Oregon State University cereal scientist and professor Andrew Ross’ cereal quality lab will receive a $250,000 endowment from the Oregon Wheat Commission to bolster ongoing work to improve new wheat varieties and respond to sudden wheat crop emergencies. (Courtesy Benjamin Davis/Oregon State University)

The Oregon Wheat Commission has established the $250,000 Oregon Cereal Quality Scholar Endowment at Oregon State University’s cereal quality lab, led by cereal scientist and professor Andrew Ross.

The endowment helps support the work of the researchers at the lab long-term, Oregon Wheat CEO Amanda Hoey told the Capital Press.

The new endowment goes into effect in July, Hoey said.

The commission provides dedicated annual funding to the lab, but the endowment gives the researchers “freedom and flexibility” to address issues affecting quality, Hoey said.

The lab’s focus has been “continuous improvement in the crop we’re providing for customers,” she said.

The 2024 wheat crop, on which the commission bases its budget, was higher than the 2023 crop, which was a low year.

“When we have that revenue base and availability, we look at what we can really do to have an impact for our producers not just near-term, but long-term,” she said.

The lab has cooperated on quality for more than 25 years with USDA’s Western Wheat Quality Lab in Pullman, Wash., and the Wheat Marketing Center in Portland, Ross said. They work to get as much valuable screening information about cookie diameters and sponge cake quality to OSU wheat breeder Margaret Krause as early as possible before she plants variety lines.

“We’re seeing a greater proportion of the soft white winter wheats that become variety candidates be higher in quality — we’d like to think that’s because of our actions,” Ross said. “A lot of our work, interestingly, is not in finding the best stuff. A lot of our work is getting rid of the crap.”

The endowment will help the lab pursue “blue sky” ideas and respond to sudden crop emergencies that arise, Ross said.

Wheat quality is focused on the needs of the market, Hoey said.

“Both the wheat producers and our core customers are benefitting and will benefit long-term,” she said of the endowment. “The commitment and dedication the producers are making to invest in an endowment that’s focused on cereal quality really re-emphasizes the importance for us as an industry.”

Ross sees the endowment as a vote of confidence from the Oregon wheat farmers.

“We work diligently for them, and to see this reciprocation is really heartening,” he said.