Scientist wins Syngenta Growth Award

Scientist wins Syngenta Growth Award for work in sustainable fruit production

14 December 2018

Plant & Food Research crop protection specialist Dr Jim Walker was amongst a number of industry leaders from New Zealand and Australia to receive the Syngenta Growth Awards in Sydney. The accolades recognise individuals from different regions across the two countries who have made significant contributions to productivity, sustainability or community & people in agriculture.

Dr Walker was the winner of the Sustainability Researcher category for his role in the development and implementation of the Integrated Fruit Production programme, an approach to pest management that has become the cornerstone of the New Zealand apple export programme.

He has demonstrated a lifelong passion for safe fruit production through his work on reducing pesticide inputs and residues on fruit crops. He has led a team that helped apple growers adopt practices to greatly reduce pesticide use and residues. This programme prioritised greater use of biological control and non-chemical methods. It has contributed to a 90% reduction in the quantity of insecticide used in New Zealand apple production today.

As a winner, Dr Walker will participate in a study tour of the United Kingdom and Europe in 2019 where he will be focussing on advances in biological pesticide technology.

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