A systematic review of multi-actor sociocultural perceptions of regenerative agriculture

Jones, H. E., Kemper, J. A., Conroy, D. M., Veer, E., & White, S. (2026). A systematic review of multi-actor sociocultural perceptions of regenerative agriculture. Outlook on Agriculture, 1. https://doi.org/10.1177/00307270261446290

Vibrational duetting and mating behaviour of the passion-vine hopper Scolypopa australis (Walker) (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae)

MacDougall, M. S., Stringer, L. D., & Nelson, X. J. (2026). Vibrational duetting and mating behaviour of the passion-vine hopper Scolypopa australis (Walker) (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae). Journal of Natural History, 60(13-16), 891-903. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2026.2631722

Effect of pea (Pisum sativum) cooking water on the in vitro predicted glycaemic response of wheat pasta

Zhang, Y., Burrow, K., Kim, E. H.-J., Morgenstern, M. P., Chelikani, V., & Serventi, L. (2026). Effect of pea (Pisum sativum) cooking water on the in vitro predicted glycaemic response of wheat pasta. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 106(5), 3001–3012. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.70408

Transforming land use: Using machine learning methods to decode farmers’ choices in New Zealand

Wang, L., Renwick, A., Thomas, S., & Dynes, R. (2026). Transforming land use: Using machine learning methods to decode farmers’ choices in New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 69, e70019. https://doi.org/10.1002/jag2.70019

Overcoming data gaps in viticulture adaptation strategy development: a case study on diversification of Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc.

Barry, M., Parker, A., Teixeira, E., Law, R., Wreford, A., Monge, J., & Knook, J. (2025). Overcoming data gaps in viticulture adaptation strategy development: a case study on diversification of Marlborough, Sauvignon Blanc. Journal of Wine Research, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/09571264.2025.2537003

ABSTRACT

Viticulture regions and systems are often exposed to climatic hazards such as rising temperatures and extreme weather events. A lack of knowledge on the complexity surrounding climate impacts is one of the key challenges winegrowers face when adapting to climate change. Supporting winegrowers through this challenge has led to an increased interest in approaches that support decision-making under uncertainty. However, to be able to aid growers in decision making, robust data is required, and this is often a limiting factor. This paper proposes a solution to a lack of data by presenting an approach to generating yield data from a biophysical index model to inform economic analysis. The paper describes the methodological approach and presents the application of this methodology to a New Zealand case study: Sauvignon Blanc in the Marlborough wine region. This includes characterisation of the temperature function informing the index, establishing the relationship between the index and observed yield, and assessing the index performance now and in the future. This study contributes to the current body of knowledge by outlining an approach and identifying the challenges to generating biophysical outputs and subsequent economic data. During this process, the study has generated valuable insights into the potential impact of future temperature on key yield components of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. This will be an important component for accelerating the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies in the region.

Harshing the Vibes: Behavioural Responses to Predation and Deterrent Vibrational Playback in Scolypopa Australis (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae)

MacDougall, M.S., Nelson, X.J. and Stringer, L.D. (2025). Harshing the Vibes: Behavioural Responses to Predation and Deterrent Vibrational Playback in Scolypopa Australis (Hemiptera: Ricaniidae). J Appl Entomol. https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.13412

ABSTRACT

The use of substrate borne vibrational playback to control insect pests is a rapidly growing line of research targeting many problematic species. Among the control approaches currently being tested, vibrational deterrent playbacks that aim to prevent feeding and to drive pests away from the target area are comparatively under-explored. In experiments involving an introduced pest of New Zealand orchards, the passion vine hopper (PVH, Scolypopa australis), we investigated PVH anti-predator behaviour and alarm call responses and the potential use of alarm calls as vibration-based deterrent stimuli. We used laser-Doppler vibrometry and video recordings to assess the vibrational and behavioural responses of PVH to the presence of a predator (Maratus griseus jumping spider), serendipitously discovering a new female call possibly involved in mate rejection. In our tests, we did not find evidence of any vibrational alarm calls in PVH, which showed a significantly reduced rate of general vibration-based signalling and reduced propensity to call overall compared to control recordings. Instead, PVH responded to a predator threat with a rapid jumping escape response in 87.5% of attacks. We also tested the efficacy of three deterrent vibrational playbacks on driving PVH movement away from a source point, finding that a broad-band white noise playback spanning 301–688 Hz induced significant movement away from the playback source compared with silent controls. As preliminary proof of concept, we hope these results will assist in developing successful vibrational deterrence for PVH.

Harnessing spider biodiversity for sustainable horticulture: A call for research and conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand

Sullivan, N. J., Stringer, L. D., Black, A., & Vink, C. (2025). Harnessing spider biodiversity for sustainable horticulture: A call for research and conservation in Aotearoa New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Ecology, 49(1), Article u3r6e00. https://doi.org/10.20417/nzjecol.49.3600

Abstract

The world is facing many pressing issues around food production and environmental sustainability. We are living in the sixth mass extinction event, driven by human activities including agricultural intensification, which has significantly affected invertebrate biodiversity. To address these issues, many scientists, growers, and policy makers are moving towards Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and restoring or creating natural or semi-natural habitats adjacent to or within food production ecosystems to conserve biodiversity whilst maintaining agricultural production. Despite spiders being the dominant, most abundant, and most diverse natural enemies of pests in horticultural ecosystems, their potential contribution to pest management has been understudied in Aotearoa | New Zealand. Internationally, many studies have shown the positive effects that spider abundance and diversity have on economically important food production systems, and many studies have demonstrated that enhancing adjacent habitat can conserve the biological control provided by spiders in these productive ecosystems. We highlight international studies that show positive effects of spider conservation on biological control in agroecosystems and discuss the few studies that have been completed on spiders in agriculture in Aotearoa | New Zealand. To date, only eight studies of spiders in agroecosystems have been published from Aotearoa | New Zealand and only a single study published on spiders in New Zealand horticultural ecosystems despite horticulture being a significant export market to countries that demand low chemical residue practices. All eight of these studies have been surveys of spider abundance and richness found in these systems, with a gap remaining in measuring the ecosystem functions they provide. We call for greater investment into research on spider conservation for biological control in Aotearoa | New Zealand to maximise the potential for ecologically friendly productive systems.

