Cropping

New AH and APWN wheat – the Devil is in the classification detail

Grain Central, September 24, 2018

INTERGRAIN has released a new Australian Hard (AH) and Australian Premium White Noodle (APWN) wheat variety, Devil, with high yielding characteristics similar to Scepter.

Dan Mullan

Launched by InterGrain wheat breeder, Dan Mullan, at the West Midlands Group spring field day in Western Australia last week, Devil seed is available from local Seedclub members and/or resellers for planting in 2019.

When choosing a wheat for his 9600-hectare annual cereal program, Coorow grain grower Alastair Falconer sees a great fit for Devil as a high-yielding, mid-maturing option that will tolerate late season heat stress conditions that often occur in his area and can significantly reduce yields.

Mr Falconer was keen to trial Devil as part of his wheat program this season and sowed a 16ha trial in late May.

He said it was “looking fantastic” so far, compared to nearby Westonia and Scepter crops, despite being sown at less than half the seeding rate of 65 kilograms/ha used for those varieties.

“It has established very well, showing a strong tillering capacity, good early vigour and is proving very competitive,” he said.

Mr Falconer, who crops a total area of 16,000ha with his father David, uncle Ray and cousin Ian, said Devil was showing great potential for mid sowing opportunities and was likely to replace some plantings of Westonia, Ninja and Scepter in coming years.

With the scale of the Falconer’s broadacre program, harvest logistics are very important. If APWN segregations are available this may be very useful in increasing delivery options.

He said there was value in the variety’s dual classification, as hard wheat had been difficult to produce in the past due to the higher protein specification and if he could deliver APWN and receive a small potential premium compared to APW1 then this would improve profitability.

The Falconers also grow Ninja wheat for the udon noodle market and enjoy the premiums ANW often provides.

Mr Falconer said Devil would also provide an alternative cereal option to help manage yellow spot and stripe rust in seasons where conditions were conducive to these diseases.

“We tend to see the worst yellow spot in our wheat on wheat paddocks so MRMSp is very useful as yellow spot can be hard to control,” he said.

“Stripe rust is not often a concern, although when the disease does occur, it tends to be later in the season so the MRp resistance rating will potentially provide us with that later season protection needed to get us through to harvest.”

Dr Mullan said Devil was a stable, early-mid maturing wheat, with exceptional yield potential, yielding similarly to Scepter based on the WA 2013-17 Long-term National Variety Trials (NVT) MET results.

He said Devil had been extensively trialled for both yield and quality within the InterGrain program during the past four years and its broad adaptation and early-mid maturity provides growers with flexibility when sowing their wheat programs.

“Having both an AH and APWN classification is highly advantageous in noodle growing areas if segregation and potential price premiums are available,” he said.

“Devil also provides a robust disease resistance package, as it is rated MRp for stripe rust and MRMSp for yellow spot, an advantage for wheat-on-wheat rotations.

“On the grain quality side, Devil has a great fit as it has an excellent grain size, lowering its tendency to produce screenings.”

Source: InterGrain, http://www.intergrain.com

 

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