AHDB sponsored entries celebrate double bronze in the Yield Enhancement Network Awards

Ashley Jones, host of the Saltash Monitor Farm in Cornwall achieved Bronze in the best percentage of potential field yield competition for cereals, with a fantastic 92 per cent of 13.9 t/ha.

Ashley, who carries out his own agronomy on the farm, said: “I believe the ‘high input, high output’ approach works, however with this being such a low-disease pressure year it meant there was scope to cut back on fungicide spend”. 

While standard timings were used, Ashley still employed the latest Azole based and SDHI chemistry at T1 and T2 timings to build up a good level of protection for any later season disease pressure that might’ve come in.

Ashley said: “This season we went back to a plough-based power harrow combination due to the weather, which led to better establishment even on the headlands.”

The site benefitted from well-draining soil, allowing the crop to grow despite the high rainfall last winter.

“Mother nature and site selection were the big players in yield, but we managed and reacted according to circumstances and got the result we were after”, added Ashley.

Another AHDB sponsored entry, Duncan Wilson of Angus, accomplished Bronze in the best percentage of potential field yield competition for spring barley with 74 per centof 10.4 t/ha.

Now celebrating its 8th year, the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) has developed into a well-recognised and familiar initiative within the farming community.

Through AHDB and other industry sponsors, YEN has provided a platform for effective collaborations between farms, academia and the industry. Many growers enter YEN to recognise how to optimise yields on their land, with YEN scientists keen to develop their understanding.

ADAS closed the awards by announcing the launch of ‘YEN Zero’ for 2021, in response to the increasing interest in ‘net zero’ and the demand for agriculture to reduce emissions.

Full list of categories and Award Winners:

Cereal YEN

Best Yield (Field)     

• GOLD: Tim Lamyman of Lincolnshire, Independent entry    15.6 t/ha
• SILVER: Tim Lamyman of Lincolnshire, Independent entry 15.4 t/ha
• BRONZE: Peter Chapman of Aberdeenshire, Sponsored by Hutchinsons 14.8 t/ha

Best % of Potential Yield (Field)

• GOLD: Ian Learmonth of Aberdeenshire, Sponsored by Hutchinsons 102% of 13.9 t/ha
• SILVER: Tim Lamyman of Lincolnshire, Independent entry 98% of 15.9 t/ha
• BRONZE: Ashley Jones, of Cornwall, Sponsored by AHDB 92% of 13.9 t/ha

Best  Yield (Trials)   

• GOLD: Ben Giles in Oxfordshire, sponsored by Bayer 13.1 t/ha

Best % of Potential Yield (Trials)   

• GOLD: Ben Giles in Oxfordshire, sponsored by Bayer 84% of 15.6 t/ha

Regional Awards for field entries

For the Highest Yield           

- Scotland: Peter Chapman of Aberdeenshire, sponsored by Hutchinsons 14.8 t/ha

- Northern: Thomas Todd of Northumberland, sponsored by Hutchinsons   14.6 t/ha

- East Midlands: Tim Lamyman of Lincolnshire, independent entry 15.6 t/ha

- East Anglia: Richard Means of Cambridgeshire, independent entry 12.7 t/ha

- The West: Mark Doble of Somerset, sponsored by BASF 13.9 t/ha

- South East: James Loder-Symonds of Kent, independent entry 12.0 t/ha

- Outside UK: Asmus Fromm-Christiansen of Denmark, sponsored by Hutchinsons 14.0 t/ha

For the Highest % of Potential Yield         

- Scotland: Ian Learmonth, of Aberdeenshire, sponsored by Hutchinsons   102% of 13.9 t/ha

- Northern: Thomas Todd of Northumberland, sponsored by Hutchinsons   78% of 18.6 t/ha

- East Midlands: Tim Lamyman of Lincs., independent entry                         98% of 15.9 t/ha

- East Anglia: Richard Means of Cambs., independent entry                         90% of 14.0 t/ha

- The West: Ashley Jones of Cornwall, sponsored by AHDB                         92% of 13.9 t/ha

- South East: James Loder-Symonds of Kent, independent entry                 75% of 16.1 t/ha

- Outside UK: Brian Salome of The Netherlands, independent entry             64% of 20.1 t/ha

 Best Yield (Field: Winter Barley)           

• GOLD: Tim Lamyman of Lincolnshire, sponsored by Hutchinsons   12.7 t/ha

 Best % of Potential Yield (Field: Winter Barley)

• GOLD: David Bell of Fife, Independent entry            84% of 14.1 t/ha

 Spring Barley YEN

Best Yield (Field)           

• GOLD: David Bell, of Fife, sponsored by Limagrain/Nickerson         11.3 t/ha
• SILVER: Thomas Todd of Northumberland, sponsored by Syngenta           10.7 t/ha
• BRONZE: Peter Chapman, of Aberdeenshire, sponsored by Limagrain/Nickerson             9.7 t/ha

Best % of Potential Yield (Field)           

• GOLD: Peter Chapman, of Aberdeenshire, sponsored by Limagrain/Nickerson      87% of 11.1 t/ha
• SILVER: David Bell, of Fife, sponsored by Limagrain/Nickerson      83% of 13.7 t/ha
• BRONZE: Duncan Wilson, of Angus, sponsored by AHDB 74% of 10.4 t/ha

 Oilseed YEN

Best Yield (gross output ) (Field)           

• GOLD: Tim Lamyman of Lincs, independent entry    7.01 t/ha
• SILVER: Mark Stubbs of Lincolnshire, independent entry     6.71 t/ha
• BRONZE: John & Tom Williams of East Yorks., sponsored by Limagrain/Nickerson          6.59 t/ha

 Best % of Potential Yield     % of t/ha

• GOLD: Tim Lamyman of Lincolnshire, independent entry     69% of 10.2 t/ha
• SILVER: Mark Stubbs of Lincolnshire, independent entry     61% of 11.04 t/ha
• BRONZE: Allan K. Jensen of Denmark, sponsored by Bayer 60% of 8.28 t/ha      

 The YEN particularly seeks to celebrate innovators; special recognition in 2020 was given through the:

YEN Innovator of the year award:

• Chris Eglington of Norfolk

For pushing the boundaries of arable crop performance through actively initiating and encouraging crop measurement and testing.