Source: Radio New Zealand
Dr Rachael Horner of the Bioeconomy Science Institute was tasked with counting the tiny whitefly eggs Craig Robertson / Bioeconomy Science Institute
In orchards and glasshouses around the motu growers make use of integrated pest management – a series of tools to minimise the impact of pest insects.
These can include bio warfare, growing pest-resistant crops and using chemical sprays.
But might there be more new tools to add?
Many pest insects communicate using vibrations and the study of this communication is called biotremology.
Researchers from the Bioeconomy Science Institute are investigating whether they can apply what they know about biotremology to use vibrations to disrupt pest insects in New Zealand.
Our Changing World‘s Claire Concannon went along to the tomato growing greenhouse where the tools had been tested.
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Pete Mundy has allowed scientists to use his tomato-growing operation as a research trial site. Claire Concannon
Greenhouse whitefly is a pest with a preference for tomato plants. Craig Robertson / Bioeconomy Science Institute
Dr Lloyd Stringer, entomologist at the Bioeconomy Science Institute, is leading the research. Craig Robertson / Bioeconomy Science Institute
The trial’s finished now and they didn’t find a big difference between the control and treatment areas, although there was a trend towards lower egg laying in the plots being treated.
In the next trial they plan to play the vibration signal more frequently to see if that makes a difference.
Claire Concannon dives deeper into biotremology on the latest episode of Our Changing World.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
