Factors affecting spring wheat variety choices: Comparisons between Canadaand the United States

The demand for high-quality hard wheats has been increasing in the 1980s an d 1990s. In this article, factors affecting the varieties planted of hard r ed spring wheat in Canadian producing regions and North Dakota are compared . Differences exist in the development and release of varieties, which affe ct the supply and quality of hard wheats produced. Wheat areas in the Canad ian provinces are more concentrated in the top variety than those in North Dakota. However, in recent years, there appears to be a tendency toward inc reased varietal concentration in North Dakota and less in Canada. Econometr ic models are developed to compare and contrast factors affecting variety c hoice. In Canada, agronomic factors including relative yields are significa nt variables affecting variety choice. In North Dakota, agronomic factors g enerally have less effect on adoption rates, but economic variables are imp ortant Varieties in North Dakota and Manitoba have shorter life cycles and reach their maximum utilization by farmers earlier than in Alberta or Saska tchewan. The longer varietal life cycles and higher concentration of the do minant variety suggest end-use variability should be lower in Canada than i n North Dakota.