Oklahoma

Beyond Amber Waves: Oklahoma State Introduces High-Antioxidant Purple Wheat to Cater to Consumers

Fri, 08 May 2026 21:05:28 GMT

The “amber waves of grain” are a patriotic staple of the American summer, painting a familiar slice of Americana across the horizon. While rolling fields of hard red winter wheat have long defined the landscape of the Plains, researchers at Oklahoma State University (OSU) are beginning to change that picture with a wheat variety that is anything but ordinary.

Known as OSU P92, this variety stands out for its deep purple hue and its potential to revolutionize the nutritional profile of staple foods.

A Class of Its Own

For decades, Oklahoma’s wheat industry has been built on hard red winter wheat and the occasional hard white variety. However, according to Brett Carver, Professor of Plant and Soil Sciences at OSU, their latest development represents a departure from the status quo.

“This is not just any other new wheat variety,” Carver explains. “It’s very different. We normally talk about hard red winter wheat... but this is not either one of those. This is a class we don’t even have.”

While the crop may grow and behave like the hard red winter wheat farmers are used to, it is actually a new innovation known as “purple wheat.” The grain boasts a deep purple hue on its outer layer, but the real breakthrough lies beneath the surface.

The Science Behind the Color

The unique appearance of OSU P92 is driven by anthocyanins, which is the same class of phenolics that provide the vibrant colors in blueberries, blackberries, black beans, and peppers. By bringing these compounds into a grain staple, OSU is bridging the gap between traditional row crops and high-antioxidant superfoods.

“Those colors come from a compound called anthocyanins,” says Carver. “So this purple wheat has those anthocyanins that would be present in common fruits and vegetables. That benefit we get from eating the fruits and vegetables also come now through the wheat.”

Breeding for the Real World

Creating a nutritionally superior grain is one thing, but making it viable for a commercial farm is another. The development process was far from simple. Researchers had to breed a variety that could handle Oklahoma’s volatile climate, resist local diseases, and still deliver the strong yields that keep farmers profitable.

To achieve this, Carver’s team had to look beyond traditional plant breeding. “Doing all these extra things meant we had to branch out a little bit because we just don’t have the expertise to measure phytochemicals,” Carver says.

The team leaned heavily on the expertise of OSU’s Nutritional Science Department. Notably, Carver credits a student researcher for driving the project forward, stating that her findings directly influenced the decision on how to advance the variety.

Stability from Field to Table

One of the biggest hurdles in developing purple wheat was ensuring the color, and the nutrients they bred into the wheat, lasted. Anthocyanins are notoriously unstable, but the team eventually selected a line that maintained its integrity.

“To maximize the color at harvest, we want to make sure we have that deep color that persists,” Carver notes. “With these compounds, they aren’t the most stable. But with this one, it’s one of our more stable colors.”

What’s in the Name?

While the variety is groundbreaking, its name remains humble: OSU P92. The “P” stands for purple, and “92" was its experimental selection number. Carver says the goal wasn’t to have a flashy name, but to let the performance and the final products—like breads and tortillas—take center stage.

If OSU P92 delivers on its promise of high performance and enhanced nutrition, it could do more than just change the color of the fields; it could redefine what farmers grow to meet the demands of health-conscious consumers.

Federal Court Rules on Fate of Prairie-Chicken

Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:08:29 GMT

A U.S. District judge on Aug. 12 ruled in favor of Oklahoma, Texas and Kansas, finding that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service committed a “foundational error” when it declared the prairie-chicken endangered in 2022.

Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in a press release praised the ruling from U.S. District Judge David Counts of the Western District of Texas, who issued the order reversing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) decision to list the lesser prairie-chicken as endangered and threatened.

“This is a big win for Texas, and one we fought hard to get,” Miller says. “From day one, I’ve pushed back against Biden’s federal overreach because it was wrong for our farmers, ranchers and rural communities. This court decision is more than just a legal victory. We stood our ground, and we won.”

PRESS RELEASE: Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller praised a decisive ruling from U.S. District Judge David Counts of the Western District of Texas, who issued an order reversing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) decision to list the lesser prairie chicken as… pic.twitter.com/UzP2FlkFE6
— Texas Agriculture (@TexasDeptofAg) August 18, 2025

Under the Trump administration, FWS determined that it previously failed to provide “adequate justification and analysis” to support identifying two designated population segments of lesser prairie-chicken.

