IMPORTANT NOTICE TO ALL GROWERS, TRADERS & PROCESSORS OF REGENCY WHEAT

Regency wheat crops are looking very promising and we are anticipating some more excellent yields this season.

Regency’s strong genetic resistance to disease combined with sprouting resistance has caught the attention of many milling wheat growers and there has been considerable interest in this cultivar.

You may have observed off types in your grower’s Regency paddocks. The off types are mostly above the crop, are awnless and have a blue tinge to the leaf. The level of off type contamination is approximately 0.28% (which is a very low level). We believe these off type to be caused by ‘out crossing’.

Out crossing is common in a number of wheat varieties and leads to an isolation requirement for seed crops entered into the certification scheme. This isolation requirement was originally not thought to be necessary for Regency seed crops.

Unfortunately this is the first year that out crossing problem has become apparent and the Regency crops, although contaminated at a very low level, look rather ‘unsightly’.

We have successfully rogued all of the Basic and Breeders sown crops and have commenced a rouging programme for some First Generation crops. (Even after rouging it is still possible for the off type to shed pollen on the Regency crop and result in some off types in next year’s second generation seed).

We have explained the outcrossing to milling wheat purchasers and have in most cases shown them the level of contamination in the Breeders, Basic, 1^st Generation and 2^nd Generation crops.

We are confident that there will be no reduction in the value of Regency wheat this year due to seed contamination.

We look forward to bringing you further information on this issue, in the mean time, you may be assured that we will be putting a process in place by which a pure seed scheme for Regency can be established.

(January 2001)

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Last updated: 15 May 2000