AWB Releases Chickpea Varieties

SYDNEY - Oct 31/05 - SNS -- The Australian wheat marketing board's seed division, AWB Seeds, released two new kabuli chickpea varieties.

Named 'Almaz' and 'Nafice', they offer growers greater disease resistance, yield potential and grain size than other current large seeded Kabuli chickpeas.

AWB Seeds Manager Denis McGrath said both varieties had been developed by Professor Kadambot Siddique, Kerry Regan, Mike Baker, Tim Pope and Dr Rajendra Malhotra from single plants selected from segregating material provided by ICARDA, Syria.

"Almaz and Nafice are kabuli chickpeas with semi-erect growth habit, pinnate-leaf type and white flowers. They both have similar flowering, maturity and plant morphology as Kaniva, however Almaz is slightly taller (approx. 5 cm)," McGrath said

"In trials conducted in southern Australia during 2002 to 2004 both Nafice and Almaz produced greater yield than Kaniva. Almaz out yielded Nafice in these trials.

"Almaz produces seeds that are larger than Kaniva, but smaller than Nafice. Both varieties exhibit attractive beige seed coats with color similar to Kaniva. Almaz and Nafice both have similar cooking qualities to Kaniva.

"Both varieties exhibit improved levels of resistance to Ascochyta blight, and have greater seed size than Kaniva.

"Trials have indicated that Almaz and Nafice are most suited for winter sowing in cropping regions of Australia with medium to high rainfall (400 - 700mm annual), deep fertile soils and mild spring conditions favorable to seed filling," McGrath said.

McGrath said the name Almaz is Arabic for diamond while Nafice is Arabic for very precious. Both names were chosen to acknowledge the superior quality and initial crossings of the varieties made at ICARDA, Syria.