Plant Research (NZ), a privately-owned plant breeding and research company based in Christchurch, has released two new field pea varieties designed for the emerging pea ingredients market.
The use of field peas for producing a wide range of new foods globally is increasing rapidly and Plant Research – together with its USA-based breeding partner – has worked for 10 years to develop the two new varieties.
Both companies have linkages with major feed ingredient companies who are helping to understand key traits, and managing director Adrian Russell says new varieties are needed to target specific end-users.
“These two yellow pea varieties are the first step to servicing these new markets.”
New Zealand is well placed to produce ingredients from grain for emerging new food products, he says. “Vegetable protein will be increasingly used to produce healthy and environmentally-friendly food products for a world that is increasingly demanding alternatives to the existing paradigm for producing food.”
Both varieties are currently being multiplied in the USA and New Zealand, and are being tested extensively with collaborators to ensure that their agronomic and functional traits are meeting customer’s needs.
