Leading Australian cereal breeding company InterGrain has released DALE​, its latest high yielding wheat variety, in honour of Dale Baker who sadly passed away in 2019.

InterGrain CEO, Tress Walmsley, said that among many grains industry leadership roles Dale took on with a farmer’s paddock practicality, his own dash of intellectual rigour and a visionary’s viewpoint, he was the inaugural Chairman of InterGrain in 2007.

“We’ve long wanted to honour Dale with a namesake variety, and this one felt like the perfect tribute to his lasting impact on InterGrain and the grains industry,” said Tress.

An innovative and successful grain grower in the Hyden district in WA’s tough far eastern wheatbelt, Dale was a founding member of the Kondinin Group and an early member of the GRDC’s Western Regional Panel and its long-term chair from 1999 to 2007.

Dale also chaired the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics, Weeds CRC and Managing Climate Variability Program.

Trialed as IGW6993, Dale​ is a new high yielding, adaptable main season Australian Hard wheat with excellent yield potential and stability across a range of environments in Western Australia and the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia.

Dale​ provides a significant yield advantage of seven per cent over Scepter (InterGrain 2019-2024 national long-term MET).

InterGrain Senior Wheat Breeder Dr David Tabah said Dale​ was mid-maturing, highly adaptable with high yield potential and suited May sowings.

“Dale consistently stood out in our breeding program, which allowed us to fast-track its development and get it out to growers and in paddocks as quickly as possible.

“We have a significant amount of Dale seed being grown across WA and SA this season and we’re excited to see how growers respond to its performance at harvest.

“In terms of disease package, it has a good profile, including good yellow spot (MRMSp), stem rust (MRMSp) and powdery mildew (MSp) resistance,” Dr Tabah said.

Dale​ also has good resistance to P. neglectus (MRMSp), which will be useful in environments where root lesion nematodes are present.

With strong physical grain characteristics, including good grain size and hectolitre weight, plus moderate plant height, similar to Scepter, Dale​ is sure to be welcomed by growers.

Dale​ seed will be available for planting in 2026 from local resellers and Seedclub Members or through farmer-to-farmer trade.

Click here for more information about Dale​ or contact your local  InterGrain Territory Managers – Richard Marsland – WA north (0483 311 901), Georgia Trainor – WA south (0439 093 166) and Darcy Moore – SA (0448 138 944)