OSU Wheat Breeder Brett Carver Likes His Two Newest Varieties- And Expects Big Things Coming Through The Pipeline In The Days Ahead

The 2016 series of OSU Wheat Plot Tours are in full swing- and on Wednesday morning, Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays participated in the stop at the Don Schieber farm just outside of Kildare in Kay County. About fifty farmers and wheat industry leaders gathered for breakfast and a chance to look at varieties nearing maturity from Oklahoma State and the private breeding programs Westbred, Agripro and Limagrain. 

 

One of those talking with producers about the varieties was the wheat breeder responsible for the OSU lineup- Dr. Brett Carver. Dr. Carver provided an update about the five experimental lines being grown in the replicated plots on the Schieber farm this year, including one that is a combination of red and white wheat, as well as two Clearfield culitvars- one of which could be the next Clearfield line to follow up behind Doublestop. 

 

Hays talked with Dr. Carver about the two most recent OSU wheat variety releases, Bentley and Stardust. Bentley, which had a limited amount of seed available to farmers last fall, appears to be a really strong candidate to be used on a lot of acres across the southern plains- offering lots of yield potential and the ability to handle late freeze conditions better than many of its peers. Bentley is a part of the Kildare plots- and can be seen in the picture here.

 

Hays also talked with Carver about the newest release- Stardust, a hard wheat wheat variety. Carver says this is a variety that can be grown east of the Panhandle and will not easily sprout. Carver and the members of the Wheat Improvement Team are convinced that white wheat can help Oklahoma producers get at least a modest premium from millers wanting white wheat in the region- and that there will be other white wheat varieties coming through the pipeline that will offer additional prout resistance in the seasons to come. Stardust was not planted at Kildare- but can be seen in many of the plots across the state- and is a part of the variety trial at the Lahoma Research Station, which will hold its Field Day this coming Friday.

 

Hays and Carver also talked about the relationship that continues to work between public and private breeding programs in the wheat sector. Dr. Carver says it is essential that breeders have access to genetics from a variety of places that will allow them to put together traits that will give wheat farmers the best chance for success.