27 June 2001 University researchers and plant protection company share top achievement award

Research and development of biological control agents "friendly" to sustainable production and chemical-free consumer preferences has won a Lincoln University scientific team and a Christchurch plant protection company the top award for 2001 for contributions to the advancement of agriculture/horticulture in Canterbury.

The Agricom (NZ) Ltd Significant Achievement Award for 2001 has been presented to Lincoln University's Plant Pathology Research Group, led by Professor Alison Stewart, and its technology partner Agrimm Technologies Ltd, under Technical Manager and Director Dr John Hunt.

The award, valued at $1000, is made by the Canterbury Section Committee of the NZ Institute of Agricultural Science, the NZ Society for Horticultural Science and the Canterbury/Westland Branch of the NZ Institute of Primary Industry Management.

It was presented by the Marketing Manager of the sponsor, Agricom (NZ) Ltd, Brian Sampson, at the NZIAS/NZSHS Convention at Lincoln University on the evening of 27 June.

The Lincoln team's work has focused on identifying and optimising biocontrol agents for a range of crop diseases, with the agents then being commercialised through Agrimm Technologies Ltd.

The products are suitable for organic farming and for use in integrated pes and disease management systems, acting as an alternative to chemical pesticides.

The first commercial product developed by the group, Trichopel-ALI-52, will soon be available to control the economically costly onion white rot disease caused by the pathogen Sclerotium cepivorum.

Other products, based on Trichoderma and Coniothyrium spp. are currently being developed for use against the agent that causes lettuce drop and field rots of many fruit and vegetable crops.

To allow for different application strategies, the products have been formulated as granules, soil drenches or for incorporation in transplant potting mixes.

Trials under a variety of disease pressures and climatic conditions have shown the products to give a level of control equal to or better than the recommended fungicides.

Research by the Lincoln team is now concentrating on providing biocontrol agents for a wider spectrum of crop diseases and optimising timing, application and formulations for a wider range of vegetable and horticultural crops.

In addition to the onion and lettuce biocontrol work, research by the group in association with Agrimm Technologies is investigating the development of control agents for turf grass problems and arable crops such as peas and cereals.

Lincoln and Agrimm have worked closely with commercial growers in Christchurch's market garden belt to the north of the city, and there has been wide praise for the good working relationship developed between the growers, researchers and the commercial technology company.

Dr John Keoghan of the organising committee of the NZIAS/NZSHS Convention at which the awards were made, praised the partnership between the University, the technology company and the growers as a "fine example of the sort of positive team effort that can underpin progress in a knowledge economy".

"Knowledge has little value in a vacuum," he said. "It is the utilisation and application of that knowledge which gives it value. Lincoln University's Plant Pathology Research Group, Agrimm Technologies Ltd, and the participating commercial growers involved in the trials have shown what can be achieved in this respect through constructive collaboration."

Members of Lincoln University's Plant Pathology Research Group who share the award with Professor Stewart are Dr Hayley Ridgway (molecular biology research manager), Dr Nimal Rabeendran (technical research), Judith Pay (technical research), Jayanthi Swaminathan (technical research), Kirstin McLean (research and development), Belinda Sleight (funding and trial management).

Ian Collins, Journalist, Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand.