Students of any level develop a board game illustrating knowledge of New Zealand’s possum problem and the strategies used to control it – including biocontrol strategies. Purpose To demonstrate ...
Students carry out a practical investigation to help AgResearch scientists monitor the spread of Microctonus aethiopoides (a tiny wasp) and its success as a biocontrol agent for clover root ...
Introduced plant species – friend or foe? This might depend on who is answering the question. Over 25,000 exotic plants have been introduced to Aotearoa New Zealand. Some of these are highly ...
Possums are one of New Zealand's biggest pests. Currently they are controlled by poisoning and trapping, but this is expensive and ongoing. Biological control has the potential to provide novel ...
The advantages and disadvantages of using a vaccine to reduce possum fertility are explained here. Researchers in New Zealand, at AgResearch, Landcare Research, Victoria University and Otago ...
Here, we explain how contraceptive vaccines for possums are made and how they work. Possums are a major pest in New Zealand, so scientists investigated the development of vaccines to make them ...
Biotechnology is part of everyday life and has been for thousands of years. People have cultured bacteria to make yoghurt and cheese, used yeasts to make bread, fermented grapes to make wine and ...
Students use a three-level reading guide strategy to locate, interpret and apply the information to consider the role of research in finding easy care sheep traits. Purpose Students engage with ...
Students consider the harms and benefits (consequences) of easy care sheep breeding. Purpose Students use a round robin activity and PMI worksheets to generate ideas about the effect of selective ...
Of course it is really important that other species are not affected. This is one of the problems with using poisons, like 1080. They are often non-specific, and kill species other than possums ...
At AgResearch, scientists are modifying a parasitic worm that infects possums. The modified worm will be able to seriously reduce the fertility of possums that it infects. Dr. Warwick Grant ...
Dr Warwick Grant and Dr Doug Eckery are investigating the effects of a toxin (poison) on possum fertility. The toxin affects a hormone called Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH). This hormone ...
A slideshow of weeds and the adaptations that make them problematic in a New Zealand setting. Use the Slideshow menu for further options, including view full screen, and go here for the download ...
This interactive shows the techniques used to make transgenic animals at AgResearch in New Zealand. Molecular biology techniques such as restriction enzyme digests, ligation, tissue culture and ...
This interactive shows how scientists confirm a newborn calf is a transgenic animal. View the steps AgResearch scientists use to produce a transgenic cow in this related interactive.
