The power and value of YEN networks depend on their numbers of participants and the data that they share. YEN networks collectively now have over 2,800 yields in their joint database, and we are pleased to report that growth is continuing in 2021, as summarised below:
Cereal YEN
Cereal YEN has been expanded to include oat crops as a separate category for 2021. Market trends indicate that oats are becoming more popular with consumers, and growers are looking to oats more as an alternative break crop. This demands a better understanding of oats, to optimise performance and yield. Oat crops entered from this year in the competition will now be compared to other oats crops and we will also have oats-specific awards.
This development is being sponsored by our newest Cereal YEN sponsor PepsiCo, a key international player in the oat consumer market.
Oilseed YEN
Oilseed YEN has also been expanded this year to include linseed crops as a separate category. This development is due to increased interest in linseed as an alternative break crop.
Spring sown linseed crops can be entered into Oilseed YEN for 2021, and winter linseed crops can be entered for 2022. To support this YEN category, we are pleased to welcome Premium Crops, the largest buyer of linseed in the UK, as our newest Oilseed YEN sponsor.
Pea and Bean YEN
In partnership with PGRO, ADAS hosts YENs for pulse crops – the Pea YEN and the Bean YEN. This year we have seen a greater interest from individual YEN sponsors in supporting both of these YENs, acknowledging a greater interest amongst growers to learn about pulse crop performance.
To enhance our understanding of associations between soil rhizobium populations, plant nutrition and final pulse yields, we have agreed in-kind sponsorship from Dr Pete Ianetta’s group at the James Hutton Institute’s Ecological Sciences department, and HuttonSoils, James Hutton Limited’s commercial soil analysis service. They will enhance the soil intelligence we are gaining for Pea YEN and Bean YEN entries.
Forage YEN
This year we have expanded Grass YEN to include maize and whole cropped cereals, used for both livestock feed and energy production, so have rebranded this YEN as Forage YEN.
Forage YEN aims to gain a better understanding of yield formation by forage crops and to identify key opportunities for enhancing yields. This year we welcome three new corporate sponsors, Corteva and BASF, along with CZAV, a key agronomy service provider in the Netherlands.
International networks
Canada
After a successful launch on Prince Edward Island for the 2019 harvest, the Atlantic Grains Council has extended funding to include farms in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and has rebranded this YEN as Atlantic Canada YEN. Run in collaboration with Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada, they are now looking to include even more farms in 2021.
Sweden
YEN is expanding its footprint internationally and are delighted to announce that SOYL Sweden, a leading provider of precision farming services in Sweden has become a corporate sponsor in 2021.
SOYL Sweden will be launching Sweden YEN with entries planned for Cereal YEN, Oilseed YEN and Forage YEN.
Watch this space!
We’re currently in the process of developing a YEN-Zero which will allow benchmarking of greenhouse gas intensities of all arable crops.
This network will bring together key players throughout the agricultural supply chain and host discussion forums to address issues around achieving net-zero by 2040. YEN-Zero will provide a space where everyone can share their knowledge, agree key metrics, present ideas & test ‘what works’, to identify farming practices that reduce carbon intensity and maintain or improve productivity.