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CSIRO Plant Industry and the Australian Wheat Board have today signed an agreement for the marketing of 'Lawson', a high yielding dual purpose winter wheat for the Australian industry.
"For some time the wheat industry has been looking for a high yielding red-grained winter wheat variety for feed purposes - Lawson is the first step to meet this demand," said John Crosbie, Australian Wheat Board.
"Lawson and future related varieties have great potential as prime feed wheats - in providing substantial fodder for winter grazing or grain for feed lots. They will also be valuable for other industrial purposes.
"The domestic demand for feed grain has grown rapidly in Australia and Asia and is currently 5.7 million tonnes of which it is estimated wheat comprises forty per cent.
"This rapid growth of the need for feed grain and of the feed lot industry is expected to continue," he said.
"For graziers in the high rainfall zone of southern and south-eastern Australia, Lawson will now be an alternative source of income," said Dr Jim Peacock, Chief, CSIRO Plant Industry.
"Lawson has been extensively field-trialed and has repeatedly outclassed other wheat varieties and alternative dual purpose cereal crops such as oats, barley and triticale," he said. "Lawson has maintained a yield advantage of two tonnes per hectare over other commercial winter wheats in trials near Blayney, and has been the highest yielding cereal tested.
"We expect to release a new related variety within the next two years with other desirable dual purpose characteristics," he said.
Lawson will be available to graziers through the Australian Wheat Board in the 1996 growing season. This research was supported by the Grains Research Development Council.
More information from:
John Crosbie (Australian Wheat Board)Paula Fitzgerald (CSIRO)
Tel: 06-2465323, 018 626 860
Photographic opportunities available.
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