FAR’s Researcher of the Year Announced at Crops 2011
FAR’s ‘Researcher of the Year’ was awarded to the AgResearch Cereal Endophyte Project Team today in recognition of their outstanding contribution to research for the arable industry. Dr David Hume, Project leader received this award on behalf of the Cereal Endophyte Project Team.
He said: “This project, funded by the Grains Research Development Corporation (GRDC), Ministry Science and Innovation, Grasslanz Technology and FAR aims to develop robust associations between elite cereal cultivars and selected endophyte strains and to use these to manage some of the pests, diseases and environmental stress in cereals. It is hoped this will provide sustainable crop management options for New Zealand growers and also create opportunites for the arable industry to export high value cereal seed. The endophytes will not impair the nutritive or health characteristics of the grain.”
Internationally cereal production has steadily increased to meet an increasing demand from a growing world population. Increased demand is increasing pressure to produce higher yields and to grow cereals in more marginal environments, particularly water limited and high salinity sites. Association with endophytic fungi could offer a sustainable method of reducing yield losses to stress, pests and diseases, and presents an opportunity for the New Zealand arable industry to establish itself as a key supplier of a unique and valuable technology.
Nick Pyke, FAR CEO, said “This research is world leading and significant progress has been made in the last two years. Part of the success is due to the extremely effective integration of a talented group of people with a broad range of science skills into an effective team. This group have been working closely with FAR and Grasslanz from the inception of the project to ensure the outcomes address the industry needs. Endophytes which provide valuable agronomic attributes to cereals could significantly reduce agrichemical or water requirements of the crop while improving crop yields. This will provide huge benefits to producers and the environment.”