An evaluation of Colorado State University's Wheat Breeding Program: economic impacts on wheat yields

Abstract

Colorado State University's (CSU) Wheat Breeding and Genetics Program will celebrate its' 50th anniversary in 2013. Having released more than 30 different varieties since its' 1963 inception, the program has played an integral part in developing and releasing varieties of wheat appropriate for the growing conditions of Colorado. The role of the CSU program has become even more evident in recent times. According to the USDA's Colorado Agricultural Statistics Service (2012), CSU-bred wheat cultivars now account for over 60 percent of Colorado's 2.6 million acres of wheat.