The genetic credentials of Queensland’s newest wheat variety are expected to attract interest when the first seed becomes available for planting next winter.

During the launch of the new variety, Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) principal plant breeder Phillip Banks said those wheat growers who liked the popular Hartog variety would consider EGA Burke as an option.

Dr Banks said EGA Burke was the result of a cross between the Sunco and Hartog varieties.

In trials in Central and southern Queensland, EGA Burke had outyielded most comparable commercial wheat varieties and all commercial wheat varieties in northern New South Wales, he said.

Dr Banks said the strengths of the new variety were its excellent yield potential from early and mid-season sowings, its APH classification in Queensland and probably New South Wales, its resistance to all current pathotypes of stem and leaf rusts, and its outstanding resistance to black point.

He said the variety’s potential markets included specialist domestic and overseas bread making, and the large Asian yellow alkaline noodle markets of Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia.

In launching the variety, DPI&F plant science general manager David Hamilton said EGA Burke was the thirty-third variety released commercially from the Leslie Research Centre’s wheat-breeding program.

Enterprise Grains Australia, a joint venture between the Grains Research and Development Corporation, the DPI&F, and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries, supported the breeding work.

Mr Hamilton said in keeping with established tradition, the new variety was named after explorer Robert O’Hara Burke, who led an ill-fated expedition from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria.

He said the northern wheat industry made a substantial contribution to the Queensland and national economies.

“Wheat has a farm gate value of $1.2 billion. The Queensland bread industry alone uses 300,000 tonnes of wheat to provide $1.2 billion worth of bread.

Mr Hamilton said Pacific Seeds would market Burke under licence.