Kansas wheat growers know that success starts with strong, resilient varieties. Few understand this better than Dr. Guorong Zhang, a wheat breeder at Kansas State University's Agricultural Research Center in Hays. In a recent episode of the Wheat’s On Your Mind podcast, Zhang discussed his breeding philosophy, career path, and the future of wheat development in Kansas.
Zhang’s journey began on a small farm in eastern China’s Zhejiang Province, where his family farmed rice and jute on less than an acre. After studying at Zhejiang Agriculture University, he spent time in barley research before coming to the U.S. for a Ph.D. in plant breeding at North Dakota State. That experience led him through research roles in soybean and biofuel crops, and eventually to K-State in 2012, where he took over the Hays breeding program.
“At the beginning, yield was my main focus,” Zhang said. “Farmers need high-yielding varieties to be profitable. Over time, I added more objectives—disease resistance, drought tolerance, and quality.”
His program has produced widely adopted varieties including Joe, KS Dallas, and KS Bill Snyder. Named in honor of the Hall of Fame football coach, the Snyder variety gained attention for its strong yield potential and broad adaptability. Zhang continues refining its drought tolerance as part of ongoing improvements.
Kansas weather has created some of Zhang’s toughest hurdles. In 2021, a hailstorm destroyed up to 80% of his trial plots in Hays, setting the program back significantly. These experiences have reinforced his focus on resilience in both environmental and disease-related stress.
“We’re getting better data, faster,” Zhang said, referencing the integration of double haploid breeding and drone phenotyping into his program. “The goal is to develop varieties that can handle both environmental stress and disease pressure.”
Field testing takes place across eight locations in western Kansas, including five farmer-managed sites. These trials give Zhang’s team insight into how lines perform under real-world growing conditions. He values the feedback received during field days and uses it to refine breeding goals for future releases.
“The western Kansas variety has strong resistance to Triticum mosaic virus and wheat streak mosaic virus, as well as improved drought tolerance,” Zhang said of two new releases expected this year. “The central Kansas variety has exceptional yield potential and strong disease resistance.”
His breeding program also includes collaborative work with universities like Colorado State to tackle new threats like wheat stem sawfly. Together, they evaluate new lines and share research data to speed up resistance development for high-risk regions.
Even as technology and challenges evolve, Zhang stays grounded in the basics: better yield, better disease resistance, and better quality. “We want Kansas farmers to have access to the best possible wheat varieties,” he said.