nd-crops

NEWS RELEASE                                        Wheat Varieties
                                                      July 20, 2006

         Alsen Still Top Spring Wheat Variety In North Dakota

Alsen is the leading spring wheat variety in North Dakota for the fifth
consecutive year with 21.4 percent of the total spring wheat planted
acreage in 2006.  It is planted on almost 1.5 million acres.  Briggs claims
second place this year with 14.1 percent of this year’s planted acreage,
knocking Reeder down to third place. Reeder accounts for 11.2 percent of
the statewide planted acreage.  Steele-ND jumps from eleventh in 2005 to
fourth.  It represents 9.3 percent of the total acres planted.  Freyr comes
in fifth and Granite falls to sixth with 5.9 and 5.5 percent of the total
acres planted, respectively.  Knudson is seventh this year with 5.4 percent
of the total acres planted, falling from fifth in 2005.  These top seven
varieties account for 72.8 percent of the planted acreage.  North Dakota
continues to rank first in spring wheat planted acreage in the United
States, with 48 percent of the nation’s total.

Lebsock, Mountrail and Ben keep their three durum planted acreage rankings
in order, first to third.  Lebsock accounts for 29.7 percent of the total
acres planted.  Mountrail is a close second with 27.3 percent of the total
acres planted.  Ben represents 13.4 percent of the total acres planted.
These top three varieties make up 70.4 percent of North Dakota’s durum
planted acreage.  Pierce remains in fourth place this year with 8.4 percent
of the total acres planted.  Maier and Dilse each jump two places ranking
fifth with 4.3 and sixth with 4.0 percent of the total acres planted,
respectively.  The leading six durum varieties are all North Dakota
releases.  Once again, North Dakota ranks first in durum planted acreage in
the United States, with 69 percent of the nation’s total.

Jerry has 32.4 percent of the 2006 winter wheat acreage in North Dakota,
leading for the third straight year.  CDC Falcon remains in second place
while increasing its share of the winter wheat acreage to 24.0 percent of
the state’s total.  Wesley jumps one spot to claim third place with 11.6
percent of the total acres planted, knocking Jagalene down to fourth
place.  Jagalene represents 8.7 percent of the total acres planted.
Crimson is the fifth most popular winter wheat variety this year.  It
accounts for 3.5 percent of the total acres planted. These top five
varieties account for 80.2 percent of the planted acreage in North Dakota.

The data in this report are based on 1,694 positive reports from 3,316
respondents to a survey of wheat producers conducted during June and July
by the North Dakota Field Office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics
Service.  Thank you to each person who supplied data and made this report
possible.  The North Dakota Wheat Commission and the North Dakota State
University (NDSU) Agriculture Experiment Station provided supporting funds
for this survey.  Free copies of the publication are available from the
North Dakota Wheat Commission, 4023 State Street, Bismarck, ND 58503-0690;
telephone (701) 328-5111.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
  David Knopf, Director
  USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service, North Dakota Field Office
  NDSU, IACC Bldg., Room 448
  P.O. Box 3166
  Fargo, ND 58108-3166
  Telephone: (701) 239-5306
  E-Mail: nass-nd@nass.usda.gov
  Internet: http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/North_Dakota/