The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited

It was great to see many of our Moananui partners come together at our Partner Forum event last week kindly hosted by Plant & Food Research. Held at their state-of-the-art research facility in Nelson, we got a sneak-peak at some of the exciting industry-changing innovation that’s helping drive the future of the blue economy here in New Zealand.   As well as a behind-the-scenes tour of the amazing facilities, we were treated to an energising and exciting evening showcasing innovative ways to repurpose byproducts from the seafood industry, a demonstration of the capabilities of the new flume tank with high-speed water flow, and a pioneering study on butterfish / greenbone and the work underway to support its farming potential.   This event exemplified the energy, generosity, and collaborative spirit of our partners – creative problem-solvers dedicated to creating a sustainable future. The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited Helen Palmer Mark Jarvis Susan Marshall Mathew Cumming Damian Moran Flavio Ribeiro Suzy Black Si Thu Paing Denver McGregor Cindy Steele Michael Robertson Paul Miller Matthew Kidson Darcy Paul Dan Field Ali Kennard Chris Rodley Dana Lambert Anastasija Zaiko Michelle Scriver Alex Pressman Brent Callaghan James Muir Scott Gillanders Dominc Boothroyd Ben Wall Paul Smith New Zealand King Salmon Trinder / Waimea Engineering Kernohan Engineering Pinpoint Earth SnapCore Harvest Hub Ltd Sequench Waikaitu Ltd AquaWatch MacLab (NZ) Ltd Kimer Med

Plant elicitors have huge potential to help protect Aotearoa New Zealand crops from disease. Acting much like a vaccine, these elicitors allow plants to defend themselves better against disease. Coming from a biological source like seaweed, they offer a more ecologically friendly crop protection option, too. In our latest Scigest podcast, host James Sainsbury speaks to Dr Joel Vanneste about his research on the recently Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment-funded project on plant elicitors led by Dr Marie Magnuson and Chris Glasson from The University of Waikato. Listen to learn more about plant elicitors and how they could help manage plant diseases, whether in crops or our native trees: https://lnkd.in/gndHBVxy #scigest #sciencepodcast #plantandfood

Congratulations to Dr Trish Fraser, Senior soil scientist and team leader for the Climate Smart Systems team, who was honoured with nomination as a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Agricultural and Horticultural Science for her long and committed career in agricultural and horticultural science. A passionate communicator of soil and crop science, Fraser has been at the forefront of research addressing a wide range of soil-related issues in the cropping sector, much of which has delivered practical knowledge to the farming community to balance productivity, environmental and system resilience outcomes. Awards for her contribution to farming include the Women of Influence Award rural category in 2020; the NZIAHS Agmardt technology transfer award in 2022 and the Norman Taylor Memorial Award for outstanding service to NZ soil science. Very well deserved 👏 #plantandfood

🌱 Empowering Cambodia’s Agricultural Sector for Food Security 🌱 Food insecurity remains a significant challenge for over 20% of Cambodia’s rural population. To address this, Plant & Food Research, in partnership with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade, has led the Cambodia Quality Horticulture Project—a five-year initiative aimed at improving local production of safe, high-quality vegetables. Key achievements include: ▪ Training 5,500+ farmers in integrated pest management and sustainable agronomy practices, reducing chemical residues and improving environmental sustainability. ▪ Supporting the development of Cambodia’s national standards, based on ASEAN Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), with 1,000 farmers now GAP-certified. ▪ Introducing postharvest protocols and locally made CoolBot™ refrigeration units, improving the quality and safety of produce. The project has achieved remarkable results, including a significant reduction in pesticide residues and human pathogen contamination. Annual GAP-certified vegetable production increased to 600+ tonnes, with average farmer incomes more than doubling. This initiative not only supports improved food safety and security but is also enhancing the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and the wider agricultural community in Cambodia. 🔗 Learn more about this project: https://lnkd.in/gEi5gt9F #plantandfood

A new discovery by scientists at Plant & Food Research and Callaghan Innovation has revealed that a novel molecule found in New Zealand blackcurrants, named sarmentosin, acts as a natural inhibitor of the Monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) enzyme. MAO-B enzymes break down important chemicals in the brain, like dopamine, which plays a key role in mood and mental performance. The clinical study, recently  published in The Journal of Agricultural Chemistry, , identified sarmentosin as the primary inhibitor of MAO-B enzymes in the human brain after consuming blackcurrant products. This finding suggests that consuming blackcurrant powder and juice may positively affect mood and mental fatigue in healthy adults. In light of these exciting results, commercial partner Ārepa has patented the new molecule sarmentosin for use to support and improve mood and cognitive function, to further build on Ārepa’s mission to make brains work better through nutrition. Learn more 🔗 https://lnkd.in/geEskP3q #plantandfood

From biologicals to tech, there’s a vast range of new crop protection tools coming down the pipeline, but the key will be using them in an integrated programme, not looking for a single silver bullet. It was messages like this that attendees took home from the New Zealand Plant Protection Society symposium Growing a Greener Future, Crop Protection for Aotearoa 2050, co-hosted by A Lighter Touch, AgResearch and The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited. Presentations from speakers who were able to share their slides post-event are now available online here, including our opening session speakers, pictured. https://lnkd.in/gvtuB46S

