Technical Summary

•  ‘USU-Perigee’ is a dwarf hard red spring wheat cultivar developed at the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and was released in 1999. 

•  USU-Perigee was developed in response to the need for improved food crops for bioregenerative life support systems in space and due to the need for a shorter alternative to USU-Apogee. While it is unlikely that USU-Perigee will be used in terrestrial conditions, it is ideal for growth in laboratory environments where space and volume are at a premium.

Commercial Applications

•  Ideal for growing in controlled environments

Competitive Advantages

•  Has a very fast development rate

•  Out-yields all other full dwarf wheat cultivars tested at USU

•  Resistant to severe calcium-induced leaf tip necrosis

References

•  Bugbee, B., G. Koerner, R. Albrechtsen, W. Dewey, and S. Clawson. 2016. Disclosure of USU-Perigee Wheat to Utah State University Innovation and Commercialization Services Office.