The ink is dry, and trials are underway at PGG Wrightson's new Research & Development (R&D) site in Hastings. In September, PGG Wrightson signed the lease to the Geelan Family Trust Research Station and further cements the company's longstanding commitment and investment into R&D.
The 2.8-hectare site, previously operated by Bayer Crop Science, is set up for conducting multiple research trials at once. Split into multiple sections for horticulture, viticulture, and crop trials, the site has 600 apple trees, 50 peach trees, 1,100m of grapevines, and around one hectare of grasses to be cultivated into fodder and onion crops.
“This site is a bit of a unicorn. If we were to try to replicate this elsewhere, it would be at least five years before we could even think about starting trial work. Yet, this site meant we were up and running on day dot,” explains PGG Wrightson Technical Teams Manager Milton Munro.
A long history of prioritising R&D
PGG Wrightson has a long history of prioritising investment into R&D. Their first foray into R&D began in the 1960s on behalf of Fruitfed customers who faced stringent export rules. Over the last decade, the company expanded their scope to include the agriculture sector.
PGG Wrightson’s R&D team runs around 70 scientific trials across the country a year. Their focus varies, but each trial builds a deeper knowledge and understanding of the products supplied to customers. One trial may be investigating the efficacy of a new novel plant protection product or evaluating a biological as part of its registration process, while other trials look at how a product developed overseas works in New Zealand’s conditions.
However, each requires collaborating closely with cooperating farmers and growers who must take a portion of their valuable, productive lands out of circulation. The new site relieves part of this burden, while also creating a more controlled, scalable research programme.
“What is often an unseen part of our business is a fundamental tenant of our technical offering to our customers. Because we are successful when our customers are successful, we want assurance and data to back up product label claims. We take incredible pride in having the largest investment in R&D within the New Zealand agricultural and horticultural retail sector,” says PGG Wrightson General Manager of Retail and Water Nick Berry.
Results speak for themselves
“Our trials mean we learn firsthand how these products work, often years before they are sold to the market or before our competitors are even aware of them. We know these products inside and out—how they stack up compared to comparable products, what adjuvants are needed, and how they work in local conditions. Sometimes, we know these products better than their manufacturers,” says Milton.
As an isolated Pacific nation, New Zealand has a unique environment which means products designed overseas will perform very differently than their countries of origin.
“Our soil is relatively young. Other nations have been farming for thousands of years, while we have only been growing commercial crops and farming for a century or two. So, knowing what works in New Zealand, and how to get the best results, is vitally important for our farmers and growers,” says Milton.
Creating a centre of excellence
Though PGG Wrightson just took over the lease on 1 September, initial results from the first trials are expected as early as January.
“It will be a centre of excellence. In addition to investing in the site, we are also investing in growing our R&D team through additional training and staff,” says Nick.
For the team of Technical Advisors running PGG Wrightson’s trials, this is an opportunity to upskill the company’s Technical Field and Horticultural Representatives and staff. It is also an opportunity to showcase emerging research and technologies to PGG Wrightson's staff, customers, and suppliers.
For Milton, another important benefit is continuing to help suppliers go through the registration process.
“Look, the current speed of our regulatory process is too slow. It is a risk to our primary sector, and our farmers and growers are understandably worried about being disadvantaged. This site allows us to play our part in helping these new products to market, of course New Zealand needs to play its part, too.”
The site, while exciting for PGG Wrightson and their team of scientists, is really about bringing value to customers, as Nick explains.
“The research we can conduct at this special purpose-built facility means delivering even greater value on-farm and orchards for years to come. Everything is about empowering our Technical Field and Technical Horticultural Representatives. When they meet with customers, they have the data and knowledge to back up what they are saying, which makes them trusted advisors.”
