OAES wheat breeders are working with a semi-dwarfing gene from durum wheat and another that resides in Australian spring wheat lines to try to produce a wheat variety that is more targeted to the dual purpose production of forage and grain. In some years, more than 65 percent of Oklahoma wheat acreage is planted for providing winter pasture as well as yielding a wheat crop in the spring.

Research shows that the length of the coleoptile, a modified leaf which protects the first leaf during seedling emergence, is affected by soil temperature. Warmer soils as encountered in early September in Oklahoma can reduce the coleoptile growth compared to October planting conditions. Coleoptile length also is genetically determined, which opens the door for selective breeding, but not without consideration to plant height.

Most wheat varieties grown in Oklahoma are of the semi-dwarf type, that is, they contain a gene which keeps them short as desired for better combine harvesting and reduced lodging problems. Unfortunately, the same gene that reduces final plant height also reduces the capacity of the coleoptile to elongate. There are, however, several semi-dwarfing genes available that appear to feature the genetic independence required to have both shorter wheat and longer coleoptiles. The durum wheat and the Australian wheats under study are being evaluated for their potential contribution to this effort.

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