plant and food research kerikeri

Working with others the key to Kerikeri scientist Bruce Campbell’s top honour

Peter de graaf.

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Bruce Campbell, who has been made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, inspects a kiwifruit of the Psa-resistant Gold3 variety. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Dr Bruce Donald Campbell, Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to plant and food research

If you had kiwifruit with your breakfast this morning you should perhaps say thank you to Bruce Campbell.

Ditto if, like an increasing number of Northlanders, your livelihood depends on the kiwifruit industry.

That’s because the Kerikeri-based scientist led the team of researchers and growers who found a solution to the Psa crisis of the 2010s that threatened to wipe out the entire industry.

That’s just one of the achievements recognised today with Campbell’s appointment as a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

When the Psa vine-killing disease first appeared in New Zealand, Campbell was the chief operating officer at Plant & Food Research.

His response was to pull together a broad team of people of differing backgrounds and expertise.

“Psa was an opportunity to collaborate really closely with the kiwifruit industry. I got the opportunity to lead a team of more than 100 scientists on angles to solve the problem. In the end, we managed to come up with a new approach and a new variety which gave growers confidence to keep growing kiwifruit.”

Collaboration has been one of the hallmarks of Campbell’s 38-year career.

Working with others allowed scientists to see things in a different way, learn, and solve big problems that couldn’t be solved by an individual or even one team, he said.

In the 1990s he led an international group of about 300 scientists researching climate change in relation to the pastoral sector. Back then it was a new, and highly contentious, area of science.

“I remember thinking at the time, ‘I hope I live long enough to see this taken seriously.’”

More recently Campbell has worked closely with Māori agribusiness and helped set up Nuku ki te Puku, a network of innovative Māori food companies in partnership with Callaghan Innovation.

“Technology can go so far in solving today’s problems. But increasingly we need to think about changing our behaviour as people. The te ao Māori view of seeing ourselves as part of nature, not separate from it, and having responsibilities to it, can take us a long way to designing what the next phase of our food system needs to look like.”

Campbell is currently working on developing a zero-waste “circular economy” approach, such as that being attempted at Ngāwhā Innovation Park, and developing new food products with a lighter footprint on the environment.

The thing he’s proudest of, however, is encouraging young people to go into science.

“Seeing a really strong next generation coming through gives me a lot of confidence in the future, along with seeing business and industry engaging more with science to come up with solutions together. It’s not for science to be arrogant and think it has all the answers. We need to work with local people who understand the importance of things like place, or whenua.”

He was “absolutely humbled and thrilled” by the honour, and indebted to his wife and three children who had allowed him to pursue a career in science.

Campbell has lived at Opito Bay for the past five years but his relationship with Northland goes back many decades to family holidays in Russell and links to the Plant & Food Research centre near Kerikeri.

He saw Northland as a place of challenges and massive opportunities.

“I really like the idea of being able to stay up here and make a contribution to the region. The food system we all rely on has to be constantly evolving to meet the needs of people and, increasingly, the needs of nature. Science has a really important part to play and that’s what drives me as a scientist to contribute to making the world a better place.”

Campbell’s other awards include the Prime Minister’s Science Prize in 2017 for saving New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry from the Psa crisis.

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Conservation and divergence of four kiwifruit SVP -like MADS-box genes suggest distinct roles in kiwifruit bud dormancy and flowering

Rong-mei wu.

1 The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Mt Albert, Private Bag 92169, Auckland Mail Centre, Auckland 1142, New Zealand

Eric F. Walton

2 University of Otago, PO Box 5543, Auckland 1141, New Zealand

Annette C. Richardson

3 The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Kerikeri, PO Box 23, Kerikeri 0245, New Zealand

Marion Wood

Roger p. hellens, erika varkonyi-gasic, associated data.

MADS-box genes similar to Arabidopsis SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE ( SVP ) have been implicated in the regulation of flowering in annual species and bud dormancy in perennial species. Kiwifruit ( Actinidia spp.) are woody perennial vines where bud dormancy and out-growth affect flower development. To determine the role of SVP -like genes in dormancy and flowering of kiwifruit, four MADS-box genes with homology to Arabidopsis SVP, designated SVP1, SVP2, SVP3 , and SVP4 , have been identified and analysed in kiwifruit and functionally characterized in Arabidopsis . Phylogenetic analysis indicate that these genes fall into different sub-clades within the SVP -like gene group, suggesting distinct functions. Expression was generally confined to vegetative tissues, and increased transcript accumulation in shoot buds over the winter period suggests a role for these genes in bud dormancy. Down-regulation before flower differentiation indicate possible roles as floral repressors. Over-expression and complementation studies in Arabidopsis resulted in a range of floral reversion phenotypes arising from interactions with Arabidopsis MADS-box proteins, but only SVP1 and SVP3 were able to complement the svp mutant. These results suggest that the kiwifruit SVP -like genes may have distinct roles during bud dormancy and flowering.

Introduction

Flowering in trees is often associated with bud endodormancy, a physiological state typical for most perennials, where growth is repressed by plant growth regulators within the bud ( Bohlenius et al. , 2006 ; Hsu et al. , 2011 ). Plants that are endodormant will not resume growth even when placed in favourable environments, with adequate moisture, long photoperiods, and warm temperatures. In the perennial kiwifruit ( Actinidia spp.) vines, flowering is spread over two growing seasons ( Walton et al. , 2001 ). During the first season, meristems with a potential to differentiate flowers, are initiated in the lateral buds of developing shoots ( Walton et al. , 1997 ; Snelgar et al. , 2007 ). By autumn, these lateral buds have ceased growth and become dormant. A period of low temperatures or treatment with dormancy-breaking chemicals is needed to release dormancy. Flower differentiation commences as kiwifruit buds resume growth during the spring of the second growing season ( Brundell, 1975 ; Polito and Grant, 1984 ; Walton et al. , 1997 , 2001 ).

In order to understand the molecular mechanisms of dormancy and flowering in kiwifruit, a study of MADS box genes with potential roles in dormancy and flowering was undertaken. Two closely related MADS-box genes, SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE ( SVP ) and AGAMOUS - LIKE 24 ( AGL24 ), have been implicated in floral transition and development in Arabidopsis . SVP functions in the maintenance of vegetative shoot identity, while AGL24 promotes inflorescence identity. The svp mutant flowers early, while constitutive expression of SVP in Arabidopsis delays flowering and affects flower development by converting flowers into shoot-like structures and giving rise to leaf-like sepals ( Hartmann et al. , 2000 ; Gregis et al. , 2006 ). By contrast, agl24 mutants are late flowering, while ectopic expression of AGL24 in Arabidopsis accelerates flowering, but also results in the development of leaf-like sepals and secondary flowers, mimicking the mutant Arabidopsis ap1-1 phenotype ( Yu et al. , 2002 ; Masiero et al. , 2004 ; Liu et al. , 2008 ). Genetic interaction models have shown that a complex of SVP and AGL24 genes, together with SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS1 ( SOC1 ), are necessary to prevent premature differentiation of floral meristems and to determine the appropriate timing of floral organ development ( Gregis et al. , 2009 ; Liu et al. , 2009 ; Lee and Lee, 2010 ). The mechanism of SVP and AGL24 action was established through interactions with other proteins in complexes that play important roles during various phases of plant development. In the vegetative phase, a floral repressor complex, comprised of SVP and FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC), down-regulates the key flowering genes SOC1 and FLOWERING LOCUS T ( FT ) to suppress flowering ( Lee et al. , 2007 b ; Li et al. , 2008 ), while AGL24 promotes SOC1 expression during the floral transition ( Michaels et al. , 2003 ; Liu et al., 2008). In the early stages of flower development, SVP and AGL24 act redundantly and interact with APETALA1 (AP1) to maintain floral meristem identity through direct repression of B, C, and E class floral homeotic genes ( Gregis et al. , 2006 , 2008 , 2009 ; Liu et al. , 2009 ).

Considerable effort has been made to identify and characterize SVP - and AGL24 -like genes in many monocot and dicot, and annual and perennial species. Genes with homology to SVP and AGL24 have been studied in potato ( Carmona et al. , 1998 ; Garcia-Maroto et al. , 2000 ), Chinese cabbage ( Lee et al. , 2007 a ), ryegrass ( Petersen et al. , 2006 ), barley ( Trevaskis et al. , 2007 ), rice ( Fornara et al. , 2008 ), and the woody perennials, sapphire dragon tree ( Prakash and Kumar, 2002 ) and eucalyptus ( Brill and Watson, 2004 ). Furthermore, SVP -like genes have been associated with the onset and/or release of endodormancy in raspberry ( Mazzitelli et al. , 2007 ), Japanese apricot ( Yamane et al. , 2008 ; Sasaki et al. , 2011 ; Yamane et al. , 2011 ), leafy spurge ( Horvath et al. , 2010 ), grapevine ( Diaz-Riquelme et al. , 2009 ), and citrus ( Li et al. , 2010 ). Most notably, the deletion of six SVP -like genes ( PpDAM1–6 ) resulted in a complete lack of dormancy in the terminal shoot meristems in the peach evergrowing ( evg ) mutant ( Bielenberg et al. , 2004 , 2008 ). These genes had a different pattern of expression over the growing season in the wild-type peach, with PpDAM5 and PpDAM6 showing elevated expression during endodormancy and rapid down-regulation upon application of the dormancy breaking chemical, suggesting that these genes play a role in the establishment and maintenance of bud endodormancy ( Li et al. , 2009 ; Yamane et al. , 2011 ).