🌍🎙️ New #PeoplePlanetFood podcast episode out now! Join us as Roger Robson-Williams PhD chats with Mike Casey about his journey to produce cherries without fossil fuels and his work as the driving force behind Rewiring Aotearoa🌱🍒 In this episode, Mike reveals what it takes to build a fully electrified orchard and how farmers and growers can meet the rising demand for renewable energy. ⚡️🌿 Plus, learn how Rewiring Aotearoa is helping Kiwis reduce carbon emissions, save on energy bills, and keep homes warm with resilient, clean energy solutions. 💡💚 Tune in now to explore the future of energy and food production! Listen on our website https://lnkd.in/gCBd2Pm6 or on your usual podcast app. #plantandfood #RewiringAotearoa #scigest

I was privileged to speak alongside Volker Kuntzsch at the Aquaculture New Zealand conference in sunny Nelson today. It was the first time we have stood side-by-side talking about the role we collectively play in the future. The event was kicked off with plenty of energy from Minister Shane Jones and Nelson mayor Nick Smith. Today was my first time at an aquaculture conference and the energy, optimism (helped largely by Government approving fast tracking consents and looking to make the process much easier going forward) and also a dose of realism of the challenges associated with the opportunities ahead. The conference has over 400 attendees and a lot of very engaging speakers. Volker and I spoke to our belief that aquaculture is one of the major areas that can support NZ's ambition of doubling the value of exports. We believe the fisheries sector can grow from ~$2.5b today up to $10b+. To realise this growth potential, we (Government, industry, science sector, investors) need to invest in research, infrastructure and building markets. NZ has some fantastic examples of sustained growth (Dairy growing from $2b to >$20b, kiwifruit growing from $1b to $4b) and one thing these have in common is investment in research, infrastructure and markets - we can't just do one of these, we must do all three to be successful. Volker also talked passionately about the breadth of opportunity in aquaculture, from whole seafood to valuable components, and even the potential value of turning the bad (toxins) into good (for medical). When you couple this with the opportunity to build and export technologies and intellectual property, there are a lot of reasons to believe that $10b+ is possible! One of the other areas that Volker and I spoke about is the challenges in science system funding. The countless hours preparing applications for funding and the joy (and heartbreak) associated with the outcomes of these. The current system means that a lot of us are forced to compete for the same funding and invest huge amounts of resource in just preparing applications (not completely wasted activity), this can't be the best use of our brilliant scientists time. Volker and I have committed to ensuring The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited and Cawthron Institute work far more collaboratively on bids (or on not entering bids if we know the other is planning to) and programmes going forward (we are already pretty good). We committed to ensuring that we continue to drive for the biggest impact for NZ from the scarce funding that is available and to spend more time on how we can add value, rather than how to compete for funding. Aquaculture New Zealand

🎉 Congratulations to Ian McIvor on his Significant Contribution Award from Beef + Lamb New Zealand 🎉 We are proud to celebrate Ian’s well-deserved recognition at the Beef + Lamb Awards for his outstanding contributions to New Zealand’s sheep and beef sector. Ian, part of our Cropping Systems and Environment team, received the Alliance Significant Contribution Award for his work in soil conservation. Through his extensive research on the use of poplar and willow trees for soil stabilisation and erosion control, Ian’s science has strengthened farm production and resilience across the country, particularly in New Zealand’s hill country. The judges highlighted how recent weather events demonstrated the value of Ian's work, as many well-planted farms successfully weathered the storms thanks to the initiatives he championed. As one of the founders of soil conservation in New Zealand, Ian’s impact has touched countless farming operations—often without the farmers knowing the man behind the science. The award was accepted on Ian’s behalf by Sally Lee, General Manager of the Poplar and Willow Research Trust, at the awards dinner on October 10th in Hamilton. #plantandfood

Our Bee Biology & Productivity Team at Plant & Food Research is exploring the connection between Maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, & honey bee behaviour. Recent observations have revealed fascinating patterns in bee activity that align with the lunar phases, offering valuable insights for beekeepers. 🐝🌕 Maramataka is the Māori lunar calendar and literally translates as ‘moon rotating’. Maramataka is an environmental indicator that can be used to guide predictions of natural phenomena such as ideal planting/harvesting times and behavioural patterns of animals (e.g., fish and tuna (eels)). For example, traditional growing practices identify te rākau-nui, the full moon, and the best time to plant kūmara. Maramataka can also be looked to for predictions of the energy levels people may feel in response to each moon phase, like high energy during the full moon for example. Recently, a maramataka framework has been proposed for honey bees, Apis mellifera, that has potential to support practical decision-making for beekeepers. This past year the Bee Biology and Productivity Team expanded this work by systematically observing colony behaviours over time to investigate potential alignments with the lunar cycle. Learn more 👉 https://bit.ly/484w3GN #plantandfood