The long-term aim of this programme is to ensure resilience of our forage-based agriculture system in the face of climate change through the deployment of novel, resilient and economic forage cultivars, including their beneficial microbes.
This science programme has three areas of focus:
- Climate smart forages: Develop new climate-smart forages for long-term solutions while futureproofing and enhancing Aotearoa New Zealand’s most important forages, perennial ryegrass and white clover, in the short to mid-term
- Microbial recruitment: Understand how plants recruit beneficial microbes within soils for enhanced performance
- Robust microbial communities: Develop beneficial microbial communities for pasture crops to enhance traits under future climates, promoting sustainable agriculture.
