The Yield Potential Network (YPN) is a global coordinated initiative that connects local experts committed to measure yield potential of major crops through field experimentation. Field experiments within the YPN follow a unified protocol to document crop yield potential while ensuring collection of a standard minimum dataset of crop measurements required to understand associated management and biophysical drivers.

The network provides a platform to showcase how farmer yields can be brought closer to their potential. It also complements and validates the model-based estimates of yield potential available in the Atlas. For the academic community, YPN also offers valuable experimental data on yield potential and associated drivers that can be used to calibrate and/or validate crop simulation models.

Launched in October 2025, the YPN held its first annual meeting in Wuhan, China, organized by Prof. Patricio Grassini from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Prof. Shen Yuan from Huazhong Agricultural University. The meeting included a group of 30 global experts with documented experience at growing crops at yield potential level. As of April 2026, the YPN includes around 50 experiments across 15 countries.