A rigorous trial has resulted in a new, high yielding variety of mungbean, which has superior seed quality than traditional mungbeans and improved resistance to seed borne diseases, such as tan spot, halo blight and powdery mildew.

The yet-to-be-named mungbean variety is the result of the most rigorous mungbean selection trial program ever undertaken in Australia.

Breeders produced the new variety of bean from two of Queensland's best performed commercial mungbean varieties - White Gold and Emerald, said Col Douglas, pulse scientists at the Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries.

"Based on 35 trials conducted over five years at sites in central and southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, the new variety promises to deliver a long-term yield average that is 18 per cent higher than Emerald variety," Mr Douglas said.

"As an added bonus, this mungbean produces a more robust seed that can handle weathering which adds to the seed quality and has the best overall combination of disease resistance currently available."

Mr Douglas said seed quality was of paramount importance to the mungbean export industry where the beans for human consumption must be grown under stringent Code of Practice management criteria supported by a quality assurance grower declaration.

The variety of mungbean is set to be released between 2008 and 2009.