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Phyllosphere microbiome responses to nano-berberine and chemical fungicides in powdery mildew infected strawberry
Get PDFStrawberry powdery mildew, caused by the obligate biotroph Podosphaera aphanis, is a major threat to commercial strawberry production, reducing both yield parameters and fruit quality. While chemical fungicides remain a standard control method, their non-target effects on phyllosphere microbial communities have raised important ecological and environmental concerns. Nano-pesticides are increasingly applied in plant disease management, however, their influence on the composition and functional potential of phyllosphere microbial communities remains poorly understood. The nano-berberine formulation (BBR-M) used in this study was provided by a collaborative group, with synthesis and physicochemical characteristics consistent with those previously reported for this material. In this study, we compared the field-level effects of a nano-berberine formulation (BBR-M) and conventional chemical fungicides (e.g., bupirimate) on the strawberry phyllosphere microbiota using high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, and microbial isolation techniques. The results showed that nano-fungicide application significantly reduced the disease index of powdery mildew and markedly decreased its incidence in field-grown strawberries, ultimately lowering leaf disease incidence to 5.06% with a control efficacy of 96.81%. Furthermore, nano-fungicides and conventional chemical fungicides treatments were associated with distinct impacts on the phyllosphere microenvironment of strawberry. Application of BBR-M was associated with a more structured and potentially stable microbial community, characterized by increased fungal diversity and higher modularity in co-occurrence networks. In contrast, bupirimate treatment increased microbial complexity but coincided with reduced network stability. A strain of Bacillus siamensis—a genus identified as a core taxon within the BBR-M phyllosphere network—was subsequently isolated from nano-berberine–treated leaves and exhibited strong antagonistic activity against Colletotrichum nymphaeae. Field assays showed that this strain effectively suppressed strawberry powdery mildew with 98.18% control efficacy. Collectively, these findings provide important insights into the ecological safety and functional implications of novel pesticide technologies, underscoring the potential of nano-fungicides and native biocontrol agents for sustainable strawberry disease management
Identification and configuration optimization of key campus landscape features using augmentation-based machine learning and configuration analysis
Get PDFA university campus is a composite built environment integrating research, daily life, culture, and ecological green space. Its landscape elements shape environmental perception and overall spatial quality. This study assesses spatial quality by identifying key features and optimizing their joint effects across three perceptions: safety, comfort, and belonging. Using a Chinese campus, we captured street-view images, applied semantic segmentation to quantify elements (grass, trees, buildings, roads, sidewalks), and used explainable machine learning with data augmentation to identify the features most relevant to these perceptions. This study then employed fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to reveal configuration pathways that enhance spatial quality. Results show that data augmentation mitigates class imbalance and improves prediction accuracy. Key features include sky, river, bridge, people, grass, and sidewalks, and path analysis indicates that greater sky openness and higher densities of people, roads, sidewalks, and grass, together with fewer buildings, cars, and bare earth, enhance safety, comfort, and belonging. This study delivers globally transferable design rules and a replicable, policy-ready workflow that enables evidence-based campus upgrades across diverse regions
Feeding Aotearoa New Zealand people better: From farm to fork
No full textOur food system is complex. Within Aotearoa New Zealand (Aotearoa-NZ) there are interdependencies and interconnections that span the environment, the food supply, health, housing, culture, governance, socioeconomics and intergenerational equity.
This Special Issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand touches on cross-cutting research which increases our understanding of nutritional health, equity, te ao Māori, environmental sustainability and socioeconomics. It does not cover all that was originally intended (Royal Society News 2023). Nor can this editorial attempt to evaluate our complex and rapidly changing food system. Instead, it will briefly touch on each of this Special Issue’s contributions. It will also identify some gaps and tensions that need addressing for a fairer, more accessible, and more sustainable supply of good food for Aotearoa-NZ people now and in the future.
We live in a geographically isolated and food-exporting nation, with Aotearoa-NZ’s food system contributing significantly to the market economy with over $57 billion total food and fibre export revenue generated for the year to 30 June 2023 (Ministry for Primary Industries 2024). However, at the same time, the fiscal economic advantage of an export-led economy can be at odds with other dimensions of the food system, with some describing the current system as being ‘broken’ causing harm to both people and planet (Smith and Hutchings 2024)
EPG analysis of Citrophilus mealybug, Pseudococcus calceolariae (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), feeding behaviours on Sauvignon blanc plants
No full textCitrophilus mealybug, Pseudococcus calceolariae (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is one of the two mealybug species mostly responsible for transmitting grapevine leafroll-associated virus 3 (GLRaV-3) in New Zealand vineyards.
Electropenetrography (EPG) is used to quantify feeding behaviours of sap-sucking insects such as mealybugs. EPG involves connecting an insect to an electrical circuit using a fine wire and placing it on a plant that is also part of the circuit. When the insect inserts its mouthparts (stylet) into the plant, changes in electrical resistance are recorded, creating waveforms that can be then analysed and feeding behaviours quantified. EPG is currently the only technique available to quantify the feeding behaviours of Citrophilus mealybugs on grape plants.
