Annual Meeting Update 2003

February 25 - 27, 2003

The Wheat Quality Council (WQC) held its annual meeting, forum and technical review sessions on February 25-27, 2003, at the KCI Embassy Suites Hotel in Kansas City with 140 industry participants attending.

Sixty-three new breeder submitted lines and check samples were entered in the evaluations this year. These were grown and harvested during the 2002 crop year. These lines were broken down into twenty-six hard winter wheats, twenty-one hard spring wheats, twelve eastern soft wheats and four durum wheats.

As the result of the WQC evaluations, some lines were dropped, some are undergoing further testing and some have been released to growers. Of the new lines reviewed, four were dropped from further development or release due to inadequate quality. Nineteen were held back for further development and analysis due to questionable quality or concerns over the quality of the grain submitted for analysis. Six will be further developed for release based on having good to acceptable quality.

In the hard winters, the following decisions have been made regarding the lines. AgriPro Wheat has released Dumas, Cutter and Jagalene. Cargill-Goertzen has one line under increase and one line that will not be released. Colorado State University has three lines undergoing further testing. Kansas State University has one line for potential release in 2003, one in 2004 and one still on the fence. The University of Nebraska has four lines with the earliest possible release in 2004. Oklahoma State University has four lines still under evaluation pending results from the 2003 harvest. All hard winter lines were also evaluated for tortilla production, at Texas A&M University, with varying results.

In the hard springs, the University of Minnesota has one line on increase for possible release. North Dakota State University has released one line named Dapps (after long-time NDSU professor Bert D’Appolonia) and has another line slated for possible release in 2004. World Wide Wheat has two lines that appear to be best adapted for Montana and Idaho. AgriPro Wheat has one line and it is not being targeted for release.

In the Eastern soft winter wheats, Purdue has two lines waiting for the 2003 harvest before decisions will be finalized. Michigan State University has one line with status undetermined at this time. Pioneer has three lines scheduled for release in the fall of 2003. The University of Arkansas has one line that will not be released. Syngenta has released one line. Hyland Seeds (from Canada) has released one line as “Wonder,” and has dropped one line.

Of the four durums evaluated, two are recent releases from North Dakota State University, used as comparisons. World Wide Wheat has privately released one line to some food processors and has one line still undergoing evaluation at this time.

A total of thirty-one cooperators from across the country helped to evaluate the milling and baking/processing qualities of the sixty-three lines entered from the 2002 growing season. They provide a tremendous service to the wheat industry of this country.

Back to Top

Re-elected Board members are Rick Siemer, Siemer Milling Co; Larry Keller, Weston/Stroehmann; Scott McWilliams, Bartlett Grain; Rollin Sears, AgriPro Wheat and Charles Gaines, ARS Soft Wheat Lab.

Newly elected to the Board are William Johnson, AR Association of Wheat Growers and Brian Sorenson, Northern Crops Institute.

Serving on the Executive Committee for 2003 are Dave Green, David Katzke, George Schember, Rollin Sears, Charles Gaines and Mark Hodges, Oklahoma Wheat Commission.

Back to Top