Bobcat is a high yielding solid stem hard red winter wheat with improved yield potential relative to other solid stem varieties. The variety will be available for non-certified seed producers in fall of 2020. The variety was developed by Phil Bruckner and Jim Berg from the Montana State University winter wheat breeding program.

Bobcat is a selection from a composite cross of two unreleased Montana solid-stemmed experimental lines and an unreleased Montana hollow-stemmed line. Bobcat is awned, white-glumed, semi-dwarf wheat with medium to late maturity. Bobcat is the top performing line in locations where sawfly cutting has occurred. Stem solidness is excellent, scoring significantly higher than Warhorse. Bobcat has above average test weight and average protein. Winter hardiness is also average. Bobcat is resistant to prevalent races of stripe and stem rust, but susceptible to leaf rust. Lastly, Bobcat has above average milling and baking properties.

In 2018 at the Knees test plot, Bobcat yielded two bushel per acre above Keldin. At the Loma site in 2018, Bobcat yielded 7 bushel per acre above Keldin. Keldin is one of Chouteau Counties highest yielding solid stems. Please note that your county agent is reporting just one year of data. The more years we collect data on this variety, the more accurately we can project viability.

Information for this article came from Small Grain Quick Facts: and is available at http://plantsciences.montana.edu./foundationseed. Copies are available at the website or at the Chouteau County Extension office. We are located in the green building behind the Chouteau County Courthouse.

Montana State University U.S. Department of Agriculture and Montana Counties Cooperating. MSU Extension is an equal opportunity/affirmative action provider of educational outreach.