Science-Based Farming Practices Improve Wheat Productivity And Resource Efficiency In Mexico's Yaqui Valley

Results from wheat fields in the Yaqui Valley show that combining conservation agriculture, soil-informed fertilization and more efficient water management can increase yields while reducing resource use. Through their collaboration, Grupo Trimex and CIMMYT are generating evidence to help wheat farmers navigate increasingly challenging production conditions in northern Mexico.

Producing more wheat is no longer the only challenge farmers are facing in the Yaqui Valley. The amount of water, fuel and fertilizer required to produce each ton of grain has become a critical factor in a region where water scarcity, soil degradation and rising production costs are putting increasing pressure on farmers’ margins.

In response, Grupo Trimex and CIMMYT are working with farmers in Sonora to bring science-based solutions into the field, adapting them to local knowledge and production conditions. Results from the 2025–2026 fall–winter growing season provide early evidence of the approach’s potential. Across the innovation modules evaluated, improved farming practices reduced average fuel consumption by 42% and water use per unit of grain produced by 26%. Nitrogen use per ton of wheat declined by 34%, while yields reached 4 tons per hectare, compared with 3 tons under conventional management, representing a 27% increase.

These results are not the product of a one-size-fits-all approach. Throughout the growing season, farmers and technicians worked with a portfolio of six broad innovations and 18 specific practices that can be adapted to the economic and agronomic conditions of individual fields. The options being evaluated include conservation agriculture, permanent raised beds, crop residue management, soil testing, fertilizer applications tailored to crop needs and growth stages, pest monitoring, land leveling and improved irrigation management. Decisions about which practices to implement are made following an assessment of each field.

Field assessments help document the results of the practices implemented and generate evidence of their performance under real farming conditions.

This approach marks an important shift for an agricultural system that has relied on intensive production methods to achieve high yields for decades. For Grupo Trimex, whose relationships with farmers are part of a value chain connecting agricultural production with the milling industry, the challenge is also to create the conditions for proven practices to reach a growing number of wheat producers.

Roberto Miramontes, Head of Wheat Procurement at Grupo Trimex, explains that concerns over declining soil organic matter, water scarcity and production costs prompted the company to explore ways to expand the use of practices that some farmers had already begun adopting.

“Working with science-based evidence allows us to rely on objective information, focus on what has been proven to work and demonstrate the results to farmers,” he says.

The initiative began during the 2024–2025 growing season with 17 farmers, covering 527 hectares. By the following season, participation had grown to 22 farmers and 1,078 hectares. Across the two growing seasons, the initiative reached a cumulative 1,605 hectares, with three demonstration modules and 11 extension areas. Conservation agriculture and integrated nutrient management are among the practices with the highest adoption rates.

Improving nitrogen use efficiency is particularly important. The results show that nitrogen use per ton of wheat can be reduced by 34% without compromising yields. The next phase will focus on strengthening soil testing and mapping to provide more precise nutrient recommendations, addressing an input that offers considerable opportunities to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

The initiative examines water, fertilizer and fuel use, alongside soil management, to identify approaches that can help sustain productivity.

The findings also highlight the limits of what agronomic improvements alone can achieve. Despite gains in productivity and resource-use efficiency, farm profitability remains under pressure from wheat prices and production costs, underscoring the need to continue improving how inputs are used.

Against this backdrop, producing each ton of wheat with fewer resources is becoming increasingly important. In Sonora, the collaboration among Grupo Trimex, CIMMYT and local farmers is helping connect scientific research with the decisions made in the field each growing season and the needs of a wheat value chain adapting to changing conditions.

The evidence generated is helping refine farming practices while laying the groundwork for successful approaches to reach more producers over time. Although the results from this growing season do not eliminate the pressures facing wheat production, they offer an early indication of how farming systems can evolve to meet these challenges.