Got business news? Email businessBOP@nzme.co.nz Photo / Getty Images
Got business news? Email businessBOP@nzme.co.nz Photo / Getty Images
Endeavour Fund pays big dividends for the Bay
PlantTech and Scion are big winners in the Endeavour Fund and have received millions of dollars to embark on projects.
PlantTech Research has received $1 million and Scion alongside with partnership lead Crown Research Institute have received $9.6m from the Ministry forBusiness, Innovation and Employment fund.
PlantTech Research Institute which has its headquarters in Tauranga was leading a two-year international project, that would use airborne remote sensors to discover what was causing plant stress in kiwifruit orchards.
Principal research scientist Dr Alvaro Orsi. Photo / Supplied
Principal Research Scientist Dr Alvaro Orsi was leading the project and said data from multiple aerial and ground sensors would be used to generate maps showing kiwifruit photosynthetic activity.
"These maps will help kiwifruit growers understand what regions in their orchards are photosynthesising less efficiently and pinpoint the cause of this plant stress. Such capability will allow growers to improve kiwifruit orchard productivity and environmental sustainability,"
The project has assembled a team of experts from PlantTech, Plant & Food Research, Eurofins Ltd., Massey University, Melbourne University in Australia, and Durham University in the United Kingdom with international expertise in remote sensing, numerical physical simulations, machine learning, and computer vision.
PlantTech chief executive Mark Begbie. Photo / Supplied
PlantTech chief executive Mark Begbie said he was delighted with the funding win.
''Through this work, we will develop techniques that help us to manage limited resources more efficiently and derive understandings that can give us deeper insights into crop health.''
Meanwhile, another MBIE-funded project, led by Scion 'Seeing the forest for the trees' was transforming tree phenotyping for future forests on its five-year project.
It used PlantTech's capability in hyperspectral imagery analysis to support research that would identify the best genotype to plant in different environments for commercial production and indigenous uses.
Scion Data and Geospatial-Intelligence Principal Scientist Dr Mike Watt welcomed PlantTech's participation in the project, citing their advanced capability in hyperspectral imaging technologies.
"You can't see those problems so easily with the eye, but hyperspectral imagery can be used to look beyond the visible wavelengths to characterise these traits."
By the end of the project, Scion plans to have a climate-based deployment guideline developed for radiata pine.
Effectively, that would be a map showing where each genotype can be allocated throughout Aotearoa New Zealand to optimise productivity or resistance against water or drought stress.
The Bank of New Zealand has announced vaccine requirements for staff, contractors, suppliers, and customers who visit Partners Centres and BNZ corporate sites to start on January 17.
Bank of New Zealand chief executive Dan Huggins. Photo / Supplied
Chief executive Dan Huggins said vaccination was ''the best way to keep our people and everyone we work with safe''.
"For customers, there's no change in how we serve them. All over-the-counter banking can still be done in-branch regardless of vaccination status, but for longer in-person appointments we will require customers to be fully vaccinated.''
Mount Pool unveils artwork
New art work has been revealed at the Mount Hot Pools. Image / Supplied
A culturally significant artwork that stands outside the Mount Hot Pools has been revealed.
The work, titled He Pou Rarama by artist Tiare Dickson, tells the story of the four sacred spirits of Mauao. Dickson chose the story to signify the connection the Mount Hot Pools has to the four traditional springs.
Te Puna Waitapu, one of the four springs was the original hot pool used in ancient times for bathing and healing.
Waipatukākahu, on the western side of Mauao, was a spring used for washing, Ruarapapari was a cool water spring for drinking and bathing and the most sacred spring of all, Te Kawa Waipuna led into two pools: one for birthing children and one for bathing the deceased.
"It is meaningful to all iwi and hapu and cultures who have a connection to Mauao, so everyone will feel involved in this work," Dickson said.
Ngāi Tūkairangi Hapu Trust chairman Anaru Timutimu said he hopes He Pou Rarama becomes an icon and adds to the story and learning for people visiting the hot pools and those walking up and around Mauao.
Take a breath for mental health
CJ Telford, founder of Moksha Yoga NZ. Photo / Supplied
Kiwis are being urged to take a collective breath for one minute at 11.11 am on Wednesday in support of their wellbeing and to raise money for the Mental Health Foundation.
The initiative has been launched by CJ Telford, founder of Moksha Yoga NZ. She wants people to put their 'tools down' and join her online for 60 seconds of guided breathing to collectively lower cortisol levels across the country and beyond.
The idea came to mind when the popular yoga teacher from Papamoa Beach recognised unprecedented increased levels of stress and anxiety in the community recently.
"We're usually busy enough in the lead up to Christmas, but this year the collective energy out there is at another level," she said. "You can really sense a lot higher levels of cortisol, adrenaline, stress and tension. For some people, they may have reached levels they have not experienced before."
She was encouraging individuals, businesses, schools, gyms, health centres and the wider community who are joining the event to donate to the Mental Health Foundation.
