Have you ever cut open a home-grown feijoa and found rotten brown patches inside? Chances are it was caused by guava moth, an exotic pest from Australia which attacks crops including citrus, macadamia, and pipfruit besides guava. Asha Chhagan is researching ways to control the moth as it is causing more and more damage in certain regions, and she has a few suggestions for home gardeners.

Entomologist Dr Dave Bellamy was a hot dog vendor, high school science teacher and USDA postharvest researcher. Until two years ago, the US-born scientist had never crossed the equator. He shares the ups and downs of his career and tells us what drove him to uproot his family to move to New Zealand, a country he had never set foot in before, and how his science life in Motueka has been going so far.

For 25 years Dr Charles Dwamena has made New Zealand home. While he is a scientist working on boosting the colour and nutrient content of fruit in the lab, he is also passionate about communicating science to the "street guy" through a radio show he has co-founded. Outside of his science work, he has recently been appointed as Honorary Consul of Ghana to New Zealand for his contribution to the Ghanaian community in New Zealand.

Entomologist Jessica Vereijssen is looking for Integrated Pest Management solutions for thrips on strawberry orchards. To make the environment less desirable to the pest, she has to put herself in its shoes. It also helps to have a group of growers who are eager to participate in the research!

Entomologist Jessica Dohmen-Vereijssen is looking for Integrated Pest Management solutions for thrips on strawberry orchards. To make the environment less desirable to the pest, she has to put herself in its shoes. It also helps to have a group of growers who are eager to participate in the research! Please go to our Scigest webpage for this podcast to see some more information on the project. The 'Future-proofing thrips management in strawberries' project is funded by Strawberry Growers New Zealand and the The Ministry for Primary Industries as a Sustainable Farming Fund project. Plant & Food Research delivers this research in collaboration with Berryworld.

Dr Phil Elmer calls himself a "magpie" that collects interesting microorganisms with potential. One of the yeast samples that he collected from apricots in Central Otago years ago has recently been released as a biocontrol agent for vine-killing kiwifruit disease Psa. He shares the research and development process of the bee-safe, sustainable solution Aureo®Gold with scigest.

Michelle Joeng and Karangawai Paringatai-Hare worked alongside Plant & Food Research scientists as student researchers last summer. They give us a review of their respective projects on oysters food safety and taonga plant poroporo. They also share tips on how to succeed in the very selective summer studentship programme and tell us what they've gained from the experience.

We're back with another chat with Dr Michelle Dickinson, host of the new science show "Breaking It Down" on TVNZ. In this extended episode, we cover a variety of subjects including running the "Nano Girl Live" shows and "Nano Girl Labs", diversity issues in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), the need for more effective science communication and education, and thoughts on climate change. Note: This was recorded before the outbreak of Covid-19 in New Zealand.

Seafood breeding and plant breeding have a lot in common. Dr Maren Wellenreuther is harnessing plant breeding knowledge to increase the growth rate and tolerance of trevally and snapper while maintaining the health and genetic diversity of the species in an accelerated breeding programme.

Dr Brent Clothier has had the same job for 46 years, but there is never a dull moment. The prolific soil and water scientist received the Science New Zealand Plant & Food Research Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019. He shares his insights into how his field has evolved overtime and his outlook for the horticulture industry in the face of the changing climate and growing environment.