Completed

T1 | Health Frameworks

Mātauranga Māori and diversity of fungi in wetland forests
The importance of fungi to tangata whenua or Māori living in Wairarapa, and mātauranga Māori about fungi is explored with the purpose of characterising fungal community diversity in restored, unrestored, and conserved wetland forests
In progress

Characterisation of traditional kūmara and taewa in Aotearoa as an insurance policy for food security
Prioritising crop diversity, global food security, and unique characterisation of kūmara and taewa accessions. Aiming for a formal, culturally inclusive collection in Aotearoa
In progress

T1 | Health Frameworks

Predicting the state of New Zealand’s Forests in the 22nd Century
Understanding and predicting where, why and how forests react to climate change.
In progress

Integrating mātauranga and science to enhance maire tawake resilience
Through integrating mātauranga and science, this project will link whakapapa of maire tawake and microbial communities to produce holistic disease protective solutions.
Completed

T1 | Health Frameworks

Can we plan landscapes that are resilient to emerging disease?
Building spatially explicit models to guide conservation of a critically endangered wetland tree in mixed-use landscapes
Completed

T1 | Interconnected Properties

A global analysis of crop–pest interactions
Investigating why some crops exhibit greater resistance to specific pests, while others do not by identifying the underlying biological and anthropogenic factors that contribute to enhanced food security
Completed

T1 | Ecosystem Health

Understanding the drivers of plant health
Investigating the contribution of the plant microbiome to plant health and to then determine microbiome transferability to enhance restoration plantings.
Completed

T1 | Harnessing Biodefences

Fighting crop pathogens with viruses
Investigation of the bacterium Pectobacterium and the viruses (bacteriophages) that infect it to learn about the defences and counter-defences involved in this microscopic warfare.
In progress

T1 | Microbial Defence

Understanding the antagonistic fungus–microbe interactions of apple scab
Understanding apple scab fungus interactions with leaf phyllosphere microbiota, and the role of Venturia inaequalis secreted effector proteins in these interactions.
Completed

T1 | Microbial Defence

Interactions between bacteria on kiwifruit leaves
Exploring interactions between kiwi leaf colonising bacteria and their potential role in the pathogen resistance of the plant