North Dakota Hard Red Winter Wheat Variety Selection Guide

Compiled by Dr. Joel Ransom and Dr. Duane R. Berglund, NDSU Extension Agronomists

Hard red winter wheat varieties adapted for production in North Dakota are described in the following tables. Successful winter wheat production depends on numerous factors including selecting the right variety for a particular area. This information is meant to help select that variety or group of varieties. Characteristics to evaluate in selecting a variety are yield potential in your area, test weight, protein content when grown with proper fertility, straw strength and plant height, reaction to important diseases, and maturity.

The recommended seeding dates for winter wheat are September 10 to September 30 south of N.D. Highway 200 and September 1 to September 15 in northern regions. Planting after the recommended dates reduces winter survival and grain yields. Planting prior to the recommended date unnecessarily depletes soil moisture reserves, increases risk of disease and may reduce winter survival.

Winter wheat should be seeded at a rate of 1,000,000 viable seeds per acre or about 80 pounds per acre. Higher seeding rates are suggested for late seeding or for poor seedbed conditions. Only the most winterhardy varieties available should be considered when growing winter wheat in North Dakota. Of the current varieties, Roughrider, Agassiz, Seward, Elkhorn, Ransom, Crimson, Harding, and Jerry possess the best combination of winterhardiness and yield. When wheat streak mosaic virus is a concern, Crimson or Harding should be grown; they have the best tolerance of the varieties adapted to North Dakota.

Phosphorus aids overwinter survival by stimulating root growth and fall tillering. The secondary root system that develops with tillering is essential for a healthy deep-rooted plant capable of withstanding stress.If winter wheat is planted on bare soil an applicationof phosphorus is essential. While important, the contribution of phosphorus to overwinter survival is secondary to varietal hardiness.

When selecting a top yielding variety it is best to  use data that summarizes several years and locations. The notion that the single data set nearest your farm will indicate which variety will perform the best for you is incorrect. Choose the variety that on average performs the best at multiple locations near you over several years.

Table 1. 2002 Hard Red Winter Wheat Variety Descriptions

Variety	Agent or Origin	Year	Quality	Leaf Rust 2	Stem Rust 2	Maturity	Straw Strength	Height	Winter Hardiness
Roughrider	ND	1975	Good	S	R3	med.	m.strong	med.	good
Norstar	Can.	1977	Average	S	S	late	med.	tall	good
Rita	SD	1980	Average	MS	MR4	early	strong	med.	fair
Rose	SD	1981	Poor	S	MS4	early	v. strong	short	fair
Agassiz	ND	1983	Average	S	R	med.	med.	med.	good
Seward	ND	1987	Poor	S	R	med.	m.strong	med.	good
Arapahoe	NE	1989	Poor	MS	MR	med.	med.	med.	fair
CDC Kestrel	Can.	1994	Poor	S	S	med.	m.strong	med.	good
Elkhorn	ND	1995	Average	MR	R5	med.	med.	med.	good
AC Readymade	Can.	1996	NA	S	S	med.	strong	med.	good
Erhardt	MT	1996	NA6	S	R	med.	strong	med.	good
McGuire	MT	1996	NA	S	R	m.early	strong	m. tall	fair
Morgan	WPB	1996	NA	NA	NA	med.	m.strong	med.	good
Rampart7	MT	1996	NA	S	R	med.	strong	med.	poor
Alliance	NE	1997	NA	S	NA	early	strong	short	good
Crimson	SD	1997	NA	MS	NA	med.	m.strong	med.	fair-good
NeKota	SD/NE	1997	NA	MS	NA	early	v.strong	v.short	good
Tandem	SD	1997	Good	S	NA	early	med.	med.	fair
Windstar	NE	1997	NA	MS	NA	early	med.	med.	fair-good
Ransom	ND	1998	Good	R	NA	m.early	med.	med.	good
Culver	NE	1999	NA	NA	NA	m.early	m.strong	med.	good
Harding	SD	1999	NA	MS/MR	NA	med.	m.strong	med.	good
Millenium	NE/SD	1999	NA	NA	NA	med.	strong	m.short	fair
CDC Raptor	Can.	2002	NA	NA	NA	med.	m.strong	m.short	good
CDC FAlcon	Can/WPB	2000	NA	NA	NA	med.	m.strong	short	good
Nuplains	NE	2000	NA	NA	NA	med.	m.strong	short	fair-poor
Wesley	NE/SD/WY	2000	NA	NA	NA	m.early	m.strong	short	fair
Jerry	ND	2001	Good	MR	R	med.	strong	med.	good
Wahoo	NE/WY	2001	NA	S	R	med.	m.strong	med.	fair
Expedition	SD	2002	Average	MS	R	med.	strong	med.	good
1 Varieties with less than good winterhardiness should be seeded only in tall stubble. 2 R = resistant; MR = moderately resistant; MS = moderately susceptible; S = susceptible. 3 Slow rusting type of resistance to race 15. 4 Susceptible in artificially induced epidemics 5 Occasionally mixed with some susceptible plants. 6 NA = data not available, or data insufficient to give rating. 7 Saw fly resistant.

Table 2. Yield of Winter Wheat at Four Locations in W. North Dakota

	Willison		Dickinson		Hettinger		Minot		Average
Variety	2002	3-Yr. Avg.	2002	3-Yr. Avg.	2002	3-Yr. Avg.	2002	3-Yr. Avg	2002	3-Yr. Avg
Agassiz	38.1	31.8	40.8	55.4	27.6	52.0	38.8	61.9	36.3	50.3
Alliance	34.0	28.3	46.9	51.8	34.2	64.0	23.3	43.0	34.6	46.8
Arapahoe	34.7	31.5	46.9	59.9	34.9	66.9	30.5	58.0	36.8	54.1
CDC Falcon	38.9	—	55.4	—	40.3	—	35.6	—	42.6	—
CDC Kestrel	33.2	29.7	39.4	55.4	30.1	63.3	42.8	61.2	36.4	52.4
CDC Raptor	38.3	—	41.3	—	34.0	—	40.9	—	38.6	—
Crimson	33.7	28.4	46.8	53.6	33.0	60.3	39.3	63.9	38.2	51.6
Culver	35.6	—	43.6	—	33.2	—	38.6	—	37.8	—
Elkhart2	—	43.2	—	35.3	—	17.4	—	31.9	—
Elkhorn	33.4	36.4	37.3	53.7	28.4	53.1	41.6	58.4	35.2	50.4
Erhardt	34.0	34.5	35.9	—	27.2	60.3	40.7	58.8	34.4	51.2
Expedition	—	50.3	—	—	38.3	—	—
Harding	35.5	—	52.5	59.1	34.5	61.1	39.8	—	40.6	60.1
Jerry	39.4	—	43.2	55.9	35.7	65.6	42.4