Calling Tomato Growers, we need your help!

We are partnering with A Lighter Touch and need to provide spray diaries for greenhouse tomato crop growing sites. The information needed is: Product rates in volumes/ha Data from June 2020 to June 2021

All data will be passed on to the lead researcher with names and business references removed. For more information, please email Rebecca.fisher@hortnz.co.nz

Background to ALT:

A Lighter Touch is a $27 million, seven-year, programme jointly funded by government and industry. The programme will address the challenge of meeting consumer demands for safe food that is produced under sustainable pest management programmes while also being gentle on the environment. Government funding is via the Ministry for Primary Industries Sustainable Food and Fibre Futures Programme.

A Lighter Touch will focus on understanding and better managing aspects of agroecosystems that lead to increased levels of pests and diseases, and how to integrate more sustainable crop protection practices. Understanding the agroecosystem and reducing the opportunity for pests to thrive will reduce the need for crop protection interventions.

There will be increased use of biopesticides and biological control agents, with these tools becoming embedded into crop protection programmes. Agrichemical residues in exported crops and products, overall agrichemical use, and resistance risk will all be reduced and be a marketing advantage for New Zealand products.

The plant-based food sector, incorporating horticulture, arable cropping, and wine production, generates over $8 billion annually. New Zealand horticulture is valued at over $6 billion, with $3.4 billion in exports, produced by 6000 commercial fruit and vegetable growers. The arable industry contributes $1.4 billion to the economy from domestically consumed grain and food crops, and seed exports. The wine industry produces $1.9 billion of wine for domestic and export sale, with all but $54 million exported.

To learn more about ALT click on the following links

https://a-lighter-touch.co.nz/

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Article  compiled by Stefan Vogrincic

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