The highly regarded Pickering Medal recognises excellence and innovation in the practical application of technology.
This year it has been awarded to AgResearch lead scientist David Hume and his team by the Royal Society.
When it comes to commercialising a biological product Hume is the first to acknowledge the process is distinctly more time-consuming and fraught than putting simple consumer goods on the market for mass sale.
In 2007 he and a large multi-disciplinary team of researchers saw the culmination of many years of earlier research when the AR37 ryegrass endophyte was released to the market.
It was the first pest-resistant endophyte of significance to be put into commercial grass varieties since AR1 was introduced in the early 2000s as a natural control against Argentine stem weevil and pasture mealy bug along with some tolerance to adult African black beetle.
But in a grass universe where at least six major pests predominate AR1’s protection was limited and grasses treated with it struggled to persist in some areas, becoming vulnerable in times of drought and intense black beetle predation.
The AgResearch team comprising experts in mycology, chemistry, entomology, seed science, agronomy, toxicology, immunology, genetics and breeding is a high flying who’s who of New Zealand agri science expertise.
Together, they worked for many years to identify a novel endophyte that did not produce the toxins known to cause ryegrass staggers while delivering a broader range of pest protection. It also had to offer minimal compromise on pasture production and palatability.
When the AR37 endophyte strain went commercial in 2007 through PGG Wrightson Seeds grass varieties the team found itself under the spotlight of media scrutiny in the summer of 2008 when sheep in Wairarapa were found to be particularly susceptible to staggers when grazed on grasses carrying the new endophyte.
“When this came up we and our partners worked hard to ensure the industry was aware that as an endophyte there would still be some risks there but a lot less risk than with the standard endophyte,” Hume said.
It was determined a very dry year in Wairarapa had exacerbated the lowered staggers risk, with sheep grazing the more resistant pasture for an extended time.
“As researchers and developers of the endophyte we were not hugely surprised there was some incidence but were more concerned that the message about the risk had not got out to farmers as well as it could have that summer – no biological control is perfect.”
However, time and a demanding market have proved the endophyte was worth the investment, with estimates the use of AR37 in will have a cumulative value of $3.6 billion to the economy through the life of its 20-year patent.
Now available not only through PGG Wrightson but also Barenbrug Agriseeds it is the go-to natural pest control option for most pastoral farmers.
The selection committee awarding the medal recognised not only the group’s success in identifying the endophyte but also its successful commercialisation backed by strong international literature and good engagement with the farming community.
Hume said the group’s work has not stopped at AR37.
The researchers have received Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and commercial funding to study endophytes for cereal crops including wheat, triticale and rye from the genus Elymus found in grasslands throughout the world.
They have been able to take endophytes from those plants, isolate them, culture them and artificially inoculate them into some cereal germplasm.
Trials have shown the endophytes deliver similar results in cereals to the ryegrasses and the team can boast a world-first for endophyte enhanced cereals, with particular success in rye-corn for pest resistance.
The team has also been asked to contribute its knowledge to isolating endophytes in Brachiaria, a highly productive sub-tropical grass while a study of heritage maize varieties from Mexico also hopes to identify endophytes that might have been lost as those varieties fell out of commercial favour or never qualified.
A recent report putting a value on pests in NZ pastures estimated them to cost the economy $2.3 billion a year, with grass grub making the infamous claim to $600m of that.
“And when you look to the future and the impact of climate change that is only likely to grow,” Hume said.
“There is now a rapidly growing world of research using micro-organisms like endophytes to protect plants and make them more productive.”
That also gels well with increased consumer aversion to synthetic sprays and treatments.
Plenty of challenges remain for the researchers, even within the pastoral realm.
Hume said the ideal Superman endophyte will be the one that can successfully withstand the six main pest types in NZ pasture, has good palatability, delivers improved energy and possibly even ensures a lower environmental footprint by helping the plant better absorb nutrients otherwise lost to the environment.
In true scientist fashion Hume is reluctant to blow his team’s trumpet overly loudly.
However, he acknowledged the work is world stage material, offering alternative approaches to dealing with burgeoning pest populations.
In addition, the cross-section of disciplines capable of commercialising their work successfully is the envy of many overseas peers.
