International Web Standards Winning
Internet Explorer version 8 – Relief for the Entire Internet
Somewhat off-topic but of immense importance to all internet users, the release of IE8 finally allows a new degree of international web standards compliance.
Already we observe a high uptake of Internet Explorer users switching from earlier IE versions 7 and lower.
Web developers will divert more of their efforts into better web services instead of struggling with the difficulties caused by deviously-designed browser software. Thus far - thank you at last, Microsoft!
Do you use Internet Explorer to access the Internet – to Google; Yahoo; or to read this?
(look for the 
upper left) –
You do? Please check that you have the latest version:
Click on Help, then About...
If you do not have version 8, pursue your upgrade: microsoft.com/nz/ie8
The upgrade may not be available for older systems. However, superior browsers may be available:
Suggestions - Additional or Alternative browsers:
- Try New Firefox 3 - Rediscover The Web: www.Mozilla.com/Firefox
- Try Opera - Download Opera browser: www.opera.com/browser/download/
- Try Google's New Browser: www.google.com/chrome
- Try Apple's Safari - Download Safari: www.apple.com/safari/download/
We recommend the above browsers as being highly compliant with international web standards. They are generally easy to install in Windows, and a joy to use.
We regret that we will no longer de-bug for the quirks of deprecated browsers – pages will display progressively poorer on such systems, over time, as we improve our web content to better standards.
WHERE WOULD WE BE WITHOUT THE BEE???
There has been on-going publicity about the serious issues facing bees worldwide – disease and hive collapse – and the impact of conventional gardening and farming practices.
Trees for Bees project - Bay of Plenty Branch has recently initiated a Bee Sub-group, to provide information about Bees and their needs...
Hazelnut research makes progress
Hazelnut research makes progress with Sustainable Farming Fund workshops solving pollination problems and hazel growers able to submit pollination data observations online, in conjunction with HAGNZ (Hazelnut Growers Association of New Zealand Inc.) - Hazel Research Report 2009, and more...
Cinderella fruit: Wild delicacies become cash crops
No, not a new species that turns back into a pumpkin at midnight – an article in New Scientist. An example of the value of almost 'grassroots' development.
Wonder what we could do with, eg, puriri berries – another species of Vitex – rather than looking overseas for 'new' crops? We have not, of course, such a vast range of species, nor as long a human history, as Africa!
Article Alert from Wendie Rosewell -
Salah's fortunes changed in 2000 when he and his neighbours learned how to identify the best wild fruit trees and propagate them in a nursery. "Domesticating wild fruit like bush mango has changed our lives," he says.
There is a big future for some of Africa's native fruit...
From New Scientist Magazine issue 2733,
10 November 2009 by Charlie Pye-Smith
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20427331.200
Vineyard Poles and Railway Sleeper Supply
A firm has begun planting a two-hectare block in Marlborough with the intention of growing trees suitable for railway sleepers and vineyard poles.
New Zealand Drylands Forests is planting selected eucalypts as part of a long-running initiative to provide a source of locally-grown timber as an alternative to imported hardwoods and treated pine.
NZ Drylands Forests is seeking funding for the project from MAF’s
Sustainable Farming Fund.
From "Express", the KiwiRail staff newsletter, issue 15
New vanilla offers essence of NZ
From Bay of Plenty Times
by Graham Skellern | 14th October 2009
Tauranga-based vanilla producer and marketer Reunion Food Company has created a world first - in more ways than one.
Co-owners Garth and Jennifer Boggiss have picked, and are now drying, the first commercial crop of vanilla pods grown in New Zealand.
It is also the first commercial crop produced outside the tropical zone (which is up to 23 degrees latitude each side of the equator).
Garth and Jennifer established 300 plants in their "plastic house" at Te Puna, keeping the temperature between 14-26C and growing them on punga frames instead of coconut husks.
The vanilla plants were the same Bourbon variety they produce in Tonga, but because of the New Zealand growing conditions they were hoping for something distinctly different.
