InterGrain’s Combat, the highest yielding barley variety in Western Australia in the 2021 National Variety Trials, is set to win the feed barley battle, with yields above the benchmark variety, Rosalind.
Officially launched by InterGrain Southern WA territory manager Georgia Trainor at the SEPWA Condingup spring field day on September 9, this broadly adapted, mid-season feed barley, formerly known by breeding code IGB1944, is a stand-out in InterGrain’s barley breeding program.
InterGrain breeder, David Moody, said Combat was bred to meet grower demand for a high yielding, weed competitive plant type, feed variety, suited to earlier sowing opportunities.
“During four years in InterGrain yield trials and one year in NVT, Combat performed consistently well across a range of cropping regions, particularly in environments below 3.5 tonnes per hectare.
“It’s also shown good adaptability in higher yielding environments,” Mr Moody said.
“Combat offers a good disease resistance package, including very good powdery mildew resistance and spot form of net blotch resistance and useful levels of resistance to leaf rust and the net form of net blotch resistance.
“Combat has an alternative plant type to the currently popular, high yielding feed variety Rosalind.
“Combat’s semi-prostrate plant growth habit is combined with good early vigour, improving ground cover and weed competition.
“Combat has a much larger grain size than Rosalind, resulting in improved grain plumpness.
“Combat gives growers an exceptionally high yielding, mid-season feed barley and is an ideal variety when growers are looking for sowing date flexibility, capable of being sown from late April to late May,” Mr Moody said.
Combat is available for planting in 2023 from InterGrain Seedclub members and resellers.
As one of the leaders in cereal breeding in Australia, InterGrain offers market leading wheat, barley and oat varieties for growers.
Its highly successful wheat and barley breeding programs, and new oat breeding program, are designed to target the major cereal growing regions of Australia. Intergrain’s vision is to support the competitive advantage and sustainability of the Australian agriculture sector. Its focus is breeding market leading varieties that meet grower and end-user customer requirements.
Intergrain is globally recognised for its proven capability in the delivery of quality malting barleys and udon noodle wheats. InterGrain’s shareholders are the WA State Government and GRDC. InterGrain employs 60+ staff and has offices in Perth and Horsham. It also has marketing staff based in Northam, Adelaide, Dalby and Wagga Wagga.
