Ecosystem bioprotection
Project status:
In Progress
Project Leader(s):
Cooperative
Team Member(s):
See Read More below 
This is the largest programme co-ordinated by the Bio-Protection Research Centre and our suite of fundamental research on sustainable bioprotection provides the basic science platform.
Funded by the Foundation for Research, Science & Technology, the programme has two main goals:
- enhance New Zealand's land-based industries and avoid export barriers by improving the sustainability of this country's plant production systems
- develop new knowledge, tools and technologies that mitigate the impact of pests and diseases for the economic and environmental benefit of the pasture, vegetable, arable and forestry sectors.
These goals will be achieved by:
- in pastoral ecosystems, providing reliable bioprotection by improving existing technologies and developing new systems for biologically-based pest and disease suppression
- for intensive vegetable and arable cropping, addressing declining sustainability by developing biologically-based technologies for the management of soilborne pathogens
- in forestry, developing new biocontrol technologies to reduce pesticide inputs for pest and disease control.
More than 70 scientists, from the Centre and seven other science provider institutions, are working with farmers, growers, consultants, industry groups and agribusinesses to reach these goals.
The programme was established in 2003 and is currently under negotiation for continuation until 2016. It brings together researchers involved in plant pathology, entomology, biological control, soil health and integrated pest management.
