We all need protein to live and stay healthy. However, many protein sources are becoming an increasingly expensive way to meet our needs – both economically...
We all know that single-use plastics are a problem for our environment, but many single-use products can be convenient and more economic than less-problematic alternatives. So...
Aotearoa New Zealand’s primary sector exports reached a record $56 billion in 2023. Our nation’s farmers and growers produce some of the highest-quality food in the...
Horticulture is a key part of the New Zealand economy. Plant & Food Research reports that produce from the horticultural sector was worth more than $9...
New Zealand might be an island nation, but that doesn’t stop us from having to deal with a variety of unwanted organisms that find their way...
Myrtle rust is a disease caused by the fungus Austropuccinia psidii. It threatens plants in the Myrtaceae (myrtle) family. New Zealand has a variety of native...
In November 2010, the bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv. Actinidiae (Psa) was discovered in a Te Puke kiwifruit orchard. Psa had previously decimated kiwifruit crops in other...
CAPOW – Curious About Processing Organic Waste – is a Taranaki-based citizen science project and one of the Participatory Science Platform (PSP) projects supported by the...
Farming is a way of life in New Zealand – about half the country’s land is used for primary production. New Zealand Trade and Enterprise reports...
In a world seeking natural remedies and alternatives to our failing antibiotic treatments, mānuka honey and therapeutic products are proving a market winner. Mānuka honey is...
The value of the horticultural industry will increase with better pollination systems, robust quality control, better traceability systems, more cost-competitive practice and solutions for the difficulty...
New Zealand is a nation of potato lovers. We love our spuds, and for many of us, they are a key source of vitamins, minerals and...
Find out more on the macronutrients and micronutrients our bodies need. We all eat food because it provides the five fundamental types of materials required to...
This resource provides explanations of the key concepts encountered when looking at applying science to improve farming and the environment – the ‘basics’ that every student...
University of Otago geneticist Peter Dearden is using the bee genome to develop a bee-friendly insecticide. Listen to this RNZ audio Bee-friendly insecticides from April 2014....
What usually happens when you cut up a piece of fruit to eat or to put in a salad? If it is an apple, a pear,...
Plants make seeds that can grow into new plants, but if the seeds just fall to the ground under the parent plant, they might not get...
Flowering plants need to get pollen from one flower to another, either within a plant for self-pollination or between plants of the same species for cross-pollination...
Humans have many reasons to grow plants. We use them for food, for building materials, for pleasure and for many other purposes. A plant really just...
Scientists divide plants into two main groups depending on whether they reproduce by seeds or spores. Plants that reproduce by seeds Seed plants have special structures...
Position: Founder, Zealong. Field: Horticulture. Meet Vincent Chen, founder of Zealong, a successful New Zealand company that grows, processes and packages a tea that is unique...
Position: Former Quality Control Manager, Zealong Field: Horticulture. Key skills, attitudes and values for innovation Fabien is part of the strong team culture at Zealong where...
Plant propagation is the process of increasing the number of plants of a particular species or cultivar. Propagation can be via sexual or asexual means. Over...
All tea is made from the leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. Six main types of tea are produced – white, yellow, green, oolong, black...
See our newsletters here.
