New mungbean variety Opal-AU launched.

A new Mungbean variety with improved grain yield and greater resistance to Halo Blight has been launched in Queensland. To be released as Opal-AU in late 2020, it’s the sixth new variety developed by the National Mungbean Improvement Program. A program that has underpinned a quadrupling of Mungbean production in Australia since 2003. Bred at the State’s Hermitage Research facility, Opal-AU represents the most significant breakthrough in halo blight protection in the large-seeded mungbean type. Large shiny green beans are the key market for Australian mungbeans.

00:45 - Opal-AU produces very high grain yield and has out yielded all other varieties in 7 years of trials in Southern Queensland and in NSW. Trialling was spread over 10 sites in Southern Queensland and NSW; another 12 sites on the Central Highlands and Western Downs plus 4 sites in the Callide region. For this table Jade-AU is expressed in tonnes per hectare and other varieties as a percentage of Jade-AU In these trials Opal-AU produced a huge 28% yield gain over the next best variety Jade-AU. Compared to Jade-AU, Opal-AU has improved resistance to the bacterial disease Halo Blight, which is prevalent in southern production areas. It also has improved resistance to powdery mildew but is more susceptible to Tan spot.

01:36 - Bacterial diseases of mungbean are a major problem because they affect the ability of crop and the productivity of the crop. They severely reduce the grain yield and they also are transmitted through seed and can’t be controlled in crop. Being a short season crop Mungbeans are one of few options available to growers following late summer rains. Depending on the market Mungbeans can be worth $1000 a tonne and more than $100 million at farm gate. Opal-AU has good early vigour with agronomy and maturity equivalent to other large-seeded varieties, Crystal and Jade-AU.

02:15 - Based on grower uptake of earlier releases Opal-AU should be received well. Grower confidence has demonstrated DAF varieties have 99% market share. Coming out of the drought Opal-AU will play a vital role in improving soil health and fertility for the grains industry in Queensland and northern NSW. Seed will be available from the Australian Mungbean Association in late 2020. .