Western Plant Breeders, Inc.

WESTERN PLANT BREEDERS, INC
8111 Timberline Drive, Bozeman, MT 59718 U.S.A.

 

Dan Biggerstaff, VP Research and Breeders Dale Clark and Craig Cook (Bozeman, MT), Greg Fox (Fargo, ND), Kim Shantz (Yuma, AZ), and Ben Morino-Sevilla (Lafayette, IN).

 

Expansion. [p. 17]

Western Plant Breeders is pleased to announce the acquisition last year of Monsanto's Hybritech facility in Lafayette, IN. The marketing development rights to Monsanto's eastern wheat germ plasm also were purchased. Western Plant Breeders also acquired the production rights of the HRWW varieties Bighorn and Quantum 542 Hybrid for the PNW and Montana. Western Plant Breeders has hired Benjamin Moreno-Sevilla to head the breeding program in Lafayette and Justin Cooley as an assistant. Ben's address is Western Plant Breeders, 6025 West 300 S. Lafayette, IN 47909, phone number 765-572-2905, E-mail bmoreno-sevilla@westbred.com.

 

Varietal releases. [p. 17]

Greg Fox continues to develop scab-tolerant HRSW for the Minnesota and North Dakota areas. His project is the release of a new, scab-tolerant HRSW named Keystone (exp. # FA 998-743).

The wheat breeding program at Bozeman, MT, recently released the variety Hank (BZ 992-322) to replace the HRSW WestBred 926. Hank is tolerant to Hessian fly and has consistently out yielded WestBred 926 and in the PNW and Montana. Hank has milling and baking qualities similar to those of WestBred 926.

The SWSW Challis (BZ 692-108) is being released for the PNW. Challis has consistently out yielded the variety Penawawa and maintains better milling and baking qualities.

Western Plant Breeders has made, as an exclusive release to General Mills, Inc (for the states of Montana, Washington, and Idaho) the HWSW variety Pristine (BZ 991-408). General Mills will be contracting both dryland and irrigated production of Pristine in 2001. Pristine has large kernels, high test weight, high protein, and strong glutens, but is high in PPO. The variety is more suited for bread products than for fresh noodle.

Two new durum varieties have been released by Kim Shantz in Yuma, AZ. Although unnamed at present, the lines are released as YU895-24 and YU895-89. YU 895-24 is most similar to the variety Kofa and is about 2 pounds heavier in test weight. YU895-89 will be a replacement for our variety Cortez and has higher percent protein and higher semolina color.

For the E-mail addresses of the breeders, please visit our web site at http://www.westbred.com.