University of Minnesota Extension Small Grains Specialist Jochum Wiersma says hybrid rye is proving to be a competitive crop for Upper Midwest farmers. Compared to older open-pollinated varieties, today’s rye hybrids offer significantly higher yields while requiring fewer production inputs. “If you compare the performance of the hybrids over the older open-pollinated varieties, we can easily get a bump in production of 30 to 40 percent,” Wiersma said. He believes hybrid rye has the potential to become a mainstream commodity crop rather than remaining a niche market. Wiersma addressed this topic during the Northwest Research and Outreach Center Crops and Soils Day.
