Barenbrug Australia portfolio manager for tropical and summer crop, Brent Scott, and northern breeding manager, Chris Haire.

AUSTRALIA’s first imidazolinone-tolerant sunflower variety has been released by Barenbrug Australia, with the new technology expected to broaden traditional sunflower regions in the country.

Bred locally by Barenbrug Australia northern breeding manager, Chris Haire, who is based in Toowoomba, Queensland, Ausiclear 20 allows for new broadleaf weed control for growers through the use of imidazolinone herbicides.

Ausiclear 20 has built-in rust resistance and tobacco streak virus tolerance to handle Australian conditions, and as an earlier maturing hybrid, it also has a lower moisture requirement so it can be grown into more marginal areas.

The variety has been brought to market through a licence agreement with Nuseed, and is a technology Barenbrug believes will significantly expand the domestic sunflower industry.

It can be planted in paddocks where there might be imi-based herbicide residual from a previous crop.

In addition, being an earlier maturing hybrid, the variety has a lower moisture requirement, so it can be grown in more marginal areas as an opportunity crop.

Tolerance to tobacco streak virus (TSV) also contributes to the ability of Ausiclear 20 to be planted in non-traditional sunflower areas.

Ausiclear 20 has already been released for small-scale commercial evaluation with growers in key regions.

Over the coming months, Barenbrug Australia will make the product available commercially for growers to evaluate for themselves.

Source: Barenbrug Australia