Hort systems must meet expections of the future
Plant & Food Research has just begun a major research programme focusing on designing horticultural growing systems to meet the expectations of society in the future.
NEW RESEARCH is being funded to help the potato industry fight the insect intruder - the tomato-potato psyllid.
The New Zealand potato industry is worth about $470 million, but the tomato-potato psyllid has severely affected the sustainability of the industry. Discovered in New Zealand in 2006 the insect, and its associated disease, has cost the industry about 5% of its value.
The psyllid can transfer a bacterium, known as Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso), into the potato plant during feeding which affects growth and causes the disease zebra chip in potato tubers. Sugar accumulates in the tuber, which darkens unacceptably when the potato is fried. Potatoes are expected to generate export returns of $250 million by 2025.
Through the new funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, scientists at Plant & Food Research will research new control methods for the insect pest, and new cultivars with improved resistance to the psyllid or the zebra chip disease.
"This new funding signals new hope for the potato industry," says Champak Mehta, CEO of Potatoes New Zealand.
"The psyllid has gradually spread across the country since it was first discovered in 2006, and the costs and effort involved in controlling the insect, and the resulting disease, have added significant costs to growers."
New cultivars with resistance to the disease, and technologies to control the insect in the field, will allow the industry to get back on course.
Visit: http://plantandfood.us5.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=1b46d14e528ad30bae8b3663c&id=b3b59b63bd&e=e26d8a2d96
OPINION: Ministry for Primary Industries' situation outlook for primary industries report (SOPI) makes impressive reading.
Sheep and beef farmers Matt and Kristin Churchward say using artificial intelligence (AI) to spread fertiliser on their sprawling 630ha farm is a game changer for their business.
Commercial fruit and vegetable growers are being encouraged to cast their votes in the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) board directors' election.
A unique discovery by a Palmerston North science company, Biolumic, looks set to revolutionise the value and potential of ryegrass and the secret is the application of ultraviolet (UV) light.
A New Zealand company is redefining the global collagen game by turning New Zealand sheepskin into a world-class health product.
With further extreme weather on the way, ANZ Bank is encouraging farmers and business owners impacted by the recent extreme weather and flooding to seek support if they need it.
OPINION: Dust ups between rural media and PR types aren't unheard of but also aren't common, given part of the…
OPINION: The Hound hears from his canine pals in Southland that an individual's derogatory remarks on social media have left…