By Blake Jackson
Proper timing is crucial for wheat production, from planting to nitrogen applications. A few days can significantly affect yields, according to Rick Clifton and Kamprath, both participants in the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN). This initiative, launched in 2021, helps growers improve wheat production through detailed management practices.
Clifton, 70, farm in Circleville. His operation includes 500 acres of wheat, along with 1,100 acres of corn and 1,000 acres of soybeans. For over a decade, they’ve also double-cropped soybeans after wheat. Kamprath, a fourth-generation farmer, grows 250 acres of wheat and also raises corn, soybeans, and hay in Michigan.
“If you manage wheat well and push the envelope a little bit, there's just as much potential as corn and beans,” Kamprath said.
Participation in YEN has motivated both growers to increase field scouting and refine management. “I’m not trying to be the top wheat producer, but I am trying to be in the top third, raise my average and increase my bottom line,” Kamprath added.
YEN emphasizes both yield and cost efficiency. “High yields alone are not enough,” said Dennis Pennington of Michigan State University. “Inputs need to pay for themselves.”
In 2024, Michigan set a new state wheat yield record of 87 bushels per acre. The highest yield within the YEN program reached 172 bpa. Clifton and Kamprath both planted their wheat in late September to early October and used a variety of fertilizers, herbicides, and fungicides tailored to growth stages.
“I never work my ground for wheat, but we were so dry last year, I worked 200 acres because the drill wouldn't go into the ground,” Clifton explained. Despite tough conditions, he harvested 121 bpa last year.
“It fits our rotation, and there's more money to be made with wheat followed by double-crop beans than anything else I do,” Clifton noted.
Photo Credit: istock-zhaojiankang
Categories: Kentucky, Crops, Wheat