Growers, like those in SA’s Mid North, know it all too well. You watch bumper wheat crops look great all year, only for them to be wiped out by frost right at the end of the season.

It’s a kick in the guts.

Especially when these crops need to be cut for hay, but they don’t have the same hay value as other varieties as the awns on these crops can injure animals. Researchers have been looking into awnless wheat varieties that produce high-quality grain and valuable hay fodder for livestock. Finally, there are options for farmers in frost-prone areas!

LongReach Plant Breeding is bringing out two new wheat varieties for the 2022 season, Dual and Bale. 

Both are awnless (or beardless). Meaning they provide an option for mitigating risk against disease, heat and, most importantly, frost!

Both Dual and Bale can produce milling-grade grain, but they can also produce high-quality hay if hit by a frost. 

LPB Bale is a slow-maturing variety with APW classification, and LPB Dual is a mid-slow maturing (two days longer than Trojan) variety with AH classification. They both are a step back in yields at the moment, but they do give you a risk mitigation option in areas that are prone to frost.

Dual will come out MS for stripe rust, S-VS to yellow leaf spot, MS-S for septoria, MSS-S leaf rust and MRMS to stem rust. 

Bale will be MS for stem and stripe rust, MS-S for leaf rust, and S for Septoria. 

They are both likely to get the winter yellows. A good fungicide program will help this, but we don’t recommend using as a wheat-wheat option. 

Find out more about Bale here, and Dual here.

Supply is likely to be tight, so if you are interested in giving either variety a try, get in contact with Sam as soon as possible. 

Call him on 88474109.