PGG Wrightson Seeds

15/09/2026

Say hello to the newest face at PGG Wrightson Seeds!

We're excited to welcome Jane Mickleson to the team as our new Lower North Island Forage Agronomist.

Originally from a sheep and beef farm in Taihape, Jane made her way south to Lincoln University, where she completed a Bachelor of Science. Since then, she has built her career in the agricultural sector, working throughout the Manawatū region and developing a strong passion for the industry.

When she's not working, Jane can be found hitting the ski slopes or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Please join us in giving Jane a warm welcome to PGG Wrightson Seeds! 🌱

PGG Wrightson Seeds has been supporting New Zealand farmers for over 160 years. With more than $18 million invested annually in research and development, we’re leading the way in forage and endophyte innovation.

01/09/2026

Spot the Difference!

Amigain red clover demonstrating a more prostrate growth habit than a traditional cowgrass type under sheep grazing in Canterbury.

Latest generation, New Zealand red clover bred to persist and perform in both pasture mixtures and pure stands.

26/08/2026

25/08/2026

Seldom in Chris’s career in the seed business has he been as excited about grass as he is about the results being seen with the use of our new diploid perennial ryegrass Midway. The uptake of this new product has been impressive throughout his region of the upper South Island, highlighting the ‘system fit’ being recognised by rural retailers and farmers alike. With its earlier-than-most flowering date (+3) ensuring great early-season production, Midway is also bucking the trend of most mid-flowerers and continuing to top trials through into Autumn and Winter (see NFVT results 25-26).

Coupled with being a diploid ryegrass and its availability in both AR1 and the new AR128 endophyte, allows Midway to be used across all stock classes and in virtually all situations where a robust, high-producing perennial pasture is desired.

So don’t sit on the sidelines this Spring when you are making decisions around what grass to use; choose the best, choose MIDWAY!

To find out more about Midway and how it could fit your farming system, visit our website.
https://f.mtr.cool/jpbd79qyzy

Midway is a diploid, mid-flowering perennial ryegrass, that could fit across any pasture-based system in New Zealand, especially where early spring growth is required.

19/08/2026

Who knew something we cannot visually see has been worth billions of dollars to the New Zealand pastoral industry?

That’s endophyte, a fungus that lives symbiotically in ryegrass and tall fescue plants, producing alkaloids that deter or kill a range of pasture pests, while the plant provides the endophyte with nutrients and a place to live.

In the early 2000s, AgResearch released AR1, a novel endophyte that was commercialised in multiple perennial ryegrass cultivars. AR1 was valued for its absence of ryegrass staggers and heat stress risks while still providing protection against Argentine stem weevil. However, it was soon discovered that AR1 did not offer the level of control required against several other pasture pests.

As a result, a long-term collaboration between AgResearch, Grasslanz Technology and PGG Wrightson Seeds was established to identify the next generation of endophytes. The culmination of this research by the Endophyte Discovery Team at AgResearch was recently recognised with the Prime Minister’s Science Prize, acknowledging the estimated $3.6 billion generated over 20 years from the next-generation endophyte, AR37.

In the next episode, we will explore AR37 in more detail and look at the next generation of endophyte technology.

18/08/2026

Accrue perennial ryegrass has now been in the market for two years, and it has had a pretty tough test here in the Waikato. Its first season was dominated by drought conditions, while the second brought a wet summer. Despite two very different growing environments, Accrue has consistently performed wherever it has been sown.

What has really stood out to Sam Wiltshire, Northland/Northern Waikato Area Sales Agronomist, is its performance on Waikato peat soils. These soils are unforgiving at the best of times and quickly highlight any weaknesses in a cultivar, but Accrue has continued to look impressive, with strong year-round growth, excellent persistence, and great pasture quality.

Accrue is a very late-heading diploid perennial ryegrass (22+ days), which helps maintain feed quality deeper into spring and summer and supports a more consistent pasture throughout the season. Combined with the AR37 endophyte, Sam has been hearing very positive feedback from farmers regarding stock performance and pasture persistence.

