top of page

Past and Future Issues

New Zealand Seed industry-prior and current problems

 

Historical challenges:
 
One of the greatest historical challenges faced by the seed industry have been based around the identification and treatment of seed-borne pathogens. Seed pathology has at least 120 years of history in New Zealand, which first began with experiments for the control of cereal smuts (Hampton, 93). The threat of seed-borne pathogens is sure to greatly impact the seed industry of New Zealand well into the future. For many years the seed trade has relied on fungicide treatments to control seed-borne pathogens of cereals, peas and brassicas. “The plant species used in the nation's land-based industries are, for the most part, introduced. So therefore, are its seed-borne pathogens (Hampton,93).”  Around half the seed-borne pathogens recorded internationally have also been recorded in New Zealand and although there are strict biosecurity requirements in place to help prevent the introduction of pathogens, there have been a few slipups in the past. For example, the introduction of pathogens including:
 
  • Ascochyta lentis in 1985.
  • The cucumber mosaic virus in 1994.
 
 
Severe outbreaks of such pathogens were linked to poor seed application techniques which were considered the most likely reason. 1965 saw an epidemic of bacterial blight in Canterbury's pea crops which source was subsequently traced back to infected pea seeds imported from Australia (Hampton,94). This had serious implications for pea seed exporters as the detection of the disease saw crop rejection and the inability to export. The current use of nitrogenous fertilizers and systemic-based seed treatments have for many years prevented such pathogens although they are not always effective. The evolution of seed treatments are as followed in the figure below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since the 1990s, seed industries have adopted new classes of fungicides and insecticides, expanding pest control while reducing environmental impact ( International Seed Federation,2007). Although, newer pathogens such as Fusarium spp cannot be effectively controlled by systemic seed treatments that have been developed and used for the last 20 years.

 

Current challenges:
 
Along with a continues seed-borne pathogen issue, other issues including irrigation, land use change and Climate change are becoming more prevalent in the 21 century.
 
Irrigation issues
Issues regarding irrigation are arising in New Zealand and the seed industry could see some major economic implications as a result of this. Access to water for additional irrigation is currently very restricted due to the decreasing availability of water. This means farmers cannot sufficiently water their crops ultimately resulting in reduced yields. “Economic benefits of irrigation are well documented and include increased productivity, increased economic activity and increased employment (Millner & Roskruge,109).”
 
Land use change
Another growing problem in the arable industry is that of the increased conversions of arable and mixed-arable farms to dairy, particularly in the Canterbury region. Arable farmers converting to dairy production are attracted by a range of benefits including absence of harvest risk, increased profitability, and improved cash flow(Millner & Roskruge,110). The loss of arable farmers is regarded as a serious threat to the arable industry and may eventually result in the loss of key infrastructure and  economies of scale.
 
Climate change
Climate change is currently creating a range of issues within the seed industry and the severity of these issues will only increase with time. Higher carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere are predicted to decline the potential yields of non-irrigated crops(Millner & Roskruge,110). Furthermore,”Negative effects of higher temperatures include increased evapotranspiration and reduced leaf area.. resulting in reduced yields when irrigation is not available.” Indirect effects of temperature changes include the response of pests and diseases to warmer temperatures which could result in an increase of pathogens and outbreaks throughout New Zealand. Climate change will see most crops requiring additional irrigation which is sure to have a major impact on the seed industry and their crop yields as the availability of water is already on a decline.

 

 

References:

 

© 2015 by Eleven Incorporated. Proudly created with Wix.com

  • Facebook Clean
  • LinkedIn Clean
  • Google+ Clean
bottom of page