Australia: Dow AgroSciences' wheat variety DS Pascal shines in this season`s wet harvest

The 2016 cereal season demonstrated that DS Pascal is a high yielding variety adapted to earlier sowing opportunities across a wide range of environments across southern Australia. DS Pascal also offers a strong disease package with an excellent plant type and minimal lodging. Dow Seeds breeding trial plots (Fig. 1), sown early May at Mallala, Paskeville, Horsham and Streatham showed DS Pascal yielded better than other longer season lines such as Trojan, Kiora and Beckom. Large (0.2 Ha) SEPWA trials in Hopetoun and Wintenoom Hills further highlighted the wide range of early sown locations that DS Pascal performs well (Fig. 2 & 3).


The success of these trials reflected field performance with farmers being estatic at the results in their paddock. John Pattison, a farmer north of Wagga reported: “DS Pascal is pretty exciting actually; phenomenal.  We are very, very pleased with it, we plan to grow some more.” 

John Anderson, agronomist from Marrar agreed, “DS Pascal in our south Wagga trial (15 ha) was 1-1.2 t/ha better than Lancer, our north Wagga trial (26 ha) was 1.3 t/ha better.  DS Pascal averaged 7.8t/ha in dryland conditions, so it performed really well. We did a falling number test: DS Pascal was over 500 and Lancer was low 400, so the sprouting tolerance that is on the DS Pascal technote is pretty much to the word.  A few blokes are having trouble with falling numbers this season, especially after that rain in spring.  DS Pascal came back really well.”

“Estimation of PHS in the field is difficult. In 2016, we sampled physiologcally mature spikes of several varieties. These spikes were snap frozen to preserve dormancy, then transferred to a rain simulator and subjected to 12, 24 and 48 hours of “misting” rain at cool temperature to facilitate sprouting. Fig. 4 shows initial falling number (FN) of all varieties were above 360, and that all lines maintained their FN above 360 after 12 and 24 hours of simulated rain. However, after 48 hours a clear pattern emerged, with the enhanced PHS tolerance of DS Pascal enabling it to maintain a FN above 360, whilst the FN of all other varieties fell below 220. These data, combined with previously presented results on GI and FN prior to 2016, demonstrate that DS Pascal is setting a new industry benchmark for PHS tolerance” advised Dow Seeds Senior Breeder, Dr Allan Rattey.


“DS Pascal has the benefit of market leading PHS combined with excellent yield, standability and lodging as well as a strong disease package, including MRMS (P) for YLS” Dr Rattey added.  “To get the best from DS Pascal you want to sow early.”

“We are also excited about the launch DS Faraday in 2017, which combines APH grain quality and a strong disease package, with class leading PHS tolerance in the northern zone. DS Faraday is an early to main season line suited to a wide range sowing dates and environments across this zone” added Nick Willey, Dow Seeds northern zone breeder.