October 15, 2002

The Grains Research and Development Corporation will invest $1.7 million over five years in continuing work by New South Wales Agriculture on the development of faba bean varieties that combine production and marketing advantages.

The emphasis will be on incorporation of resistance to rust, chocolate spot and the main faba bean viruses.

Narrabri plant breeder Dr Ian Rose said faba beans had enormous potential to improve the profitability of rotations in the northern grains region but several factors had limited their adoption and expansion on northern farms.

One was the fact that growers had been using varieties selected for faba bean growing areas in southern Australia . When placed under the climate and disease stresses in the north, these southern varieties proved unreliable in terms of yield and crop failures due to disease were common.

Dr Rose said NSW Agriculture had recently selected a commercial partner to undertake seed increase in 2003 of the first faba bean variety adapted to the soils and climate of the northern grains region.