University of Minnesota releases a new spring wheat variety ‘Lang-MN’

The University of Minnesota released a new hard red spring wheat variety called ‘Lang-MN.’ Lang-MN is a well-balanced, high yielding spring wheat variety well suited for much of the spring wheat-growing region. Prior to being formally named, Lang-MN was tested as MN10261-1.

The new variety is named in honor of Ben Lang, Minnesota Crop Improvement Association (MCIA) past president and chief executive officer. Before becoming president of MCIA, Lang had worked with MCIA for over 25 years, originally joining the organization as a seed analyst and field inspector. During his career, he served the association in several senior management positions, culminating in leading the organization until his retirement in 2015.

“In state trials Lang-MN yielded equal to the popular varieties Faller and Prosper, but with higher protein. The heading date of Lang-MN is similar to Faller. It possesses a good disease resistance package with an excellent rating for resistance to scab, stripe and stem rust. Plus it has moderate resistance to leaf rust and bacterial leaf streak,” said Jim Anderson, wheat breeder in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics at the University of Minnesota. “Lang-MN is about an inch taller than Faller with similar straw strength. It has good test weight and pre-harvest sprouting resistance. Overall it is a well-balanced variety that has exhibited good end-use quality characteristics.”

“Unlike Faller and Prosper, Lang-MN is not susceptible to stripe rust, said Jochum Wiersma, University of Minnesota Extension small grains specialist. “Although stripe rust is an intermittent disease problem, control can be a bit challenging, as the timing of a fungicide application to control stripe rust effectively does not always coincide with the optimum timing to control of other leaf diseases or scab.”

Lang-MN joins several other recent University of Minnesota spring wheat varieties; Shelly (2016), Bolles (2015), Linkert (2013), and Rollag (2011). These varieties offer growers a combination of strong characteristics and perform well across the upper Midwest.

More detailed performance data and comparisons of previously released varieties can be found on the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station website at www.maes.umn.edu.

Researchers in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences at the University of Minnesota have been developing and evaluating wheat varieties since 1889. Breeding and evaluation is supported in part by funding from USDA, the Minnesota Wheat Research and Promotion Council, and the Small Grains Initiative, administered by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station. ‘Lang-MN’ will be distributed through Minnesota Crop Improvement Association members with seed available for planting in spring, 2018. Visit the MCIA website - www.mncia.org - where a list of Certified seed producers will be available in September. Or contact MCIA at 1-800-510-6242.

Lang-MN plantings can be previewed July 19 during field days at the University’s Northwest Research and Outreach Center (NWROC), Crookston. Plots of Lang-MN and competing varieties are also at on-farm trials at the following Minnesota sites, with two-hour tours scheduled for the days listed.

• Fergus Falls, July 17, 5:00 pm (GPS: 46.122287, -96.164292)
• Crookston, NWROC, July 19 (details at: www.nwroc.umn.edu)
• Oklee, July 24, 9:00 am (GPS: 47.778944, -95.859375)
• Humboldt, July 25, 9:00 am (GPS: 48.910165, -97.107035)
• Strathcona, July 25, 1:00 pm (GPS: 48.572609, -96.154839)

University of Minnesota experts will be available at the events to provide information relevant to the current growing season and answer questions. Growers are welcome to bring samples from their fields for diagnosis and discussion.