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While the variety is named for the Flathead Valley, Bruckner and Berg noted that it can be planted across the state, and since stripe rust is the most prevalent wheat rust in the Pacific Northwest region, it could fare well in surrounding states too. Test fields of Bobcat and Flathead were harvested for Foundation Seed in late August by Dave Geel, farm manager for MSU's Post Agronomy Farm. Having farmed for decades in north central Montana before working for MSU, he knows what to look for in winter wheat, and he was the first person to run the new varieties through a combine. True to its purpose, the Flathead matured about a week earlier than any other variety. "Sometimes wheat will run out of moisture before it matures, so maturing earlier oen means beer kernel size and quality," said Geel. "It threshed well and combined well, and it really finished beer than the other varieties, with beer test weight and beer yield." e Bobcat wheat took a few more days to be ready for threshing, and Geel said he was pleasantly surprised. Solid- stemmed wheat can oen be more challenging to thresh and put through a combine, since there is more fiber for the machine to break down. Geel said Bobcat didn't pose the same problem. "e Bobcat was within five bushels per acre of the Flathead in terms of yield, and it harvested prey well," he said. "e fact that it's a beer yielder than some of the previous sawfly- resistant varieties, plus the fact that it combines and threshes well, certainly makes it something I'd want to try if I was farming commercially." Bruckner and Berg said a huge amount of support helps their team continue to work on new crosses for Montana wheat farmers. "e Cereal Quality Lab, regional testing at nine different sites, funding from the Montana Wheat and Barley Commiee and all the producers who support our program," Berg said. "We're all in this together, and their commitment has allowed us to do what we do." Contact: Doug Holen, douglas.holen@montana.edu, 406-994-5687 farm406 16 Montana State University's College of Agriculture faculty David Weaver observes wheat variations for wheat stem sawfly cutting at a study plot near Amsterdam, Montana. Weaver and associate professor Carl Yeoman are co-authors in a wheat stem sawfly genome study, researching the microbial ecology of the invasive pest. Phil Bruckner, left, professor of plant sciences and plant pathology, and Jim Berg, research associate in the winter wheat breeding program at Montana State University, have bred two new varieties of winter wheat, which will be in commercial use by 2020.MSU Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez MSU Photo by Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez

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