Hard white spring
wheat
Hard red spring wheat
Alpowa
An awned, semi-dwarf, stiff straw, mid-season variety released by Washington AES and
USDA-ARS in 1994. Intended as a replacement for Penawawa, Alpowa has similar yield under
irrigation, lower protein, and similar test weight. Alpowa is taller than Penawawa and has
weaker straw. Alpowa tends to have slightly higher yields than Penawawa under dryland
conditions. Alpowa has adult plant resistance to stripe rust and moderate resistance to
leaf rust. It is susceptible to stem rust, Hessian fly, and Russian wheat aphid while
moderately susceptible to mildew.
Alturas (ID0526)
Alturas is a new 2002 UI release.
It has excellent yield potential, equivalent or better than Penawawa in western
Idaho. Alturas is more stress tolerant and has better straw strength and
resistance to lodging than Penawawa even though it is slightly taller. Test weight is comparable to
Penawawa. Protein is slightly lower than Penawawa. Alturas has excellent
milling quality (flour yield) and baking quality, similar to Jubilee and better than
Penawawa. Has adult plant resistance to strip rust.
Susceptible to Hessian fly. Earlier than Treasure.
Bliss
A white-chaffed, awned, semidwarf spring wheat released by Idaho and Oregon AES,
USDA-ARS in 1983. Bliss is a tall semidwarf with stiff straw and excellent resistance to
lodging. Resistant to stripe rust and black point, moderately resistant to black chaff,
leaf blight, and powdery mildew. Moderately susceptible to leaf rust. Matures 7 days later
than Owens and should not be planted in areas with short growing seasons. Yields
significantly less than Treasure and slightly less than the other varieties under
irrigation. Its black chaff, black point, and lodging resistance make it the variety of
choice in areas where these problems persist.
Cataldo (ID0642)
Cataldo is a white chaffed,
awned, semidwarf spring wheat release from Idaho in 2007. As a backcross
to Alturas, it is similar in appearance to Alturas and like Alturas has
excellent baking and milling quality. Cataldo differs from Alturas mainly
in that it has tolerance to Hessian fly. It has excellent resistance to
Stripe rust. It is adapted to high rainfall and irrigated systems.
Cataldo is similar in height and yield to Alturas.
Eden (WA7902)
A WSU release (2003). Eden is a spring club wheat. Eden is
similar in height and straw strength to Penawawa but slightly lower in yield.
It has better test weight, lower protein, and better quality than
Penawawa. It is very similar to Pomerelle and Treasure in yield potential.
Fieldwin
A white-chaffed, awned, semidwarf soft white variety with moderately stiff straw.
Susceptible to stripe rust, and chemical rust control is necessary in years when rust is a
problem. At Aberdeen, Fieldwin has been similar to Owens in maturity. Its height averaged
35 inches, and has shown moderately good resistance to lodging. Fieldwin's yield has been
similar to Owens but lower than Treasure in both the irrigated and dryland trials.
Fieldwin has had the highest test weight among the soft white wheats tested. Fieldwin was
released by the USDA-ARS and the Idaho, Oregon, and Colorado Agricultural Experiment
Stations in 1977.
Jubilee (ID0525)
A UI 2001 release. Jubilee has excellent yield potential, equivalent or better than
Penawawa in western Idaho. But it is substantially better than Penawawa in milling
and baking quality. Jubillee is taller than Penawawa but has good straw strength and
resistance to lodging. Jubilee has exellent test weight, comparable to Alpowa, and
better than Penawawa and Alturas. Jubilee was susceptible to stripe rust races in
western Idaho during the 2005 season.
Louise (WA7921)
A WSU release in 2004. This variety did not yield as well as Jubilee or Alturas
varieties in two years of testing in SW Idaho. Louise was released as a replacement
for Zak in the Palouse due its better stripe rust resistance, comparable to Alturas.
It also has better baking quality for cookies and retains better white noodle color than
Zak . It also has good gluten strength for a soft white release without ruining
traditional soft wheat low gluten uses. Louise has 65% resistance to Hessian fly.
Owens
A white-chaffed, awnless, semidwarf variety released by Idaho AES, USDA-ARS in 1981.
