New wheat varieties with rust and cereal cyst nematode (CCN) resistance will potentially be available for release next year.

Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) wheat breeder Russell Eastwood outlined to growers at recent Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) updates two lines which the company was working on for future release.

He said variety RAC1055 was a high-yielding, widely-adapted, early-flowering breeder's line for low rainfall areas with adequate resistance to all three rusts.

It is rated moderately resistant to moderately susceptible to all known leaf and stripe rust races commonly found in Australia, including the new Western Australian race.

The variety has excellent levels of resistance to stem rust including the new Wyalkatchem - attacking race identified for the first time in WA in 2003.

RAC1055 is also less susceptible to yellow leaf spot than Frame, Yitpi and Janz and produces grain of similar size to Yitpi.

Dr Eastwood said it had performed well in breeders' trials for three years before being tested for the first time in South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) field crop evaluation trials in 2003.

"Across SA it was higher yielding than all commercial varieties including Wyalkatchem and Pugsley," he said. "Commercial release is largely dependent on it receiving AWB Ltd quality classification – Australian Hard or Australian Prime White – early next year."

VQ0326 is another line for potential release in 2005. It's an early-maturing line based on Silverstar and Beulah, and has CCN resistance. Like Silverstar it has small grain, but unlike Silverstar it has not produced high levels of screenings to date.

Dr Eastwood said it has good levels of resistance to all races of rust commonly found in southern Australia, as well as resistance to yellow leaf spot. It also appears to have good levels of blackpoint tolerance.

He said VQ0326 showed exceptionally high yield potential in 2003 breeders' trials across southern Australia.

"With it's early maturity it is best adapted to low and medium rainfall environments and should be a rust-resistant alternative to H45," he said. VQ0326's commercial release is dependent on a satisfactory AWB Ltd quality classification in autumn 2005.

The boron-tolerant durum wheat Kalka and bread wheat Pugsley were the first two varieties released from the AGT program.

For more information contact Russell Eastwood on (03) 5362 2148 or email russell.eastwood@dpi.vic.gov.au

Varieties displaying this symbol beside them are protected under the Plant Breeders Rights Act 1994.