Dubbo, New South Wales, Australia
February 6, 2008
Australian Grain
Technologies (AGT) will today launch Espada, a new wheat
variety which will boost grain yields in western and southern
Australia.
Espada was developed simultaneously with Gladius, a recent
release that has proved to be an outstanding performer with
farmers and in National Variety Trials in areas suffering most
from the 2006 and 2007 droughts.
Both varieties were developed by AGT’s wheat breeding program at
Roseworthy, in collaboration with researchers based at SARDI’s
Minnipa Agricultural Research Centre with part funding by the
South Australian Grains Industry Trust and the SA Premiers
Drought Relief Fund.
“Gladius tends to achieve higher relative grain yields in
frequently drought stressed environments, where as Espada is
competitive with Gladius in these areas but is better placed to
capitalise under better growing conditions,” said Haydn Kuchel,
Senior Wheat Breeder with AGT at Roseworthy.
“Espada can reliably achieve a high and stable grain yield under
medium to high rainfall conditions and can help withstand the
pressures that rust often poses in these environments.”
In South Australia, Espada is most likely to be successful in
areas where Pugsley has been an important variety.
“Recent rust race changes have meant that Pugsley no longer has
adequate levels of stem and stripe rust resistance,” said Haydn.
The new variety has also shown excellent adaptation to most
regions of Western Australia, providing farmers in that state
with the unique combination of solid resistance to all three
rusts – leaf, stem and stripe, good levels of yellow leaf spot
resistance and a high and stable grain yield.
Seed of Espada will be available across Australia for 2008
sowing. It is available through AGT Seeds in South Australia,
Victoria and New South Wales and to COGGO Seeds members in
Western Australia. Espada will be available more broadly in WA
for 2009 planting.
Key features
• High and stable grain
yield across a wide range of environments
• Good yellow leaf spot resistance
• Good levels of rust resistance
• A replacement for Pugsley in South Australia
• A rust resistant alternative to Wyalkatchem in the low to
medium rainfall areas of WA
• Tolerant of boron toxicity
Other details
• Eligible for APW grade in
South Australia and Western Australia
• Excellent adaptation to Western Australia, competitive
with Wyalkatchem and Magenta particularly in the low
rainfall areas
• Best suited to the lower Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula
and mid-north in South Australia
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ESPADA tech sheet
(PDF format) |
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Plant Breeders Rights
Espada is protected by PBR and
all production (except seed
saved for planting) is liable to
an End Point Royalty (EPR) which
funds future wheat breeding.
Espada growers will be subject
to a Growers License Agreement
that
acknowledges that an EPR of
$2.50/tn plus GST has to be paid
on all production other than
seed saved for planting.
Seed Availability
Commercial quantities of Espada
seed will be available for 2008
sowing in South Australia, New
South Wales and Victoria through
AGT Seeds and in Western
Australia through COGGO Seeds.
For seed inquiries, please
contact:
SA, Vic, NSW
AGT Seeds
02 6881 6210
WA
COGGO Seeds
1300 667 371
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