High-level yield traits of wheat cultivars across a hydrologically diverse agricultural landscape

Authors: Adams, Curtis; NEELY, CLARK - Washington State University; GRAEBNER, RYAN - Oregon State University

Submitted to: CSA News
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/9/2025
Publication Date: 1/20/2026
Citation: Adams, C.B., Neely, C., Graebner, R. 2026. High-level yield traits of wheat cultivars across a hydrologically diverse agricultural landscape. CSA News. 71(2):1-3. https://www.sciencesocieties.org/publications/csa-news/2026/february/high-level-yield-traits-of-wheat-cultivars-across-a

Interpretive Summary: Some of the most arid and productive dryland and irrigated wheat cropping systems in the country are found in the inland Pacific Northwest. This environmental diversity is challenging for wheat breeders, ecophysiologists, and producers in developing, studying, and choosing cultivars that can perform well across contrasting environments. Despite that, there has been a lack of information and tools to enhance understanding of the performance of existing cultivars. Scientists from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Oregon State University, and Washington State University sought to provide such information and tools through analysis of a large wheat variety trial dataset. The outcomes of this project were: 1) region-wide expectations for high and low yields due to cultivar performance; 2) detailed information on key yield traits (plasticity, stability, and environmental adaptation) of 45 individual cultivars; 3) a simple, novel approach to rank cultivars for performance across contrasting environments. This work provides research tools and data useful for conducting regional yield gap analysis, assessing ecophysiological plant traits, performing economic analysis, informing wheat breeding efforts in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere, and other applications.

Technical Abstract: The inland Pacific Northwest is a unique and diverse agricultural landscape that simultaneously contains some of the most arid and productive dryland and irrigated wheat cropping systems in the country. Wheat breeders, ecophysiologists, and producers are challenged by this diversity in cultivar development, trait study, and selection, yet there has been no evaluation to better understand yield plasticity, adaptation, stability, and performance ranking of existing wheat germplasm across the entire water-limited yield potential gradient of the region. Scientists from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Oregon State University, and Washington State University utilized a large variety trial dataset, with site-averaged yields ranging from 1.5 to 12 Mg ha-1, to provide this evaluation. They defined region-wide upper and lower wheat yield boundaries due to genetic differences in cultivar performance; compared and contrasted yield plasticity, stability, and environmental adaptation of 45 individual cultivars; and employed a simple, novel approach to rank cultivars for performance across contrasting environments. Select top-performing cultivars were found to have amazingly wide environmental adaptation and yield stability. This work provides research tools and data useful for conducting regional yield gap analysis, assessing ecophysiological plant traits, performing economic analysis, informing wheat breeding efforts in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere, and other applications.