To study the role of SVP -like genes in dormancy and flowering of kiwifruit, four MADS-box genes with homology to Arabidopsis SVP were identified and characterized by expression analysis, ectopic transgenic analysis in Arabidopsis and analysis of protein interactions. Seasonal fluctuation that correlated with bud dormancy and growth cycles were observed with some of these genes. The effect of dormancy-breaking chemical application on budbreak, flower differentiation, and SVP -like gene expression was also investigated. Finally, functional conservation in Arabidopsis was investigated and protein interactions were examined to determine the mechanism of SVP -like gene action and to address distinct flowering time and floral morphology phenotypes. Based on these results, the potential roles of kiwifruit SVP -like genes are postulated.

Materials and methods

Plant material.

Kiwifruit plant material used in this study was collected from a female cultivar ‘Hayward’ ( Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson). The kiwifruit vines were grown in the field under natural conditions, trained on a T-bar training system and underwent standard orchard management practice. Root, stem, leaf, flower, and fruit tissue collection was carried out on vines growing at the Plant and Food Research orchard near Kerikeri, New Zealand, during the spring and summer season of 2005–2006. Actively-growing apical and axillary buds were collected in early autumn 2006 from vines growing at the Plant and Food Research orchard near Te Puke, New Zealand.

For the annual cycle of bud and flower development, the 1995–1996 sample series of Walton et al. (2001) collected at the Blands Research orchard near Hamilton was utilized and additional samples were collected during 2008–2009 at the Plant and Food Research orchard near Kerikeri. The minimum and maximum daily temperatures were recorded during sampling time. Mean winter temperatures were 10.8 °C and 14.5 °C at Hamilton and Kerikeri, respectively.

To monitor the effect of the dormancy-breaking chemical hydrogen cyanamide (HC), a 5% solution of Hi-Cane ® (NuFarm, New Zealand, active ingredient hydrogen cyanamide 520 g l −1 ) was applied at 700 l ha −1 to plants grown at the Plant and Food Research orchard near Kerikeri on 23 August 2004. Bud samples were collected weekly from HC-treated and non-treated vines for seven weeks. The buds were dissected and their length was measured before RNA extraction. Bud length above 15 mm was recorded as budbreak.

Identification and phylogenetic study of kiwifruit SVP -like genes

Kiwifruit SVP -like genes were identified from the Plant and Food Research Actinidia EST database ( Crowhurst et al. , 2008 ) by BLAST alignment ( Altschul et al. , 1990 ) to Arabidopsis SVP and further amplified from A. deliciosa bud cDNA using gene-specific oligonucleotide primers (see Supplementary Table S1 at JXB online). Sequence alignment was performed using Vector NTI version 9.0. (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) Clustal W (opening 15, extension penalty 0.3). Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using MEGA version 4.0 ( Kumar et al. , 2004 ), using a minimum evolution phylogeny test with 1000 bootstrap replicates and above 50% cut-off value for the condensed tree. The predicted amino acid sequences used in phylogenetic analyses were: Arabidopsis SVP (AT2G22450), AGL24 ( AT4G2454 0), potato StMADS11 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AF008652","term_id":"2735765","term_text":"AF008652"}} AF008652 ), StMADS16 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AY643736","term_id":"55792849","term_text":"AY643736"}} AY643736 ), rice OsMADS22 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AB107957","term_id":"62148941","term_text":"AB107957"}} AB107957 ), OsMADS47 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AY345221","term_id":"33621116","term_text":"AY345221"}} AY345221 ), OsMADS55 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AY345223","term_id":"34864151","term_text":"AY345223"}} AY345223 ), barley HvBM1 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AJ249142","term_id":"9367233","term_text":"AJ249142"}} AJ249142 ), HvBM10 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"EF043040","term_id":"120407343","term_text":"EF043040"}} EF043040 ), Chinese cabagge BcSVP ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"DQ922945","term_id":"115371647","term_text":"DQ922945"}} DQ922945 ), eucalyptus EgrSVP ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AY273873","term_id":"30983947","term_text":"AY273873"}} AY273873 ), Japanese apricot PmDAM6 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AB437345","term_id":"223278227","term_text":"AB437345"}} AB437345 ), leafy spurge EeDAM2 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"EU339320","term_id":"164521126","term_text":"EU339320"}} EU339320 ), trifoliate orange CtSVP ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"FJ373211","term_id":"210148493","term_text":"FJ373211"}} FJ373211 ), peach PpDAM1, PpDAM2, PpDAM3, PpDAM4, PpDAM5, and PpDAM6 ( Bielenberg et al. , 2006 ), sapphire dragon tree PkMADS1 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"AF060880","term_id":"6652755","term_text":"AF060880"}} AF060880 ), grape VvSVP1, VvSVP2, VvSVP3, VvSVP4, VvSVP5 ( Diaz-Riquelme et al. , 2009 ), apple MdMADS16 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"EB114714","term_id":"91004293","term_text":"EB114714"}} EB114714 ), MdMADS20 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"EB137980","term_id":"91027562","term_text":"EB137980"}} EB137980 ), MdMADS25 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"CO723380","term_id":"50703359","term_text":"CO723380"}} CO723380 ), MdMADS201 ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"CO899324","term_id":"51239114","term_text":"CO899324"}} CO899324 ), and poplar PtMADS7, PtMADS21, PtMADS26, PtMADS27, PtMADS28, PtMADS29, PtMADS47, PtMADS48 ( Leseberg et al. , 2006 ). Arabidopsis FLC (AT5G10140) , AP1 (AT1G69120), and SOC1 (AT2G45660) were used as an outgroup.

RNA extractions and quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis

Total RNA was extracted from kiwifruit tissue as described by Chang et al. (1993) . Total RNA was isolated from Arabidopsis seedlings using the Trizol reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA). Five μg of total RNA were treated with DNaseI (Ambion, Austin, TX) and reverse-transcribed at 50 °C using Superscript III (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. RNA and cDNA were stored at –80 °C for long-term use.

Gene-specific primers for qRT-PCR (see Supplementary Table S2 at JXB online) were designed using Primer 3 software ( Rosen and Skaletsky, 2000 ) to amplify products between 150–300 bp in size. Kiwifruit Actin ( {"type":"entrez-nucleotide","attrs":{"text":"FG403300","term_id":"195205487","term_text":"FG403300"}} FG403300 ; Walton et al. , 2009 ), was used as a standard for qRT-PCR analyses performed on kiwifruit cDNA, based on low variability of expression and stability index values similar to the stable reference genes proposed in poplar ( Brunner et al. , 2004 ). Similar expression profiles were detected when using kiwifruit ubiquitin and alpha-tubulin (see Supplementary Fig. S1 at JXB online). Arabidopsis Actin (At3g18780) was used as a standard for transgenic plant analyses. Amplification and quantification were carried out using the FastStart DNA Master SYBR Green I reaction mix and the Lightcycler 1.5 instrument (Roche). PCR reaction mix and parameters were as described previously by Walton et al. (2009) . Each PCR reaction was performed in triplicate and a non-template control was included in each run. PCR reaction efficiency for each primer pair was determined by a standard curve generated with serially diluted cDNA. The expectant size of PCR products was confirmed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Data were analysed using the LightCycler Software version 4.0 (Roche).

Vector construction

SVP1 cDNA was ligated into the corresponding sites of vector pHEX2 ( Hellens et al. , 2007 ), SVP2 and SVP3 into pART277, derived from the binary vector pART27 ( Gleave, 1992 ), and SVP4 into pSAK778S ( Drummond et al. , 2009 ). Arabidopsis SVP clone was generated by PCR using gene-specific primers (see Supplementary Table S1 at JXB online) and cloned into pART277. Construction of these vectors placed each cDNA between the CaMV 35S promoter and the ocs 3′ transcriptional terminator. The 35S:AGL24 construct ( Yu et al. , 2002 ) was kindly supplied by H Yu. The resulting plasmids were transformed into Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain GV3101 by the electroporation method.

Generation of transgenic Arabidopsis plants

Over-expression of kiwifruit genes in Arabidopsis was carried out in wild-type Columbia (Col-0), svp41 and agl24-2 mutants, respectively. The Arabidopsis svp41 and agl24-2 mutants were kindly provided by P Huijser and S Michaels. Genotyping of the svp41 and agl24-2 alleles were performed by PCR as described previously ( Michaels et al. , 2003 ; Gregis et al. , 2006 ).

