Variety Description:

Willow Creek hard red winter wheat is an awnless forage winter wheat variety released by Montana State University in 2005. Willow Creek produces abundant forage under dryland and irrigated conditions. Planted in the fall, Willow Creek is an extremely winter hardy selection that if planted early in the fall can provide fall grazing, early spring grazing, and one or more high-tonnage summer cuttings. Under irrigation, regrowth can provide multiple cuttings or additional pasture. Willow Creek is tall, late maturing, and fine stemmed and produces a high quality forage. Compared to haybet barley, Willow Creek produces higher tonnage and a wider flag leaf. Forage quality is somewhat lower than for forage barleys but beneficially, nitrates are also significantly lower. Grain seed yield on Willow Creek is low and therefore this variety is far better for forage production than seed production.