Garth, who looks after research and development, growing and processing, wasn't sure what would happen. But when he started testing the flavour of the local crop last week - after two weeks of drying - he detected a chocolate, rather than the normal raisin, aroma.
"It's definitely more chocolatey," said Garth. "As yet I'm not too sure why; we'll know more when the flavour develops through the drying and curing process (drying takes six weeks)."
There will also be more testing.
But Reunion Food, established in 2003, may have just developed a unique New Zealand vanilla pod.
"We might be able to develop a separate branded-product that has a distinct Kiwi flavour," Garth said.
It would give Reunion an edge as it steps up its production and marketing campaign to sell its 100 per cent pure Heilala Vanilla brand, named after the Tongan flower, around the world.
The Reunion team at Te Puna has just received a bumper crop of 1.5 tonnes of dried vanilla pods from the Tongan island of Vavau, processed from a harvest of 6 tonnes of green vanilla beans.
Reunion has its own 3.2ha plantation of 2500 plants in the village of Ugnatuke, producing 3 tonnes, and it took delivery of another 3 tonnes from other local growers.
The New Zealand crop is a bonus, albeit small to begin with. About 1000 flowers were hand pollinated in the Te Puna greenhouse, producing 600 pods. The same crop will probably produce three times more vanilla next year - and Reunion has room in the greenhouse for another 900 plants, eventually reaching half of its Tongan production.
"We are now telling people the (local) vanilla is a bit different and they want to try it - so we may have to expand and fill up the plastic house. The plant is easy to propagate," said Garth.
After the drying and curing process, the New Zealand vanilla will be released on to the market in March.
But Reunion is making an exception by sending five of the pods to Wellington's Logan Brown Restaurant and Bar, which is hosting the Government's Global Warming dinner this month - and all the food and ingredients must be New Zealand-grown.
"I'm sending the pods by registered mail so they get there. They are like gold," said Jennifer, who looks after the sales and marketing. "I'm a little bit nervous because the flavour may not be what they are used to."
In March, Reunion will also send the New Zealand-grown pods, in special commemorative cases, to the chefs, food processors and other customers, here and in Australia, who have been using the premium Tongan Heilala Vanilla product.
Reunion produces natural vanilla pods - the chefs call them "vanilla caviar" - as well as paste, extract and organic sugar which is processed at New Zealand Botanicals in Katikati.
After working with Massey University, Reunion is next year introducing two new products - a syrup, and a pure vanilla powder for food manufacturers.
The syrup, and here's another first - it will be the only 100 per cent vanilla available worldwide - will be on the market next March and should be snapped up by cafes for their vanilla lattes and bars for a cocktail mix. The syrup can also be drizzled over pancakes, desserts and fresh fruit.
"We developed a list of 20 new products with Massey and then narrowed them down to four - but, all along, the syrup was the first one," said Jennifer. Already, Reunion has sent 200 bottles of the syrup to cafes and other potential customers for reaction.
This financial year Reunion expects to double its pure vanilla sales to 700-750kg, and it has another 750kg in stock. It plans for increased sales in Britain and the United States.
Reunion has sent its first shipment to Britain and its distributor has access to 1500 specialty retail outlets, but at first it will be trialling with 10 retailers.
The Tauranga company is also completing formalities (labelling and documentation) in the US to supply gourmet and speciality food chains, Bristol Farms and Macro Wholefoods in California.
Reunion is already supplying restaurants, specialty stores and food manufacturers in New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia.
A premium New Zealand ice cream, sorbet and gelato manufacturer, Zest, is using the Heilala Vanilla; so is Sydney-based Serendipity, which is supplying natural ice cream and sorbet to Middle East airlines.
Another go-ahead New Zealand company, 180 Degrees Biscuits, has added the vanilla to its Melting Moments on Air New Zealand flights.
And Reunion has broken into the tough Melbourne hospitality market, with the chefs now splitting up the Heilala Vanilla pods in the Cutler & Co and Attica restaurants.
Reunion Food Company is building up an impressive CV.
