The Kansas Crop Improvement Association (KCIA) is advising farmers to look for signs of a wild wheat-triticale hybrid found recently in Kansas wheat fields. KCIA field services manager Marion Spiering explained that the hybrid was unintentional and was discovered in three locations over the summer, standing out due to its height above the wheat canopy. This unusual plant, identified by genetic testing, is a second-generation cross between wheat and triticale, which itself is a wheat-rye hybrid, a combination Spiering hadn’t expected.

The hybrid resembles wheat but has a narrower, flatter head, making it distinct from typical wheat, rye, or triticale plants. Though it produces minimal seeds—about three per plant—and poses no immediate threat to Kansas wheat production, germination tests indicate a 60% seed viability, suggesting it could have a minor impact in the future.

Spiering encourages farmers to report sightings of the hybrid to the KCIA for tracking and to simply remove any plants by hand if found. She assures farmers that Kansas’ seed certification and traceability system will help keep this hybrid in check.