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BASF, Corteva Agriscience Focus on Improved Wheat Yields and End-Use Quality

Recently, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) has shared a lot of information about U.S. wheat researchers and breeders’ tireless efforts to meet the highest standards for our customers’ end-use quality needs and to help farm families thrive. So far, we have described the important work of public wheat breeding programs at U.S. land grant universities and the support they get from farmers through state wheat checkoffs. Yet, many for-profit companies, such as BASF and Corteva Agriscience, are doing excellent wheat variety development work and often collaborate with public breeding programs.

No Endorsement. USW does not endorse any public or private seed brands. To present a complete picture of the breeding industry, we invited several commercial seed companies to send us stories for our “Wheat Letter” blog about their efforts to increase wheat yield potential while also improving functional milling and baking quality. This post shares information from two of those companies, BASF Corp. and Corteva Agriscience. Future posts will cover other commercial breeding programs.

BASF Agricultural Solutions

Hybrid technology allows plant breeders to choose the best traits from two parent plants to produce a “hybrid” offspring containing both parents’ best attributes without genetic modification.

BASF anticipates commercially launching hybrid wheat in the mid-2020s.

At BASF, wheat breeders are producing hybrids selected from diverse germplasm for the U.S. hard red spring (HRS) growing areas of the Northern Plains and for the U.S. hard red winter (HRW) areas of the Central Plains. These hybrids will have many qualities farmers and end-users are looking for: disease resistance, higher and more stable yields, and desired end-use functionality and protein.

Seed from BASF hybrid wheat test plots is tested to ensure the new varieties meet required quality characteristics. Source Image: BASF

Quality Labs. Quality is a key component of the BASF Hybrid Wheat Project. Breeding stations feature quality laboratories, and collaboration between breeders and quality managers occurs in both the field and the lab​. Quality labs focus on ensuring hybrids meet the required milling and baking characteristics for desired end-use functionality to support a consistent supply of quality wheat. BASF uses third-party labs and strategic industry partnerships to gather feedback on end-use performance to ensure its breeders are selecting for desired characteristics.

BASF anticipates commercially launching hybrid wheat in the mid-2020s. Source Image: BASF

BASF breeders leverage diverse germplasm, technologies, and expertise from key wheat-growing regions to develop hybrids with value-added traits that address local needs and growing conditions. With a robust pipeline, each future generation of BASF hybrids will deliver further improved performance year after year.

Corteva Agriscience

With 51 years of consistent breeding and a long-term focus on the wheat market, Corteva Agriscience is developing industry-leading soft red winter (SRW) and soft white (SW) winter wheat products for farmers in the United States and other countries. Corteva – a global agriculture company that provides farmers with the most complete seed, crop protection and digital portfolio in the industry – sells wheat varieties directly to U.S. farmers through respected Pioneer® brand seed.

Corteva researchers breed for resistance to Fusarium head blight (FHB), a common wheat disease that may impact yield potential and product quality. A new variety with outstanding resistance to FHB (left) is shown next to an older, susceptible variety (right). Photo courtesy of Corteva Agriscience.

Advanced Technologies. Corteva’s plant breeding strategy leverages a “multi-crop mindset” at its local research centers, using advanced technologies for its wheat, corn and soybean breeding programs. This approach results in several benefits in the United States:

  • Breeding methodologies like doubled haploids allow Corteva to bring new, high-performing varieties to farmers quicker;
  • Breeding efficiencies are gained via genomic predictions and non-destructive, small-sample NIR testing;
  • Drones allow Corteva to characterize products during late-stage, multi-year testing more accurately. The photo above, courtesy of Corteva, is an aerial image that helps the company’s researchers evaluate plot quality, plant health and other phenotypic traits in SRW wheat trials.

With an eye on the ultimate end-user – consumers – the wheat R&D team at Corteva balances genetics with exceptional yield potential for farmers with the end-use characteristics demanded by the milling industry and international markets.

The company’s large yield-testing footprint in the Eastern United States and Canada means Corteva has year-over-year samples for quality testing. This supply of samples helps ensure that functional quality characteristics are well-characterized and stable across a wide range of growing environments. From Georgia to Ontario and Missouri to North Carolina, Corteva completes multi-year testing for characteristics such as grain hardness, protein content, flour yield, break flour and cookie diameter before new products are commercialized.

SRW wheat varieties from Corteva Agriscience are evaluated in yield trial plots before they are commercialized. Photo courtesy of Corteva Agriscience.

Breeding for disease resistance leads to stable, functional quality. A great example of this is increasing tolerance to Fusarium head blight to better manage mycotoxin – such as deoxynivalenol (DON) – levels in wheat flour and processed food products.

Listen to Corteva scientists talk about the company’s wheat breeding program here.

Read about other U.S. wheat public breeding programs:

Programs Serving Northern Plains Producers
Programs Serving Southern and Central Plains Producers
Programs Serving Soft Red Winter Producers

Read about other U.S. wheat commercial breeding programs:

AgriPro and WestBred

Stories covering additional programs will be published soon.

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Wheat Breeding Builds on Historic Processes and Genetic Traits

They say human civilization had its origin in ancient Mesopotamia when people discovered they could plant seeds and domesticate animals. Wheat breeding developed as the early farmers crossed different species to improve crops. Among the first were wheat’s ancient relatives.

Today, wheat breeding has become far more efficient and precise. Scientists now have a deep understanding of DNA and how individual genes control specific traits that are good for farmers and consumers.

Yet, as Kansas State University wheat breeder Dr. Allan K. Fritz (above) says, “In wheat, I think there is a purity. We are reaching back into genetics that are historic. We are taking the opportunity with the natural genes that we already have, to put those together in a package that is the healthiest and the best for the environment that we possibly can.”

