New Releases – Foundation Seed Stocks Division
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SD Soldier Oat
SD Soldier is a new oat variety developed by the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station and will be released to South Dakota Certified Seed growers in the spring of 2026. SD Soldier is an early-maturing, white hulled oat line that exhibits excellent yield potential and test weight. It has a similar heading date to and lodging resistance as Shelby427, and a similar plant height as SD Ranger. It is very resistant to crown rust and moderately resistant to BYDV, but susceptible to smut. The proportion of plump kernels is lower than average. Protein content is average, while beta-glucan and oil content are above average.
The main strengths of SD Soldier are:
- Equal yield to the highest yielding varieties and has a higher test weight.
- Early maturity that would be a good replacement for Shelby427 and Rushmore.
There will be a $0.30/bushel research fee on the sales of certified SD Soldier, and Plant Variety Protection is being applied for. There will be no saleable Registered Seed class.
2023-2025 SDSU-CPT Oat Breeding Trials
Variety | Maturity (0-5)* | Height (in.) | Test Weight (lbs.) | Protein (%) | Lodging (1-5)** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SD Soldier | 0 | 38 | 36.1 | 17.2 | 2.9 |
Shelby427 | 0 | 36 | 34.8 | 18.1 | 2.9 |
SD Ranger | 3 | 37 | 34.7 | 16.7 | 3.1 |
SD Buffalo | 2 | 37 | 33.4 | 17.6 | 3.1 |
Hayden | 4 | 37 | 34.3 | 16.7 | 3.1 |
Rushmore | 1 | 36 | 34.3 | 17.2 | 3.3 |
*0 = early, 5 = late
**1 = no lodging, 5 = susceptible to lodging
2023-2025 CPT Oat Yield Data***
Variety | 2023 Yield (7 Loc) | 2024 Yield (8 Loc) | 2025 Yield (6 Loc) | 2023-25 Yield (21 Loc) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
SD Soldier | 122 | 124 | 131 | 121 |
Shelby427 | 109 | 97 | 104 | 99 |
SD Ranger | 124 | 118 | 135 | 122 |
SD Buffalo | 120 | 107 | 114 | 110 |
Hayden | 113 | 104 | 118 | 107 |
Rushmore | 115 | 98 | 103 | 101 |
2025 CPT Oat Yield Trials***
Location | SD Soldier | Shelby427 | SD Ranger | SD Buffalo | Hayden | Rushmore |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Volga | 152.4 | 100.2 | 136.1 | 98.7 | 114.0 | 92.6 |
Selby | 152.9 | 141.2 | 199.0 | 184.7 | 180.9 | 169.9 |
SE Research Farm | 94.2 | 80.8 | 80.5 | 80.9 | 86.9 | 73.8 |
NE Research Farm | 114.5 | 78.5 | 116.7 | 84.4 | 77.6 | 61.1 |
Miller | 139.4 | 116.2 | 154.9 | 126.6 | 129.6 | 106.5 |
Madison | 131.0 | 106.5 | 125.3 | 108.3 | 118.7 | 115.8 |
Statewide | 130.7 | 103.9 | 135.4 | 113.9 | 118.0 | 103.3 |
***Yield Trials are not treated with fungicide.
2023-2025 CPT Oat Disease Ratings
Variety | BYDV (1-9)**** | Smut % | Crown Rust Severity % |
|---|---|---|---|
SD Soldier | 2.7 | 27 | 0.3 |
Shelby427 | 3.0 | - | 66.4 |
SD Ranger | 3.5 | 2 | 34.1 |
SD Buffalo | 2.5 | 3 | 57.3 |
Hayden | 2.3 | 0 | 59.2 |
Rushmore | 2.0 | 17 | 67.8 |
**** 1 = resistant, 9 = susceptible
