AUSTRALIAN barley producers will have access to new, non-genetically modified herbicide tolerant barley varieties as soon as next year.
In a global first a three way partnership between Australian plant breeder AGT, farm chemical supplier Sipcam and global crop protection business Albaugh will mean AGT will develop barley lines tolerant to Albaugh's Aggressor herbicide.
It will be the first time globally Albaugh's CoAxium protection system, used in wheat in the United States, will be utilised in a barley variety.
AGT said it expected the first commercially available Aggressor tolerant barley lines to be available to farmers next year.
Aggressor is a Group 1 herbicide, working via inhibition of acetyl co-enzyme A carboxylase, and controls grass weeds such as ryegrass and brome grass.
Other popular group 1 herbicides in Australia are the 'fops and dims' (Aryloxyphenoxy-propionates and cyclohexanediones), well known in cropping circles via products such as Select and Hoegrass.
AGT head of science and business development Tristan Coram said his company was excited to be leading the way globally in implementing the trait.
"We are especially proud that Australian growers will be the first in the world to take advantage of the CoAXium Production System for barley," he said.
He said AGT had been working with the herbicide tolerant trait, developed by the University of Adelaide, for some years, meaning they can quickly move towards commercialisation of varieties with the trait.
The development of a new variety is a process that takes several years to get to the point of commercialisation.
AGT has been developing barley genetics since 2014 and has already released the commercial varieties Beast, Cyclops, Minotaur and Yeti. The AGT team is now actively incorporating the CoAXium trait into elite genetics and expects to make the first CoAXium barley available to growers for the 2023 season.
Dr Coram said the deal with Albaugh and Sipcam was the result of a long process of hunting for the right business partners.
"AGT searched for partners who understood Australian conditions and had a track record of delivering new technologies to growers so we could bring this new technology to market," Dr Coram said.
"We really like what we have seen of the CoAxium production system in the US and are excited to play a role in bringing it to Australia, we feel the system will be a great benefit to barley producers."
Sipcam Australia Marketing and Operations Manager Richard Branson said the pending introduction of the CoAXium system for barley has the potential to change how barley is grown in Australia.
"There is lot more to CoAXium than simply a non-GMO herbicide-tolerant barley variety," Mr Branson said.
The system will work in a similar manner to Clearfield systems available across a number of crops in Australia.
Albaugh North America president Douglas Kaye says the company is excited about the value the new partnership will bring to Australian barley growers.
"The CoAXium platform represents Albaugh's initial exposure to Australia and we look forward to bringing more innovative technologies to Australian growers in the near future," Mr Kay said.
Dr Coram said the system would have good uptake within certain rotations.
"We know there is some Group 1 herbicide resistance in parts of Australia but there are plenty of areas where they are still very effective and this system will have a really good fit in providing another option to control grass weeds for a lot of growers."