This Extension Education Tip is provided by Dr. Brandon Gerrish, Texas A&M AgriLife Small Grains Specialist, College Station, (207) 432-1481, brandon.gerrish@ag.tamu.edu.
Texas wheat growers have many options when selecting a variety. During the 2026-2027 season, Texas AgriLife will test nearly 70 hard red winter wheat varieties from ten different breeding programs. Public and private breeding programs continually release new varieties which are tested against cultivars with an established yield history. While AgriLife Extension always recommends choosing varieties based on multi-year data, several recently released varieties have shown good potential in early testing. Farmers should consider how these varieties may complement those they are currently growing. Explore new and emerging varieties by region below:
Statewide
High Cotton
High Cotton was released by Oklahoma State University (Oklahoma Genetics) in 2023. It is rare to see a variety perform well statewide (especially in a state as large and diverse as Texas) the way this one does. Despite being susceptible to WSMV, moderately susceptible to leaf rust, and intermediate to Hessian fly, this variety continues to maintain high yield potential and test weight. This is evidenced by its 4-year average grain yields where it ranks 6th in High Plains irrigated trials, 2nd in the Rolling Plains, 2nd in the Blacklands, and 3rd in South Texas.
Blacklands & South Texas
GoWheat 9216H
GoWheat 9216H was developed by Texas AgriLife Research and licensed to Stratton Seed in 2023. This variety has shown consistent performance in the Blackland region, placing in the top five for yield each year since its release. It also holds the 4th highest 3-year average for the South Texas region. This performance is supported by its excellent resistance to leaf, stripe, and stem rusts as well as to the Hessian fly. It has also maintained good standability and above average test weight despite steady preharvest rainfall the past two seasons.
Blacklands
LCS Brazos
LCS Brazos was released by Limagrain Cereal Seeds in 2025 and had a remarkable first year of testing in the Texas Blackland region. It was the highest yielding hard red winter wheat in 3 of 6 trials and had the highest yield average across all six sites. It demonstrated good resistance to leaf rust but is rated intermediate for stripe rust. While initial ratings for Hessian fly have been indeterminate, its yield across regional trials with fly pressure present indicates at least some level of tolerance to infestations.
High Plains
Gabriel
Gabriel was released in 2025 from Colorado State University (PlainsGold) and was highly impressive in its first year of testing. This variety is the first to offer resistance to both the wheat curl mite as well as Wheat Streak Mosaic and Triticum Mosaic Viruses using the CMC4 and WSM3 gene combination. This improved resistance was on display where it yielded nearly 30 bu/ac higher than the trial average in a highly infected irrigated site near Olton. Overall, Gabriel yielded in the top yield group at all 4 High Plains irrigated trials and had the highest yield average across those sites. This variety is Certified Seed Only until 2030.
Outlaw
Outlaw was released in 2025 from Colorado State University (PlainsGold). It has shown exceptional yield potential in High Plains irrigated trials during its first two years of testing. It placed in the top yield group in 7 out of 9 trial sites and was ranked 2nd overall in 2025 and 4th in 2026. While it will not confer the same level of resistance to the Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus (WSMV) complex as Gabriel, it contains the CMC4 gene conferring improved tolerance to wheat curl mite. It’s short height, especially under drought stress, makes it less a candidate for dryland.
KS Tradition
KS Tradition was released in 2025 from Kansas State University (Kansas Wheat Alliance) and was another standout for viral resistance in High Plains irrigated trials. This variety contains the WSM2 gene plus an unidentified source of resistance to Triticum Mosaic Virus. At Olton, it yielded nearly 20 bu/ac higher than the trial average and was in the highest yield group at 3 of the 4 High Plains irrigated trials and 2nd overall for the region. This variety is Certified Seed Only until 2030.
KS Bill Snyder
KS Bill Snyder was released in 2023 from Kansas State University (Kansas Wheat Alliance) and has been tested for two years in Texas High Plains irrigated trials. It placed in the top yield group in 3 out of 9 trial sites and was ranked 9th overall in 2025 and 3rd in 2026. Similar to KS Tradition, this variety contains improved resistance to Wheat Streak Mosaic and Triticum Mosaic through the WSM2 and other unidentified genes. Kansas Wheat Alliance also notes its potential for grazing/dual-purpose systems. This variety is Certified Seed Only until 2028.
AP Tango
AP Tango was released in 2026 from AgriPro and contains an AP Roadrunner background. Its short stature and strong straw strength make it well suited for irrigated production, but less so for dryland. In 2026, it was the highest yielding variety at the Dumas irrigated trial, a site where other AgriPro varieties such as AP Prolific and AP Sunbird have performed well over many years. Overall, it was ranked 9th for yield across the 4 irrigated trial sites. No known WSMV resistance genes have been disclosed for this variety.
High Plains & Rolling Plains
LCS Troubadour AX
LCS Troubadour AX was released by Limagrain Cereal Seeds in 2023 and underwent its first year of AgriLife testing this past season. For growers needing help with grassy weed control using the CoAXium system, this variety showed good promise in the Rolling Plains and High Plains irrigated regions. In yield trials, it was ranked 3rd across 3 sites in the Rolling Plains and 7th across the 4 High Plains Irrigated trials. While it is rated as moderately resistant to WSMV, it did not stand out in infected trials. However, it has shown good resistance to both leaf and stripe rust. This variety is Certified Seed Only indefinitely.
The 2026 Variety Guide includes statewide Uniform Variety Trial results, regional agronomic information and the 2026 Certified Seed Directory. Use the Variety Guide to make data-driven decisions for your operation.