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) is sharing a new video production called “Researchers & Breeders: Breeding New Varieties” that features Dr. Fritz and his Kansas State University colleagues. In the video below, Dr. Fritz talks about how the journey of wheat to food tables around the world begins in a scientific facility.

Wheat breeding innovation is more important today than ever before. A growing and hungry world faces the challenge of climate change. However, by making small genetic changes, scientists can help protect wheat and other crops from rising temperatures and extreme weather while improving their attributes.

For more information on the science of wheat breeding, as well as other plant and animal breeding, please visit https://innovature.com/.

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Public Wheat Breeding Programs Serving Soft Red Winter Producers

Throughout 2021, the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Wheat Letter is featuring the many stories of the people, processes and passions that go into producing and delivering high-quality U.S. wheat to the world. Our focus will be on quality that starts with dedicated private and public wheat breeding programs, is fostered by hard-working farm families, is maintained by grain handlers and observed in hundreds of wholesome, nutritious wheat foods.

U.S. wheat researchers and breeders work tirelessly to develop wheat varieties that meet the highest of standards, to meet our customers’ end-user needs and to help farm families thrive.

The journey of wheat to food tables around the world begins in public and commercial breeding programs. The process of continually improving varieties for farmers to grow, feed into the supply chain and, ultimately, end up in food products around the world.

Many such breeding programs across the United States are necessary because of the widely varied production constraints and wheat classes adapted for different regions. An estimated 65% of all U.S. wheat varieties across six distinct classes were developed by public university breeding programs, funded in part by state wheat commissions, royalties from the sale of public varieties, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

In this post, Wheat Letter offers broad information about public university wheat breeding programs in Ohio and Maryland, with references to programs in other U.S. states growing soft red winter (SRW) wheat. Future posts will cover breeding programs in other states.

Ohio State University

Dr. Clay Sneller, Professor, Horticulture and Crop Science at Ohio State University (OSU), has developed many new SRW cultivars in his academic career. With a focus on traditional breeding and genomic assisted breeding, Dr. Sneller works to improve yield potential, end-use quality and disease resistance. Teaming with cereals plant pathologist Dr. Pierce Paul, this OSU team is developing new SRW varieties that are resistant to the foliar wheat disease fusarium head blight (scab). The OSU program is also researching new breeding methods and ways to leverage resources across the University programs serving the Midwest.

Ohio's public wheat breeding program

Dr. Clay Sneller (left) and colleagues recording fusarium head blight scores in Ohio State University SRW test plots.

Research stations managed by OSU’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center conduct trials of new and existing SRW cultivars to get the best genetics to growers. In addition, the USDA ARS Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory in Wooster, Ohio, led by Dr. Byung Kee Baik, conducts end-quality testing of SRW varieties from OSU and other sources. The Ohio Seed Improvement Association certifies promising OSU SRW varieties and Ohio Foundation Seed grows out seed supplies. OSU also licenses new genetics to private seed companies for use by farmers in Ohio and surrounding states. OSU receives sales royalties that help fund future research and breeding.

It takes a large crew to manage a public breeding program. In the photo above, graduate students and staff from the OSU team under Dr. Sneller have just finished harvesting, cleaning and collecting seed from dozens of wheat trial plots.

The Ohio Small Grains Checkoff (OSGC) supports Dr. Sneller’s work and other OSU wheat production research. Dr. Sneller has also taken part in USW export market development activities. In 2019, for example, Dr. Sneller, Dr. Baik and OSGC shared information about SRW breeding and quality improvement with a visiting team of Brazilian flour milling managers sponsored by USW.

Ohio's public wheat breeding program

Dr. Clay Sneller (left) describing SRW variety development to a USW-sponsored team of Brazilian millers in 2019. Doug Goyings (next to Dr. Sneller), USW Past Chairman and Paulding, Ohio, wheat farmer joined the team.

University of Maryland

Wheat researchers around the world are paying attention to the work of Dr. Vijay Tiwari, Assistant Professor, University of Maryland (UMD), College of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Dr. Tiwari recently received the Leadership Award from the International Wheat Genome Sequencing Consortium (IWGSC), representing scientists across 70 countries dedicated to advancing wheat genomics and the production of high-quality wheat. UMD noted that Tiwari has elevated UMD’s reputation in wheat genomics and “revitalized the Maryland Small Grains Breeding and Genetics (MSGBG) program. By bringing together other experts across plant science to create a unique collaboration, the program is on the verge of rolling out new varieties of wheat to serve the state of Maryland and Mid-Atlantic region while helping combat global hunger.”

Dr. Vijay Tawari - Maryland's public wheat breeding program

Wheat breeder and University of Maryland professor Vijay Tawari, PhD, leads a diverse team of scientists advancing the university’s public wheat breeding program.

In his breeding work, Dr. Tiwari draws from a UMD ”gene bank” of more than 30,000 different small grain germplasms and collaborates with MSGBG teammates including plant pathologist Dr. Nidhi Rawat, Assistant Professor of Plant Science Dr. Yiping Qi and Extension Agronomist Nicole Fiorellino. The program is actively working with the Maryland Crop Improvement Association (MCIA), the Maryland Grain Producers Utilization Board (MGPUB) and the Maryland Department of Agriculture to develop and commercialize new SRW varieties. MCIA manages seed production and distribution to farmers through licensed private seed companies in Maryland as well as Virginia, Pennsylvania and Delaware. As in other public breeding programs, royalties from the sale of UMD varieties help fund more research, such as Dr. Tiwari’s work developing hard red winter (HRW) wheat varieties adapted to the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region. MGPUB, a USW member state wheat commission, also funds other UMD projects focused on wheat quality and production.

Maryland's public wheat breeding program

Dr. Vijay Tawari (right) and colleagues spend many hours planning, managing and evaluating seed variety plot trials.

