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).
BMSB SURVEILLANCE: AN INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
June 21st, 2016BMSB Surveillance International Collaboration: Supported by NZ US Invasive Species Working Group
UNIQUE PRE-EMPTIVE BIOCONTROL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR A HIGH RISK ORGANISM
June 17th, 2016The brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) is a highly damaging crop and fruit pest that originates from Eastern Asia but has now established in most of the US and some parts of Europe.
REVIEW ARTICLES HIGHLIGHT INTERNATIONAL IMPORTANCE OF B3 RESEARCH
May 26th, 2016Several recent publications in prestigious international journals highlight the high calibre and importance of work being produced by scientists involved in the Better Border Biosecurity (B3) collaboration.
B3 CONFERENCE 2016 FOCUSES ON THE FUTURE
May 20th, 2016Approximately 150 plant border biosecurity professionals gathered at Te Papa, Wellington, last week (9-10 May) to discuss the research strategy required to underpin New Zealand’s biosecurity.
B3 RESEARCH CONTRIBUTES TO SUCCESSFUL PEST ERADICATIONS
April 8th, 2016Better Border Biosecurity (B3) members are celebrating the official announcement of two pest eradications in December 2015, with a third successful eradication hopefully to be announced this year. B3 has worked collaboratively with MPI and other agencies to help successfully eradicate Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) from Grey Lynn and the Eucalyptus leaf beetle from Upper Hutt.
VALUABLE CONNECTIONS MADE WITH US RESEARCHERS THROUGH THE MBIE INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS FUND
February 23rd, 2016B3 (Border Biosecurity for Plant Pests and Diseases) and Landcare Research (New Tools and Technologies for Invasive Animal Management) have been funded for two years from the MBIE International Relationships Fund to help coordinate priority topics and cross-cutting action items for Invasive Species Research under the NZ-US Joint Commission on Science and Technology Collaboration (or JCM).
A NEW SCION-LED MBIE PROGRAMME
December 3rd, 2015A new Scion-led MBIE programme, Protecting New Zealand’s primary sector from plant pests: a toolkit for the urban battlefield, has recently been funded.
KEEPING THE BROWN MARMORATED STINK BUG OUT OF NEW ZEALAND
December 1st, 2015
KEEPING OUR UNIQUE FAUNA SAFE FROM HARM
October 2nd, 2015Understanding the potential risks to New Zealand’s invertebrate fauna will allow regulators to better assess new biological control agents before they are released into the New Zealand environment.
WHERE ARE WE IN THE FIGHT AGAINST PHYTOPHTHORA?
October 1st, 2015Scientists across Scion, Landcare Research, Plant and Food Research and universities involved in the Better Border Biosecurity (B3) collaboration, are at the forefront of the battle to stop virulent Phytophthora pathogens from entering New Zealand.
NEW ZEALAND CONTRIBUTES TO FRUIT FLY RESEARCH
August 28th, 2015Scientists from Plant & Food Research are working to protect New Zealand borders from future incursions of the Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) and support control of populations in areas of eastern Australia where it is a major pest of horticultural crops.
A NEW ZEALAND LINK TO THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW
By A NEW ZEALAND LINK TO THE CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW May 25th, 2015A national science collaboration, Better Border Biosecurity (B3), that involves four New Zealand Crown Research Institutes and Lincoln University, will play a small but important part in showcasing the biosecurity expertise of scientists to gardeners of the world.
PROTECTION FROM A STINKY PROBLEM
May 19th, 2015Scientists are working together with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and industry to limit the potential for a new pest to establish in New Zealand – the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB).
STUDENT PREPARING FOR TREE RUST
March 5th, 2015Aotearoa New Zealand constantly faces threats from overseas to our economy, ecosystems and way of life.
NEW ZEALAND ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY CONFERENCE AWARDS
December 9th, 2014Ursula Torres received the "Resilience" award for her talk at the NZ Ecological Society Conference 16-20 November 2014, Palmerston North.
NEW ZEALAND ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY CONFERENCE AWARDS
December 9th, 2014Kevin Chase, our University of Canterbury PhD student, won the "Best student talk (presentation) on understanding invasive species" award at the New Zealand Ecological Society conference held at Massey University in mid-November.
