New developments in CPT include a new feed and biscuit wheat site established at Fairlie, along with an additional replicate not sprayed with fungicide which has been included at the Chertsey, Methven and Temuka feed and biscuit wheat sites. Assessments from these unsprayed plots contribute to Crop Action in giving a heads up on what diseases are active going through the season.
Several newer cultivars are performing well. In the autumn drilled barley trials, Sanette, which is in its first year of CPT2, out-performed the next highest yielding cultivar by 10% in the two Canterbury trials, while KWW47, a promising new biscuit wheat, showed high yields in its first CPT2 season in both irrigated and dryland trials. The feed wheat KWW46 and biscuit wheat Empress are two of the newer cultivars showing consistently high yields over two and three seasons respectively. Empress combined high yield with good resistance to foliar diseases.