Wheat varieties used in Michigan
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EmailA grower survey reveals that Michigan growers employ dozens of different varieties of winter wheat.
A state-wide survey has provided a reliable ranking of wheat varieties grown in Michigan. In March of 2011, farm operators were mailed a survey regarding their wheat production. Of the completed questionnaires, 1,708 were able to be used for summarization and analyses.
Growers were asked to list the varieties, along with acreages, planted during the fall of 2010. Based on the responses, 60.7 percent of Michigan’s wheat acreage was soft red winter wheat and 39.1 percent was soft white winter wheat. Growers were not asked to specify whether their seed source was certified or “bin-run.”
In total, growers listed 30 separate soft red winter wheat varieties. Those soft red winter varieties comprising at least 1 percent of the total soft red winter acreage are provided in Table 1. It is interesting to note that Hopewell, a 15-year old variety, is still grown on over a third of Michigan’s soft red winter acres. When the Hopewell acres are combined with the second leading variety (Pioneer 25R47), nearly half of the soft red winter crop is represented.
Table 1. Varieties and acreages of soft red winter (SRW) wheat, Michigan, 2011
| SRW Varieties | SRW acres # | SRW acres % |
| Hopewell Pioneer 25R47 |
137,000 74,200 |
32.2% 17.5% |
| Red Ruby Pioneer 25R56 |
47,300 24,000 |
11.1% 5.6% |
| Pioneer 25R62 DR-R045 |
13,700 12,800 |
3.2% 3.0% |
| Pioneer 25R39 Pioneer 25R78 |
10,000 8,900 |
2.4% 2.0% |
| Sunburst Butch |
8,430 6,070 |
1.4% 1.2% |
| DF-R075 Roane |
5,240 5,120 |
1.2% 1.1% |
| Branson | 4,630 | 1.1% |
Only includes those varieties with more than 1 percent of acreage.
Growers of soft white winter wheat listed 18 different varieties. As shown in Table 2, the 2011 soft white winter acreage was dominated by Pioneer 25W43, Ambassador, AC Mountain, Pioneer 25W36 and Caledonia. While Pioneer 25W43, Ambassador and Pioneer 25W36 were made available within the past five years, Caledonia and AC Mountain have been grown for over 10 years.
Table 2. Varieties and acreages of soft white winter (SWW) wheat, Michigan, 2011
| SWW Varieties | SRW acres # | SRW acres % |
| Pioneer 25W43 Ambassador |
41,000 35,700 |
15.1% 13.1% |
| AC Mountain Pioneer 25W36 |
30,300 26,500 |
11.1% 9.7% |
| Caledonia Aubrey |
23,700 21,100 |
8.7% 7.8% |
| MSU D8006 Crystal |
13,700 12,400 |
5.0% 4.6% |
| Syngenta W1062 Coral |
11,300 11,300 |
4.2% 4.2% |
| Hyland Ava MSU D6234 |
9,930 4,210 |
3.7% 1.5% |
Only includes those varieties with more than 1 percent of acreage.
This data will be of interest to all segments of the wheat industry. From an extension and research perspective, the data are helpful in profiling the state’s crop relative to disease vulnerability, popularity of agronomic traits, and the rate of adoption of new varieties.
The survey was a joint activity of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, MSU Extension and AgBioResearch.