Judge Counts granted the motion for vacatur and remand, finding that remand alone would not correct the agency’s fundamental error in listing the species as endangered and threatened. The court denied all motions to intervene.

About the Prairie Chicken

The lesser prairie-chicken is a bird historically found in parts of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. The bird has faced both habitat loss and population decline since the 1960s and has found itself the subject of proposed Endangered Species Act protections.

According to Tiffany Lashmet, Texas A&M agricultural law Extension specialist, in 2014 FWS listed the lesser prairie-chicken as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Numerous lawsuits were filed, and the listing was ultimately vacated by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in 2015.

The United States District Court for the Western District of Texas issued an order last week vacating the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (“FWS”) listing of the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act.https://t.co/BTobyZb9MF pic.twitter.com/CEV82UWJ8P
— TiffanyDowellLashmet (@TiffDowell) August 18, 2025

In 2016, another petition was filed with FWS to list the lesser prairie-chicken under the Endangered Species Act. In 2022, the FWS finalized a rule listing the Northern Distinct Population Segment as threatened and the Southern Distinct Population Segment as endangered. In March 2023, the State of Texas and the Permian Basin Petroleum Association filed suit challenging the listing. Specifically, they claimed the listing violated both the Endangered Species Act and the Administrative Procedures Act.

Lashmet says following the administration change in January 2025, the FWS reevaluated the listing and found it erred in passing the final rule listing the lesser prairie-chicken.

“FWS now believes it erred by failing to provide sufficient justification to have two population segments of the lesser prairie-chicken, which then affected the assessment of extinction risk to the species,” she says. “This, FWS believes, was a significant error justifying immediate vacatur of the listing decision. FWS moved for a voluntary vacatur and remand of the listing rule. Several groups sought to intervene in the lawsuit to defend the listing rule.”

The Decision

Lashmet explains the court addressed two separate issues: the proper remedy and the motions to intervene.

“This case is extremely important for landowners, agricultural producers, oil and gas companies, and others across the portions of the United States where the lesser prairie-chickens are located, including Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma and Kansas,” Lashmet says. “As of now, the lesser prairie-chicken is not listed under the Endangered Species Act, and there is no threat of liability under the Endangered Species Act for a ‘take’ of these animals.”

She says the story is not over.

“The FWS will now reconsider the 2016 application to have the lesser prairie-chicken listed,” she says. “It will determine how properly to view the distinction population segment, and then analyze the various factors required under the Endangered Species Act in making its listing decision. The FWS told the court it expected to have this completed by November 2026.”

Judge Orders Wind Turbines Removed From Osage Nation

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 17:13:46 GMT

A federal judge in Oklahoma has ordered the removal of an 84-turbine wind farm spread across 8,400 acres in Osage County with a final ruling that ends a decade-long legal battle over illegal mining on the Osage Reservation. The cost for removal of the turbines is estimated at $300 million.

The ruling in Tulsa federal court by U.S. Court of International Trade Judge Jennifer Choe-Groves was against Osage Wind LLC, Enel Kansas LLC and Enel Green Power North America Inc. The order grants the United States and the Osage Nation through its Minerals Council permanent injunctive relief via “ejectment of the wind turbine farm for continuing trespass.”

The Osage Allotment Act of 1906 states that the Osage Nation owns the subsurface rights to minerals in the area. The Minerals Council is an arm of the Osage Nation that manages the Osage Minerals Estate.

A trial date for damages due to the tribe has not been set, but a spokesman for the Osage Minerals Council said the tribe would expect at least the value of damage to the land, all lawyer fees, profits and tax incentives Enel received as a result of the installation.

At issue in the case was whether a mining permit was required to construct the wind farm, located in tallgrass prairie between Pawhuska and Fairfax. The defendants began leasing surface rights from private landowners for the project in 2013, and construction on the wind towers began in October 2013, with excavation for the towers beginning in September 2014.

A 2017 appellate court decision determined the construction of the wind farm constituted mining and therefore a lease from the Osage Nation’s Minerals Council was required.

“The developers failed to acquire a mining lease during or after construction, as well as after issuance of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision holding that a mining lease was required,” Choe-Groves said.

“On the record before the Court, it is clear the Defendants are actively avoiding the leasing requirement,” Choe-Groves said. “Permitting such behavior would create the prospect for future interference with the Osage Mineral Council’s authority by Defendants or others wishing to develop the mineral lease. The Court concludes that Defendants’ past and continued refusal to obtain a lease constitutes interference with the sovereignty of the Osage Nation and is sufficient to constitute irreparable injury.”

