The genetically modified ryegrass has been developed by the Crown Research Institute, AgResearch, at its grasslands center in Palmerston North.
Modelling has found it can grow up to 50% faster than conventional ryegrass, it is more resistant to drought and could reduce methane emissions from animals.

Trials are now progressing in the mid-west of the US, where genetically modified organisms can be field tested outside of the lab.
AgResearch's principal scientist, Greg Bryan, said, “at the moment it was focused on the breeding process, which involved choosing the best performing plants that would be used for future seed production”.

"The High Metabolizable Energy ryegrass has performed well in controlled growing conditions and I've recently returned from the United States where we are growing the plants in field trials in competition with one-another, just as they would in pasture and the plants are doing well," Greg Bryan said.
Dr. Bryan said the ultimate goal of the United States phase of the research was to conduct realistic, rather than simulated, animal nutrition studies.
This would allow AgResearch to evaluate whether the grass might have the potential environmental benefits such as...Click to read more