New Releases – Foundation Seed Stocks Division
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SD Sundog Hard Red Winter Wheat
SD Sundog is a hard red winter wheat variety developed by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station available to South Dakota certified seed growers in the fall of 2026. It is an awnless, dual-purpose (grain and forage), medium height variety with good biomass (dry matter/acre) and excellent relative feed value, thus has good forage yield potential. It also has high grain yield potential with good test weight, excellent grain protein content and end-use quality.
It is SDSU’s first dual-purpose wheat variety for haylage (wheatlage) or bread quality grain. Current popular awnless varieties are from Montana and are typically late and susceptible to tan spot, whereas SD Sundog is early maturing and moderately resistant to tan spot.
Forage Potential
SD Sundog has been evaluated in SDSU forage trials for three years. In 2024, it ranked 13th in Brookings and third in Pierre for dry matter/acre. In 2025, it ranked second in Brookings. In 2026, it ranked third in Pierre and fourth in Brookings.
Overall, in three years, SD Sundog ranked third in dry matter and second in relative feed value. It is comparable to MTF 1435 in tonnage but better for relative feed value.
Grain Potential
SD Sundog has been evaluated in SDSU cone penetration testing for grain potential. In 2025, it ranked first in eastern South Dakota, 23rd in central and 12th in western among 44 entries. It finished sixth overall across the state in 2025 cone penetration testing trials for grain yield with above-average test weight and high protein content. In 2026, it did above average in yield, ranking 16th in central South Dakota and 14th in western out of 38 entries. It finished 17th in grain yield overall in South Dakota cone penetration testing. SD Sundog showed good resistance to tan spot and stem rust. It has high protein content and demonstrated good to excellent milling and baking quality in 2024 and 2025.
2024-2026 Forage Yield and Nutritional Performance
Variety | Height | DM1 (T/A) | CP2 (%DM) | RFV3 | ADF4 (%DM) | NDF5 (%DM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SD Sundog | 33.9 | 4.2 | 11.5 | 122.6 | 32.5 | 48.6 |
MTF1435^ | 40.4 | 4.3 | 11.8 | 115.8 | 34.1 | 51.6 |
Winner | 32.9 | 4.2 | 11.2 | 116.2 | 33.3 | 50.6 |
WB4540 | 32.5 | 3.9 | 11.8 | 123.1 | 32.1 | 48.6 |
AP Baldy^ | 32.1 | 3.6 | 11.9 | 122.0 | 32.0 | 49.2 |
^Awnless
1Tons per acre of dry matter
2Crude protein as a percentage of dry matter
3Relative feed value
4Acid detergent fiber as a percentage of dry matter. Lower ADM = higher quality
5Neutral detergent fiber as a percentage of dry matter. Lower NDF = higher quality
2025 Yield Data (bu/ac)
Variety | Brookings | Hayes | Vivian | Winner | Sturgis | Statewide Yield | Statewide Test Weight | Statewide Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SD Sundog | 72.2 | 42 | 64.8 | 71.3 | 68.6 | 64.7 | 58 | 14 |
SD Pheasant | 61.4 | 44.6 | 64.6 | 76 | 70.2 | 65.7 | 57.6 | 13.8 |
Winner | 71 | 46.9 | 58.4 | 72.5 | 70.7 | 65.8 | 57.4 | 13.6 |
SD Midland | 62.9 | 44.3 | 63.2 | 64.7 | 68.3 | 62.2 | 57.9 | 13.6 |
SD Andes | 57.2 | 40.5 | 57.2 | 66.3 | 61.5 | 59.2 | 58.6 | 13.5 |
2026 Yield Data (bu/ac)
Variety | Brookings | Hayes | Vivian | Winner | Sturgis | Wall | Statewide Yield | Statewide Test Weight | Statewide Protein |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SD Sundog | 69.9 | 88.7 | 84 | 31.2 | 37.6 | 64.9 | 63.9 | 60.6 | 13.9 |
SD Andes | 78.2 | 86.7 | 83.4 | 33.3 | 41.5 | 72.9 | 69.3 | 61.2 | 13.3 |
SD Pheasant | 79.2 | 87 | 91.1 | 35.3 | 44.3 | 57.7 | 69.1 | 60.1 | 13.9 |
SD Midland | 82.9 | 82 | 83.2 | 32.6 | 36.6 | 67.4 | 66.6 | 59.7 | 13.5 |
Winner | 71.5 | 85.4 | 80.4 | 26.6 | 30.1 | 71.1 | 60.9 | 59.8 | 13.7 |
