There are enormous benefits that Aotearoa New Zealand’s insect fauna can play in pollinating crops and controlling insect pests. Scientist Brad Howlett speaks to Scigest host Nicola Sullivan about designing native plantings to increase the abundance of native pollinators and natural enemies. By returning native plants, animals and insects, we can create more productive, resilient farms, bringing economic, environmental and social benefits to New Zealand. Farmers can help Brad's research into the benefits of beneficial biodiversity by completing this short survey: surveymonkey.com/r/W6FJDGZ

Wanting to see the bigger picture and understand what knowledge could be gained from the data he was collecting opened up a whole new world of data science for scientist Jian Liu. Jian chats to statistical scientist and new Scigest host Tom Moore about his journey from soil sampling and field science into the world of data science, the advantages of the New Zealand tertiary education system, and the importance of good mentors.

Plant & Food Research CEO David Hughes chats with Scigest host Hilary Ireland about his journey science leadership, the big opportunities in the future of food, sustainability and how science can create a better world for everyone. Listen to the Future of Food episode mentioned in this podcast here: www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/article/future-of-food. For more podcasts from us head to: www.plantandfood.co.nz/scigest

Fish are not simple to feed. Their nutritional requirements vary hugely depending on the species, life stage and growing environment. Most of the aquafeeds currently used in Aotearoa New Zealand is imported and being able to produce New Zealand-made aquafeeds from locally produced ingredients is crucial for the sustainable growth of marine fish aquaculture in Aotearoa. Food and Bioproduct Technologist Katrina Fletcher chats to Scigest host Andre Dare about the exciting but complex process of exploring and designing locally produced aquafeeds. Watch our video on sustainable aquaculture in the open ocean here: https://youtu.be/o6W9ht4DPB8

Following his passion, curiosity and interest led statistical scientist Tom Moore into a varied science career. Fellow scientist and Scigest host Susan Thomson speaks to Tom as he recounts his transition from freshwater ecology and parasitic vampire freshwater mussels to applying data techniques to get the most out of the information collected by scientists.

Improving efficiency of fruit production on the minimum amount of land while reducing inputs on the orchard is vital for the longevity and sustainability of the fruit tree industries around the world. Scientist and podcaster Rebecca Bloomer speaks to fruit crops physiology scientist, Ben van Hooijdonk about a new system called Future Orchard Production Systems or FOPS that fulfils many of these requirements with impressive yield results so far. Here is a short video explaining the FOPS system: https://youtu.be/4kGuMkHjS6E and this videos shows Ben recently harvesting fruit from our FOPS orchard: https://youtu.be/C4-eNrMFRzE

How we grow, buy, eat and even value our food is changing.

In our 100th Scigest podcast Ian Proudfoot, KPMG Global Head of Agribusiness, and our CEO David Hughes discuss the future of food, how value creation and different technologies and approaches can help create a sustainable, resilient food system that works for everyone.

In this episode of our Starting In Science series, host Erin Stroud chats to plant-pathogen scientist Dr Nick Waipara (Rongowhakaata and Ngāti Ruapani ki Turanga), entomologist Dr Dave Bellamy, and Dr Andrew Kralicek, founder and CTO of Scentian Bio, about how diverse a science career can be, potential career pathways and pivot points, and how to move from gumboots to the boardroom and back again. For more podcasts from us head to https://www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/scigest

Wheat is the most widely grown commercial crop in the world, yet flour and bread disappeared from supermarket shelves during the lockdown. Wheat breeder Jamie Macalister chats to Scigest host Rebecca Bloomer about researching genomics in wheat, looking at reducing gluten peptides that stimulate an immune response, and how building resilience in our local grain economy would strengthen food security given the current volatility with global supply chains. See more podcasts from us at https://www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/scigest

Yuki Wadamori, a scientist in our Food & Bioproducts Technology team, sunk her teeth into a new career after working as a dentist in Japan. She chats to Scigest host Nicola Sullivan about her interesting career path and how her love of food led to a career combining dentistry and science. For more podcasts from us go to https://www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/scigest