BAYER is about to launch its first Roundup Ready canola variety in Australia, a hybrid called IH50RR – developed at Horsham, in Victoria’s Wimmera - and company officials are upbeat about its prospects.
With a dizzying array of canola varieties on the market, Bayer will have to hit the ground running to attract acres, but is confident it can do so, with strong hybrid vigour boosting the package.
The variety is the product of strong Bayer investment in canola in Australia.
Andrew Loorham, marketing manager – Seeds and Traits at Bayer CropScience, said the package of early vigour, solid yields and good blackleg resistance stacked up well, as did a compact plant, meaning lodging is unlikely to be an issue.
He said the variety was the product of Bayer’s strong investment in canola in Australia.
The fierce competition within the canola breeding business was working well for Australia growers, Mr Loorham said.
“Australian growers will now have more choice, especially as our pipeline of products grows over time.”
The new IH50RR Bayer variety currently has a provisional rating of resistant-moderately resistant (R-MR) in the independent Canola Association of Australia (CAA) rating scheme.
Jeremy White, Bayer CropScience Market Development Agronomist in Bendigo, Victoria, said he was happy with the line’s oil and yield results.
In addition to the initial hybrid variety set for commercial release next year, Bayer has two more varieties in the National Variety Trial (NVT) system and a future pipeline of traits that it is developing.
