'Hardy 2519' (Reg. no. CV-1189, PI 692613), a hard red winter (HRW) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar, was derived from the cross VA06HRW-108 x 'Vision 30' (PI 661153) using a modified bulk breeding method. Hardy 2519 was tested as VA14HRW-25 in replicated yield trials in Virginia (2015-2018) and in the USDA-ARS Uniform Bread Wheat Trials (2016-2018) and released by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station in 2019. Hardy 2519 is a widely adapted, high-yielding HRW wheat with 2*, 5+10 gluten subunits. Hardy 2519 is awned, semidwarf (Rht 2 gene) with medium spike emergence, resistant to leaf rust, and moderately resistant to powdery mildew in the mid-Atlantic region. In the Virginia Bread Wheat Elite Trials from 2018 to 2020, Hardy 2519 produced a mean yield of 5,393 kg ha(-1), which was similar to that of the HRW wheat cultivar 'Vision 45' (PI 667642) at 5,267 kg ha(-1). Hardy 2519 has acceptable milling and baking quality on the basis of comparisons with the HRW wheat check cultivar 'Jagger'.

'SB255' (Reg. no. CV-373, PI 693987) is a six-rowed hulled barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivar with winter growth habit. The cultivar was released by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station in May 2019. SB255 is widely adapted, high yielding, high grain volume weight, and medium tall. It has good winterhardiness and good straw strength. The spikes of SB255 are strap and slightly waxy with no overlapping lateral kernels and with long awns. Prior to being named, SB255 was tested under the experimental designation VA11B-141 (LA). It was derived from the cross Spont03-44/VA01B-44 and developed using a modified-bulk breeding method. It was evaluated from 2013 to 2019 in the Virginia Official Variety Trials at five to six locations. SB255's average grain yield (5,214 kg ha(-1)) was similar to the check cultivars 'Secretariat' and 'Thoroughbred' but significantly (P <= .05) higher than 'Atlantic', 'Price', 'Callao', 'Nomini', and 'Wysor'. Average grain volume weight of SB255 (60.8 kg hL(-1)) was similar to Secretariat and Price but exceeded (P <= 0.05) those of Thoroughbred, Atlantic, Callao, Nomini, and Wysor. Head emergence of SB255 was similar to Thoroughbred and 2-5 d later than winter feed barley cultivars Secretariat, Atlantic, Price, Callao, and Nomini. SB255 was developed primarily as a feed barley cultivar. It provides barley producers and end users in the eastern United States with a high-grain-yielding cultivar having good to moderate resistance to all diseases prevalent in the eastern United States, including Fusarium head blight (FHB), and also lower deoxynivalenol (DON) accumulation in the grain.

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) products account for a large portion of the total dietary calories and protein consumed globally, thus requiring efficient N management systems for optimal grower profitability and to reduce negative environmental impacts of nontarget fertilization. This investigation sought to evaluate genotypic variation for N use efficiency (NUE), assess yield stability, and validate traits for improvement of crop performance across N rates. Three separate studies were conducted over four growing seasons in the eastern United States that varied in the number of N rates and site-seasons. Study I was conducted using five N rates over three site-seasons, Study II was conducted using three N rates over six site-seasons, and Study III was conducted using two N rates over nine site-seasons. Genotype x N rate interactions were more frequently observed for grain yield when three or more N rates were used in the experimental design. The three studies identified significant genotypic variation for NUE and identified wheat lines that consistently expressed high grain yields over N-site-seasons. Aboveground biomass at physiological maturity was strongly associated with grain yield in Study II when 67 kg N ha(-1) (r = .66, P <= .05) was applied and in Study III when 67 kg N ha(-1) (r = .71, P <= .05), and 134 kg N ha(-1) (r = .89, P < .001) was applied. Findings from this investigation inform soft red winter wheat breeders on diverse sources of breeding materials and target traits to improve NUE.

'Hilliard' (Reg. no. CV-1163, PI 676271), a soft red winter (SRW) wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) developed and tested as VA11W-108 by the Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, was released in March 2015. Hilliard was derived from the cross '25R47'/'Jamestown'. Hilliard is widely adapted, from Texas to Ontario, Canada, and provides producers with a mid-season, medium height, awned, semi-dwarf (Rht2) cul tivar that has very high yield potential, good straw strength, and intermediate grain volume weight and quality. It expresses moderate to high levels of resistance to most diseases prevalent in the eastern United States and Ontario. In the 2016-2018 USDA-ARS Uniform SRW Wheat nurseries, Hilliard ranked first in grain yield in the southern nursery across all 3 yr (5,147-5,758 kg ha(-1)). In the uniform eastern nursery, it ranked first for grain yield in 2016 (6,159 kg ha(-1)) and 2017 (5,633 kg ha(-1)) and second in 2018 (5,515 kg ha(-1)). Grain volume weights of Hilliard were similar to overall trial averages in the uniform southern (73.4-75.2 kg hl(-1)) and eastern (70-75.8 kg hl(-1)) nurseries. Hilliard has soft grain texture with flour softness equivalent values varying from 58.1 to 61.7 g 100 g(-1). Straight grade flour yields on a Quadrumat Senior mill varied from 66.8 to 68.4 g kg(-1). Flour protein concentration varied from 7.0 to 9.1 g 100 g(-1) and gluten strength from 108 to 128 g 100 g(-1), as measured by lactic acid solvent retention capacity. Cookie spread diameter varied from 18.3 to 18.6 cm.

Optimal N application is critical to ensure profitable soft red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production and limit negative environmental effects. This study was conducted using 12 wheat lines grown in two Ohio and six Virginia environments to determine the effects of differentially split N rates on grain yield, yield components, and N‐related traits. Upon analysis of wheat lines in two contrasting photoperiod groups, it was discovered that wheat lines containing the photoperiod sensitivity allele (Ppd‐D1b) conferred a significant (P < 0.05) yield advantage under N‐limited conditions in Ohio and across N treatments in half of the Virginia testing environments. This resulted from increased harvest index, grains per square meter, number of kernels per spike, and floret fertility in Ppd‐D1b lines relative to lines with the insensitive allele (Ppd‐D1a). However, wheat genotypes in the photoperiod‐insensitive allelic group had significantly higher (P < 0.05) grain N concentration in all Virginia testing sites. A spring split N application of 33 kg N ha−1 at Zadoks growth stage (GS) 25 and 101 kg N ha−1 at Zadoks GS 30 produced the highest grain yields and grain N contents in five of the six Virginia environments. Nitrogen utilization efficiency was the primary contributor to variation in N use efficiency under higher N rates, whereas N uptake efficiency was the greatest contributor under low N rates. The contribution of N utilization and uptake efficiencies varied among wheat lines in the Ppd‐D1a group when 67 kg N ha−1 was applied at Zadoks GS 25 under the moderate and standard N rates.