Three new winter wheat varieties tolerant to a common herbicide are being released from Montana State University (MSU) next month with the hope that seed production can begin this fall.

The varieties are referred to as Clearfield winter wheat lines because they incorporate a technology developed by BASF chemical company that makes the plants tolerant to imidazolinone herbicide. The herbicide controls the weeds but does not affect the wheat.

The technology involves transferring a normal mutation into the wheat and does not involve genetic engineering, or the transferring of foreign, non-wheat DNA into the plant.

The new varieties, or lines, are better adapted to Montana growing conditions than current Clearfield wheats, said Nick Zelver of the Technology Transfer Office at MSU. Potential yields and end-use qualities are also improved, and each of the three lines is bred to meet different market classes and production niches around the state.

The first new variety, called MTCL0306, is hard white winter wheat. The second-- MTCL0316--is a hard red winter wheat. The third new line--MTCL0318--is a solid stem hard red winter similar to Rampart wheat but with the addition of herbicide tolerance.

Companies interested in licensing any or all of the varieties must have a commercialization license in place with BASF for the Clearfield technology. Companies should contact Chad Shelton, BASF marketing development manager at (509) 523-4204 about how to gain such an agreement.

They should also contact the MSU Technology Transfer Office at (406) 994-7868 for details about the varieties and on how to submit licensing proposals. The deadline for proposals is Aug. 1.

MSU released its first herbicide-tolerant winter wheat last year in order to quickly get into producers' hands a variety that would help combat jointed goatgrass and other grassy weeds. WestBred, LLC, a Bozeman-based plant breeding company with six associate seed companies around the state, licensed the variety and began seed production. WestBred put 12,000 bushels of the seed into the ground last fall, primarily in the state's Golden Triangle and Judith Basin areas.

In the meantime, MSU winter wheat breeder Phil Bruckner continued developing additional Clearfield lines.

MSU has an agreement with BASF that allows the university to develop Clearfield varieties specific to state growing and market needs.