AgResearch and its partners are seeking government clearance to run contained outdoor trials of gene-edited ryegrass.
An application is expected to be made to the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in the coming months and, if successful, would be the first trial of its type in New Zealand in more than a decade.
Researchers want to to grow ryegrass that contains gene-edited Epichloe endophytes at a "suitable" site.
Endophytes living inside ryegrass release substances deterring insect pests from eating it and improve plant growth and persistence.
This is expected to result in a reduced need for chemical pesticides and increased milk and meat production.
Some endophytes protecting ryegrass against pests also produce toxins harmful to feeding livestock, causing heat stress or a disease called ryegrass staggers.
AgResearch and its commercial partners PGG Wrightson Seeds and Grasslanz Technology have identified gene-editing changes in the endophytes resulting in either greater plant protection or less harm to livestock.
"If approved, the proposed trial would allow scientists to test how the ryegrass with gene-edited endophytes grows in outdoor conditions in New Zealand, as well as their resistance to insect pests," according to an AgResearch newsletter.
The government last approved an outdoor plant-growing trial in 2010 for research institute Scion to grow genetically modified radiata pine trees.
AgResearch said there was a low risk of genetic material travelling outside the contained site.
"A contained trial means that genetic material that can be reproduced is confined to that site. The edited endophytes are contained in the ryegrass seed and do not travel via the ryegrass pollen."
Outdoor trials of ryegrass containing the gene-edited endophytes are being carried out in Australia and the ryegrass seed has recently been sown by partners in Victoria and New South Wales.
They are expected to run for three years with measurements taken on plant persistence, yield, insect damage, chemistry and the level of endophyte presence in the ryegrass.
Written material was lodged last week to start the application with the EPA. As part of this process, the Crown Research Institute and its partners will work with parties to address any concerns.
In another AgResearch partnership work is continuing on a modified high metabolisable energy (HME) ryegrass expected to reduce methane by 10% to 15% as well as nitrogen in the urine of farm animals.
AgResearch is preparing for a trial expected to start this year feeding lambs with HME ryegrass grown in contained glasshouses and an unmodified ryegrass.
Another project assisted by lab work in New Zealand is genetically modifying a white clover with a gene taken from another clover species to increase condensed tannin content in leaves, which is expected to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock farming and improve stock health and production.
