Over The Horizon

Fescue-Friendly Fungus Leased

Some novel pasture technology, based on an animal-friendly fungus, has been licensed by AgResearch to solve one of the US's major farm animal health problems.

Toxic endophyte fungus in ryegrass, the most commonly used pasture grass in New Zealand, causes animal health disorders in our farm livestock. North Americans suffer from a similar problem in tall fescue, with the fungi costing over $2 billion annually in reduced weight gains, lower conception rates and even death among cattle, horses and sheep.

AgResearch has developed types of the endophyte fungus which do not produce the toxins affecting grazing animals in tall fescue, but which still retain an important insect feed deterrent that helps the plants to persist. Endophyte-free fescue cultivars currently on the market are very susceptible to drought and insects, and have a short lifespan of around three years. The new varieties unveiled today are expected to last a minimum of seven years.

This technology has been licensed, in partnership with two New Zealand seed companies, for exclusive use by Pennington Seed, a wholesale seed company marketing in the main tall fescue growing area of the US. The first endophyte-enhanced tall fescue varieties will go on the US market in summer 2000.

"It is great that the royalties from this technology will flow back to New Zealand to fund other research of more direct benefit to this country," says Dr John Hay, general manager at AgResearch Grasslands.