THE UNIQUE growing conditions of southern New South Wales have driven the development of a new high-yielding APH quality wheat variety from Australian Grain Technologies (AGT).

The new APH yield benchmark Coota was officially released at Hart Brothers Seeds annual field day at Junee Reefs.

AGT Wagga Wagga wheat breeder Russell Eastwood with Rob Hart from Hart Brothers Seeds in a plot of newly released APH wheat variety Coota.

AGT wheat breeder Russell Eastwood said Coota had demonstrated a yield advantage of more than 13 per cent over popular variety LRPB Lancer in early sown National Variety Trials (NVT).

“Coota has shown excellent adaptation to southern NSW conditions,” he said.

“It has the flexibility to perform well in high and low yield potential situations with a great mix of agronomic traits, physical grain characteristics and yield performance.

“High test weights, low screenings and black point resistance all help in increasing the probability of achieving APH.”

Bred locally at AGT’s Wagga Wagga breeding centre, Coota achieved APH quality classification and has consistently out-yielded similar maturing varieties like Coolah, LRPB Lancer and EGA Gregory.

New benchmark

AGT marketing and production manager James Whiteley said Coota has set a new benchmark as the highest yielding APH variety in early sown trials in NSW, performing best when sown between late April and early-May.

“In AGT time of sowing trials Coota has shown that it is adaptable and flexible over a number of sowing dates.  It tends to hold its maturity when sown in late April but mature quicker when sown into May,” Mr Whiteley said.

“This flexibility can be beneficial when targeting an optimal flowering window to minimise the risk of frost impact early and heat and drought stress later in spring.

“It offers growers an early sowing APH option to complement the main season portion of the programme that has been filled by benchmark AH varieties Beckom and Scepter.”

Coota combines its high yield potential with a short plant height, giving the variety good lodging tolerance in high rainfall, high input and irrigated environments.

Its excellent grain qualities also help maintain good yields with low screenings under less favourable conditions.

Coota can be ordered from AGT affiliates now, for sowing next season.

Source: AGT