We’re excited. Next season we are likely to see the release of a couple new legume varieties, including an imi-tolerant Faba Bean and another addition to the imi-tolerant (XT) Lentil family.

Like us, we expect most growers will be keen on getting their hands on some. But be warned, both these varieties will be under huge demand and seed availability is more than likely going to be stretched. If you are interested, please let us know asap. The sooner we know, the sooner we can gauge demand and place early orders to secure better supply. Please be aware that for us to put in early orders the quantities you give us need to be accurate. We will take all orders as firm orders, and we won’t be accepting late cancellations. Also, as is the nature of seed orders (especially with new varieties), we can’t guarantee all orders will be supplied if there are supply issues.

New Faba Bean – AF15369:

The University of Adelaide has released a new variety of Faba Bean for the upcoming season. The great news is that it has a tolerance to herbicides in the imidazolinone family. Pulse crops play an important role in sustainable farming systems, however, there’s historically a lack of safe or suitable weed control options. Until now. Yields in trials in South Australia are comparable to the current varieties we grow, and it has a similar size and colour to Nura. The best part? Unlike the Imi-tolerant lentil varieties, AF15369 does not suffer a significant yield penalty when imidazolinone herbicides are applied. The AF15369 is also moderately resistant to Ascochyta Blight. It is listed as moderately susceptible to Chocolate Spot, although this might be adjusted as more data becomes available. Preliminary observations indicate that the variety is moderately susceptible to Rust and susceptible to BLRV. Further testing is required to confirm these classifications.

New Lentil – CIPAL1422:

The new CIPAL 1422 lentil is a medium red XT Lentil with ascochyta resistance and moderate resistance to grey mold. It has the same maturity to Hurricanes, and similar flowering and yields. This is a great alternative to Hurricanes, with similar herbicide tolerance, but improved seed size and ascochyta resistance. But as we mentioned, this will be under hot demand.