Crop consultancy Adas has announced it will cease facilitation of the Cereal and Oilseeds Yield Enhancement Networks (YENs) – a move prompted by declining sponsorship.

Founded in 2012, YEN has been a cornerstone of crop benchmarking and yield analysis, helping farmers across the UK and north-west Europe to push the boundaries of productivity.

See also: YEN Awards: Round-up of this year’s highest-yielding farms

“The YEN has been a fantastic driving force for arable industry collaboration,” said Roger Sylvester-Bradley, YEN founder and head of crop performance at Adas.

“It gave us definitive proof that, with a detail-oriented farming approach,15t/ha winter wheat yields are feasible almost anywhere in the UK.”

Over the years, YENs have grown into a hub of data sharing and innovation, famously recognising top performers at its annual awards.

In 2022, Lincolnshire grower Tim Lamyman broke world records in wheat and barley yields. In 2024, YEN participants achieved an average wheat yield of 10.3t/ha, far surpassing the national average of 7.3t/ha.

“Some farmers had extraordinary successes,” said Prof Sylvester-Bradley, noting that “all of them used YEN to strive for their personal bests. That’s the power of shared knowledge.”

While the cereals and oilseeds YENs will conclude, the pea and bean YENs, along with YEN Nutrition and YEN Zero, will continue to be developed.

Global traction

The YEN model is also gaining traction abroad, with similar networks emerging in Canada, the US, and New Zealand.

Adas will host the final Cereals and Oilseeds YEN Awards and conference on 27 January 2026 in Peterborough.

“This isn’t the end of YEN,” Mr Sylvester-Bradley added. “It’s a transition – and we’re proud of the legacy we leave.”

Adas says it would be “open to discussions” if a suitably qualified organisation would like to take over the facilitation of the cereals and oilseeds YENs.