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Creating the Potential for Higher Yields - Phil Needham

Sep 15, 2023

Video: Creating the Potential for Higher Yields - Phil Needham

Phil Needham grew up on a family farm on the east coast of England, where 140-160 bu/ac wheat yields were common with around  20-22” of annual rainfall. After college and university Phil moved to the USA in 1989 to join Opti-Crop, a consulting company based in Kentucky. Opti-Crop had contributed to more than a doubling of the Kentucky state wheat yield when they were asked by growers to expand their services to surrounding states and west to Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. In 2000 they expanded their wheat consulting to South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota to manage spring wheat in those areas, and in 2002 they moved further north to help spring wheat producers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Phil will discuss some of the weak links he has seen within the management systems of spring cereal producers across AB, SK and MB. He will then provide options to minimize or eliminate these weak links, to push yields, protein and profits higher, especially in years with above average rainfall. Phil will also discuss ways to minimize expenses and risk, in the years with below average rainfall.