# AgResearch

BNI ryegrass profiling — temperate-forage BNI breeding (Barrett, Bowatte).

Source: https://en.bioecon.ru/companies/agresearch/
Updated: 2026-07-07

- Country: NZ

## Verifiable facts

| Fact | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Partnership | BNIPasture is a joint research project between Ireland and New Zealand | https://teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/research/bnipasture/, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/our-research/bni-pasture/ |
| Partnership | Project partners include University College Cork and Trinity College Dublin | https://teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/research/bnipasture/, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/our-research/bni-pasture/ |
| Research focus | Biological Nitrification Inhibition (BNI) in temperate grassland species like ryegrass and plantain to reduce nitrous oxide emissions | https://doi.org/10.57935/agr.26103451, https://teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/research/bnipasture/, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/about-us/our-people/saman-bowatte/, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/news/cracking-the-nitrous-oxide-code/, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/our-research/bni-pasture/ |
| Facility | Tuhiraki research facility (Lincoln campus) | https://agscience.org.nz/agresearchs-new-research-laboratories-are-fully-open-and-operational/, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/assets/Documents/AgR-AR-2025-FULL-v3.6.pdf, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/assets/Documents/Report-PDFs/AgResearch-Annual-Report-2024.pdf |
| Facility | New Zealand Ruminant Methane Measurement Centre (NZRMMC) at Grasslands campus | https://www.agresearch.co.nz/assets/Documents/2023_Annual_Report.pdf, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/assets/Documents/Report-PDFs/AgResearch-Annual-Report-2024.pdf |
| Facility | Containment research greenhouse facility at Lincoln campus | https://www.agresearch.co.nz/assets/Documents/AgR-AR-2025-FULL-v3.6.pdf |
| Grant | $200,000 from the Centre for Climate Action on Agricultural Emissions for plantain BNI research | https://www.agresearch.co.nz/assets/Documents/Report-PDFs/AgResearch-Annual-Report-2024.pdf, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/news/cracking-the-nitrous-oxide-code/ |
| Grant | Ireland – New Zealand Joint Research Call 2023 | https://teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/research/bnipasture/, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/our-research/bni-pasture/ |
| Publications | Initial profiling of Biological Nitrification Inhibition in New Zealand’s elite ryegrass cultivars (report, 2024) | https://agresearch.figshare.com/articles/report/Initial_profiling_of_Biological_Nitrification_Inhibition_in_New_Zealand_s_elite_ryegrass_cultivars/26103451, https://doi.org/10.57935/agr.26103451 |
| Principal staff | Dr. Saman Bowatte (Project coordinator NZ, Task 4 lead) | https://teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/research/bnipasture/, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/our-research/bni-pasture/ |
| Principal staff | Brent Barrett (Senior Scientist) | https://www.agresearch.co.nz/about-us/our-people/brent-barrett/, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/news/cracking-the-nitrous-oxide-code/, https://www.agresearch.co.nz/our-research/bni-pasture/ |
| Headcount | 701 employees (as of June 2025) | https://www.agresearch.co.nz/assets/Documents/AgR-AR-2025-FULL-v3.6.pdf |

Independent sources: agscience.org.nz, doi.org, teagasc.ie

## Technologies

- [Biological nitrification inhibitors](https://en.bioecon.ru/technology/biological-nitrification-inhibitors/)