Gifts from Oklahoma Genetics Inc. and the Oklahoma Wheat Commission lead new fundraising initiative.
While at the Oklahoma State University Agronomy Research Station, Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays got to talk with Oklahoma Wheat Commission Chairman Don Schieber and Oklahoma Genetics Chairman Joe Shirley to talk about plans to revamp the station and the generous contribution that both entities invested to jumpstart the efforts.
A $5 million gift from Oklahoma Genetics Inc. and a $1 million gift from the Oklahoma Wheat Commission will jumpstart a new Agronomy Discovery Center at Oklahoma State University.
The two lead donations help launch a new fundraising initiative to advance OSU’s mission to nourish the world. As part of a multiphase process, the Agronomy Discovery Center will be created through upgrades to the existing Agronomy Research Station, home to one of the world’s top wheat breeding programs.
“The work conducted at the Agronomy Research Station really matters, greatly affecting both producers and consumers throughout Oklahoma and beyond,” said Jayson Lusk, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture. “We are doing state-of-the-art research, but we are doing it in antiquated facilities. The Agronomy Discovery Center will provide the infrastructure we need to compete in the modern era and achieve our mission of feeding the world.
For Shirley, the value in upgrading the facility is about maintaining status. “If we want to keep Dr. Brett Carver as the preeminent wheat breeder in the United States here, and keep the program going, we have to improve on these 1941 model greenhouses,” he said. “I couldn’t believe what he gets done with the little amount of facilities that he has. We had to contribute to the facility’s improvements.”
He emphasized that Oklahoma Genetics was formed to add funding to the wheat improvement team and breeding program at a time when other sources of funding were retreating.
For Schieber, it is about keeping the credibility that has already been gained. “A couple of weeks ago, we had a Brazilian trade team here in Tulsa. They told us that they buy some Russian wheat, but it is junk, and they have to buy our wheat to mix with it to make it usable. That is why we have to keep improving the quality of our wheat. It goes all over the world and we need to keep that opportunity open,” he said.
He reiterated that 50 percent of Oklahoma’s wheat crop is exported to other countries, so the quality of wheat that foreign buyers expect must be maintained.
A few of the benefits of OGI wheat varieties are improved disease resistance, drought resistance, and higher yields. Shirley said that no matter which variety is used, it will be a better product.
Showdown is good for producers that are only producing grains. Butler’s Gold is preferred by double-croppers because it can be planted late and still produce a good crop. Double Stop can be grown on foul ground because it can be sprayed with Beyond to clean the field up.
“Those are just three varieties,” he said. “OGI varieties are better than anybody else’s across the board. Once in a while, somebody else beats us a little bit in the yield category, but then their disease resistance isn’t any good, or they don’t do well on acid soil. Dr. Carver stays on top of all the things that are necessary to make a really good wheat variety.”
The modernized research station will elevate OSU Agriculture’s research capabilities even further and create ample opportunities for program growth and impact. Early priorities include constructing a new headhouse and 12 research greenhouses, which will become the birthplace of OSU’s new wheat lines.
Plans also include a dynamic and multipurpose Research and Education Center, featuring classrooms and laboratory spaces that can accommodate industry audiences. The building will house the lab spaces for the Wheat Quality Laboratory; Soil, Water and Forage Analytical Laboratory; and the Plant Disease and Insect Diagnostic Laboratory, where more than 65,000 samples are analyzed each year from farms, ranches, and gardens across the state.
Throughout Oklahoma, where wheat is the top crop, 71% of all wheat acres planted are developed at OSU, including 36 varieties commercialized by the university since 2000. Twenty-five percent of named wheat varieties grown in Texas also originated at OSU.
Discoveries made at the research station significantly impact the state’s $42 billion agricultural industry and influence food security worldwide.
“The Agronomy Research Station directly serves OSU’s land-grant mission, channeling research and education to empower farmers, enhance food security and foster sustainable practices,” OSU President Kayse Shrum said. “Through the Agronomy Discovery Center, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing agricultural innovation to serve our community and the world.”
In addition to the two lead gifts, the university has approved early funding for the Agronomy Discovery Center, and architectural planning is underway. Further private support is needed to complete the transformation.
The fundraising initiative includes four levels of donor recognition: Triumph ($1 million+), Chisholm ($500,000-$999,999), Duster ($250,000-499,999) and Gallagher ($50,000-$249,999).
“When products of the wheat breeding program stand a better chance against nature than the facilities used to create them, then we know it’s time to upgrade,” said Brett Carver, OSU Regents professor and wheat genetics chair. “Investments like this do not merely produce wheat for today; they ensure a better breed of Oklahoma wheat for tomorrow.”
For more information on how to give to the Agronomy Discovery Center, contact Megan Smith at 405-747-1977 or mesmith@osugiving.com.