Place-based diversification: Pathways to diversified shared landscapes in the Wairau Marlborough region of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Barry, M., Mason, R., Strong, D., Wreford, A., Radford, R., Romera, A., & Monge, J. (2024). Place-based diversification: Pathways to diversified shared landscapes in the Wairau Marlborough region of Aotearoa New Zealand. Regional Environmental Change, 24(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-024-02257-w

Diversification as a climate change adaptation strategy in viticulture systems: winegrowers’ insights from Marlborough, New Zealand

Barry, M., Wreford, A., Knook, J., Teixeira, E., Monge, J., & Parker, A. (2024). Diversification as a climate change adaptation strategy in viticulture systems: winegrowers’ insights from Marlborough, New Zealand. Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, 49(4), 494–517. https://doi.org/10.1080/21683565.2024.2426490

The floral interface: a playground for interactions between insect pollinators, microbes, and plants

Lignon, V. A., Jones, E. E., Dhami, M. K., Mas, F., & Kaiser, C. (2024). The floral interface: a playground for interactions between insect pollinators, microbes, and plants. New Zealand Journal of Zoology. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2024.2353285

Vibrational communication in Scolypopa australis: characterising spontaneous and intrasexual calls in an invasive orchard pest

MacDougall, M. S., Borthwick-Taylor, G., Nelson, X. J., & Stringer, L. D. (2024). Vibrational communication in Scolypopa australis: characterising spontaneous and intrasexual calls in an invasive orchard pest. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata. https://doi.org/10.1111/eea.13460

Preferential Binding of Polyphenols in Blackcurrant Extracts with Milk Proteins and the Effects on the Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of Polyphenols

Mao, T., Akshit, F., Matiwalage, I., Sasidharan, S., Alvarez, C. M., Wescombe, P., & Mohan, M. S. (2024). Preferential Binding of Polyphenols in Blackcurrant Extracts with Milk Proteins and the Effects on the Bioaccessibility and Antioxidant Activity of Polyphenols. Foods, 13(4), 515. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods13040515

Effects of Winery Wastewater to Soils on Mineral Properties and Soil Carbon

Nightingale-McMahon, M., Robinson, B., Malcolm, B., Clough, T., & Whitehead, D. (2024). Effects of Winery Wastewater to Soils on Mineral Properties and Soil Carbon. Land, 13(6). https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060751

Evaluation of the protein profile and emulsifying properties of legume wastewater as emulsifier in circular food applications

Zhang, Y., Kim, E. H.-J., & Serventi, L. (2024). Evaluation of the protein profile and emulsifying properties of legume wastewater as emulsifier in circular food applications. LWT, 202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2024.116320

Spider and harvestmen biodiversity in New Zealand horticultural ecosystems

Sullivan, N., Sharp, J., Vink, C., Black, A., Marsh, A., & Butler, R. (2023). Spider and harvestmen biodiversity in New Zealand horticultural ecosystems. New Zealand Journal of Zoology. https://doi.org/10.1080/03014223.2023.2274827

Evaluation of Sensory and Physicochemical Characteristics of Vitamin B12 Enriched Whole-Meal Sourdough Bread Fermented with Propionibacterium freudenreichii

Zhang, Y., Momoisea, P., Lin, Q., Liang, J., Burrow, K., & Serventi, L. (2023). Evaluation of Sensory and Physicochemical Characteristics of Vitamin B12 Enriched Whole-Meal Sourdough Bread Fermented with Propionibacterium freudenreichii. Sustainability (Switzerland), 15(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/su1510815

Fermentation of plant‐based dairy alternatives by lactic acid bacteria

Harper, A. R., Dobson, R. C. J., Morris, V. K., & Moggré, G. (2022). Fermentation of plant‐based dairy alternatives by lactic acid bacteria. Microbial Biotechnology, 15(5), 1404–1421. https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.14008

Antimicrobial activity of tofu whey and steam blanching pea water for enhancement of shelf-life of 3D printed mashed potatoes.

Sun, P., Zhang, Y., Zhang, Y., Feng, Z., Lee, S. J., & Serventi, L. (2022). Antimicrobial activity of tofu whey and steam blanching pea water for enhancement of shelf-life of 3D printed mashed potatoes. Food Bioscience, 50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2022.102049

Soil mineral nitrogen regulation by a novel porous material in structurally degraded soils

Xu, L., Yu, Q., Wang, M., Xu, S., Shi, X., Zhao, X., Yang, J., Xie, X., Gao, J., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Soil mineral nitrogen regulation by a novel porous material in structurally degraded soils. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 102(14), 6285–6292. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.11977

Revisiting the crucial roles of oxygen vacancies in photo/electro-catalytic degradation of aqueous organic pollutants

Zeng, C., Tsui, L. S., Lam, F. L., Wu, T., & Yip, A. C. (2024). Revisiting the crucial roles of oxygen vacancies in photo/electro-catalytic degradation of aqueous organic pollutants. Applied Catalysis O: Open, 190, . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcato.2024.206930