Source: The Crop Doctor, GRDC

The formation of a coordinated national breeding program by Barley Breeding Australia (BBA) should result in a significant development in Australia 's barley industry for the 2006 season.

BBA boasts a national market-focused business plan, which takes strategic direction from Australia 's multi-billion dollar barley industry. Although barley prices have recently been low, the barley industry had a farm gate value of $1.5b billion in 2004/05.

BBA is supported by growers and the Australian Government through the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC). Other participants includes the WA Department of Agriculture, the SA Research and Development Institute (SARDI), the NSW and Victorian Departments of Primary Industries (DPI), the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and the University of Adelaide .

According to University of Adelaide barley program leader Dr Jason Eglinton, the industry coordinated approach will allow barley research to address key issues including providing growers with superior varieties.

Baudin*, Buloke*, Capstan*, Flagship TM , Fleet TM , Maritime*, Urambie*, Vlamingh*, Grout*, Fitzroy* and Yarra* are some of the new barley varieties available.

Breeding objectives will continue to have a strong focus on export quality malting barley varieties, but will still address domestic brewing, feed barley and alternative end-use markets.

There is considerable potential in all of these markets. For example, the Australian grains industry Single Vision Strategy has indicated there will be strong demand for quality feed grains for growing livestock industries in the not-too-distant future.

Jason Eglinton, who spoke at the February GRDC Grains Research Update in Adelaide , said production and market traits remain the cornerstone of developing new varieties to improve the economic competitiveness of barley production.

The breeding program will be supported by barley research and development on a number of new characteristics that may offer advantages to growers in the medium term.

These will include improved frost tolerance, genes conferring lower grain protein, novel starch types for use as functional food ingredients, low lipoxygenase activity to improve beer flavour stability and triazine tolerance as protection against residues in canola stubbles.

* Varieties protected under the Plant Breeders Rights Act 1994.

The Crop Doctor is GRDC Managing Director, Peter Reading