Wheat Breeding And Varieties In Australia

This handbook provides a practical description of wheat grain, heads and plants at several growth stages. It is designed to assist in distinguishing varieties currently grown throughout Australia, in the regions where each is usually grown. It is directed at a broad audience, including those involved with the grain trade at all stages, from seed production, through growing and harvesting, to receival and segregation, sales and utilization. Although Australia-wide in its overall approach, it is hoped that the handbook will form a basis to meet specialised local needs. Thus smaller sets of sheets, relating to local groups of varieties, might be selected and additional comments added, in the space provided, relating to the particular locality and season. In such a case, the characters that show the greatest differences between the particular varieties should be selected for identification.

With the continuing improvement of wheat, there is a need to provide assistance in the identification of newly registered wheat varieties. Sixteen such wheats are described in this Supplement according to the characters explained in 'Australian wheat varieties: identification according to plant, head and grain characteristics', Second Edition, by R. W. Fitzsimmons, R. H. Martin and C. W. Wrigley (CSIRO: Melbourne, 1983). In addition, descriptions of eight Australian triticales are provided in this Supplement as an appendix, in view of the increasing popularity of this close relative of wheat.

The relationship between grain morphology and chemistry and the practical realities of milling, flour yield, dough properties and baking behaviour, are stressed and explained. The quality requirements of flours intended for bread-baking, noodle-making and for other industrial purposes are listed and discussed.