Varieties bred at Montana State University (MSU) again lead Montana's wheat acreage, according to the annual National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) wheat and barley variety survey, funded by the Montana Wheat & Barley Committee.

Dagmar, a solid-stem hard red spring wheat released by MSU in 2019, remains the most planted spring wheat and grew another 6 per cent in preference, proving hardy in a difficult weather year; MSU's Vida ranks second. In winter wheat, MSU's solid-stem Bobcat accounted for 25.7 per cent of seeded acres, up about 3 per cent on 2025. Warhorse fell from second to fourth, WestBred's Keldin rose to third, and Colorado State University's Fortress entered the top five.

"In a tough economic environment for farmers, it is encouraging to see Montana State University varieties leading Montana's wheat acreage," said Dr Mike Giroux, MSU's durum breeder. Durum is largely unchanged: Alzada leads with 14.4 per cent, followed by North Dakota State University's ND Riveland at 10.7 per cent and SeCan's AC Strongfield at 10.2 per cent. MSU released MTD19011 and MT Sheridan Gold in 2026; Sheridan Gold is its first solid-stem durum, aimed at growers hit by wheat stem sawfly, which was quieter in 2026.

Barley growers planted about 100,000 more acres than in 2025, largely because a dry autumn reduced winter wheat seeding. Malting varieties made up 45.7 per cent of barley acres, with MSU's AC Metcalfe, released in 1997, still first, ahead of Bill Coors 100 and NDSU's Conlon. Among forage barleys, MSU's Lavina moved to the top at 5.5 per cent, followed by Haymaker at 4.2 per cent, while the long-popular Haybet slipped to third.

The survey drew a 13 per cent larger response than in 2025. Solid stems matter in Montana because they resist wheat stem sawfly, one of the state's most damaging wheat pests.

Photo: Nicolás Boullosa / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Source: Northern Ag Network