Read more... www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/local/news/new-vanilla-offers-essence-of-nz/3905282/
Tree-To-Earth pH Difference May Generate Harvestable Energy
An experimental wireless mesh network for monitoring forests for fire danger was recently demonstrated while being powered by the trees themselves...
...the tree-root-soil system acts as a concentration pH cell, sometimes actively maintained by the tree's homeostasis mechanisms...
'Tree power' harvests bio-energy
By R. Colin Johnson
EE Times
(2009/09/11 9:10 AM EDT)
PORTLAND, Ore. — Trees can be used to power circuits, but their voltage is too small to charge conventional batteries. University of Washington (Seattle) researchers recently demonstrated a nanoscale "boost converter" that integrates the ultra-low-voltage potentials generated by trees.
"The nanoscale is not just in size, but also in energy and power consumption," said engineering professor Babak Parviz, who specializes in what he calls "research at the interface between biology and electrical engineering."
"Normal electronics were not going to run on the types of voltages and currents that we got out of a tree," said Parviz.
A tree's output voltage can be as low as 20 millivolts, according to the researchers. They designed a circuit to nevertheless accumulate enough power over time to produce a 1.1-volt output--enough to power wireless sensors. The tiny nanoscale-sized power harvester consumed just 10 nanowatts when operating, but spent most of its time in sleep mode.
A special ultra-low power clock circuit also was designed to run on a single nanowatt during sleep mode. It requires only 350 millivolts to accumulate before awakening.
While designing the energy harvester, the researchers also attempted to gauge tree health by monitoring the "pulse" of its power output –
"When you go to the doctor, the first thing that they measure is your pulse," Parviz said. "There seems to be some signaling in trees, similar to what happens in the human body, but at a slower speed."
Last year, the theory behind "tree power" was demonstrated by MIT researchers in an attempt to harness the pH difference between a tree's inner trunk and the ground. MIT professor Andreas Mershin demonstrated that a tree's systems work to maintain a constant pH differential, thus supplying the work that powers any energy-harvesting circuitry.
Mershin founded a company called Voltree Power (Canton, Mass., USA - voltreepower.com) which recently won a contract from the U.S. Forest Service to supply a wireless mesh sensor network powered by trees. "We've designed a custom product for the U.S. Forest Service that will integrate with their existing weather stations," said Voltree CEO Stella Karavas.
The Forest Service operates 28,000 U.S. weather stations, each transmiting conditions on the ground to a satellite. Voltree's energy harvester gathers information from the surrounding forest and transmits it wirelessly to existing weather stations. The architecture extends the stations' reach under the forest canopy for the first time. Pilot sites will be tested this fall, with the first weather station upgrades scheduled for the first quarter of 2010.
Tall tale: Trees could power wireless networks
Article from "Electronic design"
9 September 2009
Tree croppers are saddened by the loss of Jim Dunckley.
He shared a lifetime's nurturing experience with us, especially regarding apple trees.
We extend our deepest sympathies to family and friends.
Obituary: Jim Dunckley
James Vivian (Jim) Dunckley, retired biochemist, died in Dunedin Hospital on 9 September, following a car crash in his home town of Palmerston, a week earlier.
Jim Dunckley (87) was well known for his involvement with the NZ Tree crops association and with the Coastal Otago branch of the Tree Crops association. His research on apple cultivars was notable.
He was born at Frankton Junction (now in Hamilton) on 9 December 1921, the older of two boys of Eleanor, a schoolteacher, and Charles, a postmaster. He was aged seven when the family moved to Dunedin and he attended Maori Hill primary school, Otago Boys' High School and commenced study at the University of Otago.
The war interrupted his university studies and he saw service from December 1941 to March 1946, serving in Italy for two and a half years as Gunner, 7ATK Regt 2NZEF, and for which he was awarded The 39-45 Service Star, the Italy Star, the NZ War Service Medal and the 39-45 War Medal. After the war Jim completed his BSc degree in chemistry at Otago and completed other postgraduate diplomas from New Zealand and Australia.
