With the 2025 growing season producing a record-breaking 40 million tonnes of wheat across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, farmers across the prairies have been implementing changes to meet this growing demand. Most notably, many default to increasing inputs to keep up when harvest time rolls around.
In this blog with Norstar Agriculture, let’s delve into the ins and outs of what to do when wheat yields plateau. If you’re looking for how to increase grain yield, the starting point is finding out why more inputs don’t always translate into more yields. Read on with us to learn more.
More Inputs ≠ Greater Yields
When it comes to increasing yields, it’s common to default to adding more fertilizer or an extra application pass. That said, the reality isn’t usually as simple. Final grain yields result from broader environmental factors, which must be balanced to achieve optimal results. In many cases, yield plateaus occur because the current yield ceiling has been reached under the current field conditions. That said, these plateaus aren’t always due to a lack of investment but instead a limitation on how much further a crop can respond.
An ecosystem is all about the bigger picture. How often do you till? What does your crop rotation look like? When was the last time your fields were soil tested? All of these factors, and more, should be considered.
Adding more NPK fertilizer when it’s not the limiting factor will only lead to diminishing returns, wasted product, and can even further disrupt the balance. For example, additional nitrogen provides little benefit if the soil conditions limit uptake. This situation is common in prairie wheat crops, where excess nitrogen can encourage too many tillers per stand and dilute nutrient availability. Without the proper action plan in place, it’s deceivingly easy to ‘double down’ on solutions that don’t benefit your wheat yields.
Yield Management Starts Early
For farmers wondering how to increase grain yield, the process should begin well before the season begins. Whether you’re growing Amber Duram, Canada Western Spring Red, or another wheat variety, one constant remains: proactive planning is key. While the majority of wheat farms already have sufficient crop management plans and techniques in place, these strategies should remain responsive to the environment. Were there any differences in dealing with pests last year? Have there been any occurrences of wind erosion in the last few months? Have you introduced any changes to your tilling schedule? All of these factors, and much more, paint a picture of the state of your grain ecosystem.
While this doesn’t mean that reactive planning is unnecessary, it shouldn’t be the primary approach. By assessing your fields holistically before signs of poor yield appear, you’re able to make better targeted operational decisions.
Every Wheat Field is Different
Just like us, every field is different. As a result, what may help one wheat field may differ significantly from what helps another. From differences in wind erosion to the soil chemical balances, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. That’s why we both conduct and use field trials for our products as part of a broader agronomic approach. Whether we recommend agricultural gypsum, humic acid, or another field solution, we rely on science-backed results at every step.
That’s why at Norstar Agriculture, our crop consultancy services focus on assessing field-level factors to create recommendations tailored to your operation, scope, and budget. Our sales agronomists work alongside you and your team to create a solution that feasibly fits into your current practices, rather than overtakes them.
Revitalize Your Fields with Norstar
Understanding how to increase grain yields comes from the root up. We’re your team of local agronomists, supporting farmers across the Canadian prairies with science-backed solutions to improve soil fertility. Start the conversation with us here at Norstar Agriculture to book your field consultation.
