Dr Jenny Malmström: Principal Investigator at the MacDiarmid Institute and Lecturer at the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Auckland.
Dr Kim McKelvey: Associate Investigator at the MacDiarmid Institute and Senior Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington.
Assoc Prof Mark Waterland: Associate Investigator at the MacDiarmid Institute and Associate Professor in the Institute of Fundamental Sciences at Massey University.
Dr Jason Johnston: the Science Team Leader for Quality and Storage Insights at Plant & Food Research
Date: 6.00pm Tuesday 2 November 2021
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, EIT Taradale
Admission: Gold coin donation
New Zealand’s (NZ) long distance to export markets means it has one of the most sophisticated supply chain systems in the world. The meat industry in NZ pioneered the use of refrigeration for exports, and since then refrigeration has enabled the export of several other perishable items, including fruit. At first this sounds easy, but unlike processed products, fruit is still metabolically active and respiring (breathing) after harvest. Every piece of fruit (even those from the same tree or vine) is metabolically different and changing at different rates when exposed to the same supply chain conditions.
In this lecture, Jason will highlight some of the biological processes taking place after harvest, and the tools used to manage those processes. He will also cover current research areas such as conservation of energy in coolstores; reduced reliance on plastic packaging; technologies and sensors for maintaining quality and reducing waste; and potential for digital technologies including robotics to automate horticulture. By the end of the lecture it should also be clear why tomatoes or bananas should not be stored in the fridge once at home!
Dr Jason Johnston is the Science Team Leader for Quality and Storage Insights at Plant & Food Research. He has 20 years’ research experience, and aims to develop new systems, technologies and knowledge that enhance the quality and supply chain resilience of fresh produce from NZ. His passion for horticulture started at a young age whilst growing up in a market garden in Bay of Plenty, and then merged with an interest in science whilst at Massey University. Jason’s research mainly focuses on apples and pears, but is increasingly working on other fruit and berry crops such as kiwifruit, blueberries, apricots and cherries. He enjoys the challenge of problem-based research for the benefit of NZ’s fruit industries.
Jeff Reid, Honorary Research Fellow, Plant & Food research
Date: 6.00pm Tuesday 12 October 2021
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, EIT Taradale
Admission: Gold coin donation
Many believe – and with some scientific support – that the mineral nutrient content of our vegetables has declined in Western societies. How could that happen? Does it affect our health? There appears to be a viable business opportunity to grow and market vegetables with enhanced concentrations of some mineral nutrients for humans. Domestically, seasonal imbalances of mineral nutrients like magnesium and calcium can have serious health consequences for dairy cows in particular. In some of our non-traditional export markets there may be worthwhile opportunities to help overcome human dietary deficiencies in nutrients like iron and zinc.
Biofortification is the posh name given to attempts to increase the concentrations of mineral nutrients in plants grown for food. It turns out to be surprisingly difficult – plants are not just hapless sponges that we can fill up as we want by spreading manure, compost, and fertilisers around. They show surprising selectivity in their own composition through time. Soils themselves can be similarly fussy about what they do and don’t make easily available to plants. So if we want a particular outcome, often we will have to be cunning…. This talk will look at the general principles involved in this, and give specific examples of our team’s work to improve the magnesium content of vegetables. This will include up to the minute snapshots of work in progress.
Jeff Reid is an Honorary Research Fellow at Plant & Food Research, Havelock North. Before retiring last year he had been a Principal Scientist for New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, a past President of Hawke’s Bay Branch of The Royal Society of New Zealand, Chief Judge for the Future Scientist category of the NZ Prime Minister’s Science Prizes, and a member of the Zespri Innovation Board. He is an Honorary Fellow of the NZ Society for Horticultural Science, and with Jeff Morton authored the book “Nutrient management for vegetable crops in New Zealand” (Nutrient management for vegetable crops in New Zealand | Zenodo).
Distinguished Fellow of Engineering New Zealand and Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi
Date: 6.00pm Monday 16 August 2021
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, EIT Taradale
Admission: Gold coin donation
This is a joint meeting with the HB Branch of Engineering New Zealand.
Andrew will examine the way in which self-regulating professions have evolved, with a focus on how the engineering profession in New Zealand has responded to challenges over the last thirty years. Maintaining standards – both technical and professional – in the face of mounting commercial pressure has proven increasingly difficult. Notable failures, such as the CTV building in Christchurch, have led to regulatory intervention by Government.
He will then turn to the research sector and talk about the changing nature of peer review, ethics and what respecting the public interest means in practice. In seeking to answer the rhetorical question of the title, Andrew brings together his experience in both fields and identifies opportunities for engineers and researchers to learn from one another.
This presentation was first delivered in April 2021 to the Manawatū branches of Engineering New Zealand and the Royal Society Te Apārangi, as the 2021 Earle Lecture, a two-yearly recognition of the work of Professors Dick and Mary Earle, and their contribution to engineering and technology in New Zealand.
