R. L. Gammie NSW Agriculture, Division of Plant Industries, Locked Bag 21, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia. Digger has been evaluated in field trials in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, and Western Australia. Cultivar development in Victoria consisted of seed multiplication with limited roguing for off-types, based on plant and grain morphology. Digger is a lentil of the subspecific microsperma group and is recognised as a red lentil. Stems may show slight anthocyanin pigmentation.
Leaves are pinnate, ending in small to very small tendrils.
Digger was tested in Victoria in field trials from 1987. Its yield in this region is comparable with that of the new red lentil Cobber. Digger has a more indeterminate flowering habit and tends to grow slightly taller than Kye and Cobber, which gives it superior harvestability. Shattering has been less of a problem with Digger than with Kye. Two major processors of grain legumes have examined and confirmed the suitability of Digger for marketing and processing red lentils.