Agrobacterium tumefaciens -mediated plant transformation was performed by the floral dipping method ( Clough and Bent, 1998 ). The transformed seeds were selected on Murashige and Skoog (MS) agar with 50 μg ml −1 kanamycin. Following the segregation tests, 12 plants of two homozygous lines of the T 3 generations were used for flowering time and floral phenotype recording. Seedlings were grown in a greenhouse at 20 °C under a long day (LD) conditions (16/8 h, light/dark), or a short day conditions (8/16 h, light/dark). Transgene analyses were carried out on 10-d-old seedlings.

The yeast two-hybrid assay

The full-length open reading frame of kiwifruit SVP -like genes and Arabidopsis FLC, AG , and SEP3 were amplified by PCR with primers as listed in Supplementary Table S1 at JXB online. The resulting PCR products were cloned into pDEST ™ 32 (pBDGAL4, bait), and pDEST ™ 22 (pADGAL4, prey) using the GATEWAY ® Cloning System (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA). The other Arabidopsis MADS-box gene constructs were previously described ( Fornara et al. , 2008 ) and kindly given by V Gregis. Those constructs were cloned in pDEST ™ 32, linearized with Xho I and recombined into pDEST ™ 22. The truncated version of AP1 Δ C was used in the assay, because of the autoactivation of AP1 protein ( Pelaz et al. , 2001 ). All constructs were confirmed by sequencing analyses. The bait plasmids were introduced into Saccharomyces cerevisiae stain PJ69a, and prey vectors into strain PJ69α ( James et al. , 1996 ). Two types of colonies containing bait vector and prey vector were mated and selected on SC plates lacking Leu and Trp. The affinity of two protein interactions were determined on selective SC media lacking Leu, Trp, His, and in the presence of 1, 3 and 5 mM 3-aminotriazole (3AT) at 30 °C. All assayed proteins were tested for autoactivation, homodimerization, and heterodimerization capacity. The strength of interactions were compared with control plasmids of pEXP ™ 32/Krev1 with pEXP ™ 22/RalGDS-wt, pEXP ™ 22/RalGDS-m1, and pEXP ™ 22/RalGDS-m2 (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA).

Identification and phylogenetic analysis of kiwifruit SVP -like genes

Four Actinidia chinensis MIKC-type II MADS-box genes with homology to SVP genes were identified from the Actinidia EST database ( Crowhurst et al. , 2008 ). A near-identical sequence was also identified from a closely related A. deliciosa and additional identical or near-identical sequences were amplified from A. deliciosa cDNA ( Table 1 ). Each candidate gene has a single long open reading frame encoding a predicted protein of between 216 and 233 amino acids, comprising the MADS-box, I-box, K-box, and C-terminal domains. The similarity with Arabidopsis SVP and AGL24 is most prominent in the MIK region, but similarity is also detected in the less conserved C-terminal end of predicted proteins ( Fig. 1A ). The sequence analysis using deduced amino acid sequences of kiwifruit SVP -like genes revealed that kiwifruit SVP1 was most similar to Arabidopsis SVP, with 71% identity. SVP2 and SVP3 are closely related, sharing 88% identity, and are also similar to both Arabidopsis SVP and AGL24, with approximately 60% identity. SVP4 shares 58% identity with Arabidopsis SVP and is most similar to the potato StMADS11, with 61% identity. Predicted proteins of all four kiwifruit SVP -like genes also shared high amino acid identity with AGL24 (see Supplementary Table S2 at JXB online).

Kiwifruit ( Actinidia ) SVP -like genes

Comparison of predicted SVP-like protein sequences. (A) Alignment of kiwifruit SVP-like amino acid sequences with Arabidopsis SVP, AGL24, and potato StMADS11. The amino acid residues in the alignment are coloured according to the following scheme: white on black, identical or conservative residue; white on grey, similar residues; black on white, non-similar or weakly similar residues. (B) Phylogenetic tree based on the amino acid alignment of kiwifruit SVP-like predicted proteins and SVP-like proteins from other plant species. The tree was generated with MEGA4.1 software, using the Neighbor–Joining method and 1000 bootstrap replicates. Bootstrap values above 50% are indicated. At, Arabidopsis thaliana ; Bc, Brassica campestris ; Ee, Euphorbia esula ; Egr, Eucalyptus grandis ; Hv, Hordeum vulgare ; Os, Oryza sativa ; Pk, Paulownia kawakamii ; Pm, Prunus mume ; Pp, Prunus persica ; Ct, Poncirus trifoliata, syn. Citrus trifoliate ; St, Solanum tuberosum ; Vv, Vitis vinifera ; Md, Malus×domestica Borkh.; Pt, Populus trichocarpa . Kiwifruit SVP -like genes are indicated by arrows.

Further evidence of possible evolutionary association was seen when predicted SVP-like proteins from other plant species were considered ( Fig. 1B ). The phylogenetic study indicated that four kiwifruit SVP -like genes fell into three distinct sub-clades. SVP1 is closely related to Arabidopsis SVP, along with SVP-like members from some woody perennial species (grape, eucalyptus, sapphire dragon tree, citrus, and poplar) . SVP2, SVP3, and two poplar MADS box genes form a distinct sub-clade, and SVP4 is closely related to the members of the StMADS11 clade, which includes five poplar MADS box genes, three grape SVP-like, and a leafy spurge dormancy-associated MADS-box (DAM2). Predicted proteins of six peach PpDAM genes and the Japanese apricot PmDAM6 form a separate sub-clade within the eudicot SVP-like group, closely related to three apple MADS box genes. The SVP -like genes from rice and barley form another independent sub-clade, the monocot SVP -like gene group.

Expression profiles of kiwifruit SVP -like genes

Transcripts of all four kiwifruit SVP -like genes accumulated in vegetative tissues, but most prominently in buds, especially SVP1 and SVP2 ( Fig. 2A ). The transcripts were mostly absent from the flower and fruit tissues. SVP3 accumulated to similar amounts in the bud, stem, and leaf tissue and SVP4 was most abundant in leaf and bud tissue. In general, accumulation was relatively low compared with kiwifruit actin .

Expression profiling of kiwifruit SVP -like genes. (A) Relative expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes in root, stem, leaf, flower, fruit, shoot tip, and shoot axillary bud. The level of expression was normalized to kiwifruit Actin . Error bars represent SE for three replicate reactions. (B) Relative expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes in axillary buds during the growth and dormancy cycle. The solid line represents samples collected from Kerikeri, New Zealand, in 2008–2009, and the dotted line represents samples collected from Hamilton, New Zealand, in 1995–1996. The expression levels were normalized to kiwifruit Actin . Data points represent the mean ±SE of three replicate reactions and are expressed as a ratio to the first November sample point, which was set arbitrarily to 1. The vertical dashed and solid lines indicate budbreak time in Hamilton and Kerikeri, respectively.

Further, expression analysis was performed using axillary buds, which represent sites of kiwifruit inflorescence and floral initiation and development. Distinct profiles were revealed in axillary buds collected in regular intervals over the period of one year and repeated in two different years at different locations ( Fig. 2B ). All four kiwifruit SVP genes were expressed at low levels during the summer and early autumn (December to March). The level of SVP1 transcript increased during the winter in both seasons and locations, peaking in the early spring (before budbreak), and then declined. Transcription accumulation started earlier in the samples collected from the colder region. The levels of SVP2 and SVP4 transcripts increased in the autumn, remained at elevated levels during winter, and declined in spring. This decline occurred earlier than that detected for SVP1 . The accumulation of SVP4 transcript was more prominent in the colder growing region. No significant changes in the accumulation of the SVP3 transcript were detected.

Kiwifruit SVP -like genes are down-regulated before flower differentiation

The application of hydrogen cyanamide (HC) can advance kiwifruit budbreak and flowering by two to three weeks ( Walton et al. , 2009 ) and provided an opportunity to see if reduced accumulation of SVP -like genes correlated with advances in budbreak and flower differentiation.

To monitor bud development with and without HC application, buds were dissected and measured. The recorded budbreak was approximately 35 d from application on HC-treated vines and 49 d on non-HC-treated vines ( Fig. 3A ). The kiwifruit cell cycle gene, CDKB1 ( Walton et al. , 2009 ), was used to monitor cell division. An increased transcript level of the CDKB1 gene was detectable at 14 d on HC-treated vines and after 21 d on non-HC-treated vines ( Fig. 3B ). Ongoing floral differentiation was monitored through increased accumulation of kiwifruit floral organ identity genes ( Varkonyi-Gasic et al. , 2011 ). Accumulation of the kiwifruit B class gene PISTILATA ( PI ) was detectable after 21 d on treated vines and after 35 d on non-treated vines. A small increase in the C class AGAMOUS ( AG ) transcript accumulation was detected as early as 14 d after application on treated vines and was followed by a significant increase after 35 d ( Fig. 3B ).

The effect of dormancy breaking chemical treatment on bud development and expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes. (A) The average bud length represents the growth rate during the sampling time. Error bars are SE of 15 buds. (B) Relative expression of kiwifruit cyclin-dependent kinase gene CDKB1 and floral organ identity genes PI and AG . (C) Relative expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes. Data are expressed as a ratio to day 0, which was set arbitrarily to 1. Error bars represent SE of three replicate reactions. The dotted lines represent buds treated with hydrogen cyanamide (HC) and the solid lines represent non-treated buds. The vertical dotted and solid lines indicate budbreak with and without HC, respectively.

