Meade County Grower Takes First Place in National Wheat Yield Contest
January 10, 2017
Grower credits achievement to WestBred® wheat variety
ST. LOUIS, Jan. 10, 2017 – WestBred® wheat is proud to announce Meade county wheat grower Jagger Borth won first place in Kansas and first place nationally in the National Wheat Yield Contest’s Winter Wheat—Irrigated category. The competition, organized by the National Wheat Foundation, champions yield-maximizing practices employed by innovative wheat growers. Borth placed after a yield increase of 377.3 percent over the most recent USDA-NASS published county average data.
Borth achieved a yield average of 133.64 bushels per acre with WestBred variety WB-GRAINFIELD.
“WB-GRAINFIELD was a wheat variety that showed great yield potential the previous year on our dryland and we thought if we could put it on irrigated land we could push it higher yet,” Borth said.
More than 170 individual growers across wheat-growing counties in the United States entered to compete in four categories: Spring Wheat-Irrigated, Spring Wheat-Dryland, Winter Wheat-Irrigated and Winter Wheat-Dryland. Combined, the 14 WestBred national and state winners averaged 136.9 bushels per acre, versus the collective average county yield of 63.3 bushels per acre.
The National Wheat Yield Contest recognized national winners in each category as well as the top three state winners. Winners were determined by evaluating the yield percentage increase based on USDA-NASS county averages. The inaugural contest encouraged growers to innovate, exchange knowledge and employ the newest available technology.
Borth credits the variety chosen and the nitrogen application strategy used for his success.
“By split applying the nitrogen, we sort of spoon fed the wheat what it needed and tried not to produce just a lot of straw,” Borth said. “We also held the water off as much as possible to keep the plant from getting lazy so it would put more in the head instead of wasting it on straw.”
As a sponsor of the National Wheat Yield Contest, WestBred wheat provides growers with opportunities to succeed in the wheat industry and avenues to exchange successful techniques.
“Innovative techniques, high-performing seed varieties and cutting-edge production practices make planting wheat a more attractive option for growers,” said John Fietsam, Wheat Technical Product Lead for Monsanto.
With commodity prices of wheat fluctuating, growers today need to look for ways to maximize their yield and profit potential, and WestBred wheat is committed to providing solutions for growers.
“Through this contest, we’ve learned different management techniques growers are employing to maximize the proportion of genetic yield potential they harvest from their wheat seed investment,” said Fietsam. “By harnessing the benefits of new technology, the best wheat genetics and innovative production practices, the winning growers have shown the boundaries of wheat yields can be pushed.”
To register for the 2017 National Wheat Yield Contest, growers can visit yieldcontest.wheatfoundation.org. The registration deadline for winter wheat is May 1, 2017, and the deadline for spring wheat is August 1, 2017.
Wheat growers interested in competing in the contest can also contact their WestBred seed supplier or local WestBred representative. Additional details can be found at www.westbred.com.
About WestBred Wheat
WestBred wheat provides seed suppliers and their growers access to the highest yield potential wheat seed, as well as testing, education, resources and experienced representatives to help maximize their yield potential.
ALWAYS READ AND FOLLOW PESTICIDE LABEL DIRECTIONS. Individual results may vary, and performance may vary from location to location and from year to year. WestBred and Design® and WestBred® are trademarks of Monsanto Technology LLC. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. ©2017 Monsanto Company.
