They assume leadership of the program from the NSW Department of Primary Industries.
GRDC managing director Nigel Hart said the selection followed a rigorous process designed to secure the strongest possible future for Australian chickpea breeding.
“GRDC led an arms length competitive tender process to select the best plant breeder to build on the significant work that was previously undertaken by NSW DPIRD,” Mr Hart said.
“We are very pleased to announce that AGT has been selected as our national chickpea breeding partner.”
The appointment strengthens AGT's role in Australian crop improvement and reflects its established capability to deliver commercially relevant genetics that support profitable and sustainable grain-growing systems.
Ongoing expansion has been driven by strong market demand alongside the agronomic and sustainability benefits pulses bring to farming systems, particularly through biological nitrogen fixation.
Mr Hart said the transition to a private sector delivery model would underpin long-term investment in chickpea improvement.
“This transfer to the private sector will ensure ongoing breeding investment into an important Australian crop,” he said.
AGT is the leading provider of elite wheat, durum and lupin genetics in Australia and has established successful breeding programs in barley and canola. More than 30 per cent of Australia's field crop hectares are now sown each year to AGT-bred varieties.
AGT CEO and head of breeding Dr Haydn Kuchel said AGT's scale, breeding platform and national footprint underpinned the successful tender outcome.
The chickpea breeding program will be headquartered at AGT's Northern Crop Breeding Centre at Narrabri, supported by breeding and evaluation activities at its breeding centre in Western Australia.
The program will build on chickpea germplasm developed over the past five decades by NSW DPIRD, with financial support from grain growers through GRDC.
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