Other Public SRW Breeding Programs

Farmers across the eastern one-third of the United States grow SRW wheat developed by other public breeding programs, including at these universities:

Read about other U.S. wheat public breeding programs:

Programs Serving Northern Plains Producers
Programs Serving Southern and Central Plains Producers
Programs Serving West Coast Producers

Read about other U.S. wheat commercial breeding programs:

BASF Corp. and Corteva
AgriPro and WestBred

Stories covering additional programs will be published soon.

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Public Wheat Breeding Programs Serving Northern Plains Producers

Throughout 2021, the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Wheat Letter is featuring the many stories of the people, processes and passions that go into producing and delivering high-quality U.S. wheat to the world. Our focus will be on quality that starts with dedicated private and public wheat breeding programs, is fostered by hard-working farm families, is maintained by grain handlers and observed in hundreds of wholesome, nutritious wheat foods.

The journey of wheat begins in public and commercial breeding programs that maintain the process of improving varieties for farmers to grow, move into the supply chain and, ultimately, end up in food products around the world.

Public university breeding programs develop an estimated 65% of all U.S. wheat varieties, funded in part by farmers through state wheat commissions, royalties from the sale of public varieties, and USDA programs such as the Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

In this post, Wheat Letter offers broad information about public wheat breeding programs in South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Montana, and Wyoming. Future posts will cover breeding programs in other states.

South Dakota State University

With a primary goal to develop and release wheat varieties with high and stable yield potential and superior end-use quality for milling and baking, South Dakota State University’s (SDSU) wheat breeding program offers a strong return to farmers and downstream customers. The focus is on hard red spring (HRS), hard red winter (HRW) and hard white (HW) wheat development.

Public Wheat Breeding Programs are an investment by U.S. wheat farmers

“Breeding is a long-term process,” said SDSU Associate Professor and Winter Wheat Breeder Sunish Kumar Sehgal. “We need to keep investing in breeding for the long-term good of the program.”

Farmers support the SDSU breeding program through wheat checkoff funding administered by the South Dakota Wheat Commission. More support comes from federal programs, seed sales and other stakeholders.

Dr. Sunish Sehgal

Dr. Karl Glover

Approximately 75% of South Dakota’s HRS planted area includes  SDSU cultivars developed under the direction of Professor Karl Glover. With additional funding from the ARS through the U.S. Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative, Dr. Glover is also working collaboratively with Dr. Sehgal to develop new wheat varieties that are more resistant to fusarium head scab.

University of Minnesota

Historically, Minnesota HRS wheat has highly functional protein with a high-quality baking experience. Yet importers demand more consistent functional quality and domestic millers increasingly source grain from specific cultivars best suited for producing their products. That is why the University of Minnesota (UMN) HRS wheat breeding program is developing new disease-resistant, high-yielding cultivars with an increasing emphasis on improved end-use quality.

“Minnesota growers are by far the most progressive people I have ever worked with in terms of weighing economic, environmental and consumer demands,” said Charlie Vogel, CEO of the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council, which supports the UMN spring wheat breeding and genetics program led by Professor James Anderson. “They look beyond the farm gates, to a bigger picture of the customers we serve around the world.”

Dr. James Anderson. University of Minnesota photo.

Dr. Anderson said a comprehensive genetic and breeding approach is necessary to respond to farmer and end-use customer needs. UMN genetic studies identify wheat chromosomes and DNA markers that influence disease resistance and grain quality. Markers in turn help the breeder identify the best lines to work with, and the UMN team tests cultivars for commercial viability in field trials across the state.

North Dakota State University

North Dakota State University is home to three HRS, durum and HRW breeding programs that reflect the legacy of North Dakota wheat farmers to produce wheat that “provides special, inherent quality attributes that cannot be sourced elsewhere,” according to the North Dakota Wheat Commission (NDWC). The commission contributes about 40 percent of its budget to research, prioritizing investment in customer needs for end-use quality.

North Dakota State University is home to three HRS, durum and HRW Public Wheat Breeding Programs.

NDSU test plot, Carrington, N.D. NDSU photo.

The NDSU durum breeding program is the largest in the country, led by Dr. Elias Elias and a team of technicians and graduate students. The goal: maximize return to the farmer while yielding excellent quality durum to domestic and international markets. The majority – 90% or more – of durum planted in North Dakota are NDSU varieties.

Dr. Elias Elias, NDSU durum breeder.

North Dakota produces more HRS wheat than any other state. The NDSU HRS breeding program makes high end-use milling and baking quality a priority while advancing agronomic traits. Dr. Andrew Green, who leads the HRS breeding program with his team of technicians, said: “Protein quality is essential to maintain high HRS demand so our program emphasizes developing balanced varieties that are profitable for producers and valued by end-users.”

The photo at the top of this page is a demonstration trial Dr. Green created that includes every HRS variety developed by NDSU over more than 100 years.

Dr. G. Francois Marais breeds HRW wheat varieties at NDSU. This program focuses on developing new varieties that are adapted to the northern Plains with improved winter-hardiness, disease resistance, yield and processing quality.

NDSU varieties selected for commercialization are produced through NDSU’s North Dakota Foundation Seedstocks program and marketed by the North Dakota Crop Improvement Association.

Montana State University

Montana has a wide range of farming ecosystems so the Montana State University (MSU) wheat breeding program tries to producing HRS, HRW, HW and durum varieties adapted to meet the challenges of these conditions. MSU bread wheat varieties provide exceptional milling, dough and baking characteristics, while durum varieties meet the demanding standards of the world’s best pasta producers.

