YEN (Yield Enhancement Network)

Understand how YEN (Yield Enhancement Network) assists farmers in developing robust cropping strategies to achieve good yield consistency. 

As arable farmers strive to reduce costs of production to combat volatility and loss of farm subsidies, one of the key strategy is to maximise yield to spread those costs. With yields plateauing over recent years, the ADAS YEN programme seeks to explore new science and encourage sharing of best practice to raise average yields, towards the crop’s genetic potential in any given growing location.

Speakers

We will be joined by Professor Roger Sylvester-Bradley, Head of Crop Performance at ADAS RSK Ltd. Farmer and Agronomist Alex Wilcox will discuss his winning entry for the YEN 2018 Milling Wheat Quality awards.

Programme

• Registration
• Welcome and introduction: Paul Hill – AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager (South East)
• Operational & YEN up-date: Mark Chandler - Petworth Monitor Farmer
• Tackling the yield plateau (YEN): Prof. Roger Sylvester-Bradley - ADAS RSK Ltd. The talk will include:
  
  • What is YEN?
  • Potential yields in UK 
  • Understanding crop science, crop requirements and resources
  • Biophysical potential of cereal yields
  • Research & developments
  • Agronomics 
  • G.Chandlers YEN 2019 Entry (wheat) discussion - what does the data tell us?
• Break-out session - Nutrient strategies YEN 2020 for G Chandler Farming Ltd
• Feedback: Prof. Roger Sylvester-Bradley and Mark Chandler
• Theory into practice – my methodology of producing yield with quality - Alex Wilcox, winner of YEN 2018 Milling Wheat Quality Awards
• Event Summary
• Lunch

About Petworth Monitor Farm

Mark Chandler runs Moor Farm at Petworth in West Sussex in partnership with his father Richard, managing a total of 1,285ha including AHA tenancies, FBTs, contract farming agreements and stubble-to-stubble contracting. Mark grows spring malting barley, oilseed rape, spring beans and winter wheat on loam over weald clay soil with some sandy clay loam. The farm has been in non-inversion tillage for 20 years, and Mark continually works towards moving less soil. Mark wants to improve his current farm practices to increase his productivity.