Handled with care
Endophyte is fragile. It dies fast in the wrong conditions. So we’ve built New Zealand’s best supply chain infrastructure to keep our endophytic seed safe.
What does the science say?
New research1 reveals what happens when endophytic seed is stored poorly, and it’s not good. These graphs show the results.
Why does it matter?
Perennial and hybrid ryegrass seed is usually not ready to sow in the autumn it is harvested. There is not enough time to process and test it. So most seed is at least a year old before it’s sold.
If it hasn’t been looked after and cool stored during that time, odds are the endophyte is no longer viable when seed goes in the ground.
Our ongoing investment
In 2025 we opened our purpose-built upper North Island cool store, to improve our cool chain to keep endophytic ryegrass seed in optimal conditions.
Combined with our three existing Canterbury cool stores, plus just-in-time delivery, this new facility raises a high bar for seed stewardship. We believe our system is now the industry’s best, so you can rely on Barenbrug seed to reach farmers ready to perform.
- 34th ISTA Congress 2025, Thant. A, et al.