Cereals account for 75 per cent of Western Australia’s $2.3
billion (2000/01) grain production and future growth hinges on
maintaining a national average annual wheat yield improvement of
2.5%.
Wheat and barley have dominated Western Australia’s cereal
industry and so breeders have churned out a procession of new
varieties, all promising new advantages. Many of those varieties
were bred with Western Australia in mind, while a host of
eastern states varieties also loom as possibilities on local
soils.
To help growers choose between them, the
Grains Research & Development
Corporation (GRDC) has sponsored research by Peter Burgess
of Agritech Crop Research to put varieties through their paces
and determine the best for specific conditions.
In high rainfall barley trials at Bolgart in 2002, Western
Australia’s new variety, Hamelin, outstripped a field which
included eastern states prospects.
Mr Burgess included two noodle wheat varieties in the trial
to see which crop option provided growers with the best returns.
Unfortunately, frosts struck the trial, preventing it from
delivering anticipated findings, but at least showing that
barley tolerated frost better than noodle wheat.
Delayed sowing trials were not so severely hit by frost, but
after a dry finish, wheat and barley faltered under high
screenings and protein levels. The consequent downgrading was
not as costly for noodle wheat as malting barley, making the
former the better financial performer in the dry.
Twenty five bread wheat varieties were also trialed at two
sowing times at Bolgart, Cunderdin and Kellerberrin, where they
all laboured against last season’s dry conditions.
At Cunderdin in the dry season, seven of the 10 best
performed varieties at the first sowing time and six of the 10
best at the delayed time were products of the GRDC supported
Enterprise Grains Australia. Conversely, at Bolgart, where high
foliar disease pressure demanded different qualities, nine of
the 10 best performed varieties were from Australian Grain
Technologies and Grain Biotech Australia.
