Longtime wheat breeder Joe Martin is retiring from the K-State Agricultural Research Center south of Hays.

Martin started his career as a plant pathologist and took over in 1980 as the center’s wheat breeder.

Twelve varieties of wheat are credited to Martin in his 32 years there.

Martin was honored Wednesday morning, standing right in the middle of a wheat test plot, during the Ag Research Center’s annual Kansas Wheat Day.  Kansas Wheat Commission Vice President Ron Suppes, Dighton,  presented Martin with  a shadow box filled with 12 samples of each wheat variety he’s created.

Martin says it takes about 12 years to bring a new wheat variety to  “life” and it has to start with “good parents.”

See more tonight on Street Beat Eagle Community TV Channel 14.