This study investigates the utility of using EPG to determine feeding behaviour of Citrophilus mealybugs on New Zealand’s most planted grapevine variety, Sauvignon blanc.
For our experiments, second or third instar Citrophilus mealybugs were tethered to a very fine gold wire (18.5 µm diameter) using silver adhesive. Insects were then placed onto the abaxial side of the third or fourth expanded leaf of young Sauvignon blanc plants. A voltage was applied to the plant and the resulting electrical signals were recorded over a 24-hour period. Stylet penetration activities, and xylem and phloem ingestion, were quantified.
Results from this study will allow future work to compare feeding behaviours of Citrophilus mealybugs on grape plants differing in their concentrations of secondary compounds and thus in the level of tolerance/resistance to mealybug attack. The results will also allow us to screen for dose-related responses by the mealybugs in relation to the levels of secondary metabolites and how breeding programmes could be tailored to maximise mealybug resistance and therefore minimise virus transmission
Te Kōrero Kāpehu : Whenua planning for Te Whakatōhea kai (food) security
No full textIntroduction
Our project tells the story of a whenua (land) planning process for kai (food) security led by Te Whakatōhea, in partnership with Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University. The project is founded in translating Te Whakatōhea mātauranga (indigenous knowledge) and kai growing strategies developed during raupatu (land confiscation) - a period when the iwi, facing immense food security challenges, adapted to forced resettlement on the Ōpape Reserve - into contemporary whenua planning strategies to address the food-water-biodiversity nexus into the future. A Design Thinking approach was applied to prototype iwi-led whenua planning strategies, with the kōrero kāpehu (conversation compass) created as a tool to navigate diverse and complex ideas.
Objectives
Effective wānanga (workshop) and engagement tools are critical to inclusive dialogue with tangata whenua in urban adaptation and land use planning.
This project sought to enable a wānanga process that would engage Te Whakatōhea whānau (members) in kōrero and whenua planning, with key objectives being to:
1 - Understand traditional Te Whakatōhea approaches to kai security
2 - Develop wānanga tools to engage with the complexity of kai security and to set priorities
3 - Collectively work together to develop nature-based planning guidelines to increase kai security
Methodology
A Design Thinking methodology was enlisted to support the project objectives, with the following research steps undertaken
1. Empathise - Interviews with Te Whakatōhea kaumātua (elders) provided the foundational mātauranga from which the approach for whenua planning for kai security was set
2. Define – the vision and aspirations for kai security were defined by Te Whakatōhea kaumātua, governance and whānau
3. Ideate – The Kai Security Kāpehu was developed and utilised within wānanga to bridge between ideas and planning actions addressing the food-water-biodiversity nexus
4. Prototype – Spatial strategies for short and long whenua planning were developed
Findings
Findings showed that the Design Thinking methodology enabled Te Whakatōhea to engage effectively in the whenua planning process, supporting a place- and people-specific approach with clearly tangible outcomes for Te Whakatōhea. The Kai Security Kāpehu supported tangata whenua to engage with the complexity that surrounds the food-water-biodiversity nexus, enabling practical engagement across spatial and temporal scales. The tool effectively mediated the diverse goals of the rōpū, fostering rich kōrero and supporting the development of adaptive spatial strategies across multiple scales.
Significance of the work for policy and practice
The kāpehu is envisioned as a flexible wānanga tool that can be adapted and applied across various priority land-based adaptation planning areas, including housing, health, land use, and infrastructure, to support planning-focussed wānanga. The Design Thinking methodology was shown to support whānau kōrero for holistic and long-term whenua planning. Applying the kāpehu within a design-based wānanga allowed members of the rōpū to discuss, challenge and apply ideas within a place-based setting. This has international significance illustrating a process of how professional and community-based groups can work together in decision-making, where local knowledge is integrated and translated into tangible outcomes
Effects of ammonium addition on methane oxidation in a paddy soil: Insights into microbial Interactions
No full textRice paddies are a major anthropogenic source of methane and a key target for reducing emissions of the greenhouse gas to the atmosphere. The delicate equilibrium between the production and oxidation of methane in paddy soils is shaped largely by the abundances and compositions of different microbial communities within the soil ecosystem and the interactions between them. Ammonium addition can alleviate nitrogen deficiency for methanotrophs, but ammonium can also inhibit their growth when present in excess. However, the threshold concentration for this switch is not currently known. Here we report the results of a nine-day laboratory incubation experiment that sought to examine the effects of increasing ammonium concentrations on methane oxidation in rice paddy soil at refined concentration intervals. We measured methane oxidation rates and analysed the gene abundances and community compositions of methanotrophs and ammonia oxidizers in the incubated soils to decode interactions between these communities. Our results showed that an ammonium concentration of 10 mg NH⁺₄-N d.w.s stimulated methane oxidation, but concentrations above 30 mg NH⁺₄-N kg‾¹ d.w.s inhibited the oxidation rate. At the lower ammonium concentration, type Ia methanotrophs appeared to outcompete ammonia oxidizers for nitrogen; however, this was reversed at higher concentration where the proliferation of ammonia oxidizers was stimulated. We show how ammonium stimulated the ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) to a greater extent than ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), but with much smaller changes in the specific AOB community composition, when compared to the AOA communities. Our findings highlight ammonium concentration as a key factor regulating the interaction between methanotrophs and ammonia oxidizers in paddy soils and identify the threshold where ammonium shifts from promoting to inhibiting methane oxidation
