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Student Researcher

Horticulture New Zealand

Position Description Horticulture Executive Services Ltd is looking for a student researcher to support the Te Ahikawariki – VICE (Vegetable Industry Centre of Excellence) project in Pukekohe, NZ.

The VICE project’s main goal is the development of a vegetable industry centre of excellence, including a cutting-edge research facility, to support NZ vegetable growers and protect the natural environment. The research farm will run a number of trials which will be managed by the Research, Development and Extension Manager. The student researcher will support these vegetable research projects and help run extension events throughout the summer period.

**About VICE ** Te Ahikawariki - VICE is a collaboration between Mana whenua and vegetable growers to accelerate the sustainable growth of the sector.

VICE has received $2m seed funding from the government awarded through the Pukekohe Integrated Catchment Plan. The research farm will be located at the Cronin Road site in Pukekohe and build upon an existing 4Ha demonstration block.

VICE aims to fill the gaps in current research capabilities by providing expertise and a risk-free, neutral commercial farm for research and collaboration to support the entire sector.

Student Project: In-field Biodiversity Survey

The student will lead an in-field biodiversity survey which feeds into a larger Integrated Pest Management project located on-site.

Integrated Pest Management is an important tool in crop protection as both regulation around the use of broad-spectrum insecticides and insecticide resistance increases. The existing project has utilised annual floral strips and moveable insectaries to increase on-farm biodiversity and introduce beneficial insects as a mitigation strategy for harmful pests.

The student researcher will progress this project by assessing the arthropod population via several techniques including sweep netting and trapping. Outcomes of the project will include creation of a fact sheet, feeding into a larger report written by Plant and Food Research, and dissemination at grower events.

Note:

  • Applicants for this position should have NZ residency/citizenship or valid NZ work visa.
  • Remote based job in Pukekohe
  • Applicants must have full drivers license
  • Last date for submitting application is on 30 November 2024 however we reserve the right to close the advertisement early if we receive enough applicants for the role.
  • Contact Kazi Talaska at [email protected] for more information on the role.
  • Pay is $27.80/hr