Agriculture

Genomic solutions for a plant taonga: a high-quality rewarewa genome - Genomics Aotearoa

Genomics Aotearoa • Jun 09, 2021 •

• genomics,
• honey,
• taonga

[Illustration credit: “Seven Sisters, Knightia excelsa” Jennifer Duval-Smith ] By Plant & Food Research High Quality Genomes project co-leader David Chagné The completion of the native rewarewa (Knightia excelsa) tree genome sequence is demonstrating New Zealand is now taking charge of producing genomes on its native species. These are species that are important to us, and have taonga … Read More

My favourite Anzac biscuit recipe - Planetary Ecology

Guest Author • Apr 21, 2021 •

• anzac,
• biscuits,
• Carbon dioxide,
• New Zealand stories

By Mary Morgan-Richards Every year, in the lead up to Anzac day (25th April) when Australians and New Zealanders remember all those who died at war, we bake and eat sweet biscuits associated with WWI. After 100 years I wanted to calculate the impact of my biscuits on global warming. Each ingredient needs to be harvested, prepared and … Read More

Chocolate’s secret ingredient is the fermenting microbes that make it taste so good - Guest Work

Guest Author • Apr 05, 2021 •

• chocolate,
• fermentation

Caitlin Clark, Colorado State University Whether baked as chips into a cookie, melted into a sweet warm drink or molded into the shape of a smiling bunny, chocolate is one of the world’s most universally consumed foods. Even the biggest chocolate lovers, though, might not recognize what this ancient food has in common with kimchi and kombucha: its flavors … Read More

Looking beyond regenerative agriculture - Unsorted

Robert Hickson • Mar 17, 2021 •

• Agriculture,
• climate change,
• farming,
• future farming,
• innovation,
• Sustainability

Regenerative agriculture, where the health and wellbeing of the environment, animals and farmers is prioritised, is gaining cachet. I see that as a necessary but insufficient change to how we manage land and watery environments. In some respects discussions about regenerative agriculture are more backward- than forward-looking. Take, for example, the UK’s Food, Farming and … Read More

The fate of chemicals in the environment - Guest Work

Guest Author • Feb 12, 2021 •

• chemicals,
• Environment,
• Pollution

Understanding what happens to a chemical in the environment and where it ends up can help keep our environment safe. Guest writer Hannah Davidson from EPA explores the issue of chemical fate in NZ.  If you don’t know what a slip and slide is, you have sorely missed out. All you needed for a whole summer’s worth … Read More

Climate Change Commission calls on New Zealand government to take ‘immediate and decisive action’ to cut emissions - The Changing Climate

Guest Author • Feb 01, 2021 •

• climate change,
• Climate Commission,
• emissions budgets,
• Nationally Determined Contribution,
• Paris Agreement,
• zero carbon act

James Renwick, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission today released its long-anticipated advice to the government on how to reshape the economy to meet the country’s domestic and international climate change obligations. The document sets out three emissions budgets, covering 15 years to 2035 in five-yearly plans. It also provides advice … Read More

Rationing scarce MIQ spaces - The Dismal Science

Eric Crampton • Nov 13, 2020 •

• COVID-19,
• horticulture,
• managed isolation and quarantine facilities,
• seasonal workers

Imagine yourself in the place of the MBIE boffin tasked with deciding which application for a scarce MIQ space is most deserving or most needed. The job isn’t easy. The government keeps a small number of spaces in MIQ for getting critical workers in. But somebody has to decide which workers are most critical. Applicants fill in forms to make … Read More

Which ‘milk’ is best for the environment? We compared dairy, nut, soy, hemp and grain milks - Guest Work

Guest Author • Oct 15, 2020 •

• almond milk,
• environmental footprint,
• milk,
• nut milk,
• soy milk

Making eco-conscious choices at the shops can be tricky when we’re presented with so many options, especially when it comes to milk. Should we buy plant-based milk, or dairy? We’ve looked at the evidence to help you choose. Dora Marinova, Curtin University and Diana Bogueva, Curtin University Dairy has the biggest environmental footprint, by far Any plant-based milk, be it … Read More

The waggling wisdom of bees - Guest Work

Guest Author • Sep 04, 2020 •

• bee,
• insecticide,
• insects,
• NZ insects

To celebrate Bee Aware Month in New Zealand, guest writers Hannah Davidson and Elodie Urlacher from EPA describe why understanding the world of bees and other insects is important in protecting them from harm. It is a fresh spring morning, and you stretch your legs as you wait for your sister to return from a food run. Read More

The importance of the humble blueberry - Genomics Aotearoa

Genomics Aotearoa • Feb 26, 2020 •

• blueberries,
• cranberries,
• genomics,
• Plant & Food Research

Dr David Chagné New Zealand is involved in a US$12.8 million USDA grant to improve the quality of blueberry and cranberry. The four-year project, led by North Carolina State University, is part of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture Specialty Crop Research Initiative, which funds multi-year, multi-institutional collaborative projects. Genomics Aotearoa and Plant and Food Research Ltd have … Read More