JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (DTN) -- It wasn't long ago that Steve VanGrunsven viewed the winter wheat he planted as simply a means of extending his crop rotations, a way to "clean up the ground" for the grass and clover seed he grew as his primary cash crops.

Today, though, he knows that wheat can be so much more -- as his award-winning yields attest.

For the second consecutive year, the Forest Grove, Oregon, farmer proved his prowess at growing the grain, taking home the title of "Bin Buster" in the dryland winter wheat category of the 2025 National Wheat Yield Contest. His winning yield of 198.32 bushels per acre (bpa) bested his entry from the previous year by nearly 28 bpa. He also earned a Bin Buster award in 2021 in the irrigated winter wheat category.

"I guess you'd say we had another good year in the Willamette Valley," VanGrunsven said, noting the category's runners-up are practically neighbors whose entry would have taken the top spot last year. "There were really good yields everywhere in our area."

Since its inception in 2016, the National Wheat Yield Contest has encouraged wheat growers to strive for exceptional yields, high quality and stronger profitability while trying new and innovative management strategies that drive productivity and marketability. DTN/Progressive Farmer is the official media outlet of the competition.

This year's contest garnered 465 entries, the second-most during its 10 years of existence. The top six entries in the dryland winter wheat category ranged in yield from 155.70 bpa to 198.32 bpa. The winning farmers, who planted winter wheat including soft white, soft red and hard red varieties, represented five different states from the Midwest to the Pacific Northwest.

BEAUTY AND BRAWNY YIELD

While VanGrunsven planted several varieties on the farm this past season, it was Rosalyn, a beardless, soft white winter wheat released by Oregon State University more than a decade ago, that he entered in the yield contest.

"Of course, it's not why we grow wheat, but if you were just going for looks, Rosalyn is a beautiful wheat that puts on a larger head than some others," he said. "Typically, there's fewer of them per square foot, but this year, we got really good tillers, and it still put on large heads."

The winning field, which had previously been in red clover, was planted on Oct. 5, 2024, with a conventional double-disc drill at a rate of 1 million seeds per acre. The seed was treated with a fungicide package, an insecticide and a biological. A preemergent pass of herbicide was applied to ensure a clean field.

"That red clover is leaving behind a fair amount of nitrogen, so that really helps the wheat crop get established in the fall," he said, noting it was the same field in which he grew the irrigated winter wheat Bin Buster in 2021. "We used to question whether or not our seed treatment was beneficial, but we're seeing that crop come out of the ground quicker with a whole lot more root growth.

"The insecticide protects against early aphid pressure since we don't typically get a cold snap to kill them off," he continued. "The aphids can vector barley yellow dwarf virus in our area, so it's an insurance package against that."

A relatively mild winter in the Willamette Valley meant the wheat crop broke dormancy with vigor and began tillering in earnest. VanGrunsven met the crop's fertility needs with a broadcast application of 140 pounds of nitrogen, 30 pounds of potassium and 20 pounds of sulfur per acre prior to jointing.

"We pay a lot of attention to early soil fertility, but that's our standard program," he said. "Our soil sample routine is every three years, and we've been doing a lot more variable rate applications and trying to make sure we maintain good fertility. Because if we don't, there's nothing you're going to spray over the top of that crop that's going to gain yield."

He added, in recent years a stabilized urea product has been his go-to nitrogen source. "It's allowed us to reduce our rates by 10% to 15% while still maintaining yields," he said.

Weed pressure tends to come mostly from Italian ryegrass, so VanGrunsven made a post-emergence application with two herbicides: one to address the grass and one to take care of any broadleaf weeds. Disease also can be a concern, especially stripe rust and Septoria tritici.

"We're always watching that flag leaf and making sure we keep it clean," VanGrunsven said. "We dealt with a little stripe rust this year, but the second half of May and June were both pretty dry, so we got by with three fungicide passes instead of four."

With a crop nearing 200 bpa, harvestability was VanGrunsven's biggest concern during the season. To combat lodging, a plant growth regulator (PGR) was applied to shorten and stiffen the plant stems.

"When you've got 6 tons of grain standing 3 feet off the ground, it makes us worry," he said. "We were right at the top end of the label rate on our PGR this year. Again, it's another insurance program for us."

This season, VanGrunsven also applied a foliar biological product containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

"You can't fully feed a crop that way, but we feel it can add a little bit to the top end," he said. "These products aren't free, but if we see a yield benefit and ROI in this commodity market, then it'll win all the time.

"Everyone wants to know what's the 'one thing' that's key to high-yielding, high-quality wheat, and the truth is there is no 'one thing,'" VanGrunsven said. "It's the entire program -- the defensive genetics, the seed treatments, the fungicides, the fertilizer rates. You put together the package and make sure the crop has no restrictions."

Winners in the 2025 National Wheat Yield Contest Dryland Winter Wheat Category include:

2025 NATIONAL WINNERS

WINTER WHEAT DRYLAND CATEGORY WINNERS:

Bin Buster: Steve VanGrunsven

Forest Grove, Oregon

Variety: Oregon State University Rosalyn

Yield: 198.32 bpa

First Place: Jerry and Daniel Mullen

St. Paul, Oregon

Variety: Oregon State University Gale

Yield: 186.11 bpa

Second Place: Garrett Warren

Dayton, Washington

Variety: Limagrain Cereal Seeds 50% Shine/50% Jefe

Yield: 169.00 bpa

Third Place: Erik Olson

Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Variety: Washington State University Scorpio

Yield: 164.42 bpa

Fourth Place: Steve Wilkens

Random Lake, Wisconsin

Variety: Pioneer 25R64

Yield: 161.48 bpa

Fifth Place: Blake Anthis

Wheatland, Indiana

Variety: Dyna-Gro 9533

Yield: 155.70 bpa

More on the 2025 National Wheat Yield Contest can be found here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

For more information on the yield contest and to view past winners, go to: https://www.wheatcontest.org/….

Jason Jenkins can be reached at jason.jenkins@dtn.com

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