The cereal performance trials field day on December 13 was aimed at lifting local cereal production to meet demand in the animal feed sector and food processing industry in a bid to reduce imports, Plant Breeding and Research Association general manager Thomas Chin said.
It was an opportunity for agronomists, seed company representatives, merchants, traders, millers and other end users to assess new varieties developed for NZ conditions and their performance in a range of soils on both irrigated and non-irrigated sites.
Chin said plant breeders were focused on providing farmers with an improved range of varieties that aimed to increase disease resistance, yields and grain quality and boost the profitability and value of cereal crops.
“It will be an opportune time for agronomists, grain buyers and producers to come together and assess the cereal performance trials, especially given the arable industry is interested that people are taking notice of South Island cereals for milling and for animal feed purposes.”
Local cereal breeders from private companies, Crown research institutes and universities put substantial research into developing the best cultivars and the process could take up to 10 years before a new variety was released to farmers.
The cost could be as much as $2 million.
“This is why the plant breeding industry is such a strong advocate for payment of royalties on licensed sowing seed, based on sales to growers.
“These moneys provide the ongoing research funding to ultimately develop further and better cultivars for both farmers and end users,” Chin said.
The trials system had been running for more than 30 years and had delivered improved cultivars with traits that increased yield and resisted specific pathogens such as leaf rust, fusarium and some insects.
“These efforts ensure that the NZ farmer stays at the forefront of research in NZ to the benefit of the local industry.”
NZ produced more than a million tonnes of grain crops annually with an estimated farmgate value in excess of $400m.
Meanwhile. a maize variety open day would take place at the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR) northern crop research site, Tamahere Hamilton on Thursday, December 14.
It would show a range of crops including maize varieties trialled under the 2017-18 maize performance trials programme.
Performance such as yields would be discussed while crop and nutrient management insights would also be addressed.
Speakers included international guests Professors Bob Nielsen and Jim Camberato from Purdue University in Indiana.
