This handbook provides a practical description of wheat grain, heads and plants at several growth stages. It is designed to assist in distinguishing varieties currently grown throughout Australia, in the regions where each is usually grown. It is directed at a broad audience, including those involved with the grain trade at all stages, from seed production, through growing and harvesting, to receival and segregation, sales and utilization. Although Australia-wide in its overall approach, it is hoped that the handbook will form a basis to meet specialised local needs. Thus smaller sets of sheets, relating to local groups of varieties, might be selected and additional comments added, in the space provided, relating to the particular locality and season. In such a case, the characters that show the greatest differences between the particular varieties should be selected for identification.

With the continuing improvement of wheat, there is a need to provide assistance in the identification of newly registered wheat varieties. Sixteen such wheats are described in this Supplement according to the characters explained in 'Australian wheat varieties: identification according to plant, head and grain characteristics', Second Edition, by R. W. Fitzsimmons, R. H. Martin and C. W. Wrigley (CSIRO: Melbourne, 1983). In addition, descriptions of eight Australian triticales are provided in this Supplement as an appendix, in view of the increasing popularity of this close relative of wheat.

This book is designed to provide the means of identifying oat varieties so that maximum advantage is obtained from the breeders' efforts by ensuring that the correct variety of grain is planted and delivered. The book is intended for use by those involved at all stages of the oat industry, from breeding and seed production, through growing and harvesting, to receival and segregation, marketing and utilization. Descriptions of the growing plant, panicle and grain are provided to permit identification at any point throughout the life cycle. Despite the biological variation to be expected in the shape and size of a population of grains or panicles of any particular variety, there is still a characteristic uniformity that distinguishes one variety from another. In a sense these differences defy dissection and description, as they are part of an overall impression gained by experience. However, the descriptions and illustrations in this book are provided to draw attention, in a systematic way, to these differences and to provide an aid to the gaining of experience in identification. The term 'variety' is used throughout, because of its general usage, in preference to the scientific word I cultivar.

As cereal grain markets become more quality conscious, there is a continuing need to identify and distinguish between varieties. This handbook supplements the books listed below with descriptions of sixteen recent wheats, two triticales, one barley and nine oat varieties. The original handbooks give full explanations of the characteristics used to describe the varieties of the respective cereals.