This programme aims to deliver a competitive advantage for New Zealand's seed exporters, enabling them to substantially expand export sales.

New Zealand exports more than 25,000 tonnes of seed each year, with a value of more than $120 million.

Traditionally, the seed industry has been focused on pasture species, including New Zealand-bred cultivars of ryegrass, fescue and clover, but recently there has been an increasing trend towards production of vegetable seeds.

Sales of hybrid vegetable seed comprise about $4.5 billion of the world's $31 billion flower, vegetable and fruit seed market. Although a small player in this large export market, New Zealand has an international reputation for high-quality seed production.

Growers of vegetable and forage brassicas can suffer large financial losses from disease and pest damage.

Chemical disease and pest control is expensive and a cause of increasing concern to consumers, as are genetic modification solutions. This programme aims to overcome these environmental and consumer concerns by reducing
crop yield losses through biocontrol.

Based on microbe-activated novel and enhanced biological attributes, Smart Seeds will provide our seed exporters with a high-value product that meets grower and consumer needs.

The opportunity this creates will strengthen an established industry actively looking for positive change. We estimate significant increases in the annual export value of brassica seed - from the current $12.6M to $58M by 2022.

Programme Leaders:
Professor John Hampton - Lincoln University
Professor Alison Stewart - Centre Director

Main funder:
Foundation for Research, Science & Technology

Co-funders:
Foundation for Arable Research
PGG Wrightson Seeds Ltd
South Pacific Seeds (NZ) Ltd

Key research partners:
AgResearch
Crop & Food Research

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