Australian plant breeding company InterGrain has been selected to lead a new national Faba Bean Breeding Program as part of a new joint national partnership with the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Adelaide University.

The 2.5-year, $9.5 million co-investment program will focus on developing improved higher-yielding faba bean varieties with better disease resistance, quality traits and adaptation Australia’s major faba bean production and future expansion regions, including South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia. The program consolidates breeding efforts into a single national initiative to improve efficiency and accelerate variety development for grain growers.

Chief Executive Officer Tresslyn Walmsley said InterGrain, a plant breeding company with national reach known for its leading cereal varieties, was enthusiastic about the opportunity to be involved in pulses and felt the company was in a strong position to deliver on the goals of the national initiative.

“Faba beans play an important role in crop rotations, delivering both financial and soil health benefits while supporting whole-of-farm diversification,” Ms Walmsley said.

“InterGrain’s existing national network of personnel and facilities across major production regions means we can support the growth of faba bean use in crop rotations by developing varieties suited to the conditions growers face in each area.”

She said InterGrain aims to translate breeding outcomes quickly into on-farm benefits across existing faba bean regions and new growing areas nationwide.

“Growers need faba bean varieties that deliver higher yields and also provide resilience against disease and environmental pressures,” Ms Walmsley said.

“Our approach brings together world-class breeding expertise and advanced technology to accelerate the development of varieties that meet these needs.”

Ms Walmsley said the renewed approach allows more effective targeting of specific regional and market requirements while ensuring faster delivery of improved varieties to growers.

“We’re focused on lifting production, supporting industry growth, and meeting rising demand for plant-based protein,” Ms Walmsley said.

InterGrain brings established technical expertise in rapid generation turnover and advanced breeding platforms to the faba bean program. Dr Federico Ribalta joined InterGrain in 2020 after working with the University of Western Australia’s Centre for Plant Genetics and Breeding, and will lead the faba bean breeding program.

“Technology now allows us to move from crossing to variety release much faster than historical timeframes,” Dr Ribalta said.

“Having developed accelerated breeding technologies for pulse crops previously, I know the value that close collaboration between breeders, universities and industry brings to enabling faster release of new varieties for farmers.”

The initiation of the project comes at a time of growth for InterGrain.

“The timing of this program is excellent, given we’ve also just completed our new Horsham facility, which positions us perfectly to expand into pulse breeding in regions such as Victoria’s Wimmera and Australia’s east coast more broadly, where faba beans are widely grown,” Ms Walmsley said.

InterGrain will also relocate to a new head office and breeding facility in Forrestdale on Perth’s outskirts in late 2027, further increasing operational throughput.