In January 2006, a tiny wasp was released onto a Waikato farm to kill an enemy that was devastating pastures. Ten years on, these tiny wasps have saved farmers nearly half a billion dollars. An ...
Biological control or biocontrol is the use of one organism to control the numbers of another. Unwanted or introduced species can have a huge impact on Aotearoa New Zealand’s environment, and ...
Honey is antibacterial and can prevent growth of most types of bacteria. This experiment compares the effect of different types of honey on bacteria growing on agar plates. Purpose To compare the ...
The amount of water in honey depends upon the type and quality of the honey. In this experiment, you can compare different honeys to see how much water they contain. Purpose To compare the water ...
This comprehensive worldwide online citizen science (OCS) project collates bird species, numbers, locations and times of sightings into a large database. You can create a class as a user and, by ...
Come and visit Aotearoa New Zealand’s underwater world in this online citizen science project. Discover, count and identify unique fish species that live within our marine reserves ...
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 ...
Students investigate the antibacterial properties of Mānuka honey and use their results to produce a dressing that can be used on a wound to kill any bacteria infecting it. Purpose To investigate ...
Students investigate the physical and chemical properties of various honeys to design a way to distinguish Mānuka honey from other types of honey. Purpose Students develop their knowledge of ...
Dr Mark Goodwin of Plant & Food Research describes the strange system of flowering used by avocados to avoid self-pollination. It involves the flowers changing sex between one day and the ...
Dr Mark Goodwin of Plant & Food Research explains how flowering plants use self-pollination or cross-pollination in their reproduction. He uses kiwifruit and avocado as examples to show how ...
View Dr Mark Goodwin of Plant & Food Research working with honey bees at an open hive, using smoke to calm them. Hear about some of things that Mark finds amazing and exciting about bees and ...
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 ...
Answer the questions in this quiz to find out how much you know about biotechnology.
The life cycle of the monarch butterfly. Click on one of titles to find out more about each stage.