Professor Phil Bruckner heads up MSU’s HRW breeding program and is very familiar with export market quality standards. In 2017, he joined a USW Wheat Quality Improvement Team to Taiwan and Thailand to discuss which quality characteristics end users value the most. Assistant Research Professor Jason Cook currently manages MSU’s spring wheat breeding and serves as one of the directors along with Dr. Bruckner of the MSU Cereal Quality Laboratory. Dr. Cook worked closely with former MSU spring wheat breeder Dr. Luther Talbert who left a legacy of producing high-quality HRS varieties when he retired late in 2019. In addition, the growing interest in the use of HW wheat for the Asian noodle market has instituted noodle quality evaluation.

MSU HRW wheat breeder Dr. Phil Bruckner.

Over the years, MSU breeders developed hundreds of durum varietal lines and continue to do so. Dr. Mike Giroux, who heads MSU’s plant genetics program, is also breeding new durum lines. The first variety from that program, a high-yielding durum with desirable pasta quality traits including semolina extraction, pasta firmness and color, is now in the field with the MSU Foundation Seed program to increase seed stock for commercialization in 2022.

Through the Montana Wheat and Barley Committee, Montana farmers invest over $2 million every year in wheat and barley research at MSU and other institutions.

University of Wyoming

Because of Wyoming’s relatively small wheat production area, HRW and HW varieties developed by neighboring public breeding programs are tested at University of Wyoming (UW) agricultural experiment stations. With checkoff funds administered by the Wyoming Wheat Marketing Commission (WWMC), farmers created the Crop Research Foundation of Wyoming in 2012 to make sure they would always have wheat seed sources that perform well in Wyoming’s high-altitude, short-growing season.

University of Wyoming wheat field trial.

Under this program, UW screens and develops elite HRW and HW lines from Colorado State University, Montana State University and the University of Nebraska. One example, cited by WWMC Executive Director Keith Kennedy, is “Spur,” a solid stem HRW variety developed at Montana State University that helps reduce damage from the wheat stem sawfly pest. Spur was licensed by the foundation in 2017 and sub-licensed to a private seed company for sale outside Wyoming. Kennedy said farmers seeded Spur on about 5% of Wyoming’s wheat area for the 2020/21 crop.

Read about other U.S. wheat public breeding programs:

Programs Serving Southern and Central Plains Producers
Programs Serving Soft Red Winter Producers
Programs Serving West Coast Producers

Read about other U.S. wheat commercial breeding programs:

BASF Corp. and Corteva
AgriPro and WestBred

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Public Wheat Breeding Programs Serving Southern and Central Plains Farmers

Throughout 2021, the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Wheat Letter is featuring the many stories of the people, processes and passions that go into producing and delivering high-quality U.S. wheat to the world. Our focus will be on quality that starts with dedicated private and public wheat breeding programs, is fostered by hard-working farm families, is maintained by grain handlers and observed in hundreds of wholesome, nutritious wheat foods.

There is a wide range of U.S. public and commercial breeding programs working to develop wheat classes and varieties adapted to the production constraints in different regions while meeting customer end-use needs. An estimated 65% of all U.S. wheat varieties across six distinct classes were developed by public university breeding programs, funded in part by state wheat commissions, royalties from the sale of public varieties, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

In this post, Wheat Letter offers broad information about public university wheat breeding programs in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska. Future posts will cover breeding programs in other states.

Texas A&M

With support from research grants from the Texas Wheat Producers Board (TWPB), Texas A&M University puts a major focus on projects aimed at enhancing end-use wheat quality to produce a product with more functionality for domestic and overseas customers. For example, TWPB points to the recent development of two new Texas A&M winter wheat varieties that performed well with fewer inputs, decreasing farm financial burdens while showing exceptional milling and baking characteristics.

Dr. Amir Ibrahim is a professor and the project leader of the Texas A&M Small Grains Breeding program. He manages wheat cultivar development for South and Central Texas among other responsibilities. Dr. Jackie Rudd, Texas A&M AgriLife Research wheat breeder in the Texas Panhandle is also working to develop better wheat varieties for breadmaking and farmers alike. An associate research scientist in the AgriLife Cereal Quality Lab and other specialized researchers are part of the Texas A&M wheat team.

Texas A&M Wheat Breeding

Texas A&M geneticists Dr. Shuyu Liu (second from left) and Dr. Chenggen Chu (right) are using doubled haploid plants to shorten the time to develop genetically pure lines in a traditional winter wheat breeding scheme.

Oklahoma State University

Wheat Improvement research in Oklahoma is driven by an interdisciplinary team of Oklahoma State University (OSU) scientists charged with developing highly adapted winter wheat cultivars with marketable grain quality, in partnership with the Oklahoma Wheat Commission (OWC) and the Oklahoma Wheat Research Foundation. Dr. Brett Carver directs the program as OSU Wheat Genetics Chair.

OWC Executive Director Mike Schulte says the wheat genetics program is committed to excellence in creating varieties to meet the specific needs of Oklahoma wheat producers and the milling and baking industries. OSU varieties are sold to farmers through Oklahoma Genetics, Inc., a non-profit organization directed by Oklahoma farmers.

“OSU wheat varieties, thanks in large part to significant investment by producers through the check-off OWC manages, have led the state in planted area every year since 2010,” said Dr. Carver. “In addition, the top planted varieties from OSU almost always appear on preferred variety lists publicized by the U.S. domestic milling industry over the past five years. The emphasis by the OSU Wheat Improvement Team is, and will continue to be, on a quality yield, not just yield alone.”

OSU wheat genetics lead Dr. Brett Carver (right) in 2019 discussed cross breeding techniques to select  for functional quality in hard red winter wheat with British officials at the OSU research facilities.

Kansas State University

The wheat breeding team at Kansas State University (K-State), led by Dr. Allan Fritz in Manhattan, Kan. and Dr. Guorong Zhang at K-State’s Agricultural Research Center in Hays, Kan., has produced the most widely planted varieties in Kansas in nine of the past 10 years through the Kansas Wheat Alliance.