Exploring sustainable careers for women in tech in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textThis study examines the relationship between Flexible Working Arrangements (FWA) and Sustainable Careers of women in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. Research indicates that FWA enhances employee well-being by improving health, productivity, and job satisfaction. However, women may experience the impact of FWA differently due to gendered expectations, which provides an area for deeper exploration. Fourteen in-depth interviews were conducted via purposive sampling of women and managers in the ICT sector of Aotearoa New Zealand. Preliminary findings suggest benefits for employees, managers, and organizations, including enhanced physical and mental well-being, improved work-life balance, increased productivity, and increased opportunities for professional development. Women’s adoption of FWA highlighted the role of agency, while organizational leadership and managerial support evidenced the success of FWA. This study empirically contributes to the Management literature, specifically within HRM, by offering insights that may help tailor FWA policies to support Sustainable Careers for women
Trade uncertainty: Impacts of Trump tariff risk on technology and energy stock markets
Get PDFThis paper investigates how global technology and energy markets are exposed to tariff risks during the Trump first and second term presidency in the context of international trade uncertainty. Using the multivariable simultaneous quantile regression and data from January 1, 2017 to May 30, 2025, the paper examines daily and monthly responses of technology and energy stock markets to tariff risks using the US Trade Policy Uncertainty Index (TPU_US) and World Trade Uncertainty Index (WTUI). The sample covers the global market, Australia, Canada, China, France, India, Japan, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). The results indicate that trade risk exerts significant daily impacts on both technology and energy markets, with its varying effects across different market conditions. Specifically, in most markets, the impact transitions are from negative in lower quantiles reflecting bearish or unstable market conditions to positive in higher quantiles, associated with bullish market phases. This pattern suggests that, during economic downturns, US trade policy uncertainty increases perceived risk and depresses returns in both technology and energy sectors. However, under favourable market conditions, such uncertainty may create opportunities for certain assets within these sectors to serve as effective hedges, potentially enhancing their attractiveness to investors during bull markets. This study timely contributes to the literature on the asymmetric effects of tariff risks on technology and energy stock markets at the global and national levels. Our findings offer practical implications for policy makers and investment practitioners that investing in technology and energy sectors can hedge against trade policy risks under bullish market conditions
Grubs up? How insects become food in Aotearoa, New Zealand : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
Get PDFThe consumption of alternative proteins is often proposed as a means to alleviate global problems such as environmental degradation and food insecurity. However, achieving such changes remains challenging. To explore this issue, this thesis presents an in-depth case study of the edible insect sector in Aotearoa, New Zealand, a small novel food sector that emerged in the mid-2010s before rapidly declining. This thesis explores the sector’s decline by examining what leads to a thing becoming food. Through this process, the conceptual category of food is also interrogated.
This thesis mobilises a sub-field of geography, sometimes referred to as the ‘becoming food’ literature, a relational approach to food which attends to the embodied practices that lead to a thing being eaten. To better understand the differences between practices and their implications, this literature was brought into conversation with the concept of multiplicity from material semiotics. While both approaches are relational and attend to practices, material semiotic approaches conceptualise relationality differently, not drawing a boundary around where relations end. Their integration enables analysis to extend beyond the relations of eater-eaten to explore broader aspects of production and consumption while maintaining a focus on embodied practice.
To attend to differences, this study incorporated various 'site types' including edible insect research projects, restaurants, farms, food events, and retail outlets. Following the emphasis on practices common to becoming food studies and material semiotics, the methods of participant observation and autoethnography were employed, alongside semi-structured interviews and document analysis.
This thesis examines how insects become food by articulating several enactments of edible insects that have emerged in the Aotearoa sector. Insects were variously enacted as 'good food' (positioned as solutions to various problems), as novelty items (contradicting industry efforts to normalise them), and as pests (in tension with their status as food). The tensions between these enactments and the ambiguity in the status of insects as food led to their decline in the Aotearoa market. Unless edible insects performed a distinctive function, they were replaced with less difficult alternatives that could fill the same role.
While edible insects did become food in many situations, the edible insect sector was largely unsuccessful. Becoming food and market success has typically been equated in the becoming food literature. However, by drawing on multiplicity, this thesis demonstrates the need to treat these as distinct phenomena, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of the becoming food process and providing insight into food transitions and novel food acceptance. Although edible insects have not yet fulfilled their initial promise of reducing hunger and environmental pressures, their potential to transform our food system may lie not in mass consumption but in their power to challenge our assumptions about what food is