Our Varieties
AGT-Opener Imi
Chickpea
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Australia’s first ever chickpea variety with Imi tolerance
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Excellent plant-back option for managing imidazolinone residues
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In-crop use of imidazolinone herbicide still pending APVMA approval
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Competitive yield performance versus commonly grown varieties
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Excellent resistance and tolerance to RLN (P. thornei)
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Desi type with seed smaller than PBA HatTrick
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Off-label use of imidazolinone herbicides in-crop is prohibited by law
For full details download the AGT-Opener Imi fact sheet
Herbicide tolerance
Provided for information only, does not constitute an offer of supply or sale for off-label uses as there is no current APVMA approved use in imi tolerant chickpeas at the date of this publication. An application has been made by Nufarm to the APVMA for approval to use Nufarm Intercept® Herbicide on imi tolerant chickpeas and an update will be provided when APVMA make their decision (expected ahead of the 2027 planting season). Please note that some minor phytotoxicity has been observed during imidazolinone tolerance testing.
Seed Availability
Please contact an AGT Affiliate or your local retailer for seed.
Click here for AGT Affiliate contact details.
AGT-Opener Imi can be traded between growers upon the completion of a License Agreement as part of AGT’s Seed Sharing™ initiative.
PBR and EPR
AGT-Opener Imi is protected by Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) and all production (except seed saved for planting) is liable to an End Point Royalty (EPR), which funds future plant breeding.
AGT-Opener Imi growers will be subject to a Grower License Agreement that acknowledges that an EPR of $6.00/tonne + GST must be paid on all production other than seed saved for planting.
Breeders comments
In autumn 2026 we assumed responsibility for chickpea breeding from Chickpea Breeding Australia (a collaboration between GRDC and NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development), ensuring continued investment in the improvement of this important pulse crop for Australian growers.
Headquartered at our Northern Crop Breeding Centre based in Narrabri, our immediate priority is to maintain momentum through this transition and accelerate the conversion of elite breeding germplasm into improved commercial varieties that deliver value to growers.
Selected from the advanced germplasm pool acquired from Chickpea Breeding Australia, AGT-Opener Imi is the first chickpea variety to be released under the AGT banner and the first ever chickpea variety with tolerance to imidazolinone herbicide.
Imidazolinone tolerance has been deployed in most major field crop types and ‘Imi’ herbicide use on-farm is commonplace. This chemistry is an excellent weed management tool, however, herbicide soil residues have the potential to impact future rotational choices. AGT-Opener Imi allows growers to confidently plant into ground where Imi herbicides have recently been applied, and is a major feature of the variety. Registration for in-crop use of Nufarm Intercept® (Group 2 Imazamox and Imazapyr) has been submitted and is pending APVMA approval. If successful, Nufarm Intercept® will be the first and only registered imidazolinone herbicide for use with this trait, and AGT-Opener Imi becomes even more useful on-farm.
AGT-Opener Imi offers competitive yields, around 2% lower than CBA Captain, and a disease resistance package which is similar to other varieties for Ascochyta, a little weaker for Phytophthora, but with excellent resistance and tolerance to Pratylenchus thornei.
AGT-Opener Imi is a desi type chickpea that produces seed that is smaller than PBA HatTrick.
In recognition of the strong legacy established by Chickpea Breeding Australia, we have chosen to continue the tradition of naming new chickpea varieties after cricketing terms, with AGT-Opener Imi being the first release in this new chapter.