Forage Innovations Limited (FIL) is an incorporated joint venture between PGG Wrightson Seeds Holdings Limited and The New Zealand institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (Plant and Food Research) which focuses on the development of forage brassicas (including kales, swedes, turnips, rapes and radishes) and forage cereals.

Brassica crops, like forage rape, swede and kale, provide a means whereby farmers can feed their livestock in times of low pasture. FIL aim to breed new cultivars with high nutrition and energy so that livestock doesn’t go without when the grass doesn’t grow, and they help farmers manage their brassica crops to keep their farms healthy. The FIL forage cereal breeding programme is aimed at developing high-quality cereal forages with superior disease resistance that are suitable for a range of New Zealand farming systems. FIL invests in step change technologies that will enable introduction of novel traits that create added economic value for farmers.

At the heart of this FIL partnership is a feedback loop between scientists and growers to ensure the new cultivars are meeting the farmer need. FIL products are marketed through PGG Wrightson Seeds and, Agricom, who provide a wraparound service where their specialists support farmers with their rotation system decisions, and provide them with the information to select the best cultivars for their situation and how to get the best from their forage crops.

Since the formation of FIL in 2009, over 40 new cultivars have been bred and released for commercialisation in New Zealand, Australia and internationally. Our ongoing breeding and development work is funded from the royalties received from sales of the forage cultivars that we breed.

We have active plant breeding programmes at:

• Kimihia Research Centre, Lincoln, New Zealand
   
• Plant & Food Research, Lincoln, New Zealand
   
• Plant & Food Research, Gore, New Zealand
   
• Plant & Food Research, Palmerston North, New Zealand

The Lincoln sites operate the kale, raphanobrassica, forage rape, turnip and radish breeding activities, with swede breeding in Gore. Lincoln is also a key site for forage cereal breeding and seed production screening and multiplication for both the brassica and forage cereal programmes. Palmerston North provides a key North Island site for forage cereal disease screening activities.

We also operate a network of trial sites for evaluation of multi-environment testing of elite lines, across New Zealand and Australia (Ballarat and Lismore).

Plant breeding and cultivar evaluation is led by plant breeders within both PGG Wrightson Seeds and Plant & Food Research, with trialling support from Agricom. The programmes are field based and supporting science and technology are accessed from Plant & Food Research Limited. We apply out collective expertise in genomics, new breeding technology, plant pathology, analytical biochemistry, sustainable production and crop modelling to develop superior varieties. We embrace collaboration with scientific institutions and Universities for access to new technologies and thinking.

The company has released varieties such as Aparima Gold swede, Regal® kale and Goliath® forage rape. More recent releases include those cultivars that have a resistance to the herbicide Telar™ for inclusion in the Cleancrop™ Brassica System, allowing farmers to grow brassicas in fields previously deemed unsuitable due to increased weed pressures.

FIL developed Pallaton Raphno®, a raphanobrassica, given that increased demand for flat land for dairy production and horticulture, sheep and beef enterprises being pushed to finish stock in more marginal land areas. This change required forage crop options that are suitable for growing in land with lower soil moisture availability and lower fertility. Pallaton Raphno®, is a multiple graze forage, selected for high cumulative yields, increased water use efficiency and resistance to the soil borne disease, clubroot. Pallaton Raphno® is delivering for sheep and beef farmers by ensuring stock is finished quicker and at higher liveweights. The resilience of the plant allows for quick recovery form dry conditions and the flexible grazing provides numerous options.

Forage Innovations has been active in developing and incorporating novel technologies and traits into breeding programmes where appropriate. 

Current areas of focus are:

• High yielding disease tolerant varieties to ensure continuous improvements in productivity
• Varietal development for a changing climate
• Forage cereals as a catch crop to mop up excess nitrogen

To view FIL products that have been commercialised see agricom.co.nz and pggwrightsonseeds.com