'Living labs' to tackle emissions
Living labs that bring together expertise at locations around New Zealand are among potential solutions identified by researchers to help the country move towards a more climate resilient future.
Former AgResearch scientist Tom Fraser, who ran the recent field day, says there is a lot of potential for biological control, but it can be very slow.
The only exception to this has been the parasitoid introduced to control clover root weevil; this began working well within a couple of years.
“But in most cases biological control is slow. Farmers are reasonably impatient people and they like to see things happen tomorrow. We have to accept that most biological control is slow, but the beauty is once it’s there it’s free and it will do its thing for a long time.”
Biological control suits sheep and beef hill country farms, Fraser says. It’s too difficult to use a tractor and too expensive for a helicopter so there is a definite need for biological control.
While chemical sprays are an option, most farmers would prefer the other options.
“The other thing about biological control is that you won’t eradicate the pest or the weed. The word is control, Fraser told Rural News. “You have to have the weed (or other pest) there as the host for the bio-control agent to live on. If you got rid of all the cali thistle then the beetle would die as well.”
Fraser says many pests in New Zealand have natural predators in their countries of origin that could be exploited as bio-control agents.
“A lot of the weeds and pests that have come into New Zealand have done well because they have escaped from their natural predators.” Biological control aims at reuniting the pest with its natural enemies.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.
The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has informed staff it will cut 391 jobs following a consultation period.
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