A cunning new AH quick fox, Vixen, released in bushranger territory

21 October 2018 Wheat News

The performance of InterGrain’s newest Australian Hard (AH) wheat Vixen is withstanding the challenging seasonal conditions being experienced across the eastern seaboard.

Released at the Baker Seed Co. Field Day in Rutherglen, Victoria on Friday, Vixen is persevering in 2018 trials and seed ‘bulk-up’ areas remain on-track for achieving good yield potential and meeting grain receival standards despite trying seasonal conditions.

Extensive trials by InterGrain (past five years) and the National Variety Trials (NVT) program (2017, as line IGW4279) have demonstrated Vixen is the highest yielding, early-mid maturing AH wheat in the southern and south-eastern classification zones, covering South Australia, Victoria and Southern New South Wales.

Vixen is estimated to have a 5-6 per cent yield advantage, over Condo in Southern NSW and 7-8 per cent advantage compared to Corack and Mace in Victoria. It has demonstrated similar yields to Scepter, although with its earlier maturity makes it a very attractive alternative and provides increased sowing option flexibility. Long-term NVT Multi Environment Trials (MET) analyses indicate Vixen has slightly higher end-yield potential compared to Scepter in the Southern and South-Eastern regions.

In officially launching this new AH variety at Rutherglen, InterGrain wheat breeder Dr Allan Rattey told growers it was apt that the cunningly-named Vixen was being released in an area renowned for the cunning activities of outlaw bushranger Ned Kelly.

“Growers here saw first-hand, in the paddock, its potential in a very tough season that has thrown-up dry conditions through winter and spring.”

Dr Rattey says the InterGrain team have seen Vixen show excellent yield stability across multiple years and locations in the southern and south-eastern regions and this is a key trait that makes it a ‘stand-out’ from other hard wheats.

He says not only is Vixen the highest yielding early maturing AH wheat now available to growers throughout South Australia, Victoria and southern NSW, it offers a very solid disease resistance package with good yellow leaf spot, stripe rust and stem rust resistance.

“It is rated moderately resistant to moderately susceptible (MRMS) for all three of these common and costly wheat diseases,” he says.

Dr Rattey says Vixen is an exciting new line to come to the market for growers seeking a high yielding wheat option for mid-May sowing.

“Vixen’s overall high yield, coupled with its early-mid maturity and high-end yield potential provides seasonal flexibility by handling tough seasonal conditions whilst maximising yield in favourable seasons.”

“It also has the agronomic advantage of a medium plant height, similar to Mace, which helps to reduce stubble loads in high yielding environments.”

“Vixen will be a useful tool for disease control programs in wheat-on-wheat rotations, especially where cereal cyst nematode (CCN) is effectively managed.

“But it is worth noting that Vixen is rated moderately susceptible to susceptible (MSS) for CCN and this will need to be managed by growers in their rotation planning, and using CCN resistant crops and varieties, such as Spartacus CL, within the crop sequence.”

Vixen has a good grain size, low screenings and comparable hectolitre weight to other commonly grown varieties.” he says.

“Our breeding program is very focused on combining high yield with elite quality, enabling delivery of varieties with AH or greater classification and with good physical grain characteristics.

“Vixen is available for planting in 2019. However, seed supplies are limited, so it is recommended interested growers place seed orders as soon as possible with local Seedclub members and/or resellers.

For more information about Vixen, refer to: https://www.intergrain.com/variety/vixen/