MANHATTAN, KANSAS, U.S. — Great Plains Analytical Laboratory, Cereal Ingredients, Inc. and Robert Hatch, have pledged $100,000 to the Kansas Wheat Commission Research Foundation (KWCRF) in support of wheat research. Hatch is chief executive officer of Great Plains and Cereal Ingredients.

The gift will build upon previous support of research to improve wheat quality and yield through proper fertility management.

The contribution is part of the Fields Forward campaign. Fields Forward is the campaign to raise $4 million for the KWCRF. The three focuses of the campaign are funding of ongoing wheat research, developing future research talent, and building funds for the long-term support of wheat research facilities and technology. More information is available at www.fieldsforward.org.

“We greatly appreciate this support of the wheat and baking industries by Great Plains Analytical Laboratory, Cereal Ingredients, Inc., and Robert Hatch,” said Ron Suppes, chair of the KWCRF. “For many years, Mr. Hatch has demonstrated his passion for increasing the quality of wheat as a food ingredient.”

The KWCRF said recent technological breakthroughs in wheat genetics research will allow for accelerated delivery of high-value traits to market. In 2017, the reference map of the bread wheat genome was completed by a consortium of international scientists. This new map, in conjunction with emerging technologies like gene editing, will assist in identification and integrations of high-quality end-use traits into new wheat varieties, the foundation said. The donation from Great Plains, Cereal Ingredients and Hatch will be used to help support this research.

“The team conducting this research includes some of the brightest scientists in the wheat research community,” said Aaron Harries, vice-president of research and operations for the Kansas Wheat Commission. “Depending on the discoveries made, this project has the potential to revolutionize the way farmers grow wheat for added value.”

Great Plains Analytical Laboratory, Inc. is a privately held, employee-owned, analytical laboratory founded in 1993 as a response to a need in the grain, flour, baking and food industries for a high level of service, response time and expertise.

Cereal Ingredients, Inc. is a privately held, employee-owned specialty ingredients manufacturer that was established in 1990 by Hatch to research, develop and market unique, new food ingredients. The company holds multiple worldwide product and process patents.