FBA Amara is being launched this week as a high-yielding faba bean variety for the northern region. Photo: FBA
EXPANDING the choice in winter cropping options from next season is FBA Amara on the faba bean front, and two new durum varieties from Australian Grain Technologies.
FBA Amara is ideally suited to growers in the northern region, while for durum growers, AGT-Banker is a new option for the north, and AGT-Rimfire is suited to dryland and irrigated cropping in the southern region.
FBA Amara is being launched today at the University of Sydney’s Plant Breeding Institute field day at the IA Watson Grains Research Centre, Narrabri, and the AGT durum varieties are already available through AGT affiliates and retailers.
FBA Amara
FBA Amara is an early maturing variety, well adapted to the growing season in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland, where it has out-yielded all earlier released varieties by 4-11 percent at National Variety Trial (NVT) sites.
It has uniform and beige colour seed like PBA Nanu and FBA Ayla, making it suitable for the human-consumption market.
Its larger and more uniform seed makes it superior to PBA Warda for marketing, while the smaller seed size compared to PBA Nasma improves handling at seeding.
FBA Amara has a level of resistance to rust and bean leaf roll virus similar to recent releases FBA Ayla and PBA Nanu.
NVT testing has suggested improved chocolate spot resistance over existing northern region varieties, with a provisional rating of MRMS.
It is not recommended for southern growing regions where Ascochyta blight can cause significant yield loss.
FBA Amara was developed by the University of Sydney as part of the GRDC-invested national faba bean
breeding program led by the University of Adelaide.
AGT-Rimfire and AGT-Banker
AGT has launched two new durum varieties, AGT-Rimfire and AGT-Banker, designed to deliver higher yields, strong disease resistance, and improved agronomic performance across Australia’s key durum-growing regions.
AGT-Banker has been developed as a replacement for current durum varieties in southern and northern production zones.
In South Australia and Victoria, it is particularly suited to low to medium-rainfall environments.
“AGT-Banker combines the toughness of Bitalli with higher yields and better standability, making it an excellent replacement for Bitalli and DBA-Aurora in these regions,” AGT durum breeder Tom Kapcejevs said.
AGT durum breeder Tom Kapcejevs. Photo: AGT
The variety delivers high yields, excellent rust and yellow leaf spot resistance, and ADR quality classification with very high test weights.
It also carries the Cre8 CCN resistance gene, which provides cereal cyst nematode resistance in many bread wheat varieties.
In Qld and northern NSW, AGT-Banker has been the highest-yielding durum variety in NVT trials, outperforming varieties such as Westcourt, DBA Mataroi, and DBA Lillaroi.
“For northern growers, AGT-Banker offers a complete package: high and stable yields, strong disease resistance, and good grain quality.
AGT-Rimfire has been released as an updated alternative to DBA Vittaroi, particularly for irrigated systems in southern NSW.
“Durum under irrigation can be challenging, as most varieties were bred for dryland production.
“For a long time, DBA Vittaroi has been used under irrigation due to its shorter plant height and lodging tolerance.
“Now, AGT-Rimfire provides similar lodging tolerance, similar plant height, and much improved yield potential under high-input, irrigated conditions.
“There is an increasing appetite from end users to source high-quality durum from Australia, with the Riverina particularly well suited to increase production.”
Source: FBA, AGT