South Perth, Western Australia
February 18, 2010
Researchers from the Department of Agriculture and Food have helped develop two new pasture varieties expected to prove a significant breakthrough for Western Australian farmers.
Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman today announced the subterranean clover varieties - Bindoon and Rosabrook - which have increased resistance to the destructive pest, redlegged earth mite.
“Redlegged earth mite can result in major economic losses through substantial damage to pastures, particularly at the seedling stage,” Mr Redman said.
“The mite is believed to have arrived in 1917 on a cargo ship from South Africa and has since proved a scourge for southern Australian growers.”
Control of the pest has been mainly through chemical use but resistance among some mite populations to two widely-used chemicals has recently been reported.
“The development of varieties with increased resistance at the seedling stage to mites will reduce the need for chemical use and prove more cost-effective for farmers,” the Minister said.
“Both of these new varieties have shown outstanding performance in grazed field evaluation trials across southern Australia.”
The varieties were developed by Department of Agriculture and Food researchers as part of the National Annual Pasture Legume Improvement Program.
The two varieties were bred by department senior research officer Dr Phillip Nichols and field testing was conducted across southern Australia. Financial assistance was provided by the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Australian Wool Innovation and Pastures Australia.
Limited seed quantities of Bindoon, a mid-season cultivar, would be available in 2010. Seed for Rosabrook, a late flowering cultivar, was expected to be commercially available in 2011.
Bindoon would be marketed by PGG Wrightson Seeds and Rosabrook by Seed Force Pty Ltd.
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