GrainSearch, a company majority owned by the Southern Quality Produce co-operative, will market Revenue, a winter wheat being released commercially for the first time.

Michael Porter, executive officer with SQP Co-operative, said Revenue was shaping up to be a strong replacement for the Mackellar variety of winter wheat.

“We believe target yields of six tonnes to the hectare are achievable through the long-season regions of southern Australia, while we saw up to 12t/ha on irrigation.”

Revenue is a feed variety, designed for early planting.

Mr Porter said plantings had already begun on the Liverpool Plains in NSW and in Gippsland in Victoria.

Should forecast reasonable rainfall occur across western Victoria over the coming week, he said it was likely that plantings would also begin in Victoria’s Western District as well.

“If we do get decent rain, then it will be best if it is in the ground, but should there be no rain, it will be fine to dry sow in April.

“Last year it was dry sown, and it went well, but it really needs to be in by the first week of May at the latest.”

He said this ability to plant early would be a good tool for growers looking to spread their planting window, while a genetic advance meant the crop would not be susceptible to frost later in the season, despite its early maturation.

Mr Porter was also upbeat on Revenue’s ability to provide mixed farmers with winter feed.

“It’s a very flexible wheat, and it can provide some good feed over the winter months.”

“With early sowing, you can get dry matter yields of more than 1.5t/ha at late tillering.

“The dual purpose nature is great for risk management, with farmers able to use it solely for grazing, for grain, or a combination of both.”

The variety was bred out of the Ausgrainz program, a collaboration between the CSIRO and New Zealand’s Crop and Food Research.

Along with Revenue, GrainSearch sells a number of cereals popular in the high rainfall zones of Western Victoria where SQP has its roots, including Amarok, Beaufort, Frelon and Teesdale wheats and Ballan and Westminster barleys.