Horticulture
The cost of covering up: Bees prevented from doing their job
Around three quarters of the world's food crops rely on pollinators like bees - but what happens if they can't actually get to the crop? That's been the subject of a recent study carried out by Plant… Audio, Gallery
First Moon seedling dies one day after sprouting
Just 24 hours after sprouting, the first plant grown on the Moon has died.
Timely survey on working conditions in horticultural industry
An insight into how big a problem modern-day slavery might be among horticultural workers in Hawke's Bay could be known by the end of the week.
Horticulture 'the new dairy', economist says
Horticulture is being called the new dairy, as its contribution to the economy grows. Audio
Hopping to the beat: drummer turned grower Trevor Courtney
Trevor Courtney has always liked beer, and now the drummer for '60s band Chants R&B is growing his own hops. After a 40-year music career, Trevor and his wife Lyndsay now have a lifestyle block in… Video, Audio, Gallery
Happy to be in horticulture
The people are great, the work is varied and the pay is okay, say the crew of nine who work on Illawarra Orchard – a 39-hectare property near Gisborne with apples, grapes and kiwifruit. Audio
Jennifer Potter: Maydes and roses
British historian and novelist Jennifer Potter's new book The Jamestown Brides tells the story of fifty-six English women shipped crossed the Atlantic to Jamestown in 1621, in response to the Virginia… Audio
Fruitful results for Vietnam's dragonfruit industry
Plant and Food Research scientists are collaborating with partners in Vietnam to boost that country's dragonfruit industry. They've found a way to train the plants that could double production. Audio
European Farming Insights
Former RNZ Rural News reporter Alexa Cook is travelling through Europe with her boyfriend. She tells Cosmo about the farming observations she has made in Portugal and southern Spain. Audio
New technology finds a greener way to improve NZ's crops
A new research project that's underway has the potential to give New Zealand's horticultural industry a bumper crop.
NZ orchards audited after biosecurity concerns
The Ministry for Primary Industries is seizing plant material from five apple and stone fruit nurseries across the country, as a precautionary measure against biosecurity risks.
Happily Hydroponic
Phil Tregidga's family pioneered hydroponic growing in New Zealand. Almost four decades later he's still using the hydroponic system to grow all manner of herbs and vegetables with his wife Jenny and… Audio
La Vie en Rose
Steve Moffatt's parents were the first commercial rose growers in New Zealand, starting in 1949. Business has blossomed since Steve joined in 1972, and now they're cutting more than 3 million stems a… Audio
Meet the 'food computer'
It's a mini AI-powered hothouse where UV light exposure can be carefully controlled to produce nutritious crops that taste great. Risto Mikkulainen is one of those responsible for designing the AI… Audio, Gallery
Wet weather tests veggie growers' green thumbs
One of Horowhenua's wettest winters has left commercial vegetable growers with waterlogged soil and failed crops.
Carrot Gold
Sue Deadman has been growing vegetables for 30 years, specialising in carrots for more than 20. You can taste the difference between a sweet Ohakune carrot and those grown elsewhere in NZ, she says. Audio
Neonicotinoids linked to bee harm by two studies
More data is needed before a blanket ban on the insecticides is considered in New Zealand, experts say.
Wet conditions put dampener on vege crops
Extremely wet conditions have made it very difficult to grow vegetables in the past few weeks, especially leafy greens, Horticulture New Zealand says.
Robotics in farming - the revolution begins
Waikato University's Mike Duke says robots harvesting fruit in New Zealand orchards could be years not decades away. He's picking that the technology has the potential to revolutionize all aspects of… Audio
Chopped, sliced and diced...
Fields around Pukekohe are now striped with rows of onions, gently curing in the sun. They'll soon be heading into the packhouse where they'll be topped and tailed, graded and bagged for export. Audio, Gallery