ICARDA News

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH IN THE DRY AREAS
P.O. Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Phone: (963-21) 2213433, 2213477, 2225112, 2225012
Fax: (963-21) 2213490, 2225105; E-mail: ICARDA@CGIAR.ORG
Website: www.icarda.cgiar.org
12 August 2004
For more information contact:
Surendra Varma (s.varma@CGIAR.ORG)
New Chickpea Variety from ICARDA Germplasm Released in Australia
ICARDA's crop improvement research in CWANA often provides 'spillover' benefits to industrialized countries. For example, crop varieties and farming systems in many parts of CWANA are appropriate to Australia, so the region serves as a source of priceles genetic material for Australian researchers. A recent example of the usefulness of ICARDA breeding material in Australia was the release of 'Kimberley Large,' a new large-seeded kabuli chickpea variety selected from ICARDA-supplied germplasm, and released in Australia in the week of 2 August 2004. 'Kimberley Large' has a 6% yield advantage over the currently grown 'Macarena,' and produces larger, white seeds.

'Kimberley Large' was developed by the Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture (CLIMA), the University of Western Australia, and the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia. The new variety is the latest product of the collaboration between Australia and ICARDA. In the past two years, 9 varieties of chickpea based on ICARDA germplasm have been released in Australia, generating an estimated A$1.2 million annually.

The new variety was evaluated for suitability in Australia from 1998 to 2003 and was released by H.E. Mr Kim Chance, the Western Australia Minister of Agriculture, who visited ICARDA in January 2004.

The new variety has resistance to Heliothis infestations and tests suggest that it is also resistant to nematode infection. It will be grown in the Ord River Irrigation Area (ORIA), in northwestern Australia, and in the Central Queensland Region. So far, 200 ha in ORIA have been sown to 'Kimberley Large' and farmers are pleased with the performance.

"It is expected that the growers will replace ‘Macarena’ with the new variety during the next season," Prof. Kadambot Siddique, Director of CLIMA, said. "I would like to thank ICARDA for the interest and support in the development of the new variety."

About ICARDA: Established in 1977, ICARDA (www.icarda.cgiar.org) serves the entire developing world for the improvement of barley, lentil, and faba bean; and dry-area developing countries for the on-farm management of water, improvement of nutrition and productivity of small ruminants (sheep and goats), and rehabilitation and management of rangelands. In the Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region, ICARDA is responsible for the improvement of durum and bread wheats, chickpea, pasture and forage legumes and farming systems; and for the protection and enhancement of the natural resource base of water, land, and biodiversity.

The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) (www.cgiar.org) is a strategic alliance of 62 members and 16 Future Harvest Centers that mobilizes cutting-edge science to promote sustainable development by reducing hunger and poverty, improving human nutrition and health, and protecting the environment.
Back