Kentucky Hosts Annual Wheat Field Day Event

By Blake Jackson

The University of Kentucky Research and Education Center (UKREC) will host its annual Wheat Field Day on Tuesday, May 13, at 1205 Hopkinsville Street in Princeton. This year’s event celebrates 100 years of wheat research, highlighting past achievements and focusing on current crop and market challenges.

Field Day presentations begin at 9 a.m. CDT and conclude at noon, followed by lunch provided by the Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association. The event brings together wheat growers, processors, industry experts, and researchers to discuss 2025 crop conditions, pest and nutrient management, and new wheat varieties.

UKREC has played a key role in advancing Kentucky’s wheat industry since 1925. Early innovations included yield trials and the use of threshing machines. By the 1980s, researchers like Charles Tutt, James Herbek, and Lloyd Murdock helped develop no-till wheat practices, making wheat farming more productive and sustainable.

“This event will be an opportunity for Kentucky’s wheat growers, processors, end users and UK Wheat Science Group experts to come together and talk about this year’s crop, new and ongoing research and ways to add value to Kentucky’s wheat industry,” said David Van Sanford, professor and wheat breeder in the University of Kentucky Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and co-chair of the Wheat Science Group.

In 1995, Siemer Milling Company opened a wheat mill in Hopkinsville, followed by a nearby Continental Mills facility, both benefiting from Kentucky’s enhanced wheat quality.

Field Day also offers continuing education credits for certified crop advisors and pesticide applicators. Participants will receive updates on weather-related issues affecting wheat, including flooding impacts, and learn from ongoing research focused on improving yield and sustainability.

The Wheat Field Day has become a key annual event for sharing scientific advances and practical strategies with Kentucky’s wheat industry. More details are available at https://ukrec.ca.uky.edu/events/2025-wheat-field-day.

Photo Credit: gettyimages-ianchrisgraham