New NDSU Spring Wheat Variety Glenn Expected to Replace Alsen

Glenn, a new hard red spring wheat variety, has been developed and released by the North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station.  The variety will be increased this year by certified seed growers, and will be more widely available for production in 2006. It is expected to eventually replace significant acreage of Alsen, offering better scab tolerance and higher test weight, protein, and yield.

The new variety’s parentage includes Sumai3, a Chinese spring wheat that also is the source of the scab resistance present in Alsen, and a wild-wheat species that is a source of scab resistance present in Steele-ND. Alsen and Steele-ND are NDSU varieties.

According to NDSU plant pathologists, Glenn has a higher level of scab resistance than Alsen or Steele-ND. Glenn also is resistant to the prevalent races of leaf and stem rust. It has a level of resistance to tan spot blotch comparable to Alsen or Steele-ND. Glenn’s level of resistance to Septoria is equal to Parshall and Dapps, but greater than Alsen.

Compared with Alsen across 29 trials from 2002 to 2004 at the NDSU Research Extension Centers, Glenn has been equal in maturity and grows about two inches taller, but has stronger straw strength, according to Mohamed Mergoum, NDSU’s hard red spring wheat breeder.

Glenn has slightly larger kernels than Alsen, and has averaged more than three pounds per bushel higher test weight. The protein content is slightly higher than in Alsen, and in statewide trials, yield averaged 1.2 bushels an acre greater than Alsen. In 19 trials during the same period in the eastern part of North Dakota (Carrington, Prosper and Langdon), where scab is more prevalent, Glenn outyielded Alsen by 4.6 bushels an acre.

Glenn has very good milling and baking properties, according to Truman Olson, NDSU cereal scientist. Glenn also exhibits the traditional strong dough-mixing characteristics that are needed when used as a blending wheat. These properties are needed because of the importance of the spring wheat export market.

Glenn was named after Glenn Smith, the second of only four HRSW breeders that NDSU has had in almost 90 years (LR Waldron was first, followed by Smith, Richard Frohberg, and Mergoum). The durum and spring wheat varieties Smith developed had good quality, high yield and disease resistance and helped stabilize wheat production for N.D. farmers.

Glenn will be allocated through the County Crop Improvement Association this spring. The NDSU Research Foundation will apply for plant variety protection with Title V and assess research fees of 30 cents per bushel on registered and certified seed.

According to the N.D. Agricultural Statistics Service, the NDSU wheat-breeding program has developed approximately 68% of the wheat grown in North Dakota. Alsen has been the leading wheat variety in N.D. for the past three years. In 2004, Alsen was the No. 1 HRSW, accounting for nearly 30% of the planted acres. And in some parts of the state, Alsen constitutes more than 50% of the acreage, according to Al Schneiter, North Dakota State University Department of Plant Sciences chair.

“If Glenn were to replace only two-thirds of the wheat acreage currently occupied by Alsen statewide, at current prices, it would generate almost $7 million in additional income annually based on its statewide yield advantage,” says Schneiter. “Other factors, such as higher test weight, protein, seed quality and reduced levels of scab will provide additional income.”