Plant & Food Research projects awarded $3 million by MBIE Endeavour Fund 2018
13 Sep 2018
Three Plant & Food Research-led projects have been granted $1 million each by the MBIE Endeavour Fund 2018. They are amongst the 69 new research projects to receive a total funding of $249.1 million from the largest contestable research fund in New Zealand.
The three projects, each with a three-year duration, are:
Are microbial partners the key to bioactive precursor production for high value mānuka honey
Developing an artificial bi-trophic ecosystem maintained in dynamic equilibrium for sustainable control of a serious pest within honeybee hives, and a new paradigm for addressing other intractable pests in productive systems
Novel process for making low glycaemic load starch ingredient for healthy innovative food products.
In addition, Plant & Food Research is a contributor in four projects led by other institutes:
Beyond myrtle rust: Next-generation tools to “engineer” forest ecosystem resilience to plant pathogens (led by Manaaki Whenua)
Data informed decision making and automation in orchards and vineyards (led by University of Auckland)
Improved weed control and vegetation management to minimise future herbicide resistance (led by AgResearch
Understanding pollen abortion in female kiwifruit to create bisexual flowers (led by University of Otago).
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