Averages 34 inches in height under irrigation at Aberdeen. Slightly better straw strength
than Treasure and weaker than Fieldwin and Bliss. Early maturity. Resistant to stripe and
leaf rust, susceptible to powdery mildew, moderately susceptible to black chaff and often
has a higher than average percentage of kernels infected with black point. Irrigated yield
is similar to Fieldwin, slightly better than Bliss and lower than Treasure. Owens ranks
second to Fieldwin among varieties for test weight performance. Owens has marginal milling
quality and satisfactory baking quality.
Penawawa
A white-chaffed, awned variety released by Washington and Oregon AES, USDA-ARS in 1985.
Similar in height to Owens and Treasure. Penawawa has slightly stiffer straw
than Treasure or Pomerelle and slightly better lodging resistance, but straw strength is
poorer than Alturas or Jubilee. It is relatively early, maturing 2 days later
than Owens. Resistant to moderately resistant to stripe rust, resistant to leaf rust,
moderately susceptible to black chaff, kernel black point, and stem rust. Susceptible to
mildew and Hessian fly. Penawawa has ranked among the top-yielding soft whites under
irrigation in southern Idaho. Penawawa is a poor milling wheat and its baking
quality is also poor. It is better suited for animal feed than food.
Pettit (ID0632)
A white-chaffed, extra short semidwarf soft white spring wheat release from the
Aberdeen Idaho breeding program in 2006. It is very short (4-7 inches
shorter) compared to all other commonly grown irrigated spring wheats, but has
yielded comparable to the most productive irrigated soft white springs in
western Idaho testing during 2005-06. It has excellent milling and baking
quality, and lodging resistance, similar to Alturas. Pettit is
earlier maturing than Alturas and other soft white springs, including Penawawa,
and may require fewer irrigations. It has moderate stripe rust resistance.
Pomerelle
Released by Idaho AES, USDA-ARS in 1995. This variety is intended to replace Treasure in
irrigated production areas of Idaho. Yields have exceeded those of Treasure and Penawawa
on both irrigated and dryland production. Pomerelle is intermediate in maturity between
Treasure and Penawawa, and has a higher test weight and stronger straw stength than
Treasure. Milling and baking quality are comparable to Treasure and appreciably better
than Penawawa.
Sunstar 50-30
Sunderman Breeding released Sunstar 50-30 in 1998. This variety has been somewhat
variable in yield in southern Idaho but generally is at least at or better than the
average of the trial. Test weight, plant height, and date head are similar to Penawawa.
Straw strength tends to be weaker than many other varieties.
Sunstar Promise
Released by Sunderman Breeding. Yield and test weight have been equal to or slightly above
Penawawa. Height is taller than Penawawa and straw strength is slightly weaker. Milling
and baking quality have not been adequately evaluated.
Treasure
A white-chaffed, awned, semidwarf variety released by Idaho and Oregon AES, USDA-ARS in
1986. Yields have averaged 106 percent of yields of the second ranked variety, Fieldwin,
under irrigation at Aberdeen and Twin Falls. Possesses a lower test weight than Fieldwin
and Owens, but more uniform kernel size than Owens. Matures 1 to 3 days later than Owens.
Averages 1 inch shorter plant height than Owens and is slightly more resistant to lodging.
Resistant to prevalent races of stripe rust and moderately susceptible to leaf infection
by black chaff. Kernels susceptible to black point (caused primarily by Alternaria),
similar to percentage for Owens, but higher than levels observed on other commercial
varieties.
WB Challis
Released by Western Plant Breeders in 1999. Challis has excellent yield potential
in western Idaho, comparable if not better than Penawawa.
It is average in test weight, height, and date head.
Protein content is similar to Pomerelle and milling and baking scores have been
good. Cookie spread is not as good as
Whitebird. Lodging resistance is similar to
Penawawa and lower than Alturas or Jubilee.
Whit
A 2008 WSU release from Kim Kidwell for higher rainfall eastern
Washington and Northern Idaho. It has high temperature adult plant
resistance to stripe rust. It also has resistance for
Hessian fly.
Whitebird
Released by Idaho AE, USDA-ARS in 1994. Yield of Whitebird and Penawawa have been similar
under both irrigated and dryland conditions. Whitebird has averaged about 1 pound heavier
test weight than Penawawa, and has similar straw strength. Milling and baking quality of
Whitebird is comparable to Treasure and significantly better than Penawawa.
Zak
WSU release for Wawawai from Kim Kidwell program. Excellent end use
quality. Taller than many varieties commonly grown under irrigation in southern
Idaho. Largely untested in the Treasure Valley through 1999.