Enterprise Grains Australia (EGA) has approved the release of an outstanding new soft wheat under strict production licences in Western Australia.

EGA Director Greg Fraser said the breeding line EGA2248 was a very high yielding, non‑club soft wheat.

"It addresses major problems facing soft wheat producers, being superior to all others in grain size and pre-harvest sprouting resistance," Mr Fraser said.

"EGA 2248 is also less susceptible to staining, superior flow yield and has performed well in end-product evaluation.

"The potential release of the variety in 2001 was cancelled due to its failure to meet leaf rust resistance standards.  However, it had adequate levels of stripe rust and stem rust resistance.

"Further testing in 2002 and 2003, including paddock scale evaluation, enabled a full assessment of the lines potential, and disease resistance limitations to be completed."

The Department of Agriculture recommended to the EGA Board that the substantial benefits of EGA 2248 could be captured, whilst also reducing the overall rust risk.

Mr Fraser said under the licence arrangements there would be a 100,000 ha cap on production.  Individual growers would have to enter into a production licence, which would be reviewed annually. 

He said licences would only be awarded to those growers with a demonstrated capacity to produce soft wheat (delivery in one or more of past five years), and production of EGA 2248 would be limited to 33 per cent of the wheat area of the licence holder.

"Licencees will not be permitted to grow rust susceptible soft wheat varieties -Harrismith (stripe rust), Tincurrin and Corrigin (stem, leaf and stripe rust), and will need to adhere to a fungicide regime which may involve seed treatment, in furrow and foliar applications or combinations of these treatments," Mr Fraser said.

"Producers of EGA 2248 will also be subject to compliance inspections of documentation and portion of paddocks. An end-point royalty of $4 per tonne will apply, with receival records also being used to check compliance with production licences."

He said licences for EGA 2248 would be withdrawn and the variety removed, as soon as a suitable replacement was available.

Mr Fraser said there had been considerable industry debate across Australia about the potential release of wheat varieties that did not meet a specific standard for disease resistance.

“We have consulted widely with many stakeholders, including getting further advice from the Australian Cereal Rust Control Program based at the University of Sydney.

 “This is the second soft wheat line released by EGA this year, following EGA Jitarning in August 2003," he said.

“EGA has now offered wheat growers two soft grain lines that would improve productivity and add significant value to the local industry.”

Mr Fraser said this approach would enable an immediate soft wheat market potential of 250,000-300,000 tonne to be exploited.   Mr Fraser said that the Department would soon be seeking applications for production licences from interested growers for 2004 sowings, and estimated that some 1,800 tonnes of seed could be available.

“Application forms for Production Licences will be available from the Department in the first week of January. In the meantime, growers wishing to make enquiries about applying for EGA 2248 seed should contact the Department’s Tress Walmsley on 0404 819 543.

“Once licences are granted, EGA 2248 seed will available to licencees from five Distribution Growers appointed by the Department,” said Mr Fraser.

Further details of EGA 2248 are available on the EGA and Department of Agriculture web sites.

Enterprise Grains is a joint venture formed through the coordination of wheat breeding programs at state departments in Western Australi, New South Wales and Queensland, with the support and participation of GRDC.