MSU’s Wheat Team Visits UK’s Premier Arable Farming Event
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EmailThe team participated as part of the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN), engaging with some of the most innovative wheat growers in the world
MSU’s Wheat Team Visits UK’s Premier Arable Farming Event
This June, members of the MSU Wheat Program traveled to Lincolnshire, England, to attend the 2025 Cereals Event — the UK’s largest arable farming exhibition. Held annually, the event attracts more than 350 exhibitors to the giant 60-hectare venue, and showcases the latest equipment, services and hundreds of individual crop plots to more than 20,000 visitors.
Representing MSU were Dennis Pennington, Kurt Steinke, Manni Singh, Jenna Falor, and Monica Jean, MSUE field crops educator and PhD student at KBS with Christine Sprunger. The team participated as part of the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN), engaging with some of the most innovative wheat growers in the world — including the producers who’ve achieved the Guinness World Record for the highest wheat yield.
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“It’s a very high yield area,” Dennis said. “We attended to learn directly from the people who have mastered the art and science of growing wheat,” said Dennis Pennington Wheat Systems Specialist. “It was a chance to exchange knowledge, study their techniques, and observe firsthand how attention to detail impacts productivity.”
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One standout feature was the NIAB Soil Hole Exhibit, where a trench exposes deep root structures down into the chalk layer.
“Many growers don’t consider the importance of deep roots,” Dennis noted. “But this exhibit very clearly showed that roots can grow deep and support tall, healthy plants — even in tough soils.”
The visit also fueled collaboration within the MSU team.
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“We’ve been working together on canopy design,” said Dennis. “These international insights are helping us think differently about optimizing crop architecture for photosynthesis and yield.”
Monica Jean is excited to put her new revelations to work. “I went to further my knowledge around wheat agronomy and to understand the impacts that YEN has on farming operations. I learned a lot about slug damage, and I look forward to working with growers here in MIchgian around the emerging slug issue we are having in soybeans. Monica was also impressed by the soil health pit exhibit. “I thought was amazing and I hope to have it at a field day in the near future!”
The MSU team also visited the Rothamsted Experimental Station, one of the oldest agricultural research institutions in the world.
It was an opportunity to explore both cutting-edge techniques in a historical context,” Dennis said. “Growers here in Michigan typically work with a greater diversity of crops,” Dennis said. “In the UK, many farms specialize in wheat, so the depth of crop-specific knowledge is remarkable.”
Looking Ahead
The team is already planning for next year’s Cereals Event, to be held at Diddly Squat Farm — made famous by the BBC’s Clarkson’s Farm. The 2026 event promises new opportunities to deepen MSU’s international agricultural partnerships and bring back valuable lessons for Michigan growers.
