AWB Seeds and their Seednet partners in WA have joined forces to assist WA wheat growers with seed for next year’s crop.

Dry conditions and rust issues this season may restrict some farmers’ access to seed for next year, and as a response AWB Seeds have come up with a one-off scheme to bolster stocks of Yitpi seed, and make it available to growers with some cost relief.

Yitpi is an AWB Seeds registered wheat variety released three years ago, which is now grown widely in Victoria and SA, and has also performed well in WA.

Yitpi is classified as APW variety in WA and has 6P rating for stripe rust, which means it has a good tolerance level to this disease, which surfaced as a widespread problem in WA this season.

AWB Seed General Manager Denis McGrath said given the demand for Yitpi seed and potential reduced supplies due to drought, AWB was making special provision to make seed available to growers

"We are making Yitpi available in bulk at a reduced cost of about $500 per tonne, available from the Wemyss Seed Cleaners shed at Gnowangerup," Mr McGrath said. "For growers who want treated seed, there will be an additional cost."

"This system has been developed only for this season to help farmers overcome the drought and rust issues, will eliminate the potential illegal practice of grower to grower sale of varieties under PBR," Mr McGrath said.

AWB Seeds Seednet partners have undertaken a thorough hygiene and quality assurance check to ensure the crop/seed meets quality parameters. Never the less, a limitation of liability agreement with end point royalty contract needs to be signed because the crops were not originally sown as seed crops.

AWB Seeds also has standard, quality assured high generation seed for sale at normal prices. To ensure the integrity of the Yitpi crop into the future, growers who have not previously grown Yitpi, would have to purchase at least half tonne of high generation Yitpi seed in 2003 (for bulking up) for the following wheat planting in 2004, to participate in the scheme. Other participating growers are also encouraged to buy sufficient high generation QA seed to bulk up for following year plantings.

For further retail or distribution information, growers should contact AWB Seeds on 1800 054 433 or Seednet partners as listed below;

MOORA                  Australian Seed & Grain    ph 08 96511069    fax 08 96511542
GNOWANGERUP    Wemyss Seed Cleaners     ph 08 98285055    fax 08 98285071
KELLEBERRIN         EDSCO                               ph 08 90454036    fax 08 90454539
ESPERANCE           Terrell Seeds                      ph O8 90717877   fax 08 90713944

Please note Yitpi seed and other AWB Seeds are also available through your local retailers.