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Weed Biocontrol articles

  1. Who's Who in the Biological Control of Weeds

    Comprehensive list of weed biocontrol agents under investigation at Manaaki Whenua.

  2. Spring Activities

    Most biocontrol agents become active during spring, making it a busy time of year to check release sites and move agents around.

  3. Further Reading & Biocontrol Agents Released in 2022/23

    Den Breeyen A, Lange C, Fowler SV 2022. Plant pathogens as introduced weed biological control agents: could antagonistic fungi be important factors determining agent success or failure? Frontiers in Fungal Biology 3: 959753. DOI: 10.3389/ffunb.2022.959753

    Falla C, Minor M, Harrington K, Paynter Q, ...

  4. Mutualism, Malaysia and Molecular Biology

    In 2019, Manaaki Whenua’s weed biocontrol team decided to take a page from the biologist’s textbook when looking for collaborators to assist with developing weed biocontrol agents for novel targets in Vanuatu. Mutualism refers to a situation when two entities form a relationship that is mutually ben...

  5. Shedding Light on Herbivore Preference

    Despite its warm and fuzzy name, woolly nightshade is anything but! Introduced as a garden plant in the 1800s, woolly nightshade has spread insidiously across our landscapes to become one of New Zealand’s worst weeds.

  6. Are Gorse Seed Feeders Hungry Enough for Change?

    Gorse was originally introduced to New Zealand early in the 19th century as a hedging plant. At the time, having a prickly plant to keep the animals in and the neighbours out probably seemed like a good idea. But fast forward to today and it is one of the most complained about weeds in New Zealand. ...

  7. Focusing on the Insect Microbiome

    Microbes (organisms too small to be seen without a microscope, such as bacteria) can be an important driver of phenotypic plasticity (the ability of an organism to change in response to stimuli or inputs from the environment) in insects. Insect physiology, behaviour and ecology are influenced by ind...

  8. Chemical Communication Between Native and Introduced Plants and Insects

    Chemical signals such as plant scents are one of the main mechanisms by which plants communicate with other plants, animals, and microorganisms. For example, floral and fruit aromas in combination with other signals attract pollinators and seed dispersers. Herbivores use plant smells to identify sui...

  9. Have You Seen Ragwort?

    Reports of new infestations of ragwort from landowners and stakeholder organisations have increased over the past few years, particularly during this last season. These reports have been accompanied by requests for the use of its biocontrol agents, the ragwort flea beetle and the ragwort plume moth....

  10. Farewell Lindsay Vaughan

    Sadly, Lindsay Vaughan, former Tasman District Council biosecurity/biodiversity coordinator, passed away on 5 April 2023 at the age of 76. Lindsay suffered a recurrence of blood cancer and chose not to undergo chemotherapy again.