Forage Brassica Breeding at Plant & Food Research

Forage Innovations Limited, a joint venture between Plant & Food Research and PGG Wrightson Seeds, is the largest dedicated forage brassica breeding company in the world. FIL develops cultivars of forage brassica specifically bred for New Zealand conditions, including kales, swedes, turnips, rapes and radishes.
The company receives royalties based on seed sales, which funds the breeding of new cultivars with high dry matter yields and increased resistance to pests and diseases, particularly club root and dry rot.
The company has released 23 cultivars since 2000, including Aparima Gold swede, Regal® kale and Goliath® rape. Recent releases have an increased tolerance to the herbicide Telar™ for inclusion in the Cleancrop™ brassica system, allowing farmers to grow brassicas in fields previously deemed unsuitable due to increased weed pressures.