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Weed Biocontrol articles

  1. Coming Soon! The Chilean Flame Creeper Beetle

    Research on the biocontrol programme for Chilean flame creeper (Tropaeolum speciosum) has progressed well, continuing simultaneously in New Zealand and in the weed’s native range of Chile.

  2. Disappointed but not Defeated

    In September 2021, more than a decade after receiving permission from the EPA to import a rust fungus (Uromyces pencanus) as a candidate biocontrol agent for Chilean needle grass (Nassella neesiana), we finally got export approval from the Argentinean government. The full story behind the 10-year de...

  3. Woolly Nightshade Still a Tough Target

    The search has been on again for new biocontrol agents for woolly nightshade (Solanum mauritianum), and fortunately we didn’t have to look far to find a candidate agent worth considering. Our plans to revive the woolly nightshade programme coincided perfectly with the same plans in South Africa. Eve...

  4. Plant Metabolomics and Weed Biocontrol

    Agent establishment, effectiveness, and safety are the crucial elements for a successful weed biocontrol programme. Although well-established research protocols are used to predict agent impact on the target weed and the probability of non-target impacts, the effect of host plant biochemistry on age...

  5. Science New Zealand Team Award in the Bag

    Manaaki Whenua is very proud to report that its weed biocontrol group was a recipient of a 2021 Science New Zealand Team Award. The Science New Zealand awards are held annually to recognise the contributions and achievements of scientists and teams across New Zealand. This year’s awards celebrated...

  6. Broom Delivers a Psyllid Surprise

    Until recently the only psyllid species attacking broom (Cytisus scoparius) in New Zealand was the broom psyllid (Arytainilla spartiophila), released as a classical biocontrol agent in 1993. However, in 2019 several individuals of a new psyllid (Arytaina genistae), which we’re now calling the ‘strip...

  7. Environmental Weeds in the Spotlight

    In late November last year the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE), Simon Upton, released a long-awaited report which reviews how well New Zealand is managing weeds that threaten native ecosystems. The PCE, appointed for a period of 5 years, is an officer of Parliament who investiga...

  8. Autumn Activities

    There are a few things you might want to fit in before winter sets in.

  9. Remembering Robin van Zoelen

    Sadly, Robin van Zoelen, a Biosecurity Officer for Tasman District Council, and a stalwart of the National Biocontrol Collective (NBC), passed away in September aged 64. Rob had battled leukaemia on and off for 12 years. He was so passionate about weed biocontrol that he chose to leave his sick bed...

  10. It is a Numbers Game for the Field Horsetail Weevil

    Fortunately for the Rangitikei Horsetail Group and New Zealand farmers, it appears the field horsetail weevil (Grypus equiseti) plays a numbers game. The group, chaired by Ferryview Farm manager Alistair Robertson, was formed to target field horsetail for biocontrol due to difficulties with controll...