WHEAT Quality Australia's (WQA) 2020 Wheat Variety Master List has been released and features nine newly classified wheat varieties, four feed and five milling, plus the removal of 10 old varieties first flagged in 2018.
The list contains the names of all current varieties approved by Australia's wheat classification process and records the highest possible grade available for respective varieties.
The new releases contain varieties classified in the Hard classes APH, AH and APW; Noodle AH(N); Durum ADR and Feed, with the introduction of LRPB Stealth, Rockstar, BASF Ascot, Bitalli, Westcourt, HAW1, HAW2, HAW3 and RGT Ivory.
With the decision to segregate APW(N), a number of varieties have been upgraded to have the noodle classification added to their existing Hard class, including Sheriff to APW(N) and Vixen to AH(N), in the Western zone.
In the Western zone there are a number of upgrades, including LRPB Nighthawk to APW, plus Catapult and LRPB Kittyhawk to AH.
Of particular interest to WA growers will be the planned removal of the once popular variety, Calingiri, from the 2022 Master List.
This change has been the subject of an extensive consultation and communication process to ensure alternative lines of better-quality varieties have been made available in time for this removal, giving the market time to adjust.
WQA chairman Don Plowman said Calingiri was classified in 1997 as an ANW variety in the Western zone.
"At the time it was the only agronomically competitive variety that could be used to develop the Japanese noodle market," Dr Plowman said.
"The variety was reviewed in 2017 and while having competitive agronomic characteristics, there was persistent concern being expressed by the Japanese manufacturers around the quality of Calingiri - in fact it was never preferred by the Japanese customers as the colour was too pale.
"A commitment was made to WA growers that Calingiri would not be removed until we were completely sure that there was an appropriate replacement that ticked the two most important boxes, an improvement from a quality point of view and that it also met grower needs, to ensure a good supply."
In 2018, at the request of GIWA and on behalf of all sectors of the wheat industry in WA, WQA was requested to delay the removal of Calingiri, for three years, until recently commercialised varieties with superior quality attributes, were proven agronomically.
Dr Plowman said since then, the area planted to Calingiri has declined significantly.
"A number of varieties have been released and are now widely grown including Supreme, Zen, Ninja and Kinsei to meet this specialty market," he said.
"There has been a clear response from grains industry sectors in WA that as Calingiri is no longer the only agronomically competitive variety, it should now be removed from the list.
"WQA has accepted the advice and agreed to the removal of Calingiri from the September 2022 Master List, if it is delivered to a grain receival point after this date, it will only be received as feed."
The 10 varieties removed from the list in 2020/21 were first flagged for removal in 2018 and delivered in their existing class up until 2019.
They have now been removed after lengthy consultation with the industry.
Varieties planned for removal in 2021 include Blade, Clearfield JNZ, Clearfield STL, Pugsley, Tammarin Rock, Binnu, LRPB Bullet, Yandanooka, Zulu, Zebu, Frelon, Zippy, Bumper and Endure.
Varieties planned for removal in 2022 include Batavia, Anlace, Marombi, Barham, LRPB Hornet, Sunvex, Waagan, and Fang as well as Calingiri.
WQA continues to work closely with all sectors of the Australian wheat industry to ensure the quality attributes for each class of wheat are well aligned with end-use market requirements.
The practical implementation of classification of wheat varieties is through acceptance of the Wheat Variety Master List as the basis for segregation at harvest and accurate declaration of variety upon delivery.
This is achieved by incorporating the list into the Wheat Standards published by Grain Trade Australia on behalf of industry each year.
