New Zealand scientists share knowledge with their global peers
August 2nd, 2020Scientists in Aotearoa are collaborating and learning from experts across the globe about plants, pests and diseases.
New Projects Add to Research Line-up for the Better Border Biosecurity (B3) Science Collaboration
July 24th, 2020Six new plant border biosecurity projects started in July 2020, adding to an already extensive suite of work currently being led by New Zealand’s B3 research collaboration.
B3 Virtual Research Update Meetings a Success
June 30th, 2020A set of virtual meetings that included up to 100 people involved with, and interested in the work of New Zealand’s Better Border Biosecurity (B3) research collaboration has been heralded a success with plans for a repeat of event in the future already under way.
Trans-Tasman Plant Border Biosecurity Research Partners Looks to Strengthen Their Collaboration
June 22nd, 2020The value and importance of trans-Tasman biosecurity research connections between Australia’s Plant Biosecurity Research Institute (PBRI) and New Zealand’s Better Border Biosecurity (B3) have been affirmed and strengthened following a recent virtual meeting of the organisations’ Chairs and Directors.
Facing Covid -19 and future pandemics. What can we learn from New Zealand’s biosecurity system?
By David Teulon June 16th, 2020Moving forward, an important question raised by COVID-19 now facing New Zealand, is, how will the country be able to interact with the outside world without risking further infection from this or future pandemics?
Holden Hohaia and Melanie Mark-Shadbolt appointed to the B3 Collaboration Council
June 8th, 2020The Better Border Biosecurity (B3) research collaboration has appointed two Māori members, Holden Hohaia and Melanie Mark-Shadbolt, to its Collaboration Council.
B3 under COVID-19 A message to our community April 2020
By David Teulon and James Buwalda April 14th, 2020This update from the Better Border Biosecurity (B3) Collaboration Council Chair James Buwalda and Director David Teulon outlines the collaboration’s response to the current COVID-19 situation.
International Year of Plant Health Underway in New Zealand
February 21st, 2020The United Nations’ has declared 2020 to be the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH), which aims to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment, and boost economic development.
Strategy refresh for B3 underway
February 11th, 2020A strategy refresh for B3 - New Zealand’s largest single provider of plant border biosecurity science outcomes - is underway and will be implemented within the next six to 12 months.
First B3 Co-Investment Committee Meeting a Success
January 13th, 2020The first meeting of B3’s Co-Investment Committee was held in Lincoln at the end of 2019, with strong support coming from industry and MPI for the initiative, according to Director David Teulon.
B3 Awards and Recognition
By David Teulon December 16th, 2019Barbara Barratt’s more than four decades of dedication to research has been recognised with the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award by Science New Zealand.
Video shows how live traps can be used for adult brown marmorated stink bugs
December 2nd, 2019A video showing Dr Max Suckling talking about the traps can be viewed here.
European Connections
By David Teulon December 2nd, 2019B3 Director David Teulon’s recent visit to Europe has strengthened critical research connections with networks working in the areas of plant biosecurity.
Enemy #1 – Brown Marmorated Stink Bug
November 20th, 2019The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug is a very long name for the greatest threat to New Zealand’s biosecurity as we know it.
Understanding Rusts, fungal invaders of Aotearoa
By David Teulon November 19th, 2019Since February, the Year 10 Mātauranga Māori class at Aorere College (Papatoetoe, South Auckland) has been supported by regular lessons with the scientists at Plant & Food Research as part of an "Unlocking Curious Minds" Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) project.
New Zealanders/B3 at the PBRI Plant Biosecurity Symposium
By David Teulon November 1st, 2019The PBRI Plant Biosecurity Research Symposium was held at the Queensland State Library in Brisbane on the 15 and 16 August.
Measuring Biosecurity excellence in port communities
By David Teulon November 1st, 2019The Port of Tauranga (PoT) is New Zealand’s largest and fastest growing port, processing a large volume of goods, from diverse origins.
Stinkbugs. Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.
By Newsroom November 1st, 2019The stink bug hasn’t become established in New Zealand yet - or at least biosecurity officials don’t think it has.
Biosecurity trail empowers visitors to protect New Zealand flora
By David Teulon May 16th, 2019A new walking trail at the Auckland Botanic Gardens will give locals and overseas visitors a chance to learn about New Zealand’s flora as well as the role they play in protecting it.
Learning local: Tauranga biosecurity unit turns 5 year olds into scientists
February 5th, 2019Better Border Biosecurity (B3) researchers are increasingly involved with the translation of their science to the broader community, including iwi, and are therefore playing an active role growing in NZ’s Biosecurity Team of 4.7 Million.
B3 part of the fight against devastating disease begins
By David Teulon February 5th, 2019New Zealand’s horticulture and wine industry groups are pleased to have been awarded a Sustainable Farming Fund (SFF) Tere grant to progress research into an invasive and unwanted plant pathogen spreading overseas.
Some of the students working on B3 projects over the 2018-19 summer
January 10th, 2019A big welcome to the summer students working on B3 and aligned projects over the coming months with various B3 partners. We hope this will inspire you to a career in biosecurity.
More fame for Laura Nixon’s BMSB work
January 9th, 2019Recently, researchers at Lincoln University (in Christchurch) and Better Border Biosecurity (B3) in New Zealand teamed with scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) to study the dynamics of diapausing invasive brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys).
Australia and NZ join forces on plant biosecurity research
November 21st, 2018Australia and New Zealand have entered into a new collaboration to strengthen plant biosecurity research.
Scientists hone in on where pests come from
August 31st, 2018A team of scientists at the Bio-Protection Research Centre working within B3 is working to make Biosecurity New Zealand’s (BNZ) pest incursion investigators jobs much easier.
