Pasture Innovations | Teagasc and Goldcrop Launch Long-Term Grass and Clover Genetic Improvement Program
Teagasc and Goldcrop have signed a long-term grass and clover genetic improvement agreement today, 4 July, at the Teagasc Moorepark Dairy Open Day. The new breeding and commercialisation collaboration will be called Pasture Innovations. The new agreement signed today is for a 15-year term with extension options. This follows from the very successful 10-year agreement previously in place between the two organisations. Pasture Innovations allows Goldcrop to have the sole marketing and propagation worldwide rights to all forage material bred from the Teagasc Oak Park grass and clover breeding programme.
Speaking at the signing, Professor Frank O’Mara, Teagasc Director, said, “This is a crucial vote of confidence and commitment by Goldcrop in the very successful Teagasc breeding programme at Oak Park. It gives the programme more scope to progress in the years ahead, to continue to produce grasses, clovers and herbs for Irish grassland farmers.”
The Oak Park breeding programme has been the breeding source of outstanding Perennial Ryegrass and Clover varieties in the past three decades. The new agreement with Goldcrop is another positive step for the programme. Breeding improved varieties of grasses, legumes and herbs, specifically for Irish conditions and management, ensures the competitiveness of Pasture systems into the future.
Teagasc has its own Pasture Breeding unit, with the senior grass breeder Dr. Patrick Conaghan leading the team. The breeding programme is part of the Grassland Science Department led by Professor Michael O’Donovan. The new collaboration will assist in supporting and resourcing the breeding programme. The breeding team make crosses and conducts evaluations with a specific emphasis on the sub-indices of the Irish Pasture Profit Index for grasses and a similar focus for White Clover, Red Clover and Herbs. This allows for an emphasis on breeding for grazing and new varieties that address the challenges facing Irish farmers. In the past months, the Oak Park programme has delivered two outstanding clover varieties achieving recommendations on the UK NIAB list, Clodagh (White Clover) and Fearga (Red Clover); both have achieved outstanding performance rankings for several traits in the list.
At the launch, John Murphy, Managing Director of Goldcrop, said, “Goldcrop prides itself in supporting the entire Agri-food sector by bringing advanced genetic material that meets the challenges facing Irish farmers. The long-term, extensive collaboration, Pasture Innovations, paves the way to drive a better next generation of improved Pasture varieties”.
Goldcrop is Ireland’s largest seed wholesaler, supporting over 80 jobs across its three locations in Carrigtwohill, Killavullen and Dunleer. Goldcrop will act as a catalyst within the long-term collaboration to improve genetic gain. Seed Production and commercialisation are also the responsibility of Goldcrop. To date, from the collaboration Goldcrop have in the market, or close to commercial release, the following varieties: OakPark, Glenfield, Chatsworth, GlenRock, GlenEagle, Bandon, Clonakilty, Clodagh, Hollywood and Fearga across Ireland and the UK. It is good news for Irish grassland farmers to have a National grass breeding programme directly supported by an Irish-owned company Goldcrop, committed to supporting Irish grassland farmers.
More information is available at www.pastureinnovations.ie