The world-renowned Wheat Genetics Resource Center (WGRC) has established a national and international network to conduct and coordinate genetic studies in wheat. Located in the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center, the state’s single-largest, farmer investment in wheat research, the WGRC has also been recently designated as a National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. This is the first I/UCRC focusing on plant sciences. The main K-State breeding team works with the WGRC on genomic mapping and marker-assisted breeding. Other cooperators include the USDA-ARS Hard Wheat Quality Laboratory and wheat programs in the Plant Pathology and Grain Science Departments. Some germplasm lines are also released in conjunction with USDA’s hard winter wheat genetics program.

There is tremendous producer support in the state and region for K-State’s wheat varieties and breeding program. Generous funding for its efforts comes from the Kansas Wheat Commission. Wheat quality is also a priority. Varieties tested for two years and earmarked for release are entered in the Wheat Quality Council (WQC) Milling and Baking Test Program to ensure the varieties meet WQC milling and baking standards. Grain Craft has recently moved its Wheat Quality Lab to the Kansas Wheat Innovation Center, which completes the missing piece in the puzzle in the facility, from variety development through end-use quality testing.

In addition, in 2020, the USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture awarded K-State a $1 million grant to establish the International Wheat Yield Partnership (IWYP) Winter Wheat Breeding Innovation Hub. K-State will lead the effort to evaluate research findings from several IWYP projects that contribute to “significantly improve” wheat yields.

The research team led by Dr. Allan Fritz (above) in Manhattan, Kan., and Dr. Guorong Zhang at K-State’s Agricultural Research Center in Hays, Kan., has produced the most widely planted wheat varieties in Kansas in nine of the past 10 years.

Colorado State University

Thanks to help from Colorado farmers through the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee, the Colorado State University (CSU) wheat breeding program has built a reputation for success. The goal is to develop varieties that are adapted to Colorado’s unique growing conditions but also have excellent end-use quality to meet milling and baking needs. In 2019, Wheat Quality Lab Manager John Stromberger, now retired Wheat Breeder Dr. Scott Haley, and Extension Agronomist Jerry Johnson, reported on the quality of CSU trial varieties and encouraged producers to carefully consider planting agronomically acceptable varieties with better quality. CSU wheat breeding will continue under the direction of Dr. Esten Mason.

The Colorado Wheat Research Foundation (CWRF) works hand in hand with CSU to help develop and distribute new wheat varieties. As the university develops new varieties, CWRF takes ownership and works with eligible certified seed growers. CWRF collects royalties for certified seed that supply funding for more CSU wheat research. These varieties are sold under the brand name PlainsGoldTM.

A portion of funding for wheat breeding and research at Colorado State University comes from the sales of public wheat varieties.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The Nebraska Wheat Board supports research and breeding programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and USDA-ARS efforts to improve agronomic performance for producers, and end-use quality characteristics for millers, bakers and consumers. Dr. Stephen Baenziger heads the UNL small grains breeding program and says the work is highly dependent on a wide range of researchers and public and private support.

For example, Dr. Baenziger has spent several years studying hybridization of wheat in partnership with Dr. Ibrahim of Texas A&M. Ibrahim and Baenziger have tested more than 600 lines of hybrid wheat varieties in Nebraska and Texas. They are now developing the necessary knowledge base, germplasm and enhanced trait pools or patterns from these lines to support the development of hybridized wheat.

The team’s newest project, “Plant breeding partnerships: Continuing to develop and validate the tools for hybrid wheat,” is supported by a $650,000 USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant.

Dr. Stephen Baenziger leads Public Wheat Breeding Programs at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Dr. Stephen Baenziger heads the University of Nebraska – Lincoln small grains breeding program.

Read about other U.S. wheat public breeding programs:

Programs Serving Northern Plains Producers
Programs Serving Soft Red Winter Producers
Programs Serving West Coast Producers

Read about other U.S. wheat commercial breeding programs:

BASF Corp. and Corteva
AgriPro and WestBred

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Virtual Reality in Wheat Quality Research and Outreach

Throughout 2021, the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Wheat Letter is featuring the many stories of the people, processes and passions that go into producing and delivering high quality U.S. wheat to the world. Our focus will be on quality that starts with dedicated public and private wheat breeders and researchers, is fostered by hard-working farm families, is maintained by grain handlers and observed in hundreds of wholesome, nutritious wheat foods.

“Virtual reality is transforming research and outreach activities in the Plant Sciences Department at North Dakota State University, and the wave is just beginning,” says Dr. Senay Simsek, professor and director of the Wheat Quality and Carbohydrate Research Program.

Virtual reality is a three-dimensional, computer-generated experience that allows a person to interact with spaces and objects within an entirely virtual environment. Simsek worked with Be More Colorful, a virtual reality solutions firm in Fargo, N.D., that created 360-degree images of the wheat quality and carbohydrate labs. Then they embedded informational videos provided by Simsek about the lab tests and equipment into the 360-degree images to create a complete virtual tour of the wheat quality and carbohydrate chemistry laboratories.

Designated users of this technology access the virtual tours using a VR headset or as a desktop experience in any web browser. During the tour, they experience wheat quality facilities in 3D, which creates the feeling that they are visiting in person, even though they may be thousands of miles away. Now, anyone can explore from the comfort of their home or office how wheat kernels are tested for quality, how wheat is milled, how flour and dough samples are analyzed, how bread is baked for end-product quality, and many other tests.

 

Student Ana Magallanes explores the Virtual Reality tour of Dr. Senay Simsek's Wheat Quality and Carbohydrate Research Program at North Dakota State University.