Jim worked initially as an analytical chemist at the Waikato Dairy Company before moving to Dunedin where he worked in a private laboratory and then in the laboratory at the Dunedin Medical School. Restructuring saw him transfer to the newly named diagnostic laboratories at Dunedin Public Hospital's clinical services building where he worked for over 30 years and was affectionately known by his staff as 'Uncle Dunckle'.
During his career he made many professional development trips overseas, particularly to the USA and to Australia to update his specialist knowledge.
Family holidays were spent at Purakanui where fishing was a pastime and later when his children were older, prospecting for gold in Central Otago and for scheelite at Macraes were popular activities.
Jim retired at age 60 in 1981 and the following year he and his wife Mary moved to Palmerston where he had a large section of fruit trees and flourishing gardens. Beekeeping was another hobby on which he was knowledgeable and he also maintained a large garden on a 4½ acre block at Moa Creek. His wife Mary died in 1986.
Jim loved and collected books – thousands of them lined every room in the house, including the hallways, and the sleep-out was an extension of his library. Books on all subjects, no fiction here, but rather on history, local history in particular, gardening, apples, trees, photography, beekeeping. Many books were sold when he downsized and moved to a smaller home when in his 80s.
Jim enjoyed travelling and in 1992 with his extended family travelled through Europe on a camping holiday, and with his second wife, Doreen, had two further trips to the UK, in 1996 and 2000.
Jim is perhaps better known for his association with the New Zealand Tree Crops Association and his research on apple cultivars.
In paying tribute to Jim at his funeral service, Andy Barratt, chairperson of the Otago Branch of the NZ Tree Crops association, spoke on behalf of the New Zealand Tree Crops association, of which Jim was an illustrious member for a great many years.
'Each year, as part of our regular activities, the Coastal Otago Branch is required to send in to the national office an account of the hours we have dedicated to research activities. This is usually done at the end of the AGM: we go round the table, totting up the hours, 10 hours here, twenty hours we would come to Jim... For at least a decade or more, his contribution not only put everyone else's in the shade, it was pretty much the equivalent of someone doing a full-time job.
Suffice it to say, then, that if the history of the Coastal Otago branch of the New Zealand Tree Crops association were ever to be written, Jim Dunckley's name would feature large in the record. Jim has been a significant figure on the local tree cropping scene since 1988, when the Branch reformed after a period in abeyance. Between then and now, he served, at various times, as secretary, newsletter editor, and committee member. He was, in fact, still a committee member at the time of his death 21 years of uninterrupted service, which must be something of a record.
But this was not all. In 1995, the idea was put forward that the Branch establish an orchard to preserve varieties of heritage apples from the lower South Island. The orchard was duly established, first at a site on Saddle Hill, then at its present site on the Old North Road, above Waitati. For Jim, this project became an abiding interest, and it absorbed a great deal of his life in his later years. Over the fourteen years that the orchard has been in existence, Jim has been out, far and wide, on the hunt for apples, locating old orchards, collecting samples, photographing trees, keeping meticulous records, and honing his skills as an expert at identifying apple cultivars.
It is good to report that Jim's efforts have not passed without notice by the Tree Crops association. In the late 1990s, when, appropriately enough, the Association last held its national conference in Dunedin, Jim was the recipient of the Don McKenzie Award, its highest honour. On that same occasion, the Otago Branch received the 'Best Newsletter' award. Its editor? Jim Dunckley. When he stood down from the job, he had put together no less than 100 issues.
Jim was never branch chairman of the Tree Crops association. He never held national office. Yet I can think of no-one in the Association who has provided more in the way of solid hard work and real practical expertise.
It was Jim who taught me how to graft an apple tree, a service he rendered to countless others, along with all sorts of advice on matters relating to tree cropping.'
Jim's legacy to tree cropping is secure. It seems especially fitting, in retrospect, that the Hampden community chose to honour Jim earlier this year when it held its hugely successful Apple Day.
