Solutions sought for saving summer fruit
In the picture: Senior tutor Roger McLenaghen in action at the workshop. Photo David Hollander.
Combating pests and diseases of tree-based crops and summer fruits was the target of the latest MG Marketing ‘Growing You’ workshop held recently at Lincoln.
MG Marketing, a co-operative organisation that has over 90 year of successful record of growing, distributing and selling a comprehensive range of fresh vegetables and fruit, in collaboration with Lincoln University, the Biological Husbandry Unit (BHU) and the Bio-protection Research Centre (BPRC) developed workshops for growers and commercial operators from all around New Zealand to advance their scientific knowledge and practical skills.
About 20 of MG Marketing’s top growers from diverse operations such as cherries, feijoa, raspberry, citrus, and tree-based fruits, from across New Zealand travelled to Lincoln for the workshop.
The main guest speakers were Dr Charles Merfield and Professor Steve Wratten, while senior tutor in the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences Roger McLenaghen assisted in practical demonstrations at the workshop.
“These interactions allows us to work directly together with businesses, growers and organisations, which helps us to apply and extend the reach of our work to the globe, in particular in areas such as biocontrol of pests and pathogens, biosecurity and invasion” Lincoln University Business Development Manager Dr Samuel Yu says.
