Right now, in fields, paddocks, orchards, and vineyards across New Zealand, PGG Wrightson is running at least 50 scientific trials. Some may be investigating the efficacy of a novel new plant protection product. Others may be evaluating a biological as part of its registration process or looking at how a fertiliser or plant biostimulant performs in New Zealand’s conditions. This is made possible through PGG Wrightson’s Research and Development arm. What is often an unseen part of the business, is actually a fundamental tenant of our technical offering to our customers.
“We are learning firsthand how these new products work, years before they are sold to the market. We know how these products perform in New Zealand conditions better than the companies who manufacture them,” says Milton Munro, PGG Wrightson Technical Team Manager.
“We know how they stack against competitive products, what conditions are most effective, what adjuvants are needed, whether there are any foibles with timing or application. We know these products inside out and can use this information to help our farmers and growers use them in the best way possible,” he explains.
PGG Wrightson’s Research and Development (R&D) programme started in the 1960s. At the time, the then New Zealand Fruitgrowers Federation believed in the value of this investment on behalf of their grower members, despite others prioritising dividends and expansion. For decades, its primary focus remained on Fruitfed Supplies. However, it expanded to incorporate Rural Supplies in 2018. What has emerged is a robust programme offering incredible value to our customers.
“We want the best outcomes for our customers. We want our people to be the best trained, with the best knowledge. This is why we do it,” says Fruitfed Supplies Technical Manager Kevin Manning.
Kevin has worked with PGG Wrightson on-and-off since 1983. In that time, he has seen the company’s commitment to R&D only grow.
“Everything we do is about empowering our Technical Horticultural Representatives (THRs) and Technical Field Representatives (TFRs) with our growers and farmers. They have deep knowledge and understanding of the products and systems, which comes directly from our Technical Advisors conducting the research,” says Kevin.
One Technical Advisor, Erin Garnett, says having a robust data set is essential.
“In almost every case, we try to collect at least two seasons worth of data. So, when the THRs and TFRs are with their customers, they not only have the data to back them up, but it also shows where in the country and under what conditions they will perform best,” Erin says.
Isolated at the bottom of the pacific, the way these products will behave or perform here may vary from their countries of origin.
“We are an island country with really weird climate variables. We have very young soil that hasn’t had a lot of agriculture. We have only been growing commercial crops and farming for about a century or two, while other nations have been doing this for thousands of years. We are a very unique market. What works in the States or Europe, may not work as well or work too well
in New Zealand.
“We do this work to see how we can best use these products, for the best results, in New Zealand,” says Milton.
R&D at PGG Wrightson is proving technologies and developing new ways to grow plants and feed animals based on real scientific, farmer-driven research.
“We know what we are talking about. We can put our hand on heart and say, ‘you have six products all claiming to the do the same thing, but I am telling you product three is best and here is the data to back that up,” Milton continues.
Research and Development Manager, Vonny Fasi, leads the team of dedicated Technical Advisors running trials across the country. She knows it is our independence that gives confidence to our customers.
“Trust is so important. We do not want to be selling products that do not work. Our Tech Team recommends something to a customer because it works, not because we have a vested interest in a product’s financial success. We work closely with suppliers and are honest with them about how their products perform,” says Vonny.
Many PGG Wrightson trials are part of the registration process for new products coming to the market with agrichemical and fertiliser companies contracting R&D to conduct field trials.
“Suppliers need a good data set for the registration of their products in the country, but we also get to see how theseproducts work in a real-world environment before they go to market. We not only know if a product works, but how and where, often before our competitors even know they exist. This is our real point of difference,” explains Vonny.
For Milton, Kevin, Vonny, and Erin, the value of PGG Wrightson’s R&D programme boils down to trust and integrity. Kevin emphasises that customers do not just have to take their word for it.
“These trials give us the stats and data to back up what we are saying. It is the results that matter, so if it is good for our customers, it is good for us, you know.
There is no benefit in trying to do anything other than what is good for our farmers and growers.”
