Manhattan, Kansas, USA
February 21, 2014
For the second year in a row, a variety of wheat developed by Kansas State University, is the leading variety in Kansas.
Everest, a variety released by K-State in 2009, has maintained its dominant position at 14.3 percent of the total acreage, according to Kansas Agricultural Statistic's 2014 "Wheat Varieties" report at
http://1.usa.gov/1miom26 . The report lists the most widely-planted varieties in the state, both overall and for each of the nine crop reporting districts, based on a survey of producers.
Everest leads the pack in terms of planted acreage in all six of the central and eastern districts, its primary areas of adaptability. It also led the state overall in terms of acreage planted to winter wheat in the fall of 2013.
Everest was developed by Allan Fritz, K-State Research and Extension wheat breeder in Manhattan, who said the high-yielding variety provides producers in central and eastern Kansas with a strong combination of traits.
"It is more resistant to barley yellow dwarf than most varieties, as well as more resistant to Fusarium head scab than most varieties," Fritz said. "These two diseases can be serious problems in central and eastern Kansas, and there are few other varieties on the market with very good resistance to either one of those diseases."
Everest also has Hessian fly and leaf rust resistance, he said.