AgResearch will soon seek regulatory approval for field
trials of new transgenic grasses it claims could reduce
greenhouse gas emissions.
An application is expected to be lodged with the
Environmental Risk Management Authority for the trials.
The locations and trial plot sizes are still to be
determined, but several venues have been proposed.
AgResearch's applied biotechnologies manager, Jimmy Suttie,
said the transgenic grasses had both environmental and
productivity advantages.
The grasses were high in energy, which meant fewer animals
were needed to get the same production, reducing the amount
of methane released.
The science behind the forage meant digestion of the plant
was more efficient, cutting the amount of methane produced by
animals and increasing energy that went into tissue and
productivity.
But Dr Suttie said the technology also had implications for
further research to cut methane emissions and reduce the
volume of water required by the plants.
The greenhouse gas methane was New Zealand's greatest
contributor to climate change, but farmers and the primary
sector have said they had few options to reduce its
production, other than reducing the number of animals on
farms.
AgResearch was working with the authority to determine what
approval it needed, after which it would make a detailed and
specific application for field trials at several venues
around the country.
Dr Suttie said the research had the backing of Dairy New
Zealand, Meat and Wool New Zealand and Deer Industry New
Zealand.
"All the major producer bodies and major companies involved
in New Zealand agriculture are all investing in plant
biotechnology at the moment."
This showed industry was supportive of the technology, unlike
its transgenic animal research, which Dr Suttie said
AgResearch carried out on its own.
He said the science company would not do that again.
"AgResearch won't go it alone. If industry is not supportive
of us, we won't do it ourselves."
While some people were opposed the technology and always
would be, Dr Suttie said industry support was important for
the application to the environmental authority.
If the application process went to plan, Dr Suttie said the
first transgenic forages could be ready for sowing in field
trials by 2017.
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