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MYRTLE RUST INCURSION ON RAOUL ISLAND REINFORCES THE NEED FOR PREPAREDNESS AND VIGILANCE

April 7th, 2017 The 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, 2016 Growing 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, 2016 Scientific 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, 2016 Scientists 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, 2016 This 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, 2016 B3 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, 2016 BMSB Surveillance International Collaboration: Supported by NZ US Invasive Species Working Group

UNIQUE PRE-EMPTIVE BIOCONTROL RISK ASSESSMENT FOR A HIGH RISK ORGANISM

June 17th, 2016 The 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, 2016 Several 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, 2016 Approximately 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, 2016 Better 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, 2016 B3 (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, 2015 A 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, 2015 Understanding 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, 2015 Scientists 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, 2015 Scientists 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, 2015 A 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, 2015 Scientists 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, 2015 Aotearoa New Zealand constantly faces threats from overseas to our economy, ecosystems and way of life.

NEW ZEALAND ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY CONFERENCE AWARDS

December 9th, 2014 Ursula 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, 2014 Kevin 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, 2014 In 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, 2014 In 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, 2014 In 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, 2014 In 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, 2013 As 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, 2013 A 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, 2012 Dr. 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, 2012 It 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, 2012 In 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, 2012 Surveillance for the early detection of invasive species is costly and imperfect.

PROJECT QUANTIFIES ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF PHYTOSANITARY POLICY

August 13th, 2012 Forest 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, 2012 As 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, 2012 A 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.

HOW CAN WE USE AND MANAGE OUR RESOURCES – BIOSECURITY

June 14th, 2012 Speech by Dr Stephen Goldson, Strategy Advisor to the Office of the Prime Minister’s Science Advisory Committee and the Director of the Better Border Biosecurity Collaboration to the Transit of Venus Forum Gisborne, 7 June 2012

EUROPEAN UNION BIOSECURITY EXPERT SHARES LESSONS LEARNED WITH NEW ZEALAND SCIENTISTS

May 1st, 2012 In March, Dr Richard Baker, the coordinator and science leader for a leading European biosecurity research programme known as PRATIQUE (Pest Risk Assessment Techniques), visited New Zealand to discuss the initiative he has been leading and lessons from this work that are applicable to this country.

UNDERSTANDING THE BIOSECURITY HAZARDS POSED BY SOIL ON FOOTWEAR

March 23rd, 2012 If you have travelled to New Zealand from overseas, you will probably know the time and energy that border officials spend to clean footwear and other items carried by passengers.

NEW TEST HELPS MAF DETERMINE PEST ORGANISM VIABILITY AT THE BORDER

March 2nd, 2012 You might assume that the biggest problem border officials face is identifying foreign organisms in order to determine whether they pose a biosecurity risk.

TECHNIQUE FOR RAPID ASSESSMENT OF HOST ACCEPTANCE BY SAP-SUCKING INSECT INVADERS

January 24th, 2012 Determining the degree to which an insect species feeds on different plant species is a critical test for biosecurity.

Molecular research helps scientists combat kiwifruit disease

December 21st, 2011 Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is a bacterial pathogen that causes the widespread death of kiwifruit vines.

NEW TECHNIQUE USES SEX AS A WEAPON TO ERADICATE INSECT PESTS

October 26th, 2011 B3’s Eradication and Response Theme aims to develop new insect pest eradication tools that will be effective as well as economically viable and socially acceptable.

DNA Barcoding Helps Protect New Zealand Borders

October 18th, 2011 Imagine if it was possible to identify any species instantly, simply by scanning it in the same way a loaf of bread is scanned at the supermarket checkout.

Interaction between science and policy: an essential driver for integrity and performance in New Zealand’s environment and economy

May 19th, 2011 Speech by Dr Stephen Goldson, Strategy Advisor to the Office of the Prime Minister’s Science Advisory Committee, to the MAF Policy, Science and Economics conference, 5 May 2011

BCANZ website provides valuable tool for managing introduced organisms

May 18th, 2011 The Biological Control Agents introduced to New Zealand (BCANZ) database is now available to help regulators and researchers find information on biological control agents that have been introduced to New Zealand to help manage weed and invertebrate pests.