Highland Specialty Grains, Inc. Releases New Wheat & Barley Varieties, Hires New Breeder

Michael McKay, Director of Research at Highland Specialty Grains, Inc., standing next to ‘Payback’ Forage Barley.

Highland Specialty Grains, Inc. of Moses Lake, Washington announces new plant breeder, new spring wheat variety and new forage barley variety.

MOSES LAKE, WA, UNITED STATES, March 18, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Highland Specialty Grains, Inc. of Moses Lake, Washington announces three new items marking the growth of their plant breeding program. Those items include the release of Dark Northern Spring variety ‘HSG Timberline’, Forage Barley ‘Payback’, and the hiring of a new plant breeder, Dr. Pabitra Joshi.

Highland Specialty Grains is releasing a new Dark Northern

Spring Wheat ‘HSG Timberline’. ‘HSG Timberline’ is a high-yielding variety that is suitable for irrigated and high-rainfall environments. It has winter hardiness which makes it suitable for planting in the fall in the Columbia Basin region of Washington and Oregon. It was one of two fall-planted DNS varieties which survived in multiple trials during the harsh winter of 2023-24. ‘HSG Timberline’ produces wheat with yield and protein content that will improve financial returns over other DNS varieties. It also has improved disease resistance. ‘HSG Timberline’ can also be planted in the spring. Seed of ‘HSG Timberline’ is available for trials in the spring and fall of 2025. Foundation seed will be available for planting in the spring of 2026.

Highland Specialty Grains, Inc., is also releasing ‘Payback’ Forage Barley. ‘Payback’ is a tall, hooded forage barley with 6-row heads. It has been tested in multiple environments including sites in Montana, Idaho, and Washington. It has been shown to produce improved forage yields over older 6-row forage varieties such as Westford and Bestford. When grown under irrigation with high fertility ‘Payback’ has the potential to produce exceptional yields of high-quality forage. ‘Payback’ seed is now available for planting.

Highland Specialty Grains, Inc., has hired Pabitra Joshi, Ph.D., for the position of Assistant Plant Breeder. Dr. Joshi completed her Ph.D. in Plant Science/Plant Breeding at the University of Idaho in December 2024. While attending the University of Idaho Dr. Joshi was named a Borlaug Scholar for academic excellence and contributions to the field of plant breeding. Dr. Joshi completed her undergraduate studies at the Agriculture and Forestry University of Nepal. She was then a secondary school agricultural instructor before starting her Ph.D. program at the University of Idaho. She is passionate about plant breeding and has a wealth of practical experience in breeding wheat and other species. Highland Specialty Grains welcomes her to her new position as Assistant Breeder.

For more information please see the Highland Specialty Grains website at Highland Specialty Grains – Tradition Meets Innovation .

Contact Information: Brett Despain, Commercial Manager, Highland Specialty Grains, Inc. 509-855-8277, brett.despain@highlandspecialtygrains.com .