected. Subcategory winners are determined by yield increases exceeding the most recent five-year Olympic county average as determined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Growers are also required to submit a grain sample from each entry to determine the quality of wheat produced under high yield management practices.

A total of 24 national awards will be given, with winners from each category and subcategory recognized during the 2022 Commodity Classic, scheduled for March 10-12, 2022, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In the 2020 National Wheat Yield Contest, Tyler Ediger from Meade earned the top spot in the dryland winter wheat category with a final yield of 108.43 bushels per acre. This plot also earned Ediger a fifth-place finish in the national contest in the dryland category, based on a 205.01 percent increase over the county average. The variety for this winning entry was WestBred WB4792.

In the irrigated winter wheat category, Ki Gamble from Kiowa was the state winner with an entry of WestBred 4792 that yielded 135.39 bushels per acre.

“Each year, Kansas wheat farmers continue to demonstrate their dedication to good management practices,” Gilpin said. “We are proud to support the recognition of these top producers and encourage growers to enter their best fields in this year’s contest.”

The early registration deadline for this year’s winter wheat contest is April 1. The final deadline for entries is May 15, so Kansas farmers still have time to evaluate which fields have the best yield potential for this year’s harvest. The wheat contest is conducted online, so growers should register at yieldcontest.wheatfoundation.org. All forms and payments will be submitted electronically through this portal.

Learn more about the 2021 National Wheat Yield Contest at yieldcontest.wheatfoundation.org.