New faba bean variety sparks grower interest

NSW farmers are well placed to capitalise on the growing global demand for faba beans following today’s release of a new variety at the annual Tulloona Field Day near Moree.

Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Acting Director Cropping Systems and Chair of Pulse Breeding Australia (PBA), Dr Allison Bowman, said the new variety, ‘PBA Warda’, is set to spark grower interest in pulse crops across Australia’s northern grains region.

“The new variety has been years in the making and sees a significant improvement in disease resistance and yield potential,” Dr Bowman said.

“Field trials of PBA Warda confirmed improved resistance to current faba bean rust strains and good yield under disease pressures such as bean leafroll virus.

“Meaning ‘Rose’ in Arabic, Warda was named after Dr Ian Rose, a now-retired DPI researcher, who started breeding for this variety at Narrabri in 2002.”

Dr Bowman said pulse crops such as faba beans have enormous potential across Australia’s northern grain region.

“Pulse crops improve soils by fixing nitrogen, hence reducing fertiliser inputs and have the potential to improve farm sustainability through improved weed and disease management,” Dr Bowman said.

“Pulse crops are well suited to northern Australian conditions which are characterised by a subtropical climate and high summer rainfalls.

“Faba beans in particular have high levels of tolerance to extended periods of water logging compared to many pulse crops. “These crops have a relatively short history in Australia however have been shown to deliver consistently high and stable yields.”

The PBA Faba Bean Breeding Program is led by the University of Adelaide in collaboration with Sydney University, NSW DPI and the Grains Research & Development Corporation (GRDC).

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