Working with wētā

In Marlborough’s Awatere Valley ground wētā are a common sight on some vineyards, burrowing in soft irrigated soil beneath the vines. Winemakers are keen to find ways to co-exist with this taonga species, including looking for sustainable solutions that could help prevent wētā from feasting on the tender foliage on grape vines during the crucial spring budburst. This week scientists and podcaster Nicola Sullivan speaks to crop protection entomologist Jessica Vereijessen about progress so far on this project. The project is funded by the New Zealand Wine Futures Fund. The NZWFF is funded through New Zealand Winegrowers levies and project managed by the Bragato Research Institute (BRI). To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra information for some of our podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest