Investment

Novel lentil genotypes with an induced target site mutation have been developed that provide a high level of tolerance to metribuzin herbicide.

Metribuzin tolerance provides an alternative or complimentary herbicide group to imidazolinone and will enable lentil to be grown safely on lighter soils in the Mallee and Western Australia and provide improved post-emergent weed control in all lentil growing areas.

There is a post-sowing/pre-emergent use pattern registered for metribuzin in lentils (up to 285 gai/ha) but rate is soil type dependent; 135 gai/ha Sand, 210 gai/ha Loam, 285 gai/ha Clay. But there is no post-emergent use pattern due to excessive crop injury on current varieties. The current post-sowing/pre-emergent use pattern is associated with the risk of crop injury particularly on lighter soils and when rainfall leaches the chemical to the roots of the growing plant. Resulting in limited weed control options for lentil production on the lighter soils of the Mallee, Eyre Peninsula and Western Australia.

The investment will produce the data and study reports, in accordance with GAP requirements, to be provided as part of a data package in support of future registration submissions to the APVMA by chemical registrant(s) for the use of metribuzin herbicide in tolerant lentil.