Student Ana Magallanes explores the Virtual Reality tour of Dr. Senay Simsek’s Wheat Quality and Carbohydrate Research Program at North Dakota State University.

The VR tours containing Simsek’s training videos are not publicly available but the 360-degree images of the labs can be viewed at https://tours.bemorecolorful.com/v/rNj79kPE1Jd. Move the computer mouse around to view different parts of the room. Click the drop-down menu in the top left corner of the image to access other rooms. To learn more about wheat quality in the world of VR, contact Dr. Senay Simsek at [email protected].

Dr. Senay Simsek is using virtual reality tools to enhance the research and outreach of her wheat quality and carbohydrate chemistry program.

Dr. Senay Simsek is using virtual reality tools to enhance the research and outreach of her wheat quality and carbohydrate chemistry program.

Simsek often meets with various trade teams and farmer groups, and visits K-12 schools. Now, she can utilize VR technology to show what type of research she is conducting at NDSU. “Leveraging virtual reality helps enhance the research and outreach experiences for the people we work with,” she says.

Simsek implemented the browser-based 3D experience during this year’s Hard Red Spring Wheat Crop Quality meeting. Incorporating the 3D tour experience at the virtual crop quality meetings was met with great appreciation by the attendees.

“Virtual reality is offering some promising benefits to our research and outreach capabilities,” says Simsek. She believes the trend will not slow down any time soon, so researchers and other should expect to see more virtual reality technology enter their lives and laboratories in the future.

Dr. Simsek contributed this article to Wheat Letter, with editing support from Kamie Beeson, North Dakota State University. In addition, Dr. Simsek recently recorded two video presentations on how U.S. hard red spring (HRS) wheat can reduce the need for additives in a “Clean Label” end-product, and on 2020 U.S. HRS Crop Quality.

 

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Scott Haley, Renowned Colorado Wheat Breeder to Retire

Throughout 2021, the U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) Wheat Letter is featuring the many stories of the people, processes and passions that go into producing and delivering high quality U.S. wheat to the world. Our focus will be on quality that starts with dedicated public and private wheat breeders and researchers, is fostered by hard-working farm families, is maintained by grain handlers and observed in hundreds of wholesome, nutritious wheat foods.

By Linc Thomas, Staff Writer, Colorado State University. Reprinted with Permission

Plant breeders are Promethean individuals, oftentimes sacrificing their blood, sweat, tears, money, and time for their craft. This bridge between the chasm of art and science is a task humans have participated in since the dawn of agrarian societies.

Since 1999, Scott Haley has served as the Project Leader of the Wheat Breeding and Genetics Program in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Colorado State University (CSU). In December, Haley will embark from CSU into the next chapter of his life, retirement. But not before one last accolade: Haley was recently awarded the Crop Science Research Award from the Crop Science Society of America. Only one other person from CSU has ever received it.

Haley’s work to improve Colorado wheat

Improving the performance and reputation of Colorado wheat has been a through-line for Haley since he began his work at CSU in 1999. At the time, the major insect pest in wheat production was the Russian Wheat Aphid, which he set out to combat while also addressing the general quality of the state’s wheat.

Although the significance of the Russian Wheat Aphid has declined, Scott Haley’s work to create better-quality, disease-resistant wheat varieties continued.

“The wheat industry told me that they wanted better quality varieties,” said Haley. “They needed better milling and baking properties, so we spent a lot of time working on those improvements.”

When Scott Haley arrived at CSU, 40-percent of Colorado’s wheat crop was planted with a variety called TAM 107, which had notoriously low-quality.

“When we’d have foreign buyers come in from around the world, they would ask how much TAM 107 was growing in Colorado,” said Darrell Hanavan, former executive director of the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee (a member of U.S. Wheat Associates) and Colorado Wheat Research Foundation. “I had to tell them, and they wanted to exclude purchasing wheat from Colorado entirely. The same was true in the domestic market. The flour millers didn’t want to buy Colorado wheat because TAM 107 quality was so bad.”

TAM 107 was such a low-quality wheat variety because it was bred to be high-yielding, largely disregarding quality. Haley and his team worked diligently in his early years at CSU to identify wheat varieties that were both high-yielding and higher-quality, dispelling the commonly held perception that quality and yield cannot be put into the same variety. The release of Hatcher in 2004 was a landmark variety in this regard, as it showed significantly improved quality and roughly 10% higher yield than TAM 107.

Haley also bred a variety of wheat called Snowmass, which is a unique hard white (HW) wheat variety that is used exclusively in Ardent Mills Ultragrain High Performance Flour. Ardent Mills has praised this wheat variety, calling the wheat, “unprecedented.”

Haley was also one of four co-inventors who developed a patented non-GMO herbicide-tolerant wheat trait that is the basis of the CoAXium Wheat Production System, which is an alternative to Clearfield wheat. Currently patented in 53 countries, CoAXium wheat varieties are projected to return up to $5-million annually in royalties to further support the CSU wheat research program.

Most recently, Haley turned his attention to the Wheat Stem Sawfly, which has now become increasingly prominent in wheat production, as the presence of Wheat Stem Sawfly larvae can decrease yields up to 50%. Most wheat varieties have hollow stems, so to resist damages by the Wheat Stem Sawfly, Haley and his team developed a solid-stem wheat variety that hinders the ability of the larvae to damage wheat in the same way as if they were hollow-stemmed. The first variety of its kind released in Colorado was released in 2019 under the name “Fortify SF.”

“I think about what I do in terms of helping the farmer,” said Haley. “The farmers in these rural communities have to stay profitable, for one because our population needs the food, but if they aren’t profitable then they’ll stop farming. If we develop wheat that’s resistant to rust, then the farmer doesn’t have to apply a fungicide – because farmers don’t want to use fungicides. Let’s say fungicide costs $10 an acre, and a farm is 10,000 acres – you think the farmer wants to spend $100,000? That’s what we do as breeders: we lower the cost of production by enhancing yield and improving insect and disease resistance so the farmer can stay on the land and keep producing food.”

