Winter wheats: giving farmers more choice

CSIRO's winter wheat breeding program achieved major milestones this year with the recent launch of joint venture company HRZ Wheats Pty Ltd, and release of MacKellar, a world first Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) resistant wheat.

Members of HRZ Wheats Pty Ltd are AUSGRAINZ, comprising CSIRO and New Zealand company Crop and Food Research, and the WA-based Export Grains Centre Ltd.

It was formed to breed and commercialise milling quality wheats for the high rainfall zones and is on track to launch its first milling quality variety in 2008.

Winter wheats have potential to add considerably to Australia's grains exports, as well as providing a valuable cropping choice for farmers in the 5 million hectares of high rainfall zones.

They promote beneficial crop rotations that diversify farming enterprises, and could reduce transport costs for local industries reliant on fodder or grain.

CSIRO, through its commercial partner AWB Seeds, released Mackellar, a dual-purpose, long season, feed wheat variety, developed from plant material that contains BYDV resistance derived from a wild grass.

BYDV resistance is a vital trait for long season wheats as the virus can reduce high rainfall zone yields by up to 40 per cent.

CSIRO is also working with farming groups such as the Victoria-based Southern Farming Systems to investigate agronomic techniques of improving crop production in high rainfall zones.

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