Biocontrol offers a cost-effective, environmentally low-risk and sustainable solution to weed control. Carefully selected biocontrol agents only target their host weed species. They don’t harm desirable plants, and don’t pollute the environment.
Once established, these natural enemies can spread wherever the weed occurs and can maintain weed populations at a level where they do not cause significant economic and environmental damage—all without human input. When possible, biocontrol is an ideal solution.
The weed biocontrol group runs projects and programmes of work at home in New Zealand and with communities in the Pacific with the goal of finding host-specific biocontrol agents for selected target weeds. Key funders and stakeholders in our research include the National Biocontrol Collective; the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI)’s Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures; New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
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