August 27, 2003  

New Zealand’s largest Crown Research Institute and two leading seed companies have joined forces in a venture to develop and commercialise new ryegrass endophytes.  

AgResearch, Wrightson Limited and Agricom (New Zealand) Limited have signed an agreement to collaborate on identifying, developing, protecting via property rights and commercialising ryegrass endophytes for both New Zealand and international markets.

These new endophytes will be made available to the seed industry when the partnership’s management group considers that their commercialisation is possible. 

The first stage sees endophytes AR5 and AR6 available now to seed companies to be inoculated into germplasm of choice.

The partners say that significant value will accrue from concentrated research in an area that has already benefited pastoral farming through the AR1 endophyte that was commercialised in 2000.

The highly successful AR1 endophyte was developed by AgResearch and a group of seed companies, including Wrightson and Agricom, and is now used throughout New Zealand.

“Bringing together a Crown Research Institute and two commercial companies is a smart, efficient model for developing new endophyte technology and then commercialising it,” says Dr Bruce Campbell, Research Leader for Plant Breeding and Genomics at AgResearch.  

“Research partnerships with industry are being encouraged by the Government so that developments in science and technology feed through to economic gains.  This partnership will ensure that New Zealand’s world-leading research on fungal endophytes is delivered through as gains to the economy.  Endophyte research is also supported by Meat New Zealand and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology”.

“This is an exciting opportunity and builds on strong alliances that already exist between the partner organisations. In addition to contributing their endophytes and endophyte research to the partnership, Wrightson and Agricom bring their experience at successfully commercialising new applications,” says Wrightson’s General Manager Research, Warwick Green and Agricom’s Managing Director, John McKenzie.