Exciting new barley variety Baudin will be commercialised by AWB Seeds in South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria to growers in 2004.

The variety, bred by the Department of Agriculture Western Australia (DAWA), is expected to follow the success of high-yielding Gairdner, which has been well accepted in the high rainfall regions of South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.

Baudin was first released in WA in 2002. All available seed was taken up by WA growers and a total of 9,000 hectares has been sown.

Department senior barley breeder Reg Lance said in South Australian trials over the past five years Baudin was consistently the highest yielding malting variety at the majority of trial sites.

Dr Lance said Baudin consistently produced higher yields than Schooner and performed as well as, or better than, Gairdner.

It was highly recommended for South Australia’s Mid-North, South-East and Lower Eyre Peninsula regions.

At Turretfield in the Mid-North, Baudin outyielded Schooner by nine per cent. In Mundulla in the South-East, it produced yields 10 per cent higher than Schooner.

Dr Lance said malsters had delivered positive feedback about Baudin’s malting potential and a decision about malting classification was expected later this year.

"Western Australian barley varieties have a good track record of performing in the Eastern States and Baudin should continue that success," Dr Lance

"Baudin is a medium maturity variety, ideally suited for sowing in May.

"It is semi-dwarfed and has a prostate growth habit in its early development. Baudin also has excellent straw strength and head retention."