Plant breeders ‘unsung heroes’ of N.Z. farming industries

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 18

Plant breeders ‘unsung heroes’ of N.Z. farming industries

In a speech to launch a book called “Plant Breeding in New Zealand,” the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr lan Shearer, called plant breeders the unsung heroes of New Zealand’s pastoral, horticultural and forestry-based industries. The book goes a long way towards explaining why the Minister’s claim was not hyperbole and in the process does a very professional job of promoting the work of the D.S.I.R. in plant breeding. Private plant breeding, only about 10 years old in New Zealand, gets a little look into the book with the inclusion of chapters by Mr J. Amos, of Auckland, on ornamentals and Mr Chris,Mortlock, of Dalgety Crown, Ltd, Wellington on plant breeding in the seed industry. So in essence the very attractive book, published by Butterworths of New Zealand, Ltd, in association with the D.5.1.R., is to explain the work of the Crop Research and Grasslands Divisions to the public. It could perhaps be con-

sidered a result of the commercial emphasis which has characterised Government plant breeding since the beginning of private breeding and the adoption of Plant Variety Rights. Dr Harvey Smith, of Prebbleton, who retired as director of the Crop Research Division in 1983, counted" among his achievements the successful introduction of P.V.R. and an efficient marketing system for D.5.1J1.-bred cultivars. As Dr Smith is co-editor of this book with Ms Gillian Wratt, also of the C.R.D., it is not hard to see that its publication continues the emphasis on commercialisation which was a feature of his period as director. Dr Shearer said the book represented in many ways the coming of age of plant breeding in New Zealand. “It records the way plants from the different agricultural systems and climate of the Northern Hemisphere have been adapted for commercial and domestic use here.

“New Zealand’s work in this field has a high standing in international terms. “New Zealand pasture plant cultivars are highly regarded throughout Europe, South America and

Australia. New Zealand pea cultivars are grown in Australia and the United Kingdom, while apple cultivars are pushing the golden delicious trees out of French orchards.” The D.S.I.R. maintains that the book is not a highly technical study. It is pitched at the general reader, dealing more with the history and achievements of this branch of science rather than its technical aspects. For each plant, a brief description of the plant and its use is followed by an

outline of the development of improved cultivars together with diagrams and photographs of the breeding process and results. Examinations of. individual plants are complemented by more general chapters outlining the background and importance of breeding plants for the arable, pastoral and horticultural industries. Copies of the book are available from Butterworths of N.Z., P.O. Box 472, Wellington, for $39.50 a copy.