In addition to Jim Dunckley's work with the NZ Tree Crops association, he was also well known in the Palmerston community as a long standing member and treasurer for more than 25 years of the Eastern Districts Camera Club, at Palmerston. The patron of the Dunedin Camera Club, Buster Sinclair, spoke highly of Jim's involvement in photography as did Barney Barton, a former president and committee member of the local camera club.
Jim Dunckley had a reputation for being knowledgeable on many subjects and he was always happy to share this knowledge with anyone who cared to ask. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife Doreen and his children, Anne, David and Joan Dunckley.
Contributed
DUNCKLEY, James Vivian (Jim) Doreen, and the families of Jim and Doreen, wish to express their appreciation and gratitude to everyone who assisted Jim and Doreen at the scene of the car crash and give special thanks to Sharyn of East Coast Couriers, Constable Stefan Witehira, the Palmerston Volunteer Fire Brigade, and staff of the Palmerston Medical Centre. We particularly thank all friends and neighbours of the Palmerston community for your love and support. We were overwhelmed by the number of people who attended the funeral service for Jim and by the huge number of cards and messages received from you all. We cannot thank you all personally, so please accept this as our personal acknowledgment and appreciation of your kindness.
Page 20 The Review OCTOBER 2009
Tree pruning restrictions felled
Newstalk ZB
September 10, 2009, 7:33 am
Council permits will no longer be needed to trim trees from October 1.
MPs sat under urgency last night to pass changes to the Resource Management Act (Simplifying and Streamlining Bill).
Two last minute changes were included in the bill. In the first, councils will no longer have the right to demand permits for trimming trees. The act also allows landowners to cut down any tree which is not in a reserve or listed in a district plan, however it does not specify what is considered trimming or felling. Councils have two years to make lists of protected trees before rules against felling are scrapped.
Green MP Jeanette Fitzsimons says moves to remove blanket protection orders on trees in Auckland City is a mistake, given the intensive development in the city where developers will simply remove trees they feel are in the way. Opposition moves to block the change were unsuccessful.
In the second change, public participation in development decisions will be restricted when it involves projects where the impact on the environment is more than minor. Dr Smith told MPs that the law change shifted the balance from public participation towards reducing costs for developers.
In addition, councils which take too much time processing resource consents will have to forfeit some of the processing fee.
Environment Minister Nick Smith says changes which speed up permits for projects of national significance are important. He says it is an embarrassment that it currently takes longer to get a consent for major pieces of infrastructure than it takes to build them.
That view was echoed by Labour MP Shane Jones who says the full power and authority of central government needs to be harnessed so that the hard decisions that speed up infrastructure development can be made.
The Bill passed 108 votes to 13 with the Green and Maori parties opposing it.
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/6016114/tree-pruning-restrictions-felled/
New ideas take root at tree nursery
BRANCHING OUT: Stepping Stones manager
Elliot Groves oversees a tree exporting
business that sends ornamental trees
to Europe and the United States.
By CATHERINE HARRIS - The Dominion Post
Last updated 05:00 05/09/2009
New Plymouth nursery Stepping Stones is one company which uses design thinking in its widest sense.
The company exports maple and other ornamental trees to the United States and Europe, at one point of the year becoming one of the largest air exporters from New Zealand.
It strips the soil off the roots, places them in gel, shapes and packages them per specification and sends them to European chain stores or replants the trees in a US nursery for wholesalers there.
Recession has taken a big toll, demand has virtually halved since exports peaked at more than 400,000 trees a year but New Zealand manager Elliot Groves says Europe has been more resilient and the business is focusing on the cheaper end of its range without compromising quality.
Mr Groves agrees people would laugh if he called himself a manufacturer of trees, but having gone through the Better by Design assessment process, he says that's exactly what they do.
"You're tipped upside down," he says.
"The ethos it engendered into our management team and our way forward with a customer orientation and a design-led mentality was fantastic.
"I'm not saying we had a production-led mentality but it certainly pushed us to thinking differently about why we do what we do." Mr Groves said the exercise highlighted new markets and which paths did not make sense.
