Evolving usage of materials from CIMMYT in developing Australian wheat varieties

Abstract

Wheat genetic materials developed at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in Mexico for developing countries and varieties developed from those genetic materials have resulted in yield increases in Australia. The usage of the genetic materials obtained from CIMMYT has evolved over time, with fewer Australian varieties resulting from either direct CIMMYT crosses or having a CIMMYT line as a parent. There has been an increasing tendency to use adapted Australian lines with CIMMYT ancestry, rather than CIMMYT lines, as parents. These changes are examined, both in terms of varieties released in Australia and for the shares of wheat area sown to crosses of different origins, for each Australian state. The results demonstrate that for the benefits of international developments to be made available to Australian producers, Australian-based breeding programs are essential.