Pulman, Washington
February 29, 2008
Washington State University has released four new wheat
varieties for commercialization, including Xerpha, a soft-white
common winter wheat, which is highly adapted to a broad range of
production zones in Washington, Oregon, southern Idaho and
northern California.
“WSU’s job is to work in partnership with industry so growers
will have the best varieties possible,” said Ralph Cavalieri,
director of the Agricultural Research Center and associate dean
of the College of Agricultural, Human and Natural Resource
Sciences. “These new varieties are the product of good science,
hard work and the dedication of our breeding teams.”
In 2006 and 2007, Xerpha, a product of Steve Jones winter wheat
breeding program, was the highest yielding variety in every
precipitation zone in the WSU Extension Cereal Variety Testing
Program where it was compared with 50 other varieties, breeding
lines and varietal blends from 10 other programs at 19
locations.
Jones named the wheat in honor of Xerpha Gaines, a WSU botanist,
and wife of Edward Gaines, a prominent early agronomist at WSU.
Farnum, Whit and Kelse, three varieties from Kim Kidwell’s
breeding program, also were approved for final release.
Farnum, a high yielding, hard red winter wheat, is named for a
major road in the Horse Heaven Hills where the variety is
targeted. The variety carries an early senescence gene
associated with high grain protein content as well as a slow
rusting gene for stripe rust.
Kidwell collaborated with Jones and Kim Campbell, USDA-ARS wheat
geneticist on this variety.
Whit, a soft white common spring wheat, is named for and suited
for production in Whitman County although it also has performed
well in Latah County, Idaho. It has high-temperature, adult
plant resistance to stripe rust and Hessian fly resistance.
“We expect it to replace Nick, Alpowa and some Louise in the
high rainfall region,” said Kidwell, who was appointed associate
dean for academic programs of the College of Agricultural,
Human, and Natural Resource Sciences last summer.
Kelse, named in honor of one of Kidwell’s nieces, is a high
protein hard red spring wheat for the intermediate to high
rainfall zone. “Kelse is the first hard red spring wheat variety
developed by our program with excellent race-specific all-stage
resistance and indications of durable high-temperature, adult
plant resistance to stripe rust,” Kidwell said.
WSU’s reorganized Cereal Variety Release Committee, which
includes greater industry input, recommended final release of
these varieties at its Feb. 21 meeting. Cavalieri approved the
releases on behalf of the Agricultural Research Center.
The committee approved two other lines for breeder seed increase
signaling their release as early as next year.
Washington State University and the Washington State University
Research Foundation agree to offer the Washington Wheat
Commission or a Commission-affiliated corporation, hereinafter
referred to as “Affiliate,” the first right to negotiate a
worldwide, exclusive license to any new wheat varieties
developed by University researchers where Commission funding has
been used during the development process.
The Washington State Crop Improvement Association will have
foundation seed for Farnum and Xerpha for commercial application
in the fall of 2008. Foundation seed for Kelse and Whit will be
available in the spring of 2009. |
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