Wildfire Battles Continue Over Weekend for Texas, Oklahoma

Fri, 27 Sep 2024 15:30:27 GMT

After burning for more than six days, the Smokehouse Creek Fire in the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma was only 15% contained Sunday morning, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service.

Now officially the largest wildfire in Texas history, the Smokehouse Creek Fire had burned 1.1 million acres. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said 400 to 500 structures had burned and livestock losses were in the thousands. He said he would be asking for federal assistance and he has declared 60 counties disaster areas.

Two people were confirmed dead as a result of the fire. An 83-year-old grandmother was discovered in the remains of her burned home, and an Amarillo woman in her 40s died when she exited her truck while driving in the city of Canadian.

The Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County, which covers more than 144,000 acres, was 55% contained on Sunday. The Grape Vine Creek fire, at 34,800 acres, was 60% contained. The Magenta Fire in Oldham County, spanning approximately 3,300 acres, was 85% contained. The 2,000-acre 687 Reamer Fire was 10% contained.

Much of the area burned in the Panhandle region is rolling sand hills and the Texas Department of Transporation is now preparing for blowing dust and that can drift onto roads forcing closure.

Oklahoma officials reported at least 14 fires were burning across more than 319,000 acres, much of that spillover from the Smokehouse Creek Fire. The National Weather Service issued a Flag warning—indicating dangerously dry and windy weather—until 9 p.m. Sunday for Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. A cold front was expected to move into the area on Monday and could bring some relief.

Additional information and resources are continually updated and available online at www.tscra.org/disaster-relief-fund .

The Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Foundation Disaster Relief Fund here.

Related stories:

Smokehouse Creek Fire is Officially the Largest in Texas History

Wildfires Raging in Texas, Oklahoma Panhandle Region Threaten Residents and Livestock

Oklahoma State University Scientists Score a Big Win, Developing the Turf for Super Bowl LVII

Fri, 10 Feb 2023 16:02:03 GMT

Michigan State University may be credited for developing turf tough enough for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but Oklahoma State University’s Turfgrass Research Center has a new claim to fame: creating the turfgrass for Super Bowl 57.

As the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles gear up to the play in the Super Bowl this weekend, both teams will play the big game on Tahoma 31 – a turf developed by OSU scientists . The turf was selected for the playing field at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

“Our turfgrass breeding program really has focused on developing varieties that are tough,” says Thomas Coon, OSU Ag Vice President & Dean.

Tahoma 31 is also resilient, has a fine texture, darker color and can handle drought, cold and shade. OSU plant breeder Dr. Yanqui Wu is on the turf development team.

“Not many bermudagrass seeds are heat tolerant, but it is with Tahoma 31,” Yanqui Wu told Oklahoma State University’s SunUp program. “So, all of these components put together, they make this grass robust in many aspects, so it’s adapted to many locations.”

A new turfgrass variety isn’t developed overnight. It takes 10 to 15 years to research and develop. The extensive testing takes place in the greenhouse, the lab and in the field and can include more than one-thousand experimental plants.

The best variety is then patented and released commercially.

“We have no involvement in the selling of the product itself. It’s just simply the development of it to really try to solve specific problems,” says Scott Senseman, OSU Ag Research Assoc. Vice President. “For instance this year we had a very tough drought year. So, we had some grasses that had some specific characteristics that really handled the drought really well, like perhaps an enhanced root system. And so those are some of the characteristics that a breeder is looking for.”

Royalties from the patents come back to the University for further research. Dr. Dennis Martin is an OSU Extension Turfgrass Specialist on the team.

“The grass is performing and as long as it continues to perform, I think we’ll see it on those facilities,” says Martin. “At the same time, we have the next generation of materials in the pipeline that are experimental to be rolled out.”

It’s great for advancing the field on which the game is played, but also great for advancing science.

“When you start thinking about the reach for our turfgrass, we have it in Soldier Field. We also have it at Churchill Downs. We have it at the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.,” says Senseman. “And then to have it at two different playoff games, and then the Super Bowl, I don’t know if anyone could ever claim that they have plant material that people we’re playing on and the performance of that. That’s really astounding.”

In addition to turfgrass research and extension programs – Oklahoma State also has a turfgrass option for students in the Ferguson College of Agriculture.

Original reporting by Oklahoma State’s Sunup TV program.