• New barley variety, Maximus CL to expand WA grain growers' arsenal of crop options to boost profitability
• McGowan Government investment in cereal breeding supporting WA farmers, regional jobs 

A new generation barley variety has been unveiled and is set to take the Western Australian grainbelt by storm.

Building on the success of Spartacus CL, Maximus CL boasts improved yields, superior disease resistance and highly desirable physical grain qualities.

Tolerant to imidazolinone herbicides, the variety partners well with canola and creates more flexible and profitable crop rotations with strong malting rates in comparison to other competitors.

This early-to-mid-flowering variety also has improved resistance to spot form net blotch, net form net blotch and scale, along with outstanding grain size and hectolitre weight to aid malt achievement.

The new entrant in the barley arena was bred by InterGrain, in which the State Government is a major shareholder with the Grains Research and Development Corporation.

Maximus CL is currently being tested for malt accreditation and will be bulked up for a commercial release in 2021.

Comments attributed to Agriculture and Food Minister Alannah MacTiernan:

"InterGrain excels at breeding high-yielding cereal varieties that meet market demands and improve the profitability of WA's legion of grain growers.

"Hailed as 'the next generation potential malting IMI gladiator', Maximus CL embodies InterGrain's reputation for listening to the demands of the supply chain and creating a variety that satisfies discerning market requirements.

"Our Government is a great champion of the WA grains industry, investing millions of dollars in research projects, infrastructure and supporting the Grower Group Alliance - all assisting the industry to become a preferred supplier of premium grain."