Meet our newest wheat

October 6, 2022

This summer, the U of M released a new hard red spring wheat variety called ‘MN-Rothsay,’ featuring a good combination of yield, protein, and disease resistance, and exceptional straw strength. 

“MN-Rothsay has straw strength comparable to the Linkert variety released in 2013, but has about 10 percent higher grain yield,” said Jim Anderson, wheat breeder in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics. “The exceptional straw strength of Linkert was largely responsible for its five-year reign from 2016 to 2020 as the most popular variety in the state. We expect MN-Rothsay’s higher grain yields, which are comparable or higher than other popular varieties, and improved disease resistance compared to Linkert will be attractive to growers and increase wheat productivity.”

MN-Rothsay stood out in both state and regional trials and is named in honor of the city of Rothsay, Minn., an area with a long history of wheat production. MN-Rothsay performance data and comparisons to other popular wheat varieties are available at maes.umn.edu.

Impact Fall 2022: Table of Contents