An initial reduction in transcript levels for all kiwifruit SVP -like genes was detected 7 d after HC application and further reduction was detectable up to 21 d post application ( Fig. 3C ).

Expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes in Arabidopsis affects flowering time and flower development

SVP in Arabidopsis directly represses the B and C floral homeotic genes to maintain floral meristem identity ( Gregis et al. , 2009 ). To investigate the potential role for kiwifruit SVP -like genes in floral meristem identity function, they were expressed under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter and transformed into wild type, and svp41 and agl24-2 mutant Arabidopsis .

Constitutive expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes in Col-0 ( Fig. 4A ) resulted in different degrees of flowering time phenotype compared with wild-type Col-0, 35S:SVP and 35S:AGL24 plants used as controls. Expression of kiwifruit SVP1 and SVP3 resulted in delayed flowering, while 35S:SVP2 and 35S:SVP4 plants showed no significant flowering time changes ( Fig. 4B ). Over-expression of four kiwifruit SVP -like genes in Arabidopsis resulted in plants with morphological abnormalities of inflorescence and floral structures, which resembled floral defects obtained upon ectopic expressions of Arabidopsis SVP and AGL24 ( Fig. 4C–P ). Plants expressing high levels of kiwifruit SVP transgenes developed aberrant flowers with enhanced vegetative traits, most prominently leaf-like sepals that failed to enclose before anthesis and were enriched with trichomes. The severity of phenotypes varied between the transgenes. Transgenic SVP1 plants showed mild defects of floral phenotype, with normal petals surrounded by four big leaf-like and trichome-enriched sepals ( Fig. 4J ). Constitutive over-expression of SVP2 and SVP3 resulted in plants with severely enhanced vegetative traits that often developed secondary flowers in the axils of primary flowers ( Fig. 4L ) and were largely sterile. Transgenic plants expressing SVP4 exhibited milder phenotypes.

The effect of constitutive expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes in Arabidopsis . (A) Relative expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes in 10-d-old transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Two independent lines were tested for each construct. The expression of each gene was normalized against Arabidopsis Actin . Error bars represent the SE for three replicate reactions. (B) Flowering time of transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Two independent lines were tested for each construct. Flowering time was recorded as the rosette leaf number when the primary inflorescence stems were 1.5 cm long. Error bars represent SE for 12 individuals of each genotype. LD, long day conditions; SD, short day conditions. (C–P) Phenotypes of transgenic Arabidopsis plants. Wild-type Col-0 plant and flower (C, D), plant and flower resulting from constitutive expression of Arabidopsis SVP (E, F), AGL24 (G, H), kiwifruit SVP1 (I, J), SVP2 (K, L), SVP3 (M, N), and SVP4 (O, P). Scale bars represent 2 mm.

Only kiwifruit SVP1 and SVP3 showed the ability to complement the early flowering phenotype of the svp41 mutant when ectopically expressed ( Fig. 5A, B ). None of the kiwifruit SVP -like genes could substitute for the lack of functional AGL24 in the agl24 mutant even when expressed at high levels ( Fig. 5C, D ). Transgenic svp41 plants exhibited various degrees of abnormal inflorescence and floral development ( Fig. 5E–N ), in particular, those expressing SVP2 ( Fig. 5J ) and SVP3 (Fig. 5L), which resulted in development of secondary flowers. Similar abnormal floral phenotypes were observed in transgenic agl24 plants (data not shown).

The effect of constitutive expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes in Arabidopsis svp41 and agl24 mutant plants. (A) Relative expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes in 10-d-old transgenic Arabidopsis svp41 seedlings. (B) Flowering time of transgenic Arabidopsis svp41 plants. (C) Relative expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes in 10-d-old transgenic Arabidopsis agl24 seedlings. (D) Flowering time of transgenic Arabidopsis agl24 plants. Two independent lines were tested for each construct. The expression of each gene was normalized against Arabidopsis Actin and is represented as mean ±SE of three replicate reactions. Flowering time was recorded as the rosette leaf number when the primary inflorescence stems were 1.5 cm long and is represented as mean ±SE of 12 individuals for each genotype. (E–N) Phenotypes of transgenic Arabidopsis svp41 plants. (E, F) Early flowering svp41 mutant plant and flower. Plant and flower resulting from constitutive expression of kiwifruit SVP1 (G, H), SVP2 (I, J), SVP3 (K, L), and SVP4 (M, N). Scale bar represents 2 mm.

Kiwifruit SVP-like protein interactions resemble AGL24 and SVP protein interactions

The observed over-expression phenotypes might have been caused by interactions with Arabidopsis MADS-box proteins required for normal flower development. In addition, the unexpected differential ability of two highly homologous genes, SVP2 and SVP3 to delay flowering and rescue the svp41 phenotype, could have been caused by their differential ability to bind the floral repressor FLC in a complex crucial for the control of floral induction ( Li et al. , 2008 ). To evaluate the presence and intensity of protein interactions, a yeast two-hybrid analysis was performed using proteins known to interact with SVP and AGL24. The coding sequences of SVP and AGL24 fused to the BD and AD domains were used for comparison. Kiwifruit SVP1 interacted with all Arabidopsis SVP partners with similar interaction intensities, except for SEP3, where the interaction was weaker. In addition, SVP1 was capable of forming heterodimers with SVP2 and SVP3, but failed to interact with Arabidopsis SVP and kiwifruit SVP4. SVP2 and SVP3 had very similar interaction capacities. They interacted with most of the AGL24 and SVP partners at strong interaction intensity. SVP2 and SVP3 both had a capacity to interact with FLC with similar interaction intensity, which was higher than that detected for SVP1 and Arabidopsis SVP. They were also capable of forming homodimers, in particular SVP2, as well as heterodimers with each other, with SVP1, and weakly with SVP4. Of all the Arabidopsis proteins tested, kiwifruit SVP4 interacted only with SOC1 ( Table 2 ; see Supplementary Fig. S2 at JXB online).

Kiwifruit SVP protein interactions with Arabidopsis MADS box proteins detected by yeast two hybrid assays. ++; very strong interaction, +; strong interaction, +/-; weak interaction, -; no interaction.

Evolutionary and functional conservation and divergence within the kiwifruit SVP gene family

Interogation of the Actinidia EST database showed the presence of four kiwifruit SVP -like genes. They were derived from vegetative tissues, developing buds, and young leaves and represented with a single A. chinensis sequence each, with the exception of SVP3 where several sequences were present. This reflected a low representation of vegetative transcripts in the EST collection, which mainly contains fruit transcripts ( Crowhurst et al. , 2008 ) and the relatively low expression levels of these genes, in particular SVP1 , SVP2 , and SVP4, as confirmed in subsequent expression analysis. Only the SVP3 sequence was found in both A. chinensis and A. deliciosa ESTs, reflecting the relatively high abundance of this transcript. Additional amplification of predicted coding regions confirmed the presence of all four genes in both A. deliciosa and A. chinensis . Phylogenetic analysis suggested that SVP1 and SVP4 might be orthologues of Arabidopsis SVP and potato StMADS11 , respectively . None of the kiwifruit SVP genes were highly similar to the peach DAM gene group with a demonstrated role in regulation of dormancy ( Bielenberg et al. , 2004 , 2008 ; Yamane et al. , 2008 , 2011 ).

Members of the SVP - like gene family have been identified in a wide range of species and have been shown to perform diverse functions. In Arabidopsis , the family is represented by two paralogous genes, SVP and AGL24 , which perform opposite functions during floral initiation ( Hartmann et al. , 2000 ; Yu et al. , 2002 ), but act redundantly during the early stages of flower development ( Gregis et al. , 2008 ). Thus, conservation of biological function of kiwifruit SVP -like genes was assessed in over-expression and complementation tests performed in Arabidopsis . As expected, based on similarity to SVP , kiwifruit SVP1 was able to complement for the loss of SVP but not AGL24 function; constitutive overexpression caused a significant delay in flowering and SVP1 protein interactions resembled closely those detected with Arabidopsis SVP. These data indicate that kiwifruit SVP1 is a functional equivalent of SVP and suggest conservation of this gene across eudicot genera. The most divergent of the kiwifruit genes ( SVP4 ) was similar to the StMADS11 -like genes and did not complement either of the Arabidopsis mutants; over-expression had no effect on flowering time and most transgenic plants exhibited relatively mild floral phenotypes. Accordingly, yeast two-hybrid assays failed to detect interactions with Arabidopsis floral organ identity genes.

