**************************************************************** MINNESOTA HARD RED SPRING WHEAT - 1995 R.H. Busch, USDA-ARS **************************************************************** Recommendations for hard red spring wheat varieties are no longer being made by Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station evaluators. The basis on which recommendations were made in the past are no longer considered appropriate because of the severity of the scab epidemics. The scab epidemics in hard red spring wheat growing areas have demonstrated the clear need to give greater weight to selecting varieties for their tolerance to this devastating disease. Consequently, only newly released varieties where reaction to scab has not been well documented, and older varieties with scab ratings better than susceptible, are tested and described. Those varieties with seed available, but found to be susceptible are 2371, 2398, Bergen, Dalen, Gus, Krona, Minnpro, Norm, Prospect, Sonja, Vance, and Wheaton. Table 1 presents long term grain yield for varieties grown at various locations in Minnesota. Other important agronomic, disease and bread-making quality characteristics are in Table 2. Scab evaluations provide seventy ratings, based on visual spread of the disease on the spike, and tolerance scores, which reflect the variety's ability to maintain plump seed. The accompanying tables should be used in conjunction with each other to reduce risk of loss. Use of more than one variety is also highly recommended to reduce risk. Variety descriptions do not provide information on scab resistance. Table information should be used. Varieties are listed in maturity order.