New OSU variety is the heavyweight champion of wheat

A new hard red winter wheat variety developed by Oklahoma State University is expected to enter the market this fall, following several years of multi-state performance testing. Known commercially as Wyatt, the variety was previously designated as experimental line OK20708 and is being described by researchers as one of the university’s most widely adapted releases in more than two decades.

According to Brett Carver, wheat genetics chair and Regents professor in OSU’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, the variety combines high yield potential with strong straw strength, traits that are critical under typical Oklahoma growing conditions. Carver noted that the line demonstrated a level of competitiveness not commonly seen across such a wide geographic area.

The variety is named after Wyatt Hendrickson, a former OSU wrestler who won the NCAA Division I heavyweight championship in 2025. Hendrickson recorded an undefeated regular season during his single year at OSU and became the 145th national champion in the university’s wrestling history. The name reflects the breeders’ internal description of the line as a “heavyweight” in terms of yield performance and standability.

The announcement of the new variety and its name was made during the annual meeting of Oklahoma Genetics Inc. in Oklahoma City. The nonprofit organization works with OSU’s Wheat Improvement Team to license, market and distribute wheat varieties developed by the university, in partnership with seed producers and processors across the state.

Wyatt was evaluated in extensive regional trials, including those supported by the USDA-Agricultural Research Service. Test results showed strong performance across the Great Plains, from central Texas to central South Dakota. The variety ranked among the top yielders in Kansas and Nebraska in 2024, and in Texas and South Dakota in 2025. Between 2020 and 2023, it outperformed several established OSU varieties, including Showdown, Smith’s Gold and High Cotton, with yield advantages of five to six bushels per acre in certain trial years.

Researchers noted that it is uncommon for an OSU experimental line to perform at the top of USDA-ARS trials simultaneously across such diverse environments. This broad adaptation has been identified as one of the distinguishing features of the new release.

The variety was developed from a cross between the Romanian wheat variety FDL Miranda and OSU’s Smith’s Gold. Miranda has previously been widely grown in Romania, while Smith’s Gold contributed yield stability and stripe rust resistance. Through this lineage, Wyatt also traces back to Gallagher, another OSU variety known for strong yield performance.

In terms of agronomic and quality characteristics, Wyatt features a very large kernel size, acceptable test weight and strong milling quality. It has an intermediate plant height, good straw strength and an average protein content. Disease resistance includes moderately strong adult plant resistance to stripe rust, moderate resistance to leaf rust and barley yellow dwarf, and intermediate resistance to tan spot. Under high disease pressure, fungicide applications may be required to maintain kernel size and yield. The variety shows moderate susceptibility to Septoria nodorum blotch and Septoria tritici blotch, and it has low tolerance to suboptimal nitrogen management.

Wyatt also demonstrated good grazing tolerance and the ability to recover yield after grazing, making it suitable for dual-purpose production systems. Baking quality, however, is variable. Gluten strength is considered moderate but inconsistent, with slightly below-average dough strength. As a result, researchers suggest the variety is best suited for commodity grain channels where it can be blended with other wheat sources.

Carver noted that while some OSU varieties are released with strong standalone baking functionality, Wyatt’s primary value lies in its combination of yield, kernel size and milling performance. When blended appropriately, it can contribute acceptable baking performance while offering advantages for both producers and millers.

Development of the variety is part of OSU’s broader wheat research efforts, which begin at the Agronomy Research Station and are supported by ongoing investments in research infrastructure. These include plans for the Agronomy Discovery Center, featuring updated facilities intended to support future wheat breeding and agronomic research.

With its upcoming commercial release, Wyatt adds to the portfolio of OSU-developed wheat varieties aimed at meeting the agronomic and market needs of producers across the Southern and Central Plains.