Registration of ‘Ray’ Hard Red Winter Wheat

'Ray' (Reg. no. CV-1156, PI 689754) hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed and released by the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station in 2018. Ray was derived from the backcross population, `Yellowstone'*2/98X168-1. The line 98X168-1 is an unreleased Montana forage breeding line. Ray was developed using the pedigree breeding method and selected as an F-4:5 headrow. It was tested under the experimental number MTF1432 in Montana grain and forage yield trials from 2014 to 2018. Ray is suitable in Montana as a dual-purpose forage and grain cultivar with dry matter forage yield and quality in a onecut annual hay harvest evaluation similar to 'Willow Creek' winter wheat, and grain production and end-use quality characteristics similar to the widely grown, high-yielding Montana hard red winter wheat grain cultivar Yellowstone.