Hard Red Spring Wheat Tips for Montana Growers

Spring is right around the corner — and Montana wheat growers are setting the stage for a profitable spring wheat growing season.

A few best practices to keep in mind, as you hit the planter this spring:

1. Variety selection is key. Minimize risk by choosing several varieties, and pick those best suited for your geography, farm and management techniques.
2. Timing matters. Be prepared to begin planting as early as your soil conditions (and Mother Nature) allow.
3. Know your challenges, and plant/manage for them. Insect pressure, like Wheat Stem Sawfly, can vary by field. Choose varieties accordingly to offer protection as needed.

While varieties perform differently by environment (see No. 1 above!), I suggest growers consider several “go-to” WestBred® Hard Red Spring Wheat varieties that perform well across a range of Montana growing conditions.

    WB9377 features a solid stem for Wheat Stem Sawfly management. It provides excellent test weight and yield potential with a very good disease resistance package.

    WB-GUNNISON, adaptable for multiple management zones, has excellent tolerance to Wheat Stem Sawfly. Growers can count on it to deliver very good standability coupled with excellent yield potential.

    WB9590 and WB9719 are two broadly adaptable options with excellent standability and outstanding yield potential. WB9590 offers very good resistance to Yellow (Stripe) Rust and Fusarium Head Blight as well as excellent protein potential.

    Attributes of WB9879CLP, featuring Clearfield® PLUS technology, include a solid stem (for Wheat Stem Sawfly resistance), along with excellent standability and very good yield potential.

For additional information on WestBred Spring Wheat varieties, contact Trenton Stanger, Wheat Technical Product Manager, Montana, at 530-681-8288 or trenton.stanger@bayer.com.