THE definitive grain variety guide to assist Western Australian growers make informed crop selection decisions and optimise production and profitability is now available.
The 2023 Western Australian Crop Sowing Guide is produced by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), featuring data from the Grains Research and Development Corporation's National Variety Trials (NVT).
The annual publication has been updated with the latest agronomic information and advice, disease ratings and market information for wheat, barley, oats, canola and pulses, including lupin, lentil, field pea, chickpea, faba bean and vetch.
DPIRD crop science and grain production manager Bob French said the 2023 guide featured information on 31 new variety releases, alongside the latest industry developments.
"The guide has NVT information on new releases, including two wheat, seven barley, 15 canola, three oaten hay and four lentil varieties," Dr French said.
"This year it also includes an overview of the changes to international herbicide classifications, with product codes changing from letters to numbers, as industry adapts to the new standardised global system.
"Once again, the Grain Industry Association of WA has contributed valuable market intelligence to assist barley growers to navigate variety deliberations, as markets continue to be influenced by global tensions."
Dr French encouraged growers to use the guide in discussions with their consultants, agronomists and marketing agents when making crucial crop sowing selections.
"When considering integrating a new variety it is important for growers to consider potential improvements in yield, quality and disease traits, disease mitigation and suitability to current markets before purchasing seed," he said.
"The 2023 publication includes snapshots of the most common and recently released wheat, barley and oat varieties to assist growers' considerations."
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The wheat section profiles the two new offerings, Australian Premium White variety Brumby and the Australian Hard LRPB Anvil CL Plus.
The section also provides information on the relative maturity of wheat varieties, in comparison to the most popular variety Scepter, and time of sowing responses, including early season April plantings.
The barley section includes advice on growing barley for malt or feed, as well as considerations when deciding whether to sow wheat instead.
"A suite of new varieties has been released, including one feed variety and six lines that are currently being evaluated for malt accreditation," Dr French said.
The oat information includes an overview of the three new oaten hay selections, Archer, Kultarr and Wallaby.
It also included advice on sowing considerations, including changes in disease pathogens and tips on reducing screenings, use of nitrogen fertiliser, lodging management and using fungicides to protect hay quality or grain staining.
The new canola releases span the triazine tolerant (TT), glyphosate tolerant (GT), Clearfield (CL) and dual tolerance herbicide systems.
The 'early' and 'mid' NVT canola trials have been renamed as 'low-med rainfall' and 'med-high rainfall' in the guide to better reflect the trial site locations.
The pulse section profiles the new lentil varieties GIA Lightning, GIA Metro, GIA Sire and GIA Thunder.
"The small lentil industry in the Esperance area continues to grow rapidly, with growers having success with mid to late April sown crops," Dr French said.
