• Research Capabilities
  • Sustainable land and water use
  • High performance plants
    • Breeding for targeted traits
    • Safety of gene biotechnologies
    • Technologies for growing gourmet foods
    • Natural pigments to enhance visual appeal
    • Bioactives from plants and produce
    • Increasing the value of cut flowers and foliage
    • Research programmes
  • Personalised foods
  • High value marine products
  • New biomolecules and biomaterials

We are using specialised skills in in vitro breeding techniques to develop novel flower and foliage cultivars that attract premium prices in international markets and can be licensed in other countries. Recent successes include the breeding of a pink-flowered gentian 'Showtime Spotlight' and the highly prized red cultivar 'Showtime Diva'. These novel coloured genetians have been produced in partnership with Rhindo International Ltd, a joint venture between Crop & Food Research, Southland Flowers, and Japan's largest gentian supplier, Ashiro-cho.

We are also working with industry to increase shelf life and maximise export returns by developing improved crop production systems and postharvest techniques. A good example of progress in this area is our partnership with Green Harvest Pacific, a south Auckland-based ornamental commercialisation and exporting company, which has led to the production of a new orangey-red cyrtanthus that has long stems and a long postharvest life. We have developed techniques to extend the flowering time of this crop from 6 weeks to 15 weeks.

Another key area of research is new technologies and improved techniques for tissue culture. We work closely with commercial tissue culture laboratories to put these developments into practice.

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