Strong as an ox: OSU Agriculture develops wheat variety for baking
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Media Contact: Sophia Fahleson | Digital Communications Specialist | 405-744-7063 | sophia.fahleson@okstate.edu
The saying “strong as an ox” has a new meaning, particularly in the baking industry.
The new Ox wheat variety has emerged in the wheat-growing scene and is pushing the boundaries of baking for clean labels, said Brett Carver, wheat genetics chair in the Oklahoma State University Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.
“Ox wheat relates to wheat quality, which is distinctly different than a hard winter wheat,” Carver said. “I didn’t grasp the difference until we began testing the genetics I was working on in the industry.”
Ox wheat is testing the limits in genetic and quality testing, Carver said.
“When I started this research 12 years ago, I looked for a glutenin rarely found in hard red winter wheat,” Carver said. “This particular glutenin impacts mixing strength.
“We could target it using molecular markers,” he added. “While we couldn’t select it in the field, we can choose it based on quality testing.
“We did that, but while pursuing that specific glutenin, I realized it is not solely this glutenin responsible for the strength of the flour,” Carver said. “Something else will determine how we breed in the next generation of wheat varieties.”
With the push for “clean” labels on the rise, a new type of wheat for flour milling was needed for bakers, Carver said. A clean label refers to a shorter list of ingredients on food labels, Carver said.
“The value arises from these genetics being developed when consumers express a greater desire for fewer ingredients on a label,” Carver said. “These genetics allow food manufacturers to claim a clean label using this flour because it possesses characteristics that could exclude various additives on a bread label.”
Ox wheat can help with consumers’ wants and needs, said Amanda De Oliveira Silva, plant and soil sciences assistant professor and OSU Extension small grains specialist.
“What I observe leans more toward consumers’ interests,” Silva said. “Consumers genuinely care about what they see on a bread label. Typically, they dislike seeing all those additives and unfamiliar ingredients added to their food.”
An ingredient often added to bread baking is a dough conditioner, Carver said. Dough conditioner strengthens the dough and facilitates high-speed production in modern baking.
“High-speed baking requires strength that traditional grain varieties may lack,” Carver said. “While this didn’t necessarily drive the early development of Ox wheat, it has undoubtedly influenced it and continues to shape the system.”
Although Ox wheat is a strong mixing wheat, it still faces disease challenges, said Meriem Aoun, entomology and plant pathology assistant professor and small grains pathologist.
“In Oklahoma, we are dealing with about 14 diseases,” Aoun said. “We want our varieties to have good yield and quality, but at the same time, we want them to resist diseases.
“Because disease resistance is associated with yield, if you have a lot of diseases, you will have a reduction in yield,” Aoun said. “Most of our work in my program is related to stripe and leaf rust, which are the most damaging diseases in Oklahoma.”
Ox wheat was first commercially released in 2023. In that year’s drought conditions, many diseases were not as damaging to the wheat as in previous years, she said.
“The disease pattern was low that year due to the drought, so we dealt with more problems other than diseases, primarily from drought conditions,” Aoun said. “Drought was the main limiting factor for yield in 2023.”
The following year was a better year in terms of moisture, so more fungal diseases, like stripe and leaf rust, affected wheat, Aoun said.
“The primary disease we encountered in 2024 was stripe rust,” Aoun said. “The good thing about the Ox variety is its strong resistance against stripe rust as well as leaf rust.”
Oklahoma also faces challenges when growing wheat because of the state’s harsh weather, Silva said. Droughts are extreme here, not mild and slight, Silva added.
“In some years, we faced late spring freezes,” Silva said. “While we recognize these challenges, we also saw them as opportunities. They allowed us to learn how these wheat varieties tolerate stress.”
Even with the disease challenges, Ox wheat has the potential to make a massive impact on the baking industry, Silva said. With clean labels on food on the rise, Ox wheat is making waves, Silva said.
“Ox wheat has the potential to go international, especially regarding the end-use aspects,” Silva said. “The industry is interested in this type of wheat and the flour it can produce, not only here but also globally. This type of wheat could have a significant impact internationally.”
Getting the wheat to the global market was more of an issue, Carver said. Farm Strategy was Carver’s way of getting the raw commodities to the millers, he said.
“Farm Strategy started by delivering food ingredients rather than raw commodities from production agriculture,” said Andrew Hoelscher, Farm Strategy president. “Our job is to build the whole ingredient-based supply chain.”
Making connections from the farmer to the end user is Farm Strategy’s primary goal, Hoelscher said.
“Once you harvest the grain, whether you store it in your bin or drop it in commercial storage, Farm Strategy takes over the value extraction after the grain is grown,” Hoelscher said. “We manage all of the stewardship and legal agreements.”
Ox wheat is not just a commodity wheat, Hoelscher said. The product can be distributed globally, valued either by the pound or by its impact on all other wheat in the industry, Hoelscher added.
“It signifies a fundamental shift in how we create value with wheat,” Hoelscher said. “That fundamental change lies in its ability to enhance other wheat. It uniquely alters the baking characteristics of bread because of its inherent value.”
With the unique baking and mixing characteristics of Ox wheat, farmers can receive higher premiums for this wheat variety, Hoelscher said.
“Historically, most growers received 50 cents per bushel in premiums,” Hoelscher said. “This year, we expect to offer a premium based on product delivery. It should be around 50 cents higher per bushel for what growers receive, if not slightly higher.”
However, not every location values wheat at the same price, he said.
“The growing area is limited because if we’re utilizing this as only 2% of wheat planted, we don’t require the entire state of Oklahoma to grow it,” Hoelscher said. “In Oklahoma, there are places where, if you grow it, Ox wheat might be valued at 50 to 60 cents less than if it’s grown in a more suitable location, primarily due to freight costs.”
In 2024, five locations accepted Ox wheat to be processed, Hoelscher said. For 2025, more locations are being added to purchase this variety.
“The opportunities are here, including the breeders familiar with the plant materials available from OSU,” Silva said. “Carver will continue to enhance this material. The more we cultivate it, the more we understand, and he can keep refining his materials in the local environments.”
Story by Addison Raber | Cowboy Journal