The project is backed by $888,630 of funding from the Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Fund, with NZAPI investing $598,370.
The project will develop and trial new biocontrol products and develop a trap to monitor the beetle’s presence in orchards. It will also test biopesticides that are available in New Zealand and internationally that could be applied to the soil or tree, as well the use of endophyte grasses that might affect bronze beetle larvae.
Bronze beetle chews through growing fruitlets leaving apples unsuitable for harvesting and eating. It can damage up to 25 percent of an organic apple crop and costs growers more than $13,000/ha per year.
NZAPI Research and Development Programme Manager Rachel Kilmister says the project seeks to develop a trap to help monitor populations of the pest and determine new bio control options.
"Organic growers cultivate the soil to control the bugs, that disrupts the larvae and prevents the beetle appearing during spring.
"Organic growers will often do about 11 or 12 cultivation passes during October and November, which does provide a level of control, but unfortunately not enough. It's also less sustainable long-term as cultivation isn't ideal for tree or soil health.
"In this research we'll test pesticides that are available in New Zealand, and internationally, which can be applied to the soil or the tree. We’ll also look at whether endophyte grasses in and around an apple orchard emit natural chemicals into the soil that affect the bronze beetle larvae."
This latest research programme is a part of NZAPI’s research and development programme, which is currently running projects for fruit fly cold treatment, mealybug and more.