Farm Director KC Sheperd recently spoke with Lance Embree of Bayer WestBred about the current state of the WestBred wheat crop in Oklahoma, where he noted that conditions vary significantly across the state. “It’s really hard to put a fine point on what the condition of the crop is across the state of Oklahoma just because there’s so much variability,” Embree said, noting that while North Central and Northwest Oklahoma show some promise, the Southwest region remains particularly drought-stressed. Minimal and inconsistent moisture across the state has made it difficult to generalize the crop’s health, as one area may be faring well while a neighboring field is severely impacted.
Resilient Varieties for Challenging Conditions
WestBred focuses heavily on drought tolerance and yield stability, evaluating varieties under tough conditions before release. Embree noted that these environmental challenges are a recurring reality for the region, stating, “It’s not like we see this occasionally; I would say somewhere in the state, we’re going to see [drought] usually every year, if not certainly more often than not”. He highlighted several standout products designed to handle these conditions:
- WB 4792: This variety is a consistent performer in Western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle.
- WB 4445 CLP: Known for its extreme resilience, this variety maintained its health in some of the toughest testing environments, such as Altus.
- WB 4347: A newer release that complements WB 4792 by offering an earlier maturity and distinct genetic diversity.
“We’ve got a pretty good handle on their drought tolerance… we’re able to evaluate those varieties before we release [them],” Embree added.
Managing Disease and Pest Pressure
In Western Oklahoma, WestBred prioritizes resistance to viral diseases like wheat streak mosaic, which is spread by the wheat curl mite often found in volunteer wheat. Embree explained that “that’s a disease that we really look to try to prevent with the variety because there’s nothing that the producer can do once they get that disease”. As the focus moves to the eastern parts of the state, the priority shifts to fungal issues such as stripe rust and Fusarium head blight. Embree noted that newer varieties are holding up well against shifting stripe rust inoculums compared to older genetics.
Advancements in the Pipeline
The WestBred portfolio has expanded significantly over the last decade to address evolving producer needs. Reflecting on this progress, Embree said, “I look back from when I started in this role with WestBred 10 years ago to where we are today; we didn’t have any herbicide-tolerant wheat 10 years ago”. Today, the company offers a robust selection of technologies:
- Herbicide-Tolerant Wheat: The lineup now includes both Clearfield and CoAXium lines to help manage weed pressure.
- Awnless (Beardless) Varieties: WB 4440 offers Hessian fly resistance for southern growers, while WB 4650 provides wheat streak mosaic protection for northern regions.
Looking further ahead, WestBred is working toward introducing hybrid wheat to the market within the next five to six years.
Advice for Volatile Springs
Despite the inherent challenges of an Oklahoma spring—ranging from hail and tornadoes to late freezes—Embree encourages producers to “control the controllable”. He emphasized that nitrogen remains the most cost-effective input a producer can utilize. While moisture is a concern, he advised against completely abandoning inputs, as wheat’s ability to recover is significant.
“At the end of the day, you never want to count a wheat crop out… if all of a sudden we start getting some rain, that wheat can respond back fairly rapidly,” Embree said. He concluded by highlighting the legendary durability of the crop: “Wheat has nine lives; it’s the reason why we grow it in Oklahoma. It’s tough, and I’ve just learned through my career to never count it out”.
Producers who have questions about varieties can reach out to their local Bayer Representative that you can locate on the Bayer Westbred Website.
To find more information about the Bayer Westbred varieties, click here.