Andrew came to Palmerston North to study technology in 1972, majoring in Professor Dick Earle’s department. After completing his PhD study, he worked for 18 months with Professor Mary Earle on a contract to survey energy use in the food industry. Then he worked 15 years as an academic, before he joined the Food Technology Department for six years. Andrew joined what is now Engineering New Zealand in the early 1980s, and became a Fellow in 1995, and the Chief Executive in 2000. Andrew was appointed Chief Executive of the Royal Society Te Apārangi in 2014.
The Branch will hold its 2021 Annual General Meeting at 5.30pm, followed by:
Dr James Buwalda Chair, Governance Group for the New Zealand’s Biological Heritage NSC
Date: 6.00pm Tuesday 20 July 2021
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, EIT Taradale
Admission: Gold coin donation
National Science Challenges (NSCs) were established in 2014, to enable collaboration across New Zealand research organisations to focus on issues of national importance. The New Zealand’s Biological Heritage NSC, focusing on biodiversity, biosecurity and ecosystem resilience, involves researchers from every university and CRI, as well as MPI, DOC and the Cawthron Institute.
Over the first 5 years, the focus has been on establishing a ‘right teams’ approach, targeting new knowledge and solutions spanning our knowledge of our biodiversity, technologies for eradicating pests and diseases, and designing landscape-scale approaches to strengthening ecosystem resilience. Now part way into the second 5 years period, the emphasis is on a Treaty-led approach, supporting communities to develop and apply new knowledge and tools, to achieve material gains for New Zealand’s biological heritage. A targeted investment addressing myrtle rust (Left, image of rust symptom is from NSCs) and kauri die-back (Right, image of kauri is from NSCs) is also implemented.
While this NSC is due to conclude in 2024 (after 10 years), how to lock-in new ways of working, especially the community-based approaches to designing and implementing innovative solutions for our biological heritage are considered in the project.
Dr James Buwalda has been Chair of the Governance Group for the New Zealand’s Biological Heritage NSC since its inception in 2014. He is also involved in governance of research collaborations for biosecurity (Better Border Biosecurity) and artificial intelligence for horticulture (PlantTech), and chairs the OSPRI Stakeholders’ Council. Previously, James was Chief Executive of the Department of Labour and the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology, following an earlier career as a research scientist. James lives near Haumoana in Hawke’s Bay.
Professor Steve Flint Professor of Food Safety and Microbiology, School of Food and Advanced Technology, Massey University.
Date: 6.00pm Thursday 1 July 2021
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, EIT Taradale
Admission: Gold coin donation
Steve will start by discussing the different microbes that are used to ferment food – yeasts, moulds and bacteria. He’ll explain the differences in fermentation results with wild microbes and those that are commercially available.
Fermentation has a long history in the food industry as a method to preserve natural sources of food. Foods such as cheeses, yoghurts, wines and beers are examples of traditional foods that are widely consumed today. However, there are changes towards a new range of fermented foods, driven by the potential effects on our health and the search for novel sensory experiences.
The latest Institute of Food Technology journal identifies some of the most recent trends in fermented foods in the USA. For example, sales of yoghurt fell by 6% in 2019, while sales of skyr Icelandic-style yoghurt jumped 23%. High protein fermented plant-based foods, such as tempeh and seitan, are attracting interest from consumers. Products such as Gochujang, a fermented Korean red pepper paste, is becoming a trendy condiment in the US. Fermented flavours such as miso, kohi and yuzu kosho are of growing interest. In the US, sales of kombucha grew 43% in 2018 and we are seeing a similar trend in NZ, with kombucha filling supermarket shelves. We appear to be entering a new era of consumer interest in fermented foods, providing new opportunities for the food industry.
Steve Flint teaches food safety and microbiology at Massey University in Palmerston North. He has a background in the dairy industry, having worked for the Fonterra Research Centre for 20 years before joining Massey University in 2008. Steve has a team of 10 research students working on various aspects of food microbiology.
Venue: EIT Lecture Theatre 1, 501 Gloucester Street, Taradale
Regenerative agriculture is a set of farming principles and practices that enrich soils and improve water quality and management. It is a farmer-led movement that reduces tilling, fertilizer and spray use, and increases ground cover. Regen ag shifts from maximizing production to maximizing profit, animal and farmer wellbeing. Environmentally, it approaches farming as a biological system. The term ‘regenerative’ acknowledges that simply being ‘sustainable’ at present levels of agricultural damage is no longer sufficient.
Dr Edgar Burns will talk about how regenerative agriculture could benefit New Zealand. He outlines the main features of ‘regen ag’ and gives answers to several questions: 1) How does this farmer-led movement support rural viability? 2) How does it mesh with government water and environment policies? 3) How does the media buzz compare with what critics say? Social science research frames conventional science answers in new ways that include wellbeing and motivation.
Edgar Burns is an Associate Professor at Waikato University and currently Hawke’s Bay Regional Council Chair of Integrated Catchments. He is also a member of the MPI (Ministry of Primary Industries) TAG (Technical Advisory Group) for regenerative agriculture.
