Producing Hard White Wheat

Hard White Wheat Hard white wheat has excellent potential to be a successful crop in Nebraska. It has significant advantages over hard red winter wheat. Millers, bakers and consumers prefer white wheat whenever they have a choice. This preference is particularly strong in some international markets which purchase wheat from the United States.

Although markets, both foreign and domestic, are limited and price premiums are not presently established and may never be offered, this is a market with potential. The performance data on hard white winter wheat varieties shows that they are highly adapted and their grain yields and test weights are similar to those of hard red winter wheat.

All production practices (seeding date, seeding rate, fertilization, and harvesting) are alike for hard white wheat and hard red winter wheat. Susceptibility to preharvest sprouting of hard white wheat is the major production concern. Rain, high humidity, and low temperatures after ripening may cause the grain to sprout in the spike.

The University of Nebraska and USDA-ARS wheat breeding programs, with support from the Nebraska Wheat Board are working together to develop and release hard white wheat varieties with superior quality traits that will yield with the best hard red winter wheat varieties. Click on the varieties link to the left to learn more about hard white wheat varieties for Nebraska.

This web page has been designed to provide you with the latest information on hard white wheat, so that you may make an informed decision on how to use hard white wheat in your farm operation or your agriculture related business.