SVP2 and SVP3 are the most intriguing members in the kiwifruit SVP -like gene family. High sequence similarity, similar amino acid identity to both SVP and AGL24, and similar protein interaction patterns would have suggested similar over-expression and complementation results. Constitutive over-expression of SVP2 and SVP3 phenocopied the over-expression of SVP and AGL24 ( Yu et al. , 2004 ; Liu et al. , 2007 ) , resulting in floral reversion in Arabidopsis , but only SVP3 delayed flowering and successfully rescued the svp mutant phenotype. This may be the result of SVP3 - mediated repression of SOC1 or FT transcription, as demonstrated for Arabidopsis SVP ( Lee et al. , 2007 b ; Li et al. , 2008 ), which is predicted to occur upon SVP interaction with FLC ( Li et al. , 2008 ). Intriguingly, similar FLC interaction potentials of both SVP2 and SVP3 proteins in the yeast two-hybrid assay suggest additional mechanisms.

Potential roles of kiwifruit SVP -like genes

Distinct expression patterns in kiwifruit organs and timing of accumulation in dormant shoot buds suggests that kiwifruit SVP -like genes may perform similar, but distinct functions. This hypothesis is supported by different flowering time phenotypes observed in wild-type and mutant Arabidopsis upon constitutive expression of kiwifruit SVP -like genes and distinct protein interaction networks.

The predominant expression of kiwifruit SVP1 and SVP2 in buds suggests a specific role in bud tissues, while SVP3 and SVP4 potentially perform a more general role in all vegetative tissues, similarly to SVP -like genes from other species ( Hartmann et al. , 2000 ; Fornara et al. , 2008 ). Elevated expression in buds during dormancy and down-regulation coincident with early cell divisions before budbreak suggest a role for kiwifruit SVP -like genes in maintaining the dormant state of shoot buds. These findings are consistent with an elevated expression of SVP -like genes during bud dormancy in other species, such as leafy spurge , apricot , grape, and peach ( Horvath et al. , 2008 ; Yamane et al. , 2008 ; Diaz-Riquelme et al. , 2009 ; Li et al. , 2009 ), the gradual down-regulation during the time-course of dormancy release of a raspberry SVP -like gene ( Mazzitelli et al. , 2007 ), and the bimodal expression of kiwifruit genes that mark kiwifruit bud development and are not transcribed during dormancy ( Walton et al. , 2001 ).

Down-regulation of SVP -like genes also preceded floral differentiation, suggesting a role for at least some of these genes as floral repressors. Rapid accumulation of B and C class gene transcripts occurred upon reduction in SVP -like transcript levels, consistent with the role in the maintenance of floral meristem identity during dormancy. This role has been demonstrated in Arabidopsis , where Arabidopsis SVP and AGL24 together with LEAFY , AP1 , and SOC1 specify floral meristem identity and both SVP and AGL24 genes are repressed before floral differentiation to prevent the development of abnormal flowers observed upon ectopic expression of SVP and AGL24 genes ( Gregis et al. , 2009 ; Liu et al. , 2009 ). Expression in kiwifruit dormant buds, where potentially floral meristems have been initated ( Walton et al. , 2001 ), combined with functional conservation of two kiwifruit SVP genes, suggests that these genes may function as internal suppressors during bud dormancy, to prevent premature development and growth of flowers during unfavourable winter periods.

Supplementary Material

Acknowledgments.

Authors would like to thank Hao Yu, Peter Huijser, and Scott Michaels for mutant plant seeds, Veronica Gregis for Arabidopsis yeast two hybrid constructs, Tim Holmes for photography, Charlotte Voogd, Andrew Gleave, Sakuntala Karunairetnam, and Bhawana Nain for cloning and sequencing support, and Cyril Brendolise for help with the yeast two hybrid assay. Thanks to Douglas Bielenberg for poplar MADS box sequences and Anne Gunson for critically reading this manuscript. This work was funded by the New Zealand Foundation for Research Science and Technology, contract C10X0816 MeriNET and C06X0706 Premium Kiwifruit.

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Fungal disease worsens woes of feijoa growers.

Feijoas are under attack on two fronts, from an established pest and a new strain of fungus.

There are fears the anthracnose fungal disease wiping out feijoas in Kerikeri could spread to other parts of New Zealand. Photo: Supplied / Dr Pia Rheinlander

The guava moth has caused problems since it arrived in Northland 20 years ago, gradually spreading south to Waikato and Coromandel.

But now there are fears the anthracnose fungal disease, which has devastated crops in Kerikeri, could travel and infect fruit further south.

Guava moths have caused major problems for Peter Jack at his Kerikeri orchard but he was now more concerned about the anthracnose strain, called colletotrichum theobromicol.

"It starts off as a little bit of a purpley black spot and once you get a whole lot of wet weather the infection sets in.

"Mostly with these newer varieties (of feijoa) you get early fruit drop way back in the beginning of January where the fruit is only 25mm long and it falls off," he said.

The new strain behaved very differently from other versions of anthracnose because it was usually a post-harvest spot, but this version attacked the fruit before it was ready, he said.

No fruit from Mr Jack's orchard was sent to market this year because of the fungus, and he knew of three other orchards in a similar position.

Other orchardists further down the country should be worried about the fungus, he said. "If they're not, they certainly should be. With an insect you can kill it but with a fungus it's way more difficult."

'Heartbreaking' for growers

Feijoa Growers Association president Roger Matthews said it was heartbreaking that the same growers who dealt with the guava moth are now faced with anthracnose.

"There's certainly concern seeing some of the devastation caused in northern orchards.

"There is a hope that it's tied to the humidity rates that they find up north and that might limit its spread further south, although with climate change, anything could happen," he said.

Dr Asha Chhagan Photo: Supplied / Plant and Food Research

Research led by Plant and Food Research Ltd into these twin threats was underway, funded by the Sustainable Farming Fund.

Dr Asha Chhagan is two years into a three-year study investigating the guava moth. The pest came to Northland from Australia 20 years ago and had taken hold, she said.

"All of Auckland is unfortunately affected, we've collected fruit north, south, east, west, everywhere we've been getting fruit with guava moth in it."

Very little was known about the moth other than it affected citrus, stone and pip fruit as well as macadamia nuts, Dr Chhagan said.

Containers of affected fruit at Plant and Food Research Ltd. Photo: Supplied / Plant and Food Research

"We're a little bit on the back foot because in Australia guava moth is not a major pest. We have assumed that it will be controlled by potential natural enemies over there, so other insects.

"We are still learning about its biology here and there's still a lot to learn, not only about its biology but also the potential control measures," she said.

Another Plant and Food scientist, Dr Pia Rheinlander, has just started a research project into the anthracnose fungus, also funded by the Sustainable Farming Fund.

A feijoa infected with the anthracnose fungus. Photo: Supplied / Dr Pia Rheinlander

Dr Rheinlander said it was a very serious disease and very little was known about it. "This is a world of plant pathology. Suddenly a new disease occurs and we don't know where it came from, we don't know how long it's been here.

"Now this species affects the fruit when its immature and that's what's different and causes them to drop," she said.

She had also observed that it had caused dieback on the trees. It was unfair that the same growers in Kerikeri were dealing with another threat, she said.

"First they get the guava moth and now they're having this acute disease problem. The growers up in Kerikiri are stressed, it's their livelihood.

"I heard some growers saying they are losing up to 80 percent of their crop," she said.

In Kerikeri, Mr Jack said the disease has already taken hold in his orchard, and he doubts the situation will improve. "Hopefully maybe, some of the money in the funding will find something. It's maybe too late for us but that's alright, we'll keep going and see if we can be of any help with the research," he said.

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Phytohormone and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Endogenous Cytokinins Affect Kiwifruit Growth under Restricted Carbon Supply

Affiliations.

• 1 The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), 1142 Auckland, New Zealand.
• 2 The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), 3240 Hamilton, New Zealand.
• 3 School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, 1142 Auckland, New Zealand.
• 4 The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited (PFR), 0294 Kerikeri, New Zealand.
• PMID: 31947989
• PMCID: PMC7022440
• DOI: 10.3390/metabo10010023

Following cell division, fruit growth is characterized by both expansion through increases in cell volume and biomass accumulation in cells. Fruit growth is limited by carbon starvation; however, the mechanism controlling fruit growth under restricted carbohydrate supply is poorly understood. In a previous study using red-fleshed kiwifruit, we showed that long-term carbon starvation had detrimental effects on carbohydrate, anthocyanin metabolism, and fruit growth. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the reduction in fruit growth during kiwifruit development, we integrated phytohormone profiling with transcriptomic and developmental datasets for fruit under high or low carbohydrate supplies. Phytohormone profiling of the outer pericarp tissue of kiwifruit showed a 6-fold reduction in total cytokinin concentrations in carbon-starved fruit, whilst other hormones were less affected. Principal component analysis visualised that cytokinin composition was distinct between fruit at 16 weeks after mid bloom, based on their carbohydrate supply status. Cytokinin biosynthetic genes (IPT, CYP735A) were significantly downregulated under carbon starvation, in agreement with the metabolite data. Several genes that code for expansins, proteins involved in cell wall loosening, were also downregulated under carbon starvation. In contrast to other fleshy fruits, our results suggest that cytokinins not only promote cell division, but also drive fruit cell expansion and growth in kiwifruit.

Keywords: cytokinin; fruit expansion; kiwifruit; phytohormone.

Grants and funding

• Strategic Science Investment Fund - Premium Kiwifruit/New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Effectiveness of nanomaterials and their counterparts in improving rice growth and yield under arsenic contamination.

