The names of crop varieties could be a study in themselves, with wheats being named after Australian explorers and birds, and barleys after cricketers admired by the late Hermitage Research Station breeder Paul Johnstone.

Prime Hard (PH) wheat varieties from SunPrime Seeds – the joint venture between the University of Sydney, GrainCorp Operations Ltd and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) – traditionally carry a “Sun”  (Sydney University Narrabri) prefix – as in Sunvale and Sunlin.

SunPrime’s non-PH varieties – like Australian Hard (AH) Braewood and dual purpose, grain/grazing Marombi – are named after noted farm properties associated with the SunPrime breeding program.

The joint venture continued that tradition last week,  with the official release by Grain Growers Association and GrainCorp director Rick Freeman of main-season spring wheat Ventura, named after the Freeman family’s property at Edgeroi.

There was extra significance in the release, because Mr Freeman’s father, George Freeman OBE, was one of the original trustees of the Wheat Research Foundation that raised the money to buy the property that is now the I A Watson Grains Research Centre at Narrabri.

SunPrime Seeds chief executive officer Kerrie Gleeson said the Sunvale/Rowan cross that produced Ventura was made at the Narrabri research centre, with single plant selection for rust resistance conducted at the University of Sydney’s other Plant Breeding Institute at Cobbitty.

“Ventura  is a medium height, semi-dwarf wheat, earlier maturing than Sunvale and similar to Sunstate, and it has improved straw strength compared to Sunvale,” Mr Gleeson said.

“Ventura offers Queensland and New South Wales growers a valuable, alternative varietal option, because of its performance when compared to Diamondbird, Lang and Kennedy in departmental yield trials in both states. 

“It has strong rust resistance and acceptable levels of tolerance to root lesion nematode and crown rot, and – subject to meeting receival standards –  is eligible for acceptance in the Australian Hard (AH) grade in Queensland and northern New South Wales and the Australian Premium White grade in southern NSW and Victoria.

“AWB Ltd’s Golden Rewards program encourages the production of AH wheat.”

Mr Gleeson said Sunprime Seeds would have Ventura seed available for planting in 2005,  protected by Plant Breeders Rights, with all production liable to an end point royalty of $2.00 per tonne plus GST.

End point royalties on Ventura would be returned to Sunprime Seeds for future wheat breeding programs. Growers could retain seed for their own use only.