WA lupin growers will have to wait until 2013 before they can grow the new lupin variety Gunyidi.
Touted by GRDC western panel chairman Peter Roberts as a quantum step forward in yield and described as a new profitable lupin option, a GRDC media release last September said certified Gunyidi seed would be available for the 2012 growing season, through Seednet, the licensee for the variety.
But Farm Weekly has discovered Seednet will continue with another bulk-up season because not enough seed is available for commercial release this year.
Farm Weekly also understands it was known, when Gunyidi was launched at the Liebe Group field day in September last year, that bulk-up would take two years.
Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA), which released Gunyidi, has admitted the error.
PBA chairman Mark Sweetingham said the GRDC release was "clumsy PR".
"It was an error and an embarrassment for all involved," he said.
"There was predictable enthusiasm about the variety and a desire to get it out to growers as quickly as possible.
"But there has to be strict adherence to protocols to ensure the seed growers receive is disease-free and of the highest quality.
"In hindsight it should never have been said that certified seed would be available for this season."
Seednet national manager Simon Crane said Gunyidi was bulked up in Kojonup and Moora with 99 tonnes being harvested.
"Of that, between 85 and 90 tonnes was available for bulk-up this year," he said.
"There was always going to be a second bulk-up year because we need about 1000 tonnes for a commercial release.
"When we have an official launch of a variety it doesn't mean there's seed ready to go to growers.
"We had a similar perception when we released a new oat variety for WA earlier this year."
Defending the bulk-up sites, which have been criticised by northern Wheatbelt growers, Mr Crane said the quality of the seed was a priority.
"We wanted to minimise any possible risk of contamination of the seed," he said.
It is understood the reason why the northern Wheatbelt was not considered in bulk-up site selection was because of its history of anthracnose and CMV (cucumber mosaic virus).
Ironically, Strawberry (west Mingenew) farmer Clancy Michael was recently provided with seven tonnes of Gunyidi to bulk-up this year.
He joins 60 WA growers involved in the bulk-up.
Mr Michael's neighbour Peter Horwood, a vocal critic of the manner of the bulk-up, also was offered seed but declined on the principle of his criticism and the fact he had only a small amount of land that would have met protocols.
"The whole Gunyidi release seems to have been badly handled," he said.
"The clear inference from the official launch last year was that seed would be available this year.
"Yet three weeks out from seeding farmers are now being asked to bulk up seed.
"First they don't want to bulk-up here because of anthracnose risk and now it seems they have had second thoughts.
"Bulk-up should have been in the Mid West because it's the biggest lupin-growing area in the world.
"And DAFWA has even classified the Mid West as 94 per cent clear of anthracnose in its testing.
"I test lupin seed every year and we have no incidence of anthracnose, which is why I initially raised the question of why bulking-up wasn't being done in the Mid West.
"I believe Moora, where they have bulked up seed, is more prone to anthracnose than Mingenew and Kojonup hardly fits a description of the Mid West.
"With a bit more planning and talking with lupin growers this bulking-up could have been done better and more efficiently."
Binnu farmer Damian Harris, who has trialled Gunyidi on his property since 2010, as part of the National Variety Trials, said he wanted to grow the variety this year.
"I would have liked some seed but I wasn't approached to bulk-up," he said.
"I generally grow Mandelup and average around 1.5t/ha but with the Gunyidi, I was hitting 3.5t/ha.
"It is a great variety because it has excellent pod shatter resistance which is a problem with Mandelup.
"I can't understand why they didn't want to bulk up in this area."
Planfarm agronomist Richard Quinlan said there were many areas throughout the Mid West where Gunyidi could have been bulked-up.
"I can understand the licensees looking for a low risk way to bulk-up," he said.
"But some parts of the Eradu sandplain and Mullewa have extremely low incidence of anthracnose.
"Traditionally the Mid West was an area used to bulk-up seed but the anthracnose year in 1996 changed all that.
"I think there is a need to take another look at bulking-up varieties in the areas they will be grown in."
GRDC western panel chairman Peter Roberts said he understood the frustration of farmers but when it came to introducing new crop varieties the focus was on safety, common sense and insurance to safeguard against the risk of disease.
"It wasn't right to say certified seed would be available this year and that won't happen with future releases of new varieties," he said.
