Australi
September 16, 2010
The launch by Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA) of two new high yielding red lentil varieties is expected to further boost production and marketing prospects for growers in southern Australia.
The new varieties, PBA Blitz and PBA Jumbo , will provide growers with more lentil options to manage and optimise production and meet market requirements.
Development of the varieties – which will be available through PBA’s lentil commercial partner PBSeeds for the 2011 growing season – is supported by growers and the Australian Government through the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and PBA partner agencies.
Upcoming field launches, at which growers and advisers can observe the new varieties under best practice management strategies, along with other lines coming through the PBA Lentil Breeding Program, will occur at:
• Mallala in the Lower North of SA on Wednesday, October 6
• Vectis, west of Horsham in the Victorian Wimmera, on November 4
Lucrative prices for lentils in 2009 have encouraged growers in Victoria and SA to expand their acreage of lentils by 37% this year. Lentil breeder and leader of the PBA Lentil Breeding Program, Dr Michael Materne (DPI Victoria), says release of the two new varieties will support this expansion even further.
PBA agronomist Larn McMurray (SA Research and Development Institute) says the attributes of the new varieties, such as improved disease resistance and yield reliability, are expected to lead to an expansion in the lentil sowing area.
Mr McMurray says PBA Blitz is a medium sized red lentil which can be grown in all current lentil areas. “However, it is particularly suited to shorter season areas where its combination of early to mid flowering, early maturity, high yield, and good disease resistance will improve lentil reliability and economics of production,” he said.
“This creates opportunities for production by growers in some of the shorter season environments previously unsuitable for lentil production.
“PBA Blitz is the earliest maturing lentil variety and the best option where crop topping and/or delayed sowing are practised. It has improved early vigour over all other red lentil varieties and is an erect plant type.
“In trials, it has demonstrated it is well suited to no-till and inter-row sowing into standing residue. The seed of PBA Blitz is larger and slightly rounder than Nugget and also has improved milling characteristics over this variety.”
PBA Jumbo is the highest yielding large seeded red lentil and is a direct replacement for the previous large seeded variety, Aldinga. It is suited to most current lentil growing areas where it has consistently yielded around 15% higher than Aldinga.
“PBA Jumbo is resistant to foliar and seed infection from ascochyta blight and in this regard is a vast improvement over Aldinga,” Mr McMurray said. “Botrytis grey mould (BGM) will need to be managed on this variety in high rainfall areas.”
Trials have shown that PBA Jumbo is well suited to no-till, inter-row sowing into standing residue. It has a seed size and shape similar to Aldinga (20% larger than Nugget ) with a grey seed coat.
PBSeeds Commercial Manager Janine Sounness said the size and shape of PBA Blitz was ideal for international markets as its splitting characteristics were sought by millers. “This variety will boost Australia’s competitiveness in these quality markets,” Ms Sounness said.
“PBA Jumbo has also been bred to target high quality markets. This lentil is large in size with excellent milling quality and is the preferred lentil type in premium lentil markets, such as Sri Lanka. Potential buyers from this country have already endorsed this variety during market consultations which occur prior to release,” she said.
PBA is a world class breeding and germplasm enhancement program delivering improved field pea, chickpea, faba bean, lentil and lupin varieties to Australian growers.
GRDC southern panel chair, David Shannon, says the new PBA varieties will ensure pulses continue to enhance the viability of farming systems throughout the southern cropping zone, and their release is another demonstration of growers’ levies working to deliver positive industry outcomes.
PBA partners are the GRDC, Department of Primary Industries, Victoria (DPI Vic), South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries (QPI&F) as part the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI), New South Wales Department of Industry & Investment (NSW I&I), Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia (DAFWA), University of Adelaide and Pulse Australia.
Seed of the new lentils will be available for Australian farmers to grow in 2011. More information, variety brochures and seed enquiries can be directed to PBSeeds in Victoria on 03 5383 2213 or 03 5382 7292 or Northern Yorke Processing in SA on 08 8825 7286. Variety brochures will also be available on the PBA website post release via www.grdc.com.au/pba
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