Biosecurity awareness in port communities
July 29th, 2018Tauranga is home to New Zealand's busiest port. Last year it handled more than eight million tonnes of imported goods. That's a lot of cargo for pests, weeds and diseases to hide amongst.
Recent recognition of B3 science
June 28th, 2018There have been several outstanding examples of B3 research being recognised by the wider biosecurity community in recent weeks.
BMSB: an imminent threat to Australia and New Zealand workshop
June 15th, 2018
The best B3 conference yet
May 24th, 2018More than 150 biosecurity professionals gathered for the Third B3 Conference at Te Papa, Wellington this year, for what, according to Chris Green from DoC, was “the best yet”.
Opinion: Finding fruit flies doesn’t mean the system is broken
By David Teulon, Karen Armstrong and John Kean April 4th, 2018The detection of fruit flies in the Auckland region might lead people to wonder if our biosecurity system is failing.
Scientists discuss sex-less insects
March 27th, 2018Twenty experts from South America, Africa, India, Canada and Europe met in Palmerston North recently to discuss advances in the sterile insect technique – a developing weapon against insect pests.
Contribution of b3 researchers recognised by the science community.
February 22nd, 2018A number of B3 researchers have been recognised by their peers for their outstanding professional contribution to bioprotection and biosecurity on invasive species.
B3 refreshes its scientific programme
October 27th, 2017A major refresh of B3 research was undertaken between August 2016 and June 2017 building upon the numerous achievements of B3 over the last 10 years.
Attempts to stop BMSB establishing in NZ recognised in the USA
September 15th, 2017Attempts to STOP BMSB from establishing in New Zealand, and the assistance we are receiving from US scientists, are being highlighted in America.
NZ US invasive species workshop sets a bright future for collaborative research
September 15th, 2017About 20 US and 40 NZ scientists met in Auckland in the last week of August 2017 to explore research initiatives to prevent the establishment or mitigate the impact of invasive vertebrate, invertebrates, pathogens and weeds.
Survival of soil organisms a wake-up call for bio-security
September 6th, 2017Tiny creatures in soil that attack plants have shown the ability to survive for at least three years in new research, giving new insights into the bio-security threats posed by passenger travel and trade between countries.
B3 congratulates recent New Zealand biosecurity award winners
August 10th, 2017Last week (2 August 2017) The Hon Nathan Guy recognised individuals, communities and organisations that have made a positive difference to New Zealand's biosecurity at an awards ceremony at Parliament in Wellington.
Competition focuses male wasp’s mating mind
June 22nd, 2017Scientists at Plant & Food Research, B3 (Better Border Biosecurity), Scion and the University of Auckland have been studying the ‘bedroom’ behaviour of the parasitoid wasp Cotesia urabae to better understand the insects’ mating activity and preferences.
Throwing ants off the scent
June 22nd, 2017Scientists at Plant & Food Research, B3 (Better Border Biosecurity) and the University of Auckland have been researching Argentine ants to determine how odour and physical cues help them to forage for food.
New trans-tasman partnership takes the fight to myrtle rust
June 20th, 2017B3 partners, Plant & Food Research (PFR) and Scion, have been successful in the latest round of science investment funding from MBIE’s Catalyst Strategic Fund for a project addressing the threat of myrtle rust to New Zealand.
New Zealand scientists meet to mitigate the impact of myrtle rust
May 30th, 2017About 50 researchers met in Christchurch on 15 May to brain-storm science solutions with which to mitigate the impact of myrtle rust after the disease was found for the first time in New Zealand on Raoul Island (announced 4 April) and in the North Island (announced 4 May).
MYRTLE RUST INCURSION ON RAOUL ISLAND REINFORCES THE NEED FOR PREPAREDNESS AND VIGILANCE
April 7th, 2017The current myrtle rust incursion on the small New Zealand territory of Raoul Island (1050km north of Cape Reinga) is a severe wake-up call about the threat of invasive plant pathogens to our productive and natural plant systems.
THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF CHINA/NEW ZEALAND COLLABORATIONS IN BIOSECURITY
December 15th, 2016Growing trade and tourism between China and New Zealand are necessitating greater co-operation in the area of plant border biosecurity. The Better Border Biosecurity (B3) research collaboration and its partners are working hard to develop these.
B3 SCIENCE SUPPORTS WORLD FIRST PEST ERADICATION
December 1st, 2016Scientific expertise drawn from the Better Border Biosecurity (B3) collaboration has helped drive the world-first eradication of the invasive great white butterfly.
BMSB-CURRENT OR PLANNED RESEARCH TO PREVENT ESTABLISHMENT AND REDUCE IMPACT IN NEW ZEALAND
September 23rd, 2016
TRIALLING NEW TARO TREATMENT FOR BETTER BORDER BIOSECURITY
September 22nd, 2016Scientists from Better Border Biosecurity (B3) have been trialling a specially engineered high-pressure washing machine for taro to reduce invasive species entering New Zealand.
FUTURE-PROOFING NEW ZEALAND’S BORDER BIOSECURITY SYSTEM – THE ROLE OF BIOSECURITY 2025
September 6th, 2016This article was published in the September 2016 issue (Volume 20 number 3) of ‘The Journal’ – issued by The New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management
B3 RESEARCH SUPPORTS MPI TO ADVANCE INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS FOR PREVENTING ‘HITCHHIKER’ PEST MOVEMENTS WITH SEA CONTAINERS
August 16th, 2016B3 science made a notable contribution to advance the development of an International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM), to reduce the incidence of pests on sea containers, at a May 2016 meeting of the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM).
