What better way to launch a new business than to release an exciting white clover cultivar? That’s what the new Grasslanz™ pasture technology company did at the recent Manawatu Annual Grassland Conference. Celentis, the commercial arm of AgResearch, launched its newest company, to be known as Grasslanz Technology Limited, by sponsoring a session during the New Zealand Grassland Association’s annual conference, held last month in Palmerston North.

Grasslanz™ was developed from the successful AgResearch Cultivar Development and Management Unit, recognised for many years as a world leader in pasture technology. “The new company markets the Grasslands™ brand of forage plants,” says Grasslanz CEO John Stewart, “and we hold the world’s No.1 market position in white clover and grass endophyte technologies. So it seemed logical to start our new business by launching a new improved white clover – Grasslands Tribute.”

Tribute is a medium to large-leaved white clover, bred at AgResearch Grasslands by clover breeding science leader, Derek Woodfield. Breeding Tribute white clover started with a breeding programme in conjunction with Daratech in Victoria.

“We bred it from crosses between the best AgResearch and adapted Australia germplasm for performing under drought stress in Victoria,” explained Dr Woodfield. “Selected plants were screened for agronomic performance in New Zealand and then reselected for medium-large leaf size, uniform flowering pattern, absence of foliar disease and high seed yield potential.”

Almost half the 11 parental lines of Tribute came from plants based on material from Syria, with the remainder being plants based on the successful Sustain dairying cultivar, and two other selections - Southern Europe II and Crau.

Grasslanz™ decided to release Tribute because of its consistent performance and persistence under grazing. Results from seven trials carried out in several New Zealand regions showed that Tribute performs really well under sheep and dairy grazing.

“It shows better persistence than other medium-large leaved cultivars,“ says Dr Woodfield, and has good tolerance to clover root weevil, where other clovers decline or disappear. Furthermore, Tribute white clover has very good cool-season growth and drought tolerance, and this combines with the other features to make it a suitable clover for improved pastures.”

Marketed by Agricom New Zealand in this country and Australia, Tribute is expected to perform well as the main white clover component in dairy, beef, intensive sheep and deer systems – a most suitable product from which the new Grasslanz™ can further develop its business.