Scott Haley

“That’s what we do as breeders: we lower the cost of production by enhancing yield and improving insect and disease resistance so the farmer can stay on the land and keep producing food.” Dr. Scott Haley. Photo Copyright Colorado State University.

Relationship with the Colorado Wheat Industry

The Colorado wheat industry, comprised of the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee and Colorado Wheat Research Foundation, has a strategic priority of ensuring a best-in-class wheat research program at CSU to provide Colorado producers with the best varieties designed specifically for local conditions. This unique public-private partnership between CSU and the Colorado wheat industry provides collaboration and funding for this world-class program from a combination of state and federal funds provided by the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station (CSU AES), the Colorado Wheat Administrative Committee (CWAC), the Colorado Wheat Research Foundation (CWRF) and Ardent Mills. CWAC funding comes from a producer-approved assessment on each bushel of wheat sold, and CWRF funding comes from royalties collected on the CSU-developed wheat varieties and novel traits (i.e. non-GMO herbicide tolerance trait) which are owned and commercialized by CWRF; royalties are returned to CSU to further enhance wheat breeding and wheat-related research.

“Scott Haley has turned the Colorado wheat market from a poor-quality market into a high-quality market,” said Hanavan. “All of the varieties that are released are phenomenal quality and recognized by the domestic milling industry and the export market buyers.”

When Scott Haley took his position at CSU, the College of Agricultural Sciences was releasing one wheat variety to CWRF every two or three years. Today, 22 years later, they often release multiple new varieties each year, as the scope of the wheat breeding program has evolved. CSU-developed wheat varieties make up 80 to 90% of all wheat varieties grown in Colorado. This high level of adoption of publicly-developed wheat varieties is not seen anywhere else in the U.S.

“I feel that over the last 22 years, one of the things that I’m most proud of is the way that we’ve strengthened the relationship between CSU and the wheat industry in Colorado – and this relationship is second to none,” Haley said. “It hasn’t been only about the numbers of varieties or their adoption in Colorado, but the fact that together we built a national brand called “PlainsGold.” I was involved with the CWRF in the development of the PlainsGold brand going back over 10 years, and it was built to market the CWRF varieties which are now available from Texas to Washington and everywhere in between.”

Looking back at a legacy, and moving forward

Looking back on his time at CSU, Haley is proud of what he and his team have accomplished over the years.

“I grew up in the suburbs, far away from agriculture, and initially wanted to work in international agriculture helping subsistence farmers in developing countries. Various things changed in my personal life, and I responded by channeling my energies into trying to help wheat farmers in Colorado. I took my responsibilities very seriously, sometimes too seriously, and feel good that I gave 110% effort throughout my tenure at CSU. Together we have accomplished great things, and in that regard, I feel very proud of what we have accomplished. The other thing I’m most proud of is what I’ve done to try to help develop people, be them students or full-time researchers, that are working in the department or in the breeding program. Being a fair, supportive, and understanding project leader and mentor was very important to me, and in fact, it was just as important to me as doing right by the growers.”

The wheat breeding program at CSU will continue under the direction of Dr. Esten Mason, Associate Professor of Plant Breeding and Genetics, but the legacy of Scott Haley will live on through the relationships built with Colorado wheat growers, students, and the North American agricultural community at large.

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2020 Records Larger, Improved Northern Durum Wheat Crop

The 2020 northern durum crop is notably larger than last year due to a significant increase in planted area with trendline yields, and a dry, steady harvest. Along with increased production, buyers will be pleased with the improved quality of the 2020 crop, especially on factors routinely valued in contract specifications. The crop boasts high test weights, high vitreous kernel contents and falling numbers, improved semolina color and a much lower incidence of DON compared with recent years.

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) has posted the full 2020 Northern Durum Regional Report on its website here. USW previously reported on the 2020 Desert Durum® crop here, and posted the full 2020 Desert Durum® Regional Report and a Sacramento Valley Durum Report here and here, respectively.

 

Planting began in early May with slow initial progress due to cool conditions, but dry soils allowed for steady, accelerating progress with planting nearly complete by early June. Drought conditions eased with timely rains mid-season, boosting yield potential. Dry, warm conditions late-season accelerated crop maturity and limited disease pressures.

Harvest began in early August and progressed steadily on favorable weather until completed, ahead of average and well ahead of last year. Regional production is estimated at 1.7 million metric tons (MMT), up nearly 30% from 2019.

Here are highlights of data from the 2020 northern durum wheat crop.

Wheat and Grade Data:

  • Grade – the overall average is U.S. No. 1 Hard Amber Durum (HAD); 87% of the crop grades U.S. No. 1 or 2 Hard Amber Durum (HAD), up markedly from 37% a year ago.
  • Test Weight averages 62.2 lb/bu (80.9 kg/hl), well above last year and the 5-year averages.
  • Total defects average of 1.5% is lower than 2019, as disease pressures were relatively low and harvest weather was near ideal.
  • Vitreous kernel (HVAC) content is 88%, up sharply from 64% in 2019, and also higher than the 5-year averages. Nearly two-thirds of the samples were above 90% HVAC.
  • Wheat Protein averages 13.4% (12% mb), lower than both 2019 and the 5-year averages.
  • 1000 Kernel Weight average of 46.7 g (14% mb) is exceptionally high, above last year and nearly 6 g higher than the 5-year average, due to excellent conditions during kernel development.
  • Wheat Falling Number average of 419 sec, is well above 2019 and higher than the 5-year averages and indicative of sound wheat.
  • DON average is 0.2 ppm, lower than both 2019 and the 5-year averages and disease pressures were minimal in 2020.

