Neo, formally known by its breeding code IGB22102T, offers a significant step-change improvement in yield, being 10 per cent higher yielding than RGT Planet for growers in medium-high rainfall regions, according to InterGrain.

InterGrain barley breeder, David Moody, said Neo combines exceptionally high yield, with a very good disease resistance package and IMI tolerance, whilst possessing a more weed competitive plant type to other IMI tolerant varieties such as Spartacus CL and Maximus CL.

"Neo is an extraordinary variety that we are very proud to provide to growers, maltsters and brewers," Moody said.

"Neo is a once in a lifetime find in a breeding program that evaluates tens of thousands of lines annually.

"Neo has gone from a cross to commercial seed in five years. As a comparison, InterGrain's market leading Maximus CL took eight years from cross to release, and prior to InterGrain's inception, variety development routinely took more than 10 years.

"Neo is not just about better yield, it has significant disease resistance improvements compared to the widely grown RGT Planet variety, particularly in terms of resistance for the spot forms and net forms of net blotch," Moody said.

In addition to its yield potential and disease resistance, Neo has high levels of grain plumpness, good tolerance to lodging, good head retention, and tolerance to head loss, according to InterGrain.

Neo has been accepted into the Grains Australia malting accreditation program with the earliest potential final accreditation set for March 2025.

InterGrain says grower interest in Neo has already been extremely strong and large-scale commercial seed production is underway across the country with InterGrain's Seedclub members.

Neo is an InterGrain variety containing the Imidazolinone tolerance barley trait technology licensed from Agriculture Victoria Services (AVS) and was bred by David Moody and the InterGrain Barley Breeding team.