May 29, 2002

Ten years ago, Australian lentil production was a meagre 1400 hectares, or 1000 tonnes.

A high value pulse, popular in curries, soups and snacks, especially on the Indian sub-continent, lentils have since taken off, with production now at 158,000 ha, or 266,000 tonnes in 2001. This is expected to increase by 60 per cent in the short term.

According to Supermarket To Asia’s Global Supermarket magazine, strong competition from world market leader Canada means Australia must develop new lentil varieties if it is to maintain and expand its market share.

Research, supported by growers and the Federal Government through The Grains Research & Development Corporation, is developing new lentil varieties as part of the Co-ordinated Improvement Program for Australian Lentils (CIPAL).

CIPAL aims to release high quality red, green, French green, Spanish brown and zero tannin lentil varieties which are adapted to the diverse growing environments, resistant to ascochyta blight and botrytis grey mould and suitable for machine harvesting.

Varieties resistant to the serious exotic diseases anthracnose, rust and fusarium wilt are also being developed. Among the improved varieties released from the program are Aldinga, Cassab, Cobber, Digger, Matilda, Northfield and Nugget.

CIPAL Co-ordinator Michael Materne said developing disease resistant varieties was a high priority, in order to increase production, reduce risk and costs for growers and improve quality.

Advanced breeding lines with resistance to ascochyta blight and botrytis grey mould have performed well under severe disease pressure on the Yorke Peninsula in SA and in the southern Wimmera of Victoria.

Although co-ordinated from the Victorian Institute of Dryland Agriculture (VIDA), the project is a national breeding program involving key researchers and breeding sites in WA, SA, NSW and Tasmania.

Major Australian lentil exporter, The Lentil Company, is exporting Cobber, Matilda and Digger to more than 30 countries under licence from VIDA.

Australia’s reputation has given us an edge on the world market, but producing high quality varieties more tolerant to our particular agronomic and climatic conditions remains the key.

The Crop Doctor is GRDC Managing Director, Professor John Lovett, Tel 02 6272 5525
Further Information: Michael Materne, Tel 03 5362 2312