Results from research

Press, 24 October 1984, Page 16

Results from research

Lincoln College has the smallest student roll of all New Zealand’s university institutions, yet ranks third in the list of research funds for universities this year. This is a compliment to the standard and value of research done at the college and to the reputation that the college has earned; it also says a lot about the emphasis of research . in New Zealand. Agriculture is by far the biggest recipient of New Zealand’s research. New Zealand, will continue to depend heavily on the export earnings from agriculture; so continued application of scarce funds to agriculture research can be expected to show dividends. Funds for research in New Zealand are not abundant. The economic climate is not encouraging private industry to increase its own efforts, and greater spending in the public sector necessarily would be at the expense of other votes. Funding research is an act of faith and, at times when resources are scarce, as much money as possible has to be made available to break out of the circle. Technology may be imported from overseas; it needs to be understood and usually has to be adapted for use in New Zealand. This requires local research and development skills. In addition, development of local research and development allows New Zealand to be a better-informed buyer and user of overseas technology. In some fields, however — and agriculture is chief among them — New Zealand leads the world, or the home-grown product is all that is available. The need for research cannot be denied; nor can the practical applications of the research being done at Lincoln. The purpose of research is changing to reflect the times. Because production of traditional produce outstrips the demand for it, the research dollar is being directed increasingly towards marketing and

presentation rather than improving production. In broad terms, for instance, research is focusing more on the problems of developing wool as a commercial commodity rather than being directed at increasing the wool supply. The problem that must be guarded against is one that has shown itself in the past to be a breakdown in communication between the researchers and those who can turn the results of the research to profit. The investment of a research dollar brings no return until it is translated from the laboratory or the field trial to the farm and to the factory. Experience in agricultural research in New Zealand has shown that the uptake of results varies widely. Sometimes those who stand to benefit are reluctant to adopt new techniques or new technology. In rapidly developing fields, such as some of the newer forms of horticulture, laboratory results are put into practice as soon as they are communicated. Improvements in communication have been made in recent years, one example being the combined centre at Lincoln for the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. This has provided a link between the research scientists and farm advisory officers that had been obstructed previously by the comparative isolation of scattered research bases. The total research budget for Lincoln College is $329,000 this year, a small enough sum for the importance of the work that is being done. Although more money would be welcome, the figure serves to highlight the need to make the most effective use possible of every dollar. This will require communication of the results of research to the farm or to the workplace as soon as possible, or else the full benefits of the research will not be reaped.