LATEST NEWS...

Merger Creates New Research Institute
New Zealand's newest Crown Research Institute opened for business on December 1 2008, combining the nation's leading horticulture, arable and seafood research in a single, focused organisation.

AmaizeN tool launched
After three years of development and comprehensive in-field testing, a new crop management tool for maize grain and silage production is available.

Reaping the best of Māori and science
The 'Best of Both Worlds' programme will see a continuing collaboration on vegetable research between Māori landowners and scientists at Crop & Food Research and Auckland University.

Helping farmers manage their most valuable resource
A decision-support tool that helps farmers predict the consequences of management decisions on soil quality and future productivity has been welcomed by farmers.

Crop & Food Research and HortResearch to investigate possible merger
The Boards of HortResearch and Crop & Food Research have received approval from the Minister of Research, Science & Technology Pete Hodgson to investigate merging the two organisations. This approval follows a request made to the Minister by the Boards.

Seafood sector attracts R&D dollars
Research dollars to the seafood sector have more than doubled following this year’s record breaking funding round from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology.

Keeping the natural goodness when scaling-up production
Natural skin and health-care company The Herb Farm is now meeting client demands in New Zealand and considering export markets, following a successful scaling-up of its production line.

Maize silage makes the most of dairy effluent
A project in the Waikato is developing options for dairy farmers concerned about nutrient management.

Spider web inspires new nano fibre venture
A Canterbury student whose research into producing ultra-fine nano fibres is supported by Crop & Food Research, has gone on, in collaboration with partners, to develop an electrospinning machine that is being sold to research laboratories around the world.

Environment-friendly tools for lettuce growers
Lettuce growers have a number of practical new tools at their disposal thanks to a large science programme that has developed a system of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) specifically for the outdoor lettuce crops grown in New Zealand.

High Court decision welcomed
Crop & Food Research has welcomed a High Court decision dismissing an appeal by GE Free NZ in respect of a garden-scale field test of GM brassicas.

Nepalese farmers to benefit from New Zealand crop expertise
Staff working within Crop & Food Research’s forage breeding programmes are spearheading a new and exciting project to alleviate poverty within farming communities in Nepal, and improving household incomes from milk sales.   NZAID, the government’s international aid and development agency, will contribute funding to the project, which is aimed at reducing the significant labour time that some Nepalese women spend in gathering and transporting fodder for livestock.

Approval sought for field evaluation of GM onion, spring onion, garlic and leek
Crop & Food Research has made an application to the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA) to undertake a field evaluation of genetically modified onion, spring onion, garlic and leek.

New fund will boost innovation
Crop & Food Research CEO Mark Ward has welcomed the Government’s announcement today of the NZ Fast Forward fund, saying that it will ultimately drive food exports and so provide added impetus for New Zealand’s continued economic transformation.

Diets high in plants of the cabbage family may ward off bladder cancer
An international team of researchers has discovered that an extract of broccoli sprouts can decrease the incidence of bladder cancer in an animal model by more than 50 per cent.

Philippa Jones wins HR Person of the Year Award
Crop & Food Research congratulates Philippa Jones for winning the supreme award from the Human Resources Institute of New Zealand. Philippa was named Overall HR Person of the Year at the Institute’s awards dinner in Wellington last week. She has also won the HR Generalist of the Year award.

International magazine announces New Zealand “tearless onion” breakthrough
International attention is focusing on “tearless onion” research being conducted by senior Crop & Food Research scientist Dr Colin Eady.

Minister told about international award for New Zealand technology
A lure for thrips, developed at Crop & Food Research in partnership with colleagues from the Netherlands, has attracted an innovation award at an international horticultural exhibition in France.

Crop & Food Research appoints its first Chief Scientist
Crop & Food Research has appointed Dr Julian Lee to the newly-created position of chief scientist. Announcing the appointment, CEO Mark Ward said the role of chief scientist was of critical importance to the science-based organisation and Dr Lee would play a key role in ensuring the Institute’s science developed to its full potential. 

Strong growth in cereal-based food exports
A new analysis of New Zealand’s cereal-based foods and baked-goods sector has shown it to be achieving significant and consistent export growth. Crop & Food Research Business manager Tim Lindley says that alongside recent growth in the vegetables-based food and milk sectors, the cereal sector is moving strongly forward.

New food concepts research leader at Crop & Food Research
Dr Lee Huffman is the newly appointed Research Leader for Food Concepts at Crop & Food Research. Dr Huffman brings to the role her experience in developing and commercialising protein ingredients, sports nutrition beverages and snack bars and taking them to market.