By Blake Jackson
The Grain and Forage Center of Excellence (GFCE), part of the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment and based at the UK Research and Education Center in Princeton, has announced the winners of the 2025 Kentucky Wheat Yield Contest.
“When farmers participate in the Kentucky Wheat Yield Contest, the entry data allows our wheat research specialists to see what management practices are taking place to achieve the highest yield levels across the state,” Chad Lee, GFCE director and contest administrator said.
“It gives us ideas for research down the road, allowing us to ask if these practices need more study and could benefit more producers.”
In the no-tillage division, Hunt Farms of Christian County recorded the state’s top yield with an average of 134.63 bushels per acre, planting the Pioneer 25R64 soft red winter wheat variety. This marked the second-highest yield in the contest’s 39-year history.
In the tillage division, Gates Farm LLC of Henderson County earned the top average yield of 114.75 bushels per acre with Revere Reagan soft red winter wheat.
For the first time, a quality award was also presented. Folz Farms of Christian County achieved a no-tillage yield of 120.57 bushels per acre using AgriMAXX 513 seed, with wheat test weight of 62.6 pounds and 9.3% protein.
“The quality award was added because it is important for our wheat buyers. While some of the grain is used for the distilling industry, most of Kentucky’s wheat is used to produce baked goods such as biscuits, cookies and cakes. This new data will help us learn how production decisions impact the characteristics wheat buyers are looking for,” Lee said.
Area winners included Folz Farms (Area 1, 123.31 bushels/acre), S and J Emmick Farm (Area 2, 127.47 bushels/acre), and Wright Brothers Farms (Area 4, 116.89 bushels/acre). Area 3 had no entries due to adverse weather.
Winners will be recognized at the Kentucky Commodity Conference in Bowling Green on January 15, 2026. The contest is supported by the Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association, UK Cooperative Extension Service, Siemer Milling Company, and other agribusiness partners.
Full contest results and details are available at https://graincrops.mgcafe.uky.edu/kentucky-yield-contests.
Photo Credit:gettyimages-ygrek
Categories: Kentucky, Crops, Wheat