Australia
SEptember 3, 2025
Australian Grain Technologies (AGT) has launched two new durum wheat 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 both 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,” said Tom Kapcejevs, AGT durum breeder.
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 CCN resistance in many bread wheat varieties.
AGT durum breeder Tom Kapcejevs
In northern New South Wales and Queensland, 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. It’s the new benchmark for the region,” Tom said.
AGT-Rimfire has been released as an updated alternative to DBA Vittaroi, particularly for irrigated systems in southern New South Wales.
“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,” Tom explained.
“There is an increasing appetite from end users to source high quality durum from Australia, with the Riverina particularly well suited to increase production. A relatively low-risk variety with yield upside; AGT-Rimfire has arrived at a perfect time to help meet these production demands”.
Seed of AGT-Banker and AGT-Rimfire is available now through AGT Affiliates and local retailers.
Fact sheets can be downloaded here:
SA/Vic Banker Fact Sheet: https://loom.ly/BGQvbZU
QLD/northern NSW Banker Fact Sheet: https://loom.ly/mS_iVf0
Southern NSW Rimfire Fact Sheet:https://loom.ly/X2kWRAY
Topics
Species
