New Zena CL barley is well on its way for next season’s planting, following its launch as the newest Clearfield barley.
The seed will be available through Intergrain, a private breeding company developing innovative crop varieties for Australian growers.
Zena CL barley is set to deliver an excellent alterative maturity and plant type option for Clearfield barley systems, says Grains Innovation Australia (GIA) breeder Dr Michael Materne who developed the variety with InterGrain.
Zena CL, formerly known by its breeding code IGB20125T, is well suited to medium-high rainfall environments and is agronomically similar to RGT Planet offering a mid-maturity and vigorous plant type.
InterGrain trials over the last three years and NVT trials in 2021, indicate that yields of Zena CL are similar to RGT Planet.
“Zena CL is the first Clearfield barley targeted for these environments, enabling more growers to take advantage of this technology for their rotations,” Dr Materne said.
InterGrain barley breeder David Moody said Zena CL is an exceptional variety to be adding to the company’s suite of IMI barleys as it provides medium-high rainfall growers with a high-yielding option for use within the IMI barley rotation.
“Grower interest has been strong due to interest in an IMI tolerant variety with similar agronomic attributes to RGT Planet,” he said.
“As well as similar yield potential to RGT Planet, Zena CL has good levels of resistance to powdery mildew and leaf rust. Like RGT Planet, Zena CL is susceptible to both the net form and spot form of net blotch.”
Zena CL possess similar physical grain quality characteristics and lodging tolerance and head loss risk as RGT Planet.
With varietal interest high, Zena CL has been submitted to the Barley Australia malt accreditation program with earliest potential final accreditation by March 2024.
Zena CL possesses the Clearfield herbicide tolerance trait developed by Agriculture Victoria Services, which is currently exclusively licensed to InterGrain.
The presence of the trait provides Zena CL with tolerance to registered label rates of APVMA approved IMI herbicides, offering growers the ability to control brome and barley grass within the barley rotation.
The Clearfield trait provides increased rotational flexibility when other IMI tolerant crops have been grown the previous year and where there are concerns about soil residues. Zena CL also provides the opportunity for effective control of conventional self-sown cereals within barley crops using APVMA registered imidazolinone chemistry.
Zena CL was bred and developed collaboratively by InterGrain and Grains Innovations Australia (GIA). InterGrain and GIA have formed a strategic barley breeding partnership to enhance the delivery of market leading varieties to maximise grower value.
Dr Materne said, “As the partnership releases new varieties and we help solve current grower and farming system limitations, we will be able to explore more of our novel, innovative ideas for a prosperous and sustainable grains industry.”
Zena CL is available for planting in 2023 from InterGrain Seedclub members and resellers.
