LongReach Ambush growing at the Kooloongong, Vic, site in September 2026. Photo: LongReach

SOUTH Australian and Victorian growers have two new wheat varieties to consider for the 2027 season with the release of LongReach Ambush and LongReach Hurdle.

Both have been developed with Scepter, the mid-maturity wheat that has dominated southern paddocks in recent seasons, in mind.

LongReach Ambush builds on Scepter genetics to lift yield while holding grain quality, while LongReach Hurdle offers an awnless Scepter-type plant, allowing growers the option to cut it for hay if the season turns against them.

LongReach technical development manager – southern Colin Edmondson said the two varieties met different needs on southern-region farms.

“Scepter has had about two-thirds of the wheat market in SA and Victoria, so it’s been grown just about everywhere,”Mr Edmondson said.

“LongReach Ambush is built on that background; it’s a big-area variety that suits and yields well right across the wheat country, from Eyre Peninsula and the Mid North of SA through the Mallee and Wimmera to northern Victoria.

“With LongReach Hurdle, growers have the flexibility to aim for grain, and switch the plan to hay if the season dictates.”

Ambush joins AH offering

LongReach Ambush is a mid-spring maturity wheat with an Australian Hard (AH) classification in SA and Vic.

In company trials at 45 SA and Vic sites from 2021 to 2025, it out-yielded Scepter by an average of 6 percent, or 270kg/ha), finishing ahead in 93pc of trials.

In the 2025 National Variety Trials (NVT), LongReach Ambush matched Shotgun for yield.

Grain quality is where Mr Edmondson expects the variety to stand out.

Across 40 SA and Victorian NVT trials in 2025, it achieved averages for test weight at 82.5kg per hectolitre, 11.3pc protein, and 3.4pc screenings against Shotgun on 81.3kg/hl, 10.9pc and 3.9pc respectively.

“Growers want the yield, but not at the cost of grain quality at the weighbridge,” Mr Edmondson said.

“LongReach Ambush gives them both – more yield than Scepter, with a grain package very close
to it, and more security than Shotgun when the finish gets tough.”

With similar maturity and height to Scepter, LongReach Ambush has early vigour equal to or slightly better, with good tillering and fast grain fill.

It carries boron and aluminium tolerance genes for a broad range of soils, and its moderately resistant rating for cereal cyst nematode suits higher-risk Mallee paddocks.

Its stripe rust rating is one step above Scepter and Shotgun, though Mr Edmondson said growers
should not change their rust management on that basis.

Hurdle for hay, grain

LongReach Hurdle was bred by CSIRO and commercialised by LongReach.

It is a quick-mid spring Australian Prime White (APW) wheat that heads 1-3 days earlier than Scepter.

Its awnless head lets growers decide in spring whether to harvest for grain or cut for hay.

“Frost, heat, drought or heavy ryegrass pressure can change what a crop is worth by spring.

“With LongReach Hurdle, growers can sow with a grain plan and keep the hay option open, without giving up yield at seeding to do it.”

Colin Edmondson in a planting of LongReach Hurdle at the Birchip, Vic, field site in September 2026. Photo: LongReach

LongReach Hurdle has kept pace with Scepter.

In 2025 NVTs, it averaged 4.05t/ha against Scepter’s 4.02t/ha, out-yielding it at 70pc of 57 sites across SA, Vic and southern New South Wales.

It beat LRPB Dual, an existing awnless variety, in all LongReach trials by an average of 12pc, or 520kg/ha, and heads 4-7 days earlier, giving it a better fit in low and medium-rainfall areas.

LongReach Hurdle’s height, standability, large grain size and low screenings are similar to Scepter, while testweight and protein are slightly lower.

LongReach Hurdle also carries boron and aluminium tolerance genes and has consistently shown better aluminium tolerance than Scepter.

Seed of both LongReach Ambush and LongReach Hurdle is available for planting in 2026 through the LongReach Seed Associate network in SA and Vic.

The ex-GST end-point royalty is $4.40/t for grain, and $3.50/t for LongReach Hurdle cut for hay.

Source: LongReach Plant Breeders