• 1 Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
• 2 Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Beaumont, Beaumont, Texas, United States
• 3 Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University College Station, College Station, Texas, United States
• 4 Department of Atmospheric and Hydrologic Science, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, United States
• 5 Department of Statistics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, United States

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Arsenic (As) pollution in rice (Oryza sativa L.), a staple food for over 3.5 billion people, is a global problem. Mixed effects of Zn, Cu, and Si amendments on plant growth and yield, including in the presence of As pollution have been reported in previous studies. To better investigate the effectiveness of these amendments on rice growth, yield, and As accumulation, we conducted a rice greenhouse experiment with 11 treatments, including control pots with and without As contamination and pots with amendments of ZnO, CuO, and SiO2 nanoparticles (ZnO NPs, CuO NPs, and SiO2 NPs), their ionic counterparts (ZnSO4, CuSO4, and Na2SiO3), and bulk particles (ZnO BPs, CuO BPs, and SiO2 BPs). Compared with the background soil, the treatment of adding As decreased rice plant height, panicle number, and grain yield by 16.5%, 50%, and 85.7%, respectively, but significantly increased the As accumulation in milled rice grains by 3.2 times. Under As contamination, the application of Zn amendments increased rice grain yield by 4.6–7.3 times; among the three Zn amendments, ZnSO4 performed best by fully recovering grain yield to the background level and significantly reducing grain AsIII/total As ratio by 46.9%. Under As contamination, the application of Cu amendments increased grain yield by 3.8–5.6 times; all three Cu amendments significantly reduced grain AsIII/total As ratio by 20.2–65.6%. The results reveal that Zn and Cu amendments could promote rice yield and prevent As accumulation in rice grains under As contamination. Despite the observed reduction in As toxicity by the tested NPs, they do not offer more advantages over their ionic counterparts and bulk particles in promoting rice growth under As contamination. Future field research using a broader range of rice varieties, investigating various As concentrations, and encompassing diverse climate conditions will be necessary to validate our findings in achieving more extensive understanding of effective management of arsenic contaminated rice field.

Keywords: rice, Arsenic, nanoparticle, nanofertilizer, Zinc, Copper, Silicon, yield

Received: 14 Nov 2023; Accepted: 08 May 2024.

Copyright: © 2024 Li, Wang, Ma, Sun, Chen and Dou. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Xiaoxuan Wang, Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University College Station, College Station, TX 77843-3136, Texas, United States Wenjie Sun, Department of Atmospheric and Hydrologic Science, St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, United States Fugen Dou, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at Beaumont, Beaumont, 77713, Texas, United States

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

It’s OK to mow in May − the best way to help pollinators is by adding native plants

Professor of Entomology and Director, Center for Pollinator Research, Penn State

Assistant Research Professor of Entomology, Penn State

Disclosure statement

Christina Grozinger has received funding to study pollinator nutrition and plant-pollinator interactions from the National Science Foundation, US Department of Agriculture, Foundationn for Food and Agricultural Research, and Human Science Frontiers Program.

Harland Patch has received funding to study pollinator heath, floral traits and plant-pollinator interactions from the National Science Foundation, US Department of Agriculture, Gates Foundation and the Horticultural Research Institute.

Penn State provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation US.

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It’s a simple idea: Stop mowing your lawn in the month of May to let flowers in the lawn, such as dandelions and clover, grow and support bees and other pollinators.

“No Mow May” was started in 2019 by Plantlife, a conservation charity based in the United Kingdom, in response to a well-documented loss of meadows and an alarming decline of native plants and animals there. Since then, it has been taken up by many gardeners and conservation advocates in North America .

Studies have shown that many flowers that grow in unmown British lawns do support British pollinators . But North America has vastly different ecological communities, composed of unique flora and fauna.

If you are interested in supporting pollinators, it is important to consider the ecological context of your yard – and #NoMowMay may not be an effective strategy. As entomology researchers who run programs on pollinators , we see better ways for people in North America to help pollinators flourish in their yards.

What grows in North American lawns?

Most common lawn flowers in North America are not native to this continent but were brought here from Europe and Asia. Many, such as bull thistle , are noxious weeds that can displace native plants and contribute to problems such as soil erosion . Others, such as ground ivy , are aggressive, invasive weeds in natural areas.

Allowing these weeds to grow can increase their numbers in the landscape and potentially reduce native biodiversity by creating near-monocultures. Not mowing your lawn and allowing these plants to spread can create weed pest problems that people on neighboring properties likely will have to manage with herbicides.

You will find pollinators on lawn flowers, but looks can be deceiving.

Some nonnative lawn plants are very attractive to pollinators. Thistle, crown vetch and, to a lesser degree, dandelion and white clover are commonly visited by bees. This attractiveness helps invasive plants get pollinated, set seed and spread effectively.

But the pollinators you see on these nonnative plants are already the most common in the landscape. Adding these plants to a landscape does not improve North American pollinator communities or support biodiversity.

The dominance of a few pollinator species on these plants may indicate that human influence has reduced the number of species in that ecosystem. Typical human-altered landscapes have a small number of cosmopolitan weedy plants – species found in a broad range of habitats in many parts of the world – and a handful of pollinator species.

For example, a 2014 study that examined urban and suburban lawns in Kentucky found that 90% of spring insects visiting dandelions there belonged to one bee species, the nonnative honeybee ; one butterfly species, the common branded skipper ; and a few hoverfly species . Honeybees represented nearly 50% of pollinators visiting white clover in spring, followed by hoverflies and a few bumblebee species.

Surrounding landscapes matter too

Few home gardens are large enough to support pollinator populations. A dandelion meadow in a city neighborhood dominated by steel and concrete would look like a pollinator haven, simply because there would be nothing else nearby for bees to feed on. But very few bees would visit the dandelions, and they would be species of bee that were common across the whole landscape, just as most birds in the area would be pigeons or house sparrows.

In a nature reserve, that same dandelion meadow would attract a more diverse community of pollinators. But it still would be dominated by the common generalist species that visit many types of flowers and are not very picky. When more specialized pollinators appear in backyards, they are spilling over from adjoining landscapes that don’t include lawn plants.

A 2016 study found this pattern on suburban lawns in Springfield, Massachusetts . Researchers collected 5,331 bees belonging to 111 species flying around small suburban lots over a two-year period. Just 13 species accounted for 4,442 individual bees they collected, while 81 species were each represented by 10 or fewer individual bees.

Plant diverse native plants

Instead of taking a pause on mowing and letting nonnative plants dominate the spring landscape, we recommend planting a diverse range of native trees, shrubs and herbaceous flowering plants.

Native North American plants and pollinators have evolved together over time. The plants have traits that allow for specific interactions, the right bloom times and the right kind of nectar and pollen for specific native insects.

Researchers at Penn State’s Center for Pollinator Research , where we both work, have examined the pollen that wild bees and managed honeybees collect to see which plants provided the most nutritional resources for bees. They found that in April and May, flowering trees – including maple, oak and willow – provided the most pollen for bees.

Other North American native plants that pollinators visit, such as Virginia bluebells, columbine and phlox, have evolved to grow in partial shade as trees leaf out above them.

More reasons to mow

Leaving grass unmowed in May or June is also problematic because it creates a favorable habitat for ticks and for wild animals such as deer and rodents that carry ticks. This can increase local risk of tick infestations and tick-borne diseases .

Maintaining shorter grass provides a drier environment that is unfavorable for ticks. It also limits wildlife habitat and food sources, which reduces tick populations.

Finally, letting weeds grow in unmowed lawns can create conflict with neighbors. Whether the concern is aesthetics, local property values or public health, many cities have ordinances that set limits on lawn height and will fine residents who don’t comply .

While we agree that mowed lawns don’t provide much food or support for native species, skipping mowing for a short period doesn’t do much either. Pollinators need flowering plants for the entire growing season, from early spring to winter.

We recommend converting your yard into a true pollinator haven, adding native plants and flower beds over time and potentially turning your entire lawn into a garden. For lists of North American pollinator plants that are native to your region, visit the Xerces Society and Pollinator Partnership . State Master Gardener groups also have detailed information on developing pollinator gardens for your region, such as the Pollinator Garden Certification Program from the Penn State Master Gardeners .

• Biodiversity
• Invasive species
• Pollinators
• Urban wildlife
• Native plants

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Vegetarian and vegan diets linked to lower risk of heart disease, cancer and death, large review finds

A plant-based diet is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, cancer and death, according to a large-scale review published Wednesday. 

The research , which appears in the journal PLOS ONE, analyzed the results of nearly 50 studies published from 2000 to 2023.

The studies examined the health effects of either vegetarian diets or vegan regimens, which restrict any food derived from animals, including dairy.

A clear consensus emerged: Both eating patterns were associated with a lower risk of cancer and ischemic heart disease (heart problems caused by narrowed arteries). In particular, the diets seemed to reduce the risk of prostate cancer and gastrointestinal cancers like colon cancer. Vegetarian diets were also linked to a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.

