Pasture research offers boosted profits

By PHILIPPA STEVENSON

Independent biotechnology company Genesis Research is to partner rural service company Wrightson in the development of productivity-boosting pasture plants.

Improved weight gain in cattle and sheep of up to 40 per cent has already been achieved by using certain grass species on farm, and the companies hope to build on that to improve farm profitability.

Yesterday, they announced a long-term research project to identify the grasses with desirable gene traits and commercialise the discoveries.

Initially they will focus on specialised DNA databases for two new-generation Wrightson ryegrass varieties.

Wrightson said recently that about 50 per cent of sheep and beef farmers were economically unsustainable but that better management systems could boost profitability by $300 to $400 a hectare.

The companies said they aimed to identify gene traits that could be accelerated through natural breeding, and had no plan for genetic modification.