New Winter Wheat Cultivars

Research Partner: La Trobe University

Background

The southern NSW and Victorian wheat growing regions stand to benefit from fast developing winter wheat cultivars that improve farming productivity and realise economic benefits from the earlier sowing of winter wheats.

The La Trobe University team has successfully developed multiple fast winter wheat varieties that are adapted to low rainfall cold climates.

Many of these varieties have performed well on farming trials and could improve the commercial viability of farming wheat.

Project outline

The project developed a broad variety of fast winter wheat cultivars that have been adapted to low rainfall growing conditions. This enabled the team to identify the cultivars that performed well through field trials and which produced quality grain with high yields.

It included an extensive quality assessment of wheat quality including the industry standard evaluation of milling, baking, pasta, and noodle making performance measures.

Key outcomes

This project has been completed. The Rosewood Research support enabled a comprehensive breeding trial and detailed analysis of wheat quality.

The PhD student who led the team has successfully completed his doctorate and will continue to research winter wheat with Australian Grain Technologies, Australia’s largest plant breeding company and a market leader in wheat genetics.

The eventual broader adoption of the new winter wheats has significant long-term potential for the Australian and export markets.