In addition, plant-based diets were associated with a reduction in risk factors for heart disease and cancer, including high body weight, inflammation and LDL or “bad” cholesterol. 

“This research shows, in general, that a plant-based diet can be beneficial, and taking small steps in that direction can make a difference,” said Matthew Landry, one of the review’s authors and an assistant professor of population health and disease prevention at the University of California, Irvine.

“You don’t have to go completely vegan to see some of these benefits,” he added. “Even reducing a day or two per week of animal-based consumption can have benefits over time.”

However, Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, pointed out that not everyone who follows a plant-based diet eats the same foods, so levels of healthiness still vary.

“A vegetarian diet could be based primarily on refined starches and sugar, which we see to be the worst dietary pattern,” Willett, who was not involved in the new research, said in an email. 

A healthy plant-based diet, he said, should consist mostly of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, soy, beans and non-hydrogenated plant oils. 

Why are plant-based diets so healthy?

Researchers are still investigating the mechanisms through which plant-based diets lower the risk of disease. 

Some of it may have to do with preventing obesity, which is linked to heart disease and certain cancers . But the benefits likely extend beyond that, Landry said. 

“Some of it is independent of weight. Even when weight is maintained or doesn’t change, we still see reductions in some of these other clinical health outcomes, especially when it relates to cardiovascular disease,” he said.

One possible reason is that many fruits and vegetables are high in anti-inflammatory nutrients and antioxidants, which can reduce plaque buildup in the arteries.

Plant-based diets also tend to be high in fiber, which helps lower bad cholesterol, said Brie Turner-McGrievy, a professor of health promotion, education and behavior at the University of South Carolina. She published a study in 2014 which found that plant-based diets can reduce risk factors for heart disease, stroke and Type 2 diabetes. The research was included in the new review.

“Soluble fiber that’s found in things like beans and oats is really a powerful tool to help lower LDL cholesterol levels,” she said.

Turner-McGrievy noted, though, that much of that benefit can only be achieved through eating whole foods: “It’s not like you can take a fiber supplement and hope to have these same outcomes.”

Another benefit of a plant-based diet may come simply from the absence of meat, she said. People who are vegan tend to consume less saturated fat than meat eaters. 

“It’s just really hard to lower your saturated fat intake if you’re consuming animal-based foods,” Turner-McGrievy said. “Cheese, for example, is the No. 1 source of saturated fat in the diet.”

Processed meat products such as bacon or salami are also known to raise the risk of cancer , according to the World Health Organization. The agency considers red meat in general to be a “probable human carcinogen.”

Is a vegan or vegetarian diet right for everyone?

According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vegetarian and vegan diets are adequate and healthy at all stages of life , including pregnancy, childhood and older adulthood. 

But the new review stopped short of recommending plant-based diets for everyone. 

“During pregnancy, it’s not recommended based on the data that we have to use a strict vegetarian diet,” said Dr. Federica Guaraldi, one of the review’s authors and an endocrinologist at the IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences of Bologna in Italy. 

Guaraldi and her co-authors found that the plant-based regimens studied didn’t lower the risk of gestational diabetes or hypertension in pregnant women. One study included in the review suggested that pregnant women who followed a vegetarian diet had lower levels of zinc — which is important for children's growth, development and immune function — than those who ate meat. Another study in the review found that vegetarian mothers had an increased risk of delivering babies with low birthweights. 

The review's authors also cautioned that plant-based diets might lead to vitamin B12 deficiencies in the general population. Landry said that can be addressed by taking a B12 supplement.  

“From my perspective as a dietitian, a healthy plant-based diet — either vegetarian or vegan — can really meet just about all your vitamin and mineral needs,” he said. 

Aria Bendix is the breaking health reporter for NBC News Digital.

Alfalfa: Flexible amid drought and high in protein

Field day offers insight into latest research.

• by Trina Kleist
• May 15, 2024

As growers face continued reductions in water available to irrigate crops, and while the world needs more food produced and more protein in particular, alfalfa offers an attractive option. It yields remarkedly well under  reduced irrigation, and its protein can be consumed by both animals and people.

Researchers are working to answer questions and solve obstacles that remain to its wider use, visitors learned at the UC Davis Small Grains/Alfalfa Field Day held May 9. A range of topics were covered:

Producing protein directly from alfalfa

“Alfalfa is the highest-protein-producing crop in the United States on a per-acre basis,” said Dan Putnam, an alfalfa expert and professor emeritus of Cooperative Extension in the Department of Plant Sciences. “However, this protein is primarily leaf protein, compared with the protein produced in grain crops, which is easier to handle. Questions remain: Can we extract protein directly from alfalfa for human consumption as well as for animals other than cows?”

Many factors affect alfalfa’s yield and protein availability, including when it’s planted and harvested, the type of soil and when water is applied. The availability of the plant’s protein depends on who is eating it (cows have an easier time), how it’s harvested and handled and, for people, the protein extraction process. 

 In this research at UC Davis, researchers have planted six varieties of alfalfa to see how fall dormancy affects yield and the potential to extract protein.  Samples were collected throughout 2023 and again in 2024. Scientists looked at different harvest times (from immature to more mature growth) and their effect on crude, true and soluble protein after immediate drying or liquid extraction.  

Breeding addresses barriers to yield

Charlie Brummer and team explained the objectives of their plant breeding activities for alfalfa. They are experimenting with 10 varieties for potential release, with trials over several years in various locations. “The big issue has been lack of yield improvement… Why is that?” Brummer said.

Cree King discussed the on-going research to understand the basis of yield. Studies look at deficit irrigation, persistence, salinity tolerance, pest and disease resistance, plus genetic analysis to understand the basis of yield. Details are in  this hand-out . King is a graduate student working with Brummer , a professor and alfalfa breeding expert, and Grey Monroe , an assistant professor with a focus on climate adaptation

Resilience to drought  

While alfalfa is remarkedly resilient in times of drought, researchers are examining how different cultivars and breeding lines might respond when water is severely limited. Charles Janssen described his research to develop alfalfa with greater resilience amid highly variable water supplies. The goal is both to maximize yield under reduced water applications and to assure long-term root survival, so a drought-stricken plant can revive when water becomes available again. Details of the trials are in this hand-out . Janssen is a first-year graduate student working with Brummer and Putnam.

“We’re going have to continue to grow alfalfa under water-variable conditions,” Putnam added. He noted the severe to exceptional drought that has affected up to half of alfalfa-growing areas nationally in the past 12 years.

Yet, when partially irrigated, alfalfa still can produce good yields. That makes it a viable alternative to leaving the land fallow when water is scanty. Putnam discussed four key strategies for irrigating alfalfa amid drought, detailed in  this hand-out .

Almond shells improve water infiltration 

Sarah Light explained the benefits of putting almond shells on alfalfa fields: Unlike almond hulls, which are fed to dairy cows, almond shells are very high in carbon. They could improve soil carbon and soil health when applied to alfalfa fields, in addition to acting as mulch to conserve water.

In her research on farmer’s fields, Light found that yields did not differ between plots where the shells were applied and control areas with no shells.  However, water infiltration improved in the plots with shells, and there was some indication of improved soil quality.   

Light is a UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Sutter and Yuba counties. This field research was sponsored by UC Davis and UCCE Agriculture and Natural Resources; and funded by USDA-NIFA, the Alfalfa Checkoff program of the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance, the California Alfalfa & Forage Association and donations by companies and individuals.  

More resources

Get hand-outs from Small Grains/Alfalfa Field Day  here .

Get more from the UC Alfalfa Research and Information Center  here .

Media Resources

• Trina Kleist, UC Davis Department of Plant Sciences, [email protected], (530) 754-6148 or (530) 601-6846

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Secondary categories.

Climate change is most prominent threat to pollinators

A paper published in the CABI Reviews journal has found that climate change is the most prominent threat to pollinators -- such as bumblebees, wasps, and butterflies -- who are essential for biodiversity conservation, crop yields and food security.

The research, which is entitled 'What are the main reasons for the world-wide decline in pollinator populations?', suggests that many of the threats to pollinators result from human activities.

Pollinator populations are declining worldwide and 85% of flowering plant species and 87 of the leading global crops rely on pollinators for seed production. The decline of pollinators seriously impacts biodiversity conservation, reduces crop yield, and threatens food security.

Risk of extinction

According to The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), approximately 16% of vertebrate pollinators, such as birds and bats, and 40% of invertebrate pollinators, such as bees and butterflies, are at risk of extinction.

Dr Johanne Brunet and Dr Fabiana Fragoso, authors of the review, argue that efforts to control the various factors that negatively impact pollinators must continue given the dire consequences.

They stress that understanding the drivers of pollinator decline can guide the development of strategies and action plans to protect and conserve pollinators and the essential ecosystem services they provide.

Dr Brunet said, "This review introduces the diversity of pollinators, addresses the main drivers of pollinator decline, and presents strategies to reduce their negative impacts.

"We discuss how managed bees negatively affect wild bee species, and examine the impact of habitat loss, pesticide use, pests and pathogens, pollution, and climate change on pollinator decline. Connections between humans and pollinator decline are also addressed."

