Plant & Food Research scientists use gene technologies to understand the genetic controls of key plant characteristics

13 August 2024… A biotechnology regulatory system that supports the broader use of gene technologies adds a vital new tool to the scientific toolbox to ensure the future growth of Aotearoa New Zealand’s agrifood sector.

The new regulations – which were announced by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Hon Judith Collins, Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, at Plant & Food Research’s Mt Albert Research Centre today – will allow scientists to develop and test, in real-world settings, plants which have been edited with minor genetic changes similar to those found in nature. The regulations will also remove high administrative burdens for experiments undertaken in containment, improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness of research.

“Aotearoa New Zealand generates a lot of wealth by sustainably growing healthy kai which we share with consumers around the world.  These new regulations will allow scientists to develop new plant varieties so the agrifood sector can adapt at the speed required to meet fast-moving challenges, such as climate change, and remain competitive on the global market,” says Plant & Food Research Chief Scientist, Professor Richard Newcomb. “Regulations around gene technologies, particularly with the advent of high precision technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9, are changing around the world. Researchers and food producers overseas are using these new technologies to develop foods that will directly compete with those from Aotearoa, and may have more of the characteristics that consumers want. By changing our regulations, our sectors can compete on a level playing field; with a wider range of technologies on the table, they will be better placed to be able to make choices that are good for Aotearoa as well as the world.”

Plant & Food Research scientists use gene technologies to understand the genetic controls of key plant characteristics – such as the production and storage of nutritious compounds in fruit, height and branching behaviour, and the development of flowers – and the knowledge is used currently to select parents and offspring in traditional plant breeding programmes. This research supports the development of new varieties of crops that offer additional value to consumers, such as high concentrations of healthy compounds, or that allow growers to produce fruit in new growing systems, such as under cover, or in regions where warmer winters do not provide the environmental triggers needed to initiate flowering.

For more information on Plant & Food Research’s gene technologies research, visit https://www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/gene-technologies.