KS Ahearn

KS Ahearn is a medium-late maturing hard red winter wheat with excellent straw strength, good resistance to leaf, stripe and stem rusts and acceptable test weight. It has had excellent yield potential and has performed well across widely disparate growing seasons. Its quality is acceptable and carries the 1B.1R wheat-rye translocation that came from Gallagher.

Overall, this line is a good option for central Kansas producers. KS Ahearn has been rated as susceptible in inoculated FHB nurseries but, in the more moderate field pressure observed in 2019, it appeared to have less FHB damage than some popular cultivars, including SY Monument.

It has reasonably good resistance to the three major rust pathogens but has still performed better under fungicide treatment. It has averaged 2.5-2.0 bu/ac more than SY Monument and slightly better than Bob Dole.

The acid soil tolerance is only intermediate and is similar to Gallagher. Therefore, it is not recommended for situations where pH values are 5.5 or less.