Wheat cultivars bred by New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research Ltd have won the top two awards in this year's Ravensdown/United Wheatgrowers national wheat quality competition.

Otane, grown in Canterbury by the Hadfield farming partnership, took the national supreme award for milling wheat, as well as winning the Central- North Canterbury regional award. Otane also won the supreme award last year.

This years results show that Otane can produce high yields with high protein (14.3%), high grain weight (56 g), high falling number (346), and low screenings (0.6%).

In the feed wheat section, Impact, grown for the first time by M and R Paton of Oamaru, won the national supreme title, as well as the south Canterbury- north Otago award.

Impact produced a very high yield (10 t per ha), with excellent test weight (77 kg/haL), with screenings at 1%.

Crop & Food Research arable manager, Sam White, said the wins highlighted the value of having cereal cultivars bred under local conditions.

Company news release
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