“This is not an anomaly – not a one hit wonder. AgriMAXX wheat varieties are performing exceptionally well, and have been producing high yields for growers across the country for several years now.” That’s according to Matt Wehmeyer, of AgriMAXX Wheat, based at Mascoutah, Illinois.
AgriMAXX wheat varieties produced wheat yield contest winners in Illinois and Kentucky this year. The Illinois Wheat Association sponsored the 3rd annual Winter Wheat Contest in that state. The Kentucky Small Grain Growers Association sponsored the 2016 Kentucky Extension Wheat Yield Contest. State winners in each state planted AgriMAXX Wheat varieties. Matt Wehmeyer said, “Our varieties lead the industry in high yield environments. It’s exciting to see our customers winning these yield contests. They really know how to grow an excellent wheat crop, and some big congratulations go out to these winners and their tremendous yields.”
Mark Krausz of New Baden, Illinois had first place in the Southern Illinois Division with yields of 131.45 bushels per acre with AgriMAXX 454. Krausz said, “Accuracy, precision and attention to detail is what it takes to get great wheat yields. And, it starts long before the wheat crop is even planted.” Krausz said he and his son, Matt start planning the wheat crop long before the soybeans come off. “We carefully select soybean varieties that allow us a timely harvest. We pay very close attention to soil health and the condition of the seedbed at planting.”
Choosing the right seed is imperative to a high-yield strategy. “AgriMAXX varieties are excellent and adapted to grow well in our soils,” said Krausz. “The AgriMAXX seed quality and seed uniformity are no doubt, second to none. In contrast to planting wheat in the past, this seed is all uniformly sized. The seed treatments do their job especially well on the AgriMAXX varieties because of the way the seed is treated. The whole seed is precisely coated so the flow is excellent. It was awesome seed that made planting so much more accurate.”
Precise accuracy at planting allowed Krausz to both plant high enough populations and plant them incredibly uniformly. “Instead of thinking about pounds per acre, we focus on plants per square yard. A digital scale and consistent planting speed help us be spot-on at planting.”
In the end, he says that combination has paid off. “Our wheat yields are double what they used to be, and it’s not just in small areas, but on large acreage tracts making high yields. You have to have yield.”
Patricia Justison, Hillsboro, Illinois, and her father, David were first-time contest entrants who managed to win first and second place with AgriMAXX in the Northern Illinois Division. First place was with AgriMAXX 454 with a yield of 122.10 bushels per acre. Second place yield was 115.20 bushels per acre with AgriMAXX 444. “It was a great year for wheat! We had the right varieties, the right weather, the right conditions, and were really excited to see the results.”
When asked what it takes to grow winning wheat, Justison said, “It certainly helps to have some great weather, but beyond that, we think that raising high yields takes a three-prong approach; it’s the genetics, the seed treatments and the management. You can’t make up for genetics at harvest. AgriMAXX genetics are definitely going in the right direction with varieties in maturities that thrive in our rolling ground and light soils. The seed treatments are precisely applied and do their job to get the stand established. Then, from a management perspective, we want to take care to feed that plant, protect its yield, know what the plant needs, and provide it on time.”
Kyle Bugg, of Mayfield, Kentucky was surprised by his first place winning spot in the Kentucky yield contest with 123.01 bushels to the acre. “We planted AgriMAXX 446, and I’m very pleased.”
Bugg said he pays very close attention to soil health, and started by taking precision grid soil samples to be sure the soil was ready. During the growing season, he took tissue samples weekly which revealed some deficiency and imbalances in micronutrients that he was able to correct almost as soon as he got the results. He said, “I think the attention to the micronutrients helped ensure the soil had what it needed to produce the high yields. I always want the crop to be happy and never want for anything.”
Bugg reports it wasn’t just the contest acreage that performed well. Across all of his wheat acres, yields were consistently very high. “When I grow wheat – it’s definitely going to be AgriMAXX. The seed quality is outstanding. And the varieties are suited to our fields. I always try to improve. Based on what I learned, I’m going to try to beat that yield on the farm that produced it. I really feel like we can get it done!”
Overall, Justison said it’s about farm profitability. “Growing wheat with these yields is a smart decision from a business perspective. We’ve almost doubled our yields overall. There’s a lot of talk about cover crops, but if you keep a good, solid wheat crop in the ground, it provides another income, and in June or July, it keeps that cash flow going.”
Wehmeyer said, “At the end of day, farmers have to drive profitability. You need the yield to accomplish that. With our expertise in the wheat industry and bringing our customers the very best varieties for the right fields, combined with our customers’ effective management practices, they are seeing a major benefit on their bottom line.”