"It was a very commercial, savvy perspective. It wasn't theoretical, which we wouldn't have the time to entertain if it was, quite frankly."
Better by Design also offers executive education, seminars, and an internship programme.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/2836524/New-ideas-take-root-at-tree-nursery
NZ apples sent to UK generate own weight in CO2
NZPA
July 29, 2009, 7:39 pm
New measurements of the "carbon footprint" of New Zealand apples sent to Europe show that 1kg of braeburn or royal gala apples will generate nearly their own weight in greenhouse gases.
Over half of the global warming potential comes from the shipping used to take them to Europe.
When the pipfruit's carbon footprint from being grown on the orchard to being delivered to the supermarket shelf is measured by the British national standard, PAS 2050, 1kg of apples produces the equivalent of 900g of carbon dioxide [CO2].
Measured according to the broader ISO 14040 standard, which also takes account of the emissions from consumers taking the fruit home, and disposing of the waste, lifts the emissions from 1kg of apples to the equivalent of 1.2kg of carbon dioxide.
Similar figures for the same fruit sent to Asia, were 700g (PAS) and 920g (ISO) and for the west coast of the United States: 700g (PAS) and 930g (ISO).
The progress of the apples through the orchard, packhouse and port contributed between 15 percent and 19 percent of the total carbon footprint, and shipping emissions accounted for 54 percent to 57 percent of the footprint.
A similar study on Fonterra's New Zealand milk showed each 1 litre equivalent sent to Europe generated 940g of carbon dioxide -- about 85 percent of it on-farm.
Pipfruit New Zealand chief executive Peter Beaven said the eight-month apple study has provided a model which the NZ growers are willing to make available to other pipfruit-producing countries, starting with growers and exporters in the Southern Hemisphere.
"We want to offer it to others in the hope that we can agree on common standards on how to measure emissions across the life-cycle of the apple -- from orchard right through to consumption," he said.
While the actual numbers were important, the key for the industry was to identify "hot spots" where reductions could be made.
"Only 9 percent to 14 percent of emissions come from growing and packing (NZ apples)," Mr Beaven said. "The balance is from shipping, retailer repacking, distribution and consumer use and disposal."
Though only 7 percent to 10 percent of the emissions could be blamed on the production system, improved management of chemical spraying could reduce orchard emissions by 20 percent and save costs of $80/ha.
And participation in the "apples future" programme to produce export fruit with no detectable levels of pesticide residues could reduce emissions by about 10 percent and save costs of up to $140/ha.
Investing in better refrigerated storage, and reduction of electricity use could cut emissions by between 10 percent and 25 percent and save costs of up to $8.10 for each pallet of apples.
Implementing all the most feasible short-term orchard reductions requiring minimal capital investment could lead to cost savings of $650/ha.
Mr Beaven said there was considerable potential for reducing emissions from shipping, including better use of ship capacity, slower shipping speeds, improved efficiency of refrigeration and new ship designs.
The study was a joint project between Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the New Zealand pipfruit industry, and research providers including Landcare Research, Plant and Food Research, AgriLink and Massey University.
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/5760847
Fruit trees will be rail trail attraction
By Lynda Van Kempen on Mon, 24 Aug 2009
Your Town: Alexandra
The Keep Alexandra Clyde Beautiful group volunteers have planted 20 heritage fruit trees on the site of an historic orchard in Alexandra, next to the old Alexandra Railway Station site.
The orchard is between Ngapara and Station Streets, on land next to the Otago Central Rail Trail, and is part of a long-term project by the group to beautify sections of the trail.
"We're hoping that locals and rail trailers will come along and enjoy the reserve and taste some of the old varieties of fruit," group member Karin Bowen said.
Apples, pears, plums and quinces have been planted next to two old almond trees, which were believed to be from an earlier orchard on the site, Mrs Bowen said.
"It's nice to think we're returning the use of the land to how it used to be."