Changes in water and temperature

The researchers believe that the changes in water and temperature associated with climate change can lower the quantity and quality of resources available to pollinators, decrease the survival of larvae or adults, and modify suitable habitats.

Meanwhile, pollinators, they argue, are negatively impacted by human actions including habitat loss and degradation, the application of agrochemicals, climate change, and pollution.

The researchers say, that in the absence of pollinators, the human diet will shift towards a preponderance of wheat, rice, oat, and corn, as these are wind-pollinated crops. Crops that reproduce vegetatively, such as bananas, will be maintained.

Dr Fragoso said, "Widespread use of sustainable practices in agriculture, and further development of integrated pollinator management strategies, eco-friendly strategies including reduction of pesticide use, will help preserve pollinators.

"Potential adverse effects of managed bees on the local wild bee populations must be mitigated. Non-lethal collection methods should be developed and adopted globally in response to the increasing need for base-line pollinator data collection."

Holistic approach to pollinator conservation

The researchers conclude by advising that adopting a more holistic approach to pollinator conservation, with management strategies that integrate natural habitats and agricultural systems, together with managed and wild bees, should become a priority worldwide.

"Measures must keep being implemented to reduce climate change and prevent its serious negative impacts on pollinators. Climate change has the most diverse negative impacts on pollinators and is the threat most difficult to control," said Dr Brunet. "However, its consequences threaten food security and world stability, thus efforts to control it must be prioritized at a global scale."

• Agriculture and Food
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• Global Warming
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• Global warming
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Story Source:

Materials provided by CABI . Original written by Wayne Coles. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

• Johanne Brunet, Fabiana P. Fragoso. What are the main reasons for the worldwide decline in pollinator populations? CABI Reviews , 2024; DOI: 10.1079/cabireviews.2024.0016

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  PRESS RELEASE:

66 New Food and Beverage Industry Planned Project Reports – Modest Decline in April 2024

Research confirms 66 new projects as compared to 73 in march 2024.

Source: Industrial SalesLeads Inc   |   Thu, 16 May 2024, 07:00:28 EDT

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla., May 16, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Industrial SalesLeads announced today the March 2024 results for the new planned capital project spending report for the Food and Beverage industry. The Firm tracks North American planned industrial capital project activity; including facility expansions, new plant construction and significant equipment modernization projects. Research confirms 66 new projects as compared to 73 in March 2024.

The following are selected highlights on new Food and Beverage industry construction news .

Food and Beverage Project Type

• Processing Facilities – 41 New Projects
• Distribution and Industrial Warehouse – 26 New Projects

Food and Beverage Project Scope/Activity

• New Construction – 22 New Projects
• Expansion – 16 New Projects
• Renovations/Equipment Upgrades – 31 New Projects
• Plant Closing – 6 New Projects

Food and Beverage Project Location (Top 10 States)

California – 7

Illinois – 6

Ohio – 5

Florida – 4

Indiana – 4

Michigan – 3

Ontario – 3

Texas – 3

Wisconsin – 3

Colorado – 2

Largest Planned Project

During the month of March, our research team identified 5 new Food and Beverage facility construction projects with an estimated value of $100 million or more.

The largest project is owned by Daisy Brand, who is investing $708 million for the construction of a 750,000 sf processing and warehouse facility in BOONE, IA. They are currently seeking approval for the project.

Top 10 Tracked Food and Beverage Projects

SOUTH DAKOTA:

Startup dairy company is planning to invest $191 million for the construction of a processing facility in KINGSBURY COUNTY, SD. They have recently received approval for the project.

Nutritional product mfr. is planning to invest $128 million for the expansion, renovations, and equipment upgrades on their processing, laboratory, office, and storage facilities at 5101 Spaulding Plaza SE and 7575 Fulton Street E. in ADA, MI. They are currently seeking approval for the project.

Chocolate mfr. is planning for the renovation and equipment upgrades on a recently acquired 700,000 sf processing, warehouse, and office facility at 1 Hershey Dr. in SMITHS FALLS, ON. They are currently seeking approval for the project.

Dairy company is planning to invest $84 million for the expansion and equipment upgrades on their processing facility in WINCHESTER, VA. They have recently received approval for the project.

Food processing company is planning to invest $65 million for a 120,000 sf expansion, renovations, and equipment upgrades on a processing facility at 2295 E. 55th St. in CLEVELAND, OH. They are currently seeking approval for the project. Construction is expected to start in Summer 2024.

Startup snack food mfr. is planning to invest $55 million for the construction of an 80,000 sf processing facility at 250 Northcutt Rd. in LIMESTONE, ME. They have recently received approval for the project. Construction is expected to start in Summer 2024, with completion slated for late Fall 2025.

Cheese mfr. is planning for the renovation and equipment upgrades on a 310,500 sf warehouse facility in CALEDONIA, WI. They are currently seeking approval for the project.

CALIFORNIA:

Frozen food mfr. has recently agreed to pre-lease 204,000 sf of cold storage warehouse space in TULARE, CA. They will relocate a portion of their operations from NEVADA upon completion in Fall 2024.

Animal feed mfr. is planning to invest $12 million for the construction of a 100,000 sf warehouse facility in CRAWFORD TOWNSHIP, OH. They have recently received approval for the project.

RHODE ISLAND:

Food service distributor is planning for the renovation and equipment upgrades on a recently leased 84,000 sf processing facility at 100 Higginson Ave. in LINCOLN, RI. They will relocate their operations upon completion.

About Industrial SalesLeads, Inc.

Since 1959, Industrial SalesLeads, based in Jacksonville, FL is a leader in delivering industrial capital project intelligence and prospecting services for sales and marketing teams to ensure a predictable and scalable pipeline. Our Industrial Market Intelligence, IMI identifies timely insights on companies planning significant capital investments such as new construction, expansion, relocation, equipment modernization and plant closings in industrial facilities. The Outsourced Prospecting Services, an extension to your sales team, is designed to drive growth with qualified meetings and appointments for your internal sales team. Visit us at salesleadsinc.com.

Each month, our team provides hundreds of industrial reports within a variety of industries, including:

• Industrial Manufacturing
• Food and Beverage
• Power Generation
• Pulp Paper and Wood
• Oil and Gas
• Mining and Aggregates
• Research and Development
• Distribution and Supply Chain
• Pharmaceutical
• Industrial Buildings
• Waste Water Treatment
• Data Centers

Learn more: https://www.salesleadsinc.com/industry/food-and-beverage/

News Source: Industrial SalesLeads Inc

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ABOUT THE NEWS SOURCE: Industrial SalesLeads Inc

Since 1959, Industrial SalesLeads, based in Jacksonville, FL is a leader in delivering industrial capital project intelligence and prospecting services for sales and marketing teams to ensure a predictable and scalable pipeline. Our Industrial Market Intelligence, The company identifies timely insights on companies planning significant capital investments such as new construction, expansion, relocation, equipment modernization and plant closings in industrial facilities.

More Information: https://www.salesleadsinc.com/

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REFERENCES: Food and Beverage News, Industrial SalesLeads, Food and Beverage Industry Planned Projects, warehouse, material handling, logistics, distribution center, manufacturing, industrial, food and beverage | ID:118458

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People & careers.

Every day, we have 1,000 people across Aotearoa New Zealand and the world working towards a smart green future.

People are the heart of plant & food research. they have passion for the work they do – whether they work in a field, lab or office – and want to make a difference to the world we live in. our people are creative thinkers and active doers: they are driven to ask questions and solve problems..

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Working at Plant & Food Research

We’re always on the lookout for people with innovative ideas and skills to help us create the world’s most sustainable food systems. Those skills might be in research or in any one of the areas we need to keep our science moving, like growing plants in our orchards and managing our labs. We also have people working in all the key roles you’d expect in any successful organisation, such as finance, IT, marketing, people and culture, and customer management.

 We have people based at 14 sites across New Zealand and three sites in Australia. Many of our sites are based in key food production areas and our people are viewed as part of the local industry, regularly working with our customers and partners out in the field. We are also connected to universities and other education providers, with a number of our people sharing their knowledge through academic appointments.

Our people travel across New Zealand and the world to support customers in their key markets, attend professional conferences, and as part of our international development efforts.

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What we offer

We want everyone at Plant & Food Research to have the right career for them. We provide opportunities for our people to develop their talents and abilities to be the best they can be, helping them move through the organisation in the way that best fits their skills and aspirations.

We also offer:

Superannuation matched up to 6%

Subsidised medical insurance

Up to five weeks’ annual leave

Paid parental leave

Leadership development.

The wellbeing of staff is important to us, and we’re committed to ensuring people have a positive work-life balance. We offer:

Wellbeing programmes

Flexible hours

Free eye tests and subsidy towards glasses

Free annual flu vaccinations

Employee Assistance programme, including free counselling.

For those currently based overseas who may wish to join us, Plant & Food Research is a New Zealand Immigration Accredited Employer.

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Plant & Food Research staff recognised at Science New Zealand 2023 Awards

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Scientist Annette Richardson wins 2023 NZ Kiwifruit Innovation Award

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