Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) open for 2021 entries

[Brid @ ADAS]

All our networks - Cereal, Oilseed, Bean, Pea, Grass, and Potato, are open to new entries for the 2021 harvest season. The networks are open to anyone who would like to better understand their crops and find ways to improve their yields

To learn more or register, please visit https://www.yen.adas.co.uk/

If you would like to enquire about sponsorship to enter YEN, please email [email protected]

YEN Member Benefits

• A comprehensive personal harvest report (20+ pages) on your natural resources, crop growth and any apparent yield constraints.
• A free soil health check with NRM
• Technical sessions on yields with leading crop experts along with newsletters, monthly actions and networking sessions

 

[Brid @ ADAS]

A quick video about the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) - open to any growers or agronomists for 2021! Website: www.yen.adas.co.uk

 

[Spud]

I find yen all a bit baffling, having been involved with potato yen this year.
How can theoretical yield be calculated of a plant that is 80% water without taking into account rainfall and irrigation? (Apparently the competition is 'just a bit of fun')
How is calculating size of canopy via theory and science more accurate than field assessment?
Makes no sense to me at all.
The whole thing seems like a way to get farmers to do trials foc, and is all rather stressful.

Sorry about the negativity, but that is my honest experience.

 

[eagleye]

I'm only in second year but I guess any information which can be gleaned by comparing a large pool of results can be used to see which factors appear to be important as a common factor in those who attain higher yields. I agree it is difficult to make sense of it all as very few clear pointers and sometimes over 100% of potential yield!!
Its a biological system and not a chemical process so results will be variable, its whats makes farming interesting, uncertainty. I think the longer it runs the better it will be in terms of clarifying what factors are most important to give reliable high and profitable yields.

 

[Spud]

I'm only in second year but I guess any information which can be gleaned by comparing a large pool of results can be used to see which factors appear to be important as a common factor in those who attain higher yields. I agree it is difficult to make sense of it all as very few clear pointers and sometimes over 100% of potential yield!!
Its a biological system and not a chemical process so results will be variable, its whats makes farming interesting, uncertainty. I think the longer it runs the better it will be in terms of clarifying what factors are most important to give reliable high and profitable yields.

That's the thing though, profitability - the whole thing would have more credibility if cost and margin were included - even if a 'standard selling price' were used for fairness. I find the rainfall being irrelevant particularly obscure - how much and when rain falls has more influence on crop yields than just about anything else, but yet its not part of Potato YEN. Very odd. I'm very keen to learn more about how crop biology works from a practical perspective, but not (yet) convinced that YEN is the way. Maybe it's me being thick!

 

[Brid @ ADAS]

That's the thing though, profitability - the whole thing would have more credibility if cost and margin were included - even if a 'standard selling price' were used for fairness. I find the rainfall being irrelevant particularly obscure - how much and when rain falls has more influence on crop yields than just about anything else, but yet its not part of Potato YEN. Very odd. I'm very keen to learn more about how crop biology works from a practical perspective, but not (yet) convinced that YEN is the way. Maybe it's me being thick!

Hi @Spud, sorry for the delay in coming back, I sent your feedback onto the team - think you already know Charles & Simon at NIAB who are running Potato YEN? Hopefully, you've had an invite through to the end of year review meeting where the points you've raised will all be discussed. All the other YENs have had theirs already.

This is our first year running Potato YEN (compared to Cereals which has been running since 2012) so we will seek to improve year on year based on what feedback we get. Sharing your feedback at the end of year meeting is important so if you haven't had your invite, let me know.

As @eagleye said, the longer it runs and the more farmers that are involved, the more data we will all have to learn from.

 

[Spud]

Thank you, I have today received my invite.