Giant willow aphid project wins funding

The funding will go towards a research project worth close to $600,000 including contributions.

Apiculture New Zealand, together with Scion, Plant and Food Research, and a number of other key partners including MPI, will begin research immediately on a range of initiatives to reduce the impacts of the aphid.

"We are delighted that our application has been successful," says Barry Foster, chair of the Research Focus Group of Apiculture New Zealand.

"The aphid is already causing serious problems for beekeepers but we are definitely not the only people affected. A coordinated approach is by far the best way to get both short- and long-term control measures in place as quickly as possible."

Justine Gilliland, investment programmes director for the Ministry for Primary Industries, was pleased to be able to support the project through the Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF).

"Initially we were unable to support this project in the last funding round, but funds have come available due to underspend in other SFF projects. We are aware of the negative affect the giant willow aphid is having on primary industries such as the apiculture industry.

"Through the Sustainable Farming Fund, MPI invests in projects that look into a shared problem or opportunity and our independent panel felt this project fitted well within our criteria. We look forward to seeing the positive outcomes the project generates over the next three years."

The giant willow aphid (Tuberolachnus salignus) was first discovered in New Zealand in 2013, and has a cascading detrimental effect on several industries.

The aphid attacks and severely damages willow trees, reducing vigour and may eventually kill the trees.

The insect creates a type of honeydew, attractive to bees, but which makes honey unusable, and has a number of other negative impacts across a range of sectors.

The three-year project will focus on three key research areas:

i. Biological control: assessing the potential of a parasitic wasp biological control agent to suppress the aphid, and conducting detailed testing in containment in New Zealand (led by Scion)

ii. Host resistance: screening willow cultivars to identify resistant willow and poplar cultivars that can replace affected trees within the landscape (led by Plant and Food Research)

iii. Risk mitigation: investigating short-term risk-mitigation strategies based on hive management techniques (led by Apiculture New Zealand).

"Biological control offers the best long-term solution for the aphid," says Scion entomologist, Stephanie Sopow.

"We will work closely with overseas entomologists to assess the suitability of a known natural enemy. The process of approvals and testing - all the steps needed to safely introduce a new biological control agent and finally release it – take several years. The sooner we can make a start, the better."