THE INAUGURAL B3 CONFERENCE 2014
August 15th, 2014“TEN YEARS ON – ADDING VALUE TO NEW ZEALAND’S PLANT BIOSECURITY SYSTEM THROUGH RESEARCH”
BUTTERFLY ERADICATION PROGRAM SHOWS ENCOURAGING SIGNS OF PROGRESS
July 29th, 2014In May 2010, a species of butterfly never before recorded in New Zealand was discovered in a home garden near the Port of Nelson.
VISITING LUMINARY GIVES EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE ON BIOSECURITY RISK ASSESSMENT
April 15th, 2014In August 2013, B3 sponsored a visit by ‘luminary’ John Mumford, Professor of Natural Resource Management at Imperial College London, United Kingdom to continue B3’s association with the leading European biosecurity research project known as PRATIQUE (Pest Risk Assessment Techniques).
LANDCARE RESEARCH JOINS B3 COLLABORATION
February 25th, 2014In June 2013, Landcare Research joined the Better Border Biosecurity (B3) collaboration, enabling B3 to provide an even more coordinated and integrated approach to terrestrial plant border biosecurity.
B3 SYMPOSIUM LAUNCHES INTERNATIONAL PLANT SENTINEL NETWORK
February 13th, 2014In October this year, the International Plant Sentinel Network (IPSN) was officially launched at the 5th Global Botanic Gardens Congress hosted by the Dunedin Botanic Gardens.
DEVELOPING TESTING REGIMES FOR THE IMPORTATION OF NEW MICROBIAL BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS
October 22nd, 2013As part of the B3: Better Border Biosecurity’s Risk Assessment Theme, Dr Kirstin McLean, a scientist at the Bio-Protection Research Centre, has recently completed research that will help regulatory agencies assess the potential impacts of new microbial biocontrol agents on native ecosystems.
B3 COLLABORATES WITH OpERA ON ECO INVERTEBASE FOR BIOSAFETY RESEARCH
August 30th, 2013A unique and comprehensive database called Eco Invertebase is helping New Zealand and overseas scientists to test the impact of various stressors such as biological control agents on native and valued introduced invertebrates.
Biogeochemical markers help determine point of origin for insect pest incursions
August 9th, 2013“Has it just arrived or not?” and “Where is it from?” are questions biosecurity officials often ask when an exotic insect invader is discovered in New Zealand.
ADVANCES IN AERIAL SPRAYING CONTRIBUTE TO ERADICATION OF INSECT PESTS
November 27th, 2012Dr. Tara Strand monitors the aerial spray field trial completed to quantify the interaction between the aircraft wake under different operating conditions (combinations of helicopter type, release height, and flying speed) and the pergola canopy.
INTERNATIONAL PLANT SENTINEL NETWORK HELPS IDENTIFY POTENTIAL INVASIVE PESTS
November 8th, 2012It is estimated that 30-40% of the plant species grown in botanic gardens around the world are exotic species that originate from a different country or even landmass.
B3 RESEARCHERS PRESENT AT 24TH INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ENTOMOLOGY
October 30th, 2012In August, a group of B3 researchers travelled to Daegu, South Korea to present papers on their research at the 24th International Congress of Entomology.
TRAP CAMERAS COULD HELP EARLY PEST DETECTION
October 18th, 2012Surveillance for the early detection of invasive species is costly and imperfect.
PROJECT QUANTIFIES ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF PHYTOSANITARY POLICY
August 13th, 2012Forest insects that travel the world via global trade can easily become serious pests outside their native home.
PAVING THE WAY FOR BETTER COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCIENCE AND PLANTS BIOSECURITY: A RESEARCH CONSUMER’S PERSPECTIVE ON PARTNERSHIP WITH RESEARCH.
July 26th, 2012As one of the three end-user partners of the Better Border Biosecurity (B3) research programme, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), formerly Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF), has an important role in helping to shape priorities and ensure that research output is directed towards achieving practical and significant outcomes.
USING DIAGNOSTIC MARKERS FOR THE EARLY DETECTION OF CROP DISEASES
June 28th, 2012A team of researchers led by Dr Kerry Everett at Plant and Food Research is using diagnostic markers to quickly detect horticultural diseases in New Zealand, preventing their further spread and enabling New Zealand exporters to maintain market access overseas.
