New head of crop research

Press, 7 January 1983, Page 12

New head of crop research

Dr Michael Dunbicr has been appointed director of the Crop Research Division of the D.S.I.R. at Lincoln. He will take over from Dr Harvey Smith on February 2, who is retiring after 18 years as director to take up a new career as a private consultant in horticulture and plant breeding. Since completing his doctorate in 1974. Dr Dunbier has been a lucerne breeder at the Crop Research Division at Lincoln. In 1979 he was put in charge of the field crops group which is responsible for the offstation evaluation of breeding lines prior to release and for the production of pure seed of new and existing varieties.

Dr Dunbier has also been responsible for the divisions plant variety rights work, and is well-known for his breeding of the aphid-resist-ant lucerne, Rere, and for his appreciation of the role of plant breeding in New Zealand agriculture. Dr Dunbier said that he is optimistic about the future for arable farming provided

it could go with the market forces in a professional manner and that it could accept greater specialisation. “As New Zealand agriculture is becoming more mar-ket-orientated so plant breeding must become more market-orientated." he said. As a consequence, Dr Dunbier said that the division' will be working even closer' with industry than it has been in the past.