The National Wheat Foundation’s annual wheat yield contest, a showcase of innovation and high performance in wheat farming, has revealed impressive results for the 2024 season. With 516 contestants from across the United States—spanning regions from New Jersey to Washington—this year’s contest saw the highest participation in its history. This year, farmers experimented with cutting-edge wheat management strategies while aiming for higher yields, better quality, and increased profitability.
The results of the contest underscore the growing importance of soft wheat varieties in high-yield production systems. Soft white wheat, in particular, stood out as a dominant force in both dryland and irrigated categories.
Top Performers in the Contest
- Soft White Wheat Domination
Steve VanGrunsven from Forest Grove, Oregon, earned the prestigious “bin buster” designation by harvesting a remarkable 170.63 bushels per acre of Shine—a soft white wheat variety. This yield was the highest in the dryland winter wheat category, setting a new benchmark for wheat producers in the region. The top three places in this category were all claimed by growers of soft white wheat, indicating its robust performance under dryland conditions. - Dryland Soft Red and Hard Red Winter Wheat
In the soft red winter wheat category, Scott Truszkowski of Stewartsville, New Jersey, recorded a strong yield of 152.33 bushels per acre with the 9070 variety. Meanwhile, in the hard red winter wheat category, David Ebers from Wellston, Oklahoma, achieved a yield of 136.42 bushels per acre with the WB4422 variety, marking an impressive performance in the dryland conditions of the Southern Plains. - Spring Wheat Success
In the dryland spring wheat category, the contest saw winners spread across key growing regions, from Minnesota to Oregon. Nick Pfaff from Bismarck, North Dakota, achieved the highest spring wheat yield of 117.6 bushels per acre with the 3099A variety of hard red spring wheat. Following closely was John Wesolowski of Warren, Minnesota, with a yield of 114.93 bushels per acre using WB9590, also a hard red spring wheat variety. - Digital Yield Category: A New Frontier
For the first time, the National Wheat Foundation introduced a digital yield category, which was piloted for dryland spring wheat in four northern Plains states. This new category allowed farmers to leverage digital tools for yield tracking and management. Brad Disrud from Rolla, North Dakota, emerged as the top performer in this category with a yield of 102 bushels per acre of WB9590 hard red spring wheat. The success of this new category shows promise for further expansion and refinement in future contests.
What This Means for Wheat Farmers
The results from this year’s contest highlight several important trends that can guide future wheat farming practices. First, the dominance of soft wheat varieties, especially soft white and soft red types, demonstrates their potential for high yields under both dryland and irrigated conditions. Additionally, the rise of digital yield monitoring tools offers new opportunities for farmers to fine-tune their management practices and increase productivity.
As farmers continue to adapt to changing environmental conditions and market demands, it will be crucial to explore different wheat varieties and management strategies that can optimize yields and quality. The contest results also underscore the importance of experimenting with new technologies, as evidenced by the success of the digital yield category.
Paving the Way for Future Wheat Production
This year’s National Wheat Foundation yield contest not only showcases the highest yield achievements to date but also highlights the ongoing innovations in wheat farming practices. With soft wheat varieties leading the charge, and the successful introduction of digital yield monitoring, farmers are increasingly empowered to push the boundaries of what’s possible in wheat production. By continuing to experiment with different wheat types and management techniques, wheat producers can improve both their productivity and profitability.
Error
