The government of Victoria has invested AU$20 million in grain research.
According to Peter Walsh, the state’s agriculture minister, the investment will be used to expand southern Australia’s pulse growing region and breed new pulse varieties including peas, lentils, chickpeas and faba beans.
“The investment will help food producers grow pulses into high and low rainfall zones and increase the pulse rate to 30 to 40 per cent of the rotation in medium rainfall cropping regions,” said Walsh in a statement on 28 July.
Research will also be conducted on traits to achieve agronomic improvements such as herbicide tolerance and better harvestability.
Approximately AU$3m will be used to assess new varieties so that, when varieties are released for commercial use, growers have information about how best to grow them.
Research will be led by Department of Primary Industries scientists in Horsham.