Today, the National Wheat Yield Contest announced the 26 national and 94 state winners for 2024-the ninth year of the contest. This year’s contest had 516 entries, the most ever. “The new website, along with all our great partners promoting the contest and good growing conditions in most wheat-growing states early last spring, created more interest and enthusiasm for the contest. We appreciate all the growers who participated and our partners who supported the contest. Congratulations to all the winners and to everyone who is learning how to raise higher yield and quality wheat through their experiences in the contest,” said Bernard Peterson, National Wheat Foundation Chairman and Bardstown, Kentucky Farmer.
The National Wheat Yield Contest encourages wheat growers to strive for high yield, quality, and profit while trying new and innovative wheat management strategies.
Out of the 26 national winners, 7 are new national winners this year, 19 have placed nationally in the past. Two of the winners are from the new category, Digital Yield, which ran as a pilot in dryland spring wheat only in 4 northern plains states. “We are pleased with how the pilot digital yield category went and how much we can learn from it. We expect to continue this type of category and will take time this winter to gather feedback from the participants and our partners who helped us develop this category to refine it even more,” said Anne Osborne, National Wheat Foundation Project Manager.
All 26 national winners will ship in a wheat sample to be tested for quality parameters, including milling and baking analysis. A panel of experts will evaluate the results, and top-quality winners will be announced on January 15 at the National Wheat Foundation’s Winter Board meeting in Washington, D.C.
“The National Wheat Yield Contest emphasizes wheat quality as well as yield because our customers all over the world expect that our wheat is the best and most consistent high-quality wheat they can buy,” said Bernard Peterson, National Wheat Foundation Chairman and Bardstown, Kentucky Farmer.
Thank you to all the partners in the 2024 contest: WestBred, John Deere, U.S. Wheat Associates, BASF, Croplan, Eastman, Limagrain Cereal Seeds, The McGregor Companies, Agrimaxx, Ardent Mills, Bushel, Climate FieldView, Corteva, DynaGro, GrainSense, Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association, Mennel, North Carolina Small Grain Growers Association, Ohio Corn & Wheat, PlainsGold, Siemer Milling Company, UPL, UniSouth Genetics, Grain Craft, Kansas Wheat, Miller Milling, Michigan Wheat, Montana Grain Growers Association, Northern Crops Institute, North Dakota Mill & Elevator. DTN/Progressive Farmer is the official publication of the National Wheat Yield Contest.
The full list winners can be found here.
For more details on the National Wheat Yield Contest, visit www.wheatcontest.org. For questions on partnership in the 2025 contest, contact Anne Osborne aosborne@wheatworld.org.
