Foundation Seed Report

Posted on June 14, 2024

MN-Rothsay Wheat. Photo by Dylan VanBoxtel. © Regents of the University of Minnesota.

By Carl Anfinson, Foundation Seed Services Manager

It appears this spring is attempting to make up for the small amount of moisture we received this past winter. I have a feeling, though, that the lack of a true Minnesotan winter, which most of us experienced, will be remembered for quite some time. Looking at the USDA latest planting progress report for Minnesota, many of our crops appear to be ahead of or near to the five-year average for the end of May, despite the wet spring.

Foundation Seed Sales

Overall foundation seed sales for 2024 declined compared to recent years. Seed growers indicated that initial interest was good after the 2023 harvest year for varieties like MN-Rothsay. However, at the end of the day, demand for foundation wheat was lower than initially expected. Compared to last season, we have had about a 50 percent reduction in wheat sales. There are many variables and factors that might be linked to lower overall foundation seed sales and especially sales of foundation wheat seed.

The demand for oats has been holding steady these past few years. The continued availability of a good number of popular public varieties has helped support that consistency.

Soybean seed sales for food-grade varieties and our contract production were also down compared to last year. This accounts for the drop from the large increase we had last year.

The table below provides a five-year sales summary of the three highest selling crops. I have excluded crops with less significant sales.

Meetings and Grower Visits

I am still in my first full season as Foundation Seed Services manager, and I am looking forward to meeting more seed growers in person at the various meetings and visits throughout the year. Each season the Foundation Seed Services department does its best to help meet the needs of certified seed growers, collaborate with University of Minnesota researchers, engage with outside entities, and work cross-functionally with other MCIA departments.

I am excited to continue the great work that this department has been a part of for numerous years. I know that each season will be different and will have its interesting and challenging moments. I am looking forward to another growing season and connecting with many of you!

Foundation Seed Available for Spring Planting

Posted on March 8, 2024

Field of MN-Torgy wheat. Photo by Dylan VanBoxtel. © Regents of the University of Minnesota.

Availability

MCIA is still accepting orders from foundation seed growers for seed of barley, oats, soybeans, and wheat. We still have MN-Rothsay and MN-Torgy foundation seed available. Please include full payment when ordering.

Pickup

Full payment is due before you can pick up your foundation seed order. Remember to contact your seed distributor ahead of time to make arrangements to pick up seed.

Download a price list here: https://docs.mncia.org/public/foundation/Varieties-for-Planting.pdf. For additional information or if you have questions, please contact MCIA Foundation Seed Services Manager Carl Anfinson at carl.anfinson@mncia.org or call 612-625-1973.

UMN Releases MN-Rothsay Wheat

Posted on June 20, 2022

MN-Rothsay wheat. Photo: Dylan VanBoxtel. © Regents of the University of Minnesota.

The University of Minnesota has released a new hard red spring wheat variety called ‘MN-Rothsay.’ The variety features excellent straw strength with a good combination of yield, protein, and disease resistance.

“MN-Rothsay has straw strength comparable to Linkert but has about 10 percent higher grain yield,” says Jim Anderson, University of Minnesota wheat breeder in the Department of Agronomy and Plant Genetics. “The exceptional straw strength of Linkert was largely responsible for its 5-year reign from 2016–2020 as the most popular variety in the state, so our expectation is that MN-Rothsay’s higher grain yields, comparable or higher than other popular varieties, and improved disease resistance compared to Linkert will be attractive to growers.”

In addition to high yields, the protein level of MN-Rothsay is higher than other top yielding varieties along with good test weight and a good pre-harvest sprouting rating. MN-Rothsay has moderate overall disease resistance, with a very good score for leaf and stem rust, and a good Fusarium head blight (FHB) rating.

Prior to being formally named, MN-Rothsay was tested as MN15005-4. The line stood out in both state and regional trials including the Uniform Regional Nurseries trials, where it finished second in grain yield out of 33 experimental entries in 2018, eighth out of 34 in 2019, and had the best straw strength of all entries in both years.

Jochum Wiersma, University of Minnesota Extension Small Grains Specialist, stresses that, “The value growers place of straw strength cannot be overstated, making MN-Rothsay the logical choice to replace Linkert in the U’s line-up.”

MCIA certified seed growers received allocations of foundation seed of MN-Rothsay this spring. Despite the tough weather this spring, seed growers are excited about the new variety and will have seed available for planting next year. Look for a list of growers in the MCIA Directory this fall.

The new release is named in honor of the city of Rothsay, Minnesota, which is an area of the state with a long history of wheat production.