Australia
September 3, 2021
New South Wales grain grower Glen Coughran was chasing a fit for his integrated weed management when he sowed Maximus CL barley on the 15th May within his 11,000 hectares at ‘Beefwood Farms’, an aggregation of six neighbouring properties between Goondiwindi and Moree.
He’s grown InterGrain’s Spartacus CL for several years, but this year has begun to switch over to Maximus CL, InterGrain’s promising new Clearfield® tolerant, malting barley.
According to Maximus CL breeder, InterGrain’s David Moody, Maximus CL typically should yield one to two per cent above, on average, what growers like Mr Coughran have traditionally enjoyed from Spartacus CL, which Maximus CL is set to replace.
“Our Maximus CL looks excellent compared to Spartacus CL,” said Mr Coughran, “but this is perhaps a little unfair because the Spartacus CL is on more waterlogged country.”
Year to date rainfall has been approximately 555 millimetres, with 238mm of that falling in March alone. Long term annual rainfall averages 600mm in the summer-dominant rainfall area, so the season is tracking well above average.
“I’ll be keen to see how they both come on as the season progresses,” he noted.
Mr Coughran views Maximus CL’s short plant height as a positive, liking that it is less prone to lodging than some other barleys he’s grown.
He sticks to Clearfield® barleys for residual plant back, to assist summer control of Feathertop Rhodes and Barnyard, the problematic grasses.
InterGrain Territory Manager Katherine Munn noted that the overall improvement of Maximus CL, over its predecessor Spartacus CL, was attractive to growers across NSW and QLD.
“With the better seasons we’ve been seeing in 2020 and now 2021, disease pressure is increasing and sticking around on retained stubble, especially as we head north, and we see large areas utilising retained stubble and disc sowing to minimise moisture loss.”
“The improvement in spot form net blotch will be particularly important for northern growers, and hopefully take a little bit of pressure off our fungicides, although growers are still encouraged to closely monitor their paddocks for any signs of infection.”
According to Maximus CL breeder, David Moody, the multiple quality attributes of Maximus CL can add value right across the supply chain.
“Growers reap the rewards of improved yield and disease resistance, transporters enjoy high test weight and maltsters appreciate higher malt extract and diastatic power,” Mr Moody said.
Following Barley Australia’s February announcement that Maximus CL had been positively evaluated and officially accredited as a malting barley variety, InterGrain CEO Tress Walmsley said Maximus CL making malt was great news for InterGrain and barley growers.
“InterGrain has always been about breeding barleys that meet the demands of the entire barley supply chain,” Ms Walmsley said.
“A quick to mid-maturing variety, Maximus CL should improve grower profitability due to its superior disease resistance, improved grain size, Clearfield® tolerance and improved yield, while providing a real path to malt markets,” she said.
For more information about Maximus CL: https://www.intergrain.com/variety/maximuscl/ or contact InterGrain Territory Managers:
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