Years of research by Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development officers in Kununurra has been rewarded with the release of the quinoa variety, Kruso White.
Trials began at the Department’s research facility in 2012, with just three grams of seed, to determine whether the crop would perform well in the north.
It did, with the following years of research leading to the development of Kruso White, a medium standing, robust variety which has attracted interest from growers in Western Australia and interstate.
The Department’s Kununurra Research Station Manager, Mark Warmington (pictured) said the trials were expanded in 2013 to a quarter-hectare site using seed harvested from the previous season.
“In following seasons, we took various plant selections down to one for commercial release based on the following characteristics — yield, height, potential to withstand disease and insects and growing time,” Mr Warmington said.
“We also looked at whether it could be direct harvested or windrowed, whether there were any heat impacts and whether it had a consistently white larger seed.
He said Plant Breeders Rights were granted last year and seed was sent to the United States and China for seed characteristic analysis.
Mr Warmington said Western Australia had significant competitive advantages for producing quinoa.
“Australia’s clean green image, high quality of product, and range of climatic zones work in our favour,” he said.
“In areas like the Ord, double cropping is one way of increasing income on farm — you can plant a quick crop early in the season, such as quinoa or mung bean, and then turn around straight away and plant a crop such as corn for harvest before the wet season.”