Semolina and Processing Data:

  • Semolina Extraction average is 58.5%, up from 2019. Commercial mills will likely see a greater increase in extraction due to high HVAC levels and excellent kernel qualities.
  • Color values are higher than 2019 for both brightness and yellowness.
  • Gluten index values are 74.4%, higher than both 2019 and the 5-year averages.
  • Semolina color values are higher than a year ago, for both brightness and yellowness, and more similar to the 5-year average.
  • Cooked spaghetti evaluations show lower values compared to last year and the 5-year averages with lower cooked weight and less cooked firmness.
  • Mixing properties reveal a slightly weaker crop compared to a year ago, a 6 (scale 1-8), but stronger than the 5-year averages.

Buyers are encouraged to review their quality specifications to ensure that their purchases meet their expectations.

View other summaries of the 2020 U.S. wheat crop:
Hard Red Winter 
Hard Red Spring
Hard White
Soft White
Soft Red Winter

View the full 2020 U.S. Crop Quality Report and other related resources here.

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2020 Hard Red Spring Crop Boasts Excellent Qualities and Soundness

The 2020 U.S. hard red spring (HRS) wheat crop boasts excellent kernel and grade qualities, with significantly improved kernel soundness compared to 2019. The crop had significantly higher vitreous kernel and falling number values. The crop shows less extensibility and more resistance compared to 2019, but similar to the 5-year average. Other quality factors include improved dough strength with very high bread scores. With above-average supplies and high-quality parameters, the 2020 U.S. HRS crop offers excellent value to buyers.

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) has posted the full 2020 Hard Red Spring Wheat Quality Report on its website here.

Cool temperatures slowed planting and emergence in parts of the growing region. Timely mid-season rains and a dry, rapid harvest period limited disease pressures and benefitted kernel quality parameters. USDA estimates production at 14.4 million metric tons (MMT), slightly higher than the 2019 crop on reduced planting area.

Here are a few highlights from the 2020 HRS wheat crop.

Wheat and Grade Data:

  • Grade– the average grade on the 2020 samples is a No. 1 Northern Spring (NS).
  • Test Weight average of 61.8 lb/bu (81.3 kg/hl) is higher than 2019 and 5-year averages.
  • Vitreous kernel levels (DHV) are notably higher, with overall samples averaging 71%. Nearly two-thirds of the Western samples make the Dark Northern Spring (DNS) subclass.
  • Wheat Protein averages 14.3% (12% mb) protein, similar to 2019 and 5-year averages.
  • DON average is 0.2 ppm, down from 0.6 in 2019.
  • 1000 Kernel Weight average is 31.5 g, heavier than 2019 and 5-year averages, due to good kernel fill conditions.
  • Wheat Falling Number average is 374 sec, a vast improvement in kernel soundness across the crop.

Flour, Dough and Baking Data:

  • Laboratory Mill Flour Extractions average 67.4%, lower than 2019 and 5-year averages.
  • Flour ash was similar to 2019 at 0.52%, while flour color showed higher L* color scores in both regions.
  • Flour Wet Gluten Contents average 33%, lower than both 2019 and 5-year averages.
  • Amylograph values average 642 BU for 65 g of flour, sharply higher than 2019.
  • Farinograph indicates the crop has lower absorption compared to last year and 5-year averages. The average farinograph stability is 12.1 min, significantly stronger than 2019 and the 5-year averages.
  • Alveograph P/L ratio average is 0.59, similar to 2019, but lower than 5-year average and the W-value increased to 368 (10-4 J), up from 2019.
  • Extensograph analyses shows less extensibility and more resistance compared to 2019, but similar to 5-year averages. The overall extensibility and resistance to extension of the 135 min extensograph are 12.8 cm and 856 BU, with slightly more extensibility across Eastern areas.
  • Loaf volume average is 973, smaller than 2019, but similar to 5-year averages. Average bake absorption is 67.4%, higher than 5-year averages. Bread scores are similar in both regions in 2020, with Western area slightly lower than a year ago while the Eastern area is slightly higher.

 

View other summaries of the 2020 U.S. wheat crop:
Hard Red Winter 
Hard White
Soft White
Soft Red Winter
Durum

View the full 2020 U.S. Crop Quality Report and other related resources here.

 

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Annual USW Crop Quality Report Now Available for the World’s Wheat Buyers

Even in the face of a global pandemic, dependable U.S. wheat farmers persisted in their essential effort to produce the highest quality wheat in the world, while the reliable U.S. export supply system continued operating to move that wheat to the world.

As a key part of its commitment to transparency and trade service, U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) has produced its annual Crop Quality Report that includes grade, flour and baking data for all six U.S. wheat classes. The report compiles comprehensive data from analysis of hundreds of samples conducted during and after harvest by our partner organizations and laboratories. The report provides essential, objective information to help buyers get the wheat they need at the best value possible.

The 2020 USW Crop Quality Report is now available for download in English, Spanish, French and Italian. Arabic, Chinese and, for the first time, Portuguese, translations will be available soon. USW also shares more detailed, regional reports for all six U.S. wheat classes on its website, as well as additional information on its sample and collection methods, solvent retention capacity (SRC) recommendations, standard deviation tables and more. Download these reports and resources from the www.uswheat.org here.

The pandemic has changed other traditional parts of the USW Crop Quality outreach effort. Unfortunately, face-to-face Crop Quality Seminars are not possible in 2020. Instead, USW is preparing a unique way for our customers to experience and gain more knowledge about the 2020 U.S. wheat crops. For more information, please contact your local USW office.

Continue to look for updates from the 2020 USW Crop Quality Seminars on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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