09 July 2004: Leading Australian seed company, Pacific Seeds has been given the green light to add wheat seed to its product portfolio. Earlier this month, the Toowoomba based business received the licence to commercialise three new wheat varieties bred by the Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries (DPI&F) within the Enterprise Grains Australia (EGA) joint venture.

Pacific Seeds Business Development Manager, Dr Brian Hare said the varieties provide an excellent foundation for the seed company's entry into the Australian wheat seed business.

"These varieties display three distinct maturities, ranging from late for QT10776 which has APH classification for Queensland, to medium maturity for QT10580 which has AH classification for Queensland and Northern NSW," he said.
QT10198 is a medium-late maturity variety and has shown improved disease and lodging resistance.

Grain quality classifications are expected to be confirmed in 2005. The three varieties currently only have experimental designations however they will be named when Pacific Seeds and DPI&F officially launch the varieties later this year.

With the license only recently awarded, Pacific Seeds will focus on the remaining winter season to produce foundation stock for full-scale seed production next year. "Next winter growers will also have the opportunity to assess these varieties in the paddock, in their own area whilst they are further evaluated under the Pacific Seeds regional Field Test Trial program," Dr Hare said.

"First hand, in the paddock assessment combined with the data gleaned both from our program plus current and ongoing State trials programs will allow growers to make a fully informed decision for their winter planting the following season."

"The DPI&F has been conducting trials involving these varieties and evaluating them since 1999 and 2000, and other State departments and breeding organisations have conducted and continue to conduct trial programs involving these varieties."

All three varieties, have shown yield advantages over check varieties in Queensland and NSW trials.

"Pacific Seeds is both proud and pleased to be able to have such solid, high performing varieties as the foundation for their entry to the Australian wheat seed business," Dr Hare said. "For over 40 years, Pacific Seeds has been providing innovative crop varieties to Australian farmers, and with the addition of wheat to our portfolio of crop groups, continue to do so."

The Toowoomba based company currently breeds, produces and markets varieties of grain sorghum, forage sorghum, grazing oats, corn, sunflower, pasture and canola.

Caption: Pacific Seeds'laboratory assistant, Katrina Philbey shows the Minister for Primary Industries and Fisheries, Henry Palaszczuk corn seed samples during his visit to the seed company's head office in Toowomba earlier this week.