Legacy remembered
Wine scientist Dr David Heatherbell had a major influence on New Zealand's horticulture and wine industry, says two of his colleagues.
"They had no idea what we were talking about," says the Managing Director of Roots, Shoots & Fruits 25 years later, following an award at the New Zealand Organic Awards for their product Rootella, which inoculates into plant roots, improving resilience to disease, as well as access to water and minerals.
"The worm has turned a bit", she says, recognising the growing conversations about the power of mycorrhizae in the science and research space, and the large number of wine companies now using Roots, Shoots & Fruits products, particularly when planting.
But she says there's still too little understanding of the role the fungi plays in mitigating climate change.
"The big reason why we would like everyone to focus on it is it stores carbon dioxide in the soil."
