![Tim Green explains the merits of short season wheat lines at the GRDC update in Bendigo. Photo by Gregor Heard. Tim Green explains the merits of short season wheat lines at the GRDC update in Bendigo. Photo by Gregor Heard.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/5Q2j7ezUfQBfUJsaqK3gfB/dc876f1f-54dc-460a-850c-d1b7f50c68f4_rotated_90.JPG/r0_0_4000_6000_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Australia's increasingly variable autumn rainfall is the catalyst for a Charles Sturt University PhD student to investigate the possibility of ultra-short season wheat varieties.
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Speaking at this week's Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) update in Bendigo Tim Green said there had been a definite shift towards later autumn breaks through much of Australia's cropping zone.
With that in mind he said further focus on breeding ultra short season '100 day' wheat varieties could help mitigate risk.
"What we have found in trials working with cultivars with elite early vigour has been that they can yield incredibly well when sown even quite late in the winter period," Mr Green said.
"This can have some real advantages in allowing growers to control weeds prior to sowing even when there is a late break."
Mr Green said a central part of all the elite short-season germplasm was that it had a shorter vegetative and reproductive period.
The lines are also characterised by rapid early vigour and strong root growth that can help counteract the cold start when planting into the already cooled winter soils.
Whether or not the 100 day lines will outyield conventional longer season varieties depends on the season.
Mr Green said in seasons with long, cool springs such as 2021 and 2022 longer seasons lines were fine, even if there had been a late break, but he said in years with a late break then hot, dry weather in the spring the short-season lines were at an advantage.
"There is still further work to be done, but I think if a commercial short season wheat line was developed it would have a fit for a line designed to be planted after the traditional wheat planting window was closed."