Since the beginning of agriculture humans have had to contend with pests (in the broad sense including insects, weeds, and diseases etc.) that can destroy or reduce crop yields. Globally, direct yield losses to pests are estimated to range between 20 and 40% of agricultural productivity. The world population is projected to exceed 9 billion by the year 2050, and conservative estimates are that a 50% increase in food will be required. Protecting crops against losses to pests is critical to ensure food security and economic prosperity.
In New Zealand, plant-based primary industries including pastoral agriculture, horticulture, and forestry, are a fundamental part of the economy. The bulk of production from