NSW Department of Primary Industries durum breeder, Gururaj Kadkol said while there were concerns regarding the quality of the 2016 crop due to the wet conditions, the variety produced high protein and good overall quality in the majority of the crops.

“On average the Lillaroi crop produced up 0.4 per cent higher protein relative to Caparoi in DBA trials and it put more of the crops into DR1 grade,” Kadkol said.

“It has been pleasing to see that the DBA Lillaroi grain quality has been very good and there have been no significant reports of DBA Lillaroi grain being downgraded due to black point or any other quality defects.

“DBA Lillaroi generally produced top grade DR1 grain wherever crops were top dressed with additional nitrogen and even some that were not top dressed achieved this result. Crops that were not top dressed generally achieved DR2 grade.

“The latest results, combined with the 2015 crop performance, demonstrate the adaptation of DBA Lillaroi to both wet and dry conditions.”

Spring Ridge farmer Angus Murchison grew irrigated durum and bread wheat crops regularly, and this season he harvested 8 tonnes/hectare DR1 crop of DBA Lillaroi.

“In 2015 I grew trial crops of a few different durum varieties, which out of these lines only DBA Lillaroi produced DR1 quality and good yield. In 2016 I planted a bigger crop of Lillaroi that produced high yield and DR1 quality,” Murchison said.

 “I found Lillaroi has a good tolerance to black point and the quality to produce DR1 grain. Some of my neighbors have decided to start growing Lillaroi this season.”

Chairman of the Northern Durum Growers Association and Mullaley farmer Ross Durham grew a DBA Lillaroi crop yielding 6 t/ha, and after testing DBA Lillaroi in 2015, he grew a bigger crop last season.

“It produced the best looking grain I have ever grown, with nearly 100% vitreous kernels, less than 1% screenings and great colour. The wet weather prevented me from top dressing the crop, but it still averaged 6t/ha and the protein content was just below 13%. This performance reaffirmed my confidence in the variety,” Durham said.

DBA Lillaroi was developed by NSW DPI as part of Durum Breeding Australia, a joint project with the Grains Research & Development Corporation and The University of Adelaide.