Before the Rail Trail - New Zealand (Government) Railways once provided many passenger services.
Here a "Vulcan" railcar prepares for departure from Alexandra for Dunedin, in the glow of frost-pots.
These were lit to protect the fruit trees on those cold Central Otago winter mornings.
Photo from an excellent book about the Otago Central Railway by J A Dangerfield & G W Emerson
Published by the Otago Railway & Locomotive Society (1995) and available from:
http://www.obr.org.nz/publications/book_over_the_garden_wall_3rdedition.html
The original orchard was owned by the late George Campbell, who was mayor of Alexandra from 1953 to 1956.
He grew a block of cherry trees in that area.
The rail trail follows the former Otago Central railway line and the harvested fruit used to be transported by rail.
Mrs Bowen said the heritage fruit included Monty's Surprise and Peasgood Nonsuch apples, Red Bartlett and Beurre Hardy pears, greengages and shiro plums.
"Because these varieties are highly disease-resistant they'll need minimal intervention, apart from pruning and shaping," she said.
The group had also included some fruit trees on its first section of rail trail landscaping, near Tarbert St.
They included walnut, fig and mulberry trees.
"We hope people will get pleasure from finding fruit trees in these reserves with fruit and nuts available to anyone. Hopefully, they'll enjoy having a taste of fruit and leaving some for others."
"Also, we imagine people doing the rail trail will be pleasantly surprised to come across the free fruit."
The Alexandra Lions Club hopes to build a replica of the former railway station near its original site.
The station building was pulled down in 1992 after being badly vandalised.
Fruit Driller Caterpillar - Public Meeting
Hamilton Botanic Gardens Pavilion
Thursday 20 August
7.30pm
Hosted by entomologist Dr John Clearwater
and
NZTCA Research Committee chairman Dr Gordon Lees
All welcome
Enquiries to fdc at treecrops dot org dot nz
Fruit Driller Caterpillar (FDC, Guava Moth) - more details...
Organic growing and farming
Join OrganicFarmNZ for this fantastic opportunity
A weekend of learning and practical information
- Opening address by Jeanette Fitzsimons
- Guided tours of sustainable and native gardens by experts
- Learn the principles and techniques of organic growing and farming from certified organic growers
- Visit a certified organic property
Guava Moth threat - Plea to not bring fruit into Bay of Plenty
Those travelling north of Auckland are asked to be careful when bringing fruit back to the Bay of Plenty.
New Zealand Tree Crops Association president Murray Redpath, has asked that people not bring feijoas, apples or citrus fruits out of areas in Auckland and north of Auckland because of a new pest spreading through New Zealand, the fruit driller caterpillar, also known as the guava moth or Coscinoptycha improbana.
"It is very easy for this pest to move throughout the country when infected fruit is carried down by unsuspecting people," says Murray. "If this pest gets into local feijoa orchards, there will be significant economic ramifications as all the fruit will be unable to be exported."
The Australian pest eats the flesh of many fruit, such as plums, feijoas, peaches, nashi pears, tropical and strawberry guavas, citrus, loquats, and macadamia nuts in its caterpillar stage.
Damage to fruit in its early stage can be very difficult to detect, as the caterpillar leaves only a pin-prick sized hole. The inside of the fruit though can be a mass of grubs.
The moth is gradually working its way south, jumping from Whangarei in 2007 to Auckland in 2008.
"HortResearch has predicted that the Bay of Plenty and Hawke's Bay have an 85 per cent probability of suffering problems similar to those in Northland," says Murray.
For information on the fruit driller caterpillar, or if you think your orchards may be infected, visit http://www.treecrops.org.nz/resrch/guavamoth/.
By Kirsten Juvonen
From The Weekend Sun, 9 April 2009 Issue 439
More news
- Tree Crops and the Nelson community recently lost a keen supporter and inspiration in the death of Dick Roberts, formerly of Todds Valley - April, 2009.
- Nick Nelson-Parker wins Dr Don McKenzie Award at Conference 2009, for his contribution to tree crops.
