Kiwifruit scientist recognised by global industry

Kiwifruit scientist recognised by global industry

Auckland, New Zealand. 22 September 2014...Dr Mark McNeilage, a scientist at Plant & Food Research, has been recognised for his contribution to the global kiwifruit industry with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Kiwifruit Working Group of the International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS).

Presented at the International Symposium on Kiwifruit, currently taking place in Chengdu, China, the award has been made in recognition of Dr McNeilage’s thirty-year research career. His scientific expertise spans theoretical studies, mainly of the reproductive biology of kiwifruit, and the development of new cultivars, including several kiwiberry cultivars and ‘Hort16A’, marketed as Zespri Gold Kiwifruit. He was also a key member of the team that introduced genetic mapping of Plant & Food Research’s kiwifruit breeding population, a technique now routinely used in the breeding of new cultivars.

“This award is a great recognition of Dr McNeilage’s career,” says Dr Bruce Campbell, Chief Operating Officer of Plant & Food Research. “His dedication to research and the practical application of science has supported the development of new technologies and cultivars that have changed the New Zealand industry. The introduction of ‘Hort16A’, the first yellow-fleshed kiwifruit available in the marketplace outside of China, is one of many successes in his career. We congratulate him on this award.”

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