Seed wheat at uniform depth

I'm working on a series of articles with Phil Needham, an agronomist based in Kentucky. He and a few other agronomists came from England in 1989 to work with Miles Enterprises, a large crop inputs retailer that saw an opportunity to bring intensive European-style wheat production practices to Kentucky. In the past 20 years, Kentucky yields have almost doubled. And during that time, Needham has written a book on his management techniques and spread his gospel to many other U.S. states.

I want Grainews readers to hear what he has to say. The first article will be about the importance of seed placement. A crop needs to come out of the ground evenly in order to have a chance at reaching its yield potential, Needham says. "If not, it trips over right out of the start gate," he says.

This photo is of a wheat field harvested this fall in Needham's native land, Lincolnshire, England. The field yielded 150 bushels per acre. While climate is a big factor in European wheat yields, management is equally important. From their high-tech and precise seeding equipment to their attention to disease and fertility management, European farmers might have something to teach us about wheat production.