A grass product developed at Christchurch Airport by Grasslanz Technology and AgResearch has been given a DuPont Innovation Award.  The awards recognise the commercialisation of outstanding science and technology in Australasia, and this was the only award given to a New Zealand company.

The innovation Cathay Dupont Award was for an endophyte-inoculated grass which promises to make airfields much safer through deterring birds from feeding on grass and insects at grassed areas at airports.  The grass has a fungus which makes birds feel sick when they feed off it, although it does not harm them.  The birds are then deterred from feeding and flocking in those grassy areas. This endophytic grass also reduces insect numbers, thereby making the area less attractive to insect-feeding birds.

Plots of grass inoculated with the selected endophyte had 14 times less birds than ordinary plots of grass. This dramatically lowered the population of birds in the vicinity of these plots, and therefore the risk of birds flying into aircraft.

"This high-endophyte grass has major value for grassed airfields throughout the world," said Andy Lester, Chief Operating Officer of Christchurch International Airport Ltd (CIAL). "We want to congratulate Grasslanz, AgResearch and scientist Chris Pennell for their dedicated work which will make a significant contribution to airfield safety. Christchurch Airport has  the objective of having the lowest bird-strike statistics of any airport in New Zealand, and this grass is a quantum leap in achieving that goal." Read cathay dupont award articles here...