Hard Red Winter Wheat (MT2019)
Montana State University seeks a partner to license and commercialize a new hard red winter wheat.
Description:
MT2019 is a high-yielding hard red winter wheat variety developed for Northern Plains production systems. It combines broad adaptation with excellent performance in high-rainfall environments, short plant height, good standability, moderate resistance to stripe rust and stem rust, and milling and baking quality comparable to established varieties.
Development and Pedigree:
MT2019 was developed from the three-way cross MT10114/MT10128//MTW1251 and selected for grain yield, agronomic performance, disease resistance, end-use quality, and adaptation across diverse Northern Plains environments.
Key Advantages:
- Highest average yield in the 2022–2024 Intrastate Trials
- Excellent performance in high-rainfall environments
- Short plant height and good standability
- Moderate resistance to stripe rust and stem rus
Agronomic Performance
Montana Intrastate Trials (2022–2024, 17 location-years):
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- Average yield of 81.7 bu/ac, the highest numerical yield among tested varieties
- Approximately 3% to 12% higher yielding than the five check varieties
- Yield of 115.0 bu/ac (Bozeman); 180.7 bu/ac (Kalispell); 95.4 bu/ac (Sidney)
- Test weight of 58.9 lb/bu
- Grain protein of 12.0%
Grain and End-Use Quality:
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- Flour yield: 70.9%
- Flour protein: 11.5%
- Wheat ash: 1.36%
- Flour ash: 0.45%
- Mixing time: 5.2 minutes
- Loaf volume: 1,070
- PPO: 0.249
Disease, Plant Type, and Maturity:
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- Medium-to-late maturity, with heading similar to Yellowstone
- Average plant height of 27.5 inches, approximately 4.5 inches shorter than Yellowstone
- No lodging observed during multiyear yield evaluations
- Moderate resistance to stripe rust and stem rust
- Carries the Sr2 adult-plant stem rust resistance gene
- Occasional pseudo-black chaff may occur in association with Sr2
- Hollow-stemmed and susceptible to wheat stem sawfly
Wheat stem sawfly cutting averaged approximately 44% to 45% in reported evaluations. MT2019 is therefore best positioned in areas where wheat stem sawfly is not the primary production constraint or where integrated sawfly management practices are used.
Adaptation:
MT2019 is best suited for:
- High-rainfall and high-yielding winter wheat environments
- Northern Plains regions with comparable climate and production conditions
- Production areas with low to moderate wheat stem sawfly pressure
Licensing Opportunity:
- US plant variety protection (PVP) rights available for license and commercialization in all states; international plant breeder’s rights available for license and commercialization outside the United States.
- Additional agronomic information available in the MT2019 Variety Release Package.
- Licensee(s) to purchase ~250 bu treated Breeder Seed in late summer/early fall 2026 from MSU at a rate of $42/bu.
- To submit a licensing proposal, respond by 11:59pm Monday, September 14, 2026, using the licensing opportunity and term sheet document.