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The Early History of Wheat Improvement in the Great Plains

Dep. of Agronomy, Kansas State Univ., Manhattan, KS 66506-5501. Contribution no. 07-119-J from the Kansas Agric. Exp. Stn

^* Corresponding author (jshroyer{at}ksu.edu).

More than 60% of U.S. wheat is grown in the Great Plains. Three classes of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)—hard red spring, hard red winter, and hard white—and durum (T. turgidum L. var. durum) occupy 16 million ha in the region and provide most of the U.S. grain for baked goods and pasta. This article relates the early history of the four classes and the key persons involved in their establishment. Pioneers faced many difficulties in settling the Plains, but the need for adapted cultivars was paramount. Three cultivars—‘Red Fife’ hard red spring wheat, ‘Turkey’-type hard red winter wheat, and ‘Kubanka’ durum wheat—were the foundation for the industry. Red Fife was selected by D.A. Fife of Ontario in 1842. The cultivar spread to the northern U.S. Plains during the 1860s and dominated production for 40 yr. Turkey hard red winter wheat was introduced to Kansas by Mennonite settlers from the Ukraine, particularly B. Warkentin, in 1873 and was advanced by C.C. Georgeson, who recognized its potential. Another cultivar, ‘Kharkof’, introduced by M.A. Carleton in 1900, stimulated spread of the class throughout the Plains. Carleton also introduced Kubanka in 1900 and promoted its utilization to start the U.S. durum industry. The most recent class, hard white wheat, was initiated by E.G. Heyne and approved by the USDA in 1990. These wheats transformed American agriculture by opening a vast area for production, shifting the center of cultivation to the Plains, and changing the country into a major grain exporter.

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Received for publication December 15, 2006.