A comment that's been coming up regularly is how well cows seem to utilise Accrue. Farmers are finding it easier to achieve consistent, even post-grazing residuals with this tasty diploid cultivar, compared to other diploid perennial ryegrasses on the market. When cows are grazing cleanly, and residuals are easier to manage, it makes life simpler and helps maintain pasture quality moving forward.

It is still early days in the life of this cultivar, but after seeing it handle both drought and a wet summer while continuing to stand out, Sam is excited about what the future holds for Accrue.

Accrue is the latest generation, very late flowering (+22 days) diploid perennial ryegrasses from PGG Wrightson Seeds.

11/08/2026

Meet Tayla Hill, our new Forage Agronomist for the Upper North Island. A proud Chiefs fan from birth, Tayla joins us after a few big years of study, work, and travel.

After graduating from Lincoln University with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with First Class Honours, she escaped to Western Australia to work as a feedlot manager in Kojonup, swapping lecture theatres for sheep yards and a whole lot of heat.

When she wasn’t in Kojonup, she was off exploring Europe and the UK, including a stint based in the mountains of Chamonix, France, not a bad spot to find herself.

Now she’s back home in New Zealand and keen to get stuck into her agricultural roots in the mighty Waikato.

Welcome to the team, Tayla.

04/08/2026

Behind the Scenes: Ensuring Quality You Can Trust

Ever wondered what goes into making sure your seed performs at its best?

At our PGG Wrightson Seeds Kimihia Laboratory, we conduct our seed tests in accordance with the rules of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA). ISTA have internationally recognised standards to ensure the consistency and reliability of seed testing across global markets. In simple terms, that means that every seed line is rigorously tested before it even reaches your farm gate.

Here’s a quick look at three key lab testing procedures:

1. Germination Testing
If it doesn’t grow, it doesn’t go. We determine what percentage of seeds successfully germinate under ideal conditions, with an interim germination count at day seven and a final germination count at day ten. Strong germination means strong establishment and better pasture performance from day one.

2. Endophyte Testing
Endophyte plays a big role in pasture performance and persistence—especially under New Zealand insect pest pressure. Our AR128 endophyte helps protect against Argentine stem weevil, pasture mealy bug, black beetle, root aphid, and porina. We test to ensure endophyte levels exceed our standard (>70%), so your pasture has the protection it needs.

3. Purity Testing
This test checks exactly what’s in the bag. We measure inert matter (like soil, chaff, or broken seed) and identify any unwanted seed species. High purity means you’re getting what you paid for—and nothing you didn’t.

Why it matters:
Every test is about one thing: giving you better quality seed and better results in the field.

29/07/2026

Ecologically, New Zealand presents a unique challenge for long-lived ryegrass-based pastures. Unlike other ryegrass-growing areas of the world, our native or exotic insect pasture pests have not co-evolved with natural control mechanisms, meaning as a country we are more vulnerable to insect attacks than other pasture-growing areas of the world.

Fortunately, mother nature provided us with an answer in the form of a fungus called an endophyte, which can co-exist in our ryegrass and produce alkaloids that deter or kill certain pasture pests.

During the 1980s, ‘wild type’ (standard) endophyte in ryegrass became more understood, including its detrimental effects on grazing livestock, which became known as endophyte-associated ‘ryegrass staggers’ and heat stress.

Once the relationship became more understood, the research and pastoral industry responded, discovering and commercialising novel endophytes such as AR1 and AR37 that transformed the grazing pastures of New Zealand.

In an upcoming series, we will look into endophytes and the value they can create on farm.

28/07/2026

Interested in how forage crops can help reduce the ingestion of L3 larvae by livestock?

This is just a snapshot of the work carried out on Ethan's farm. To learn more about how forage crops can support parasite management while helping maintain a profitable farming system, read our full guide on the website.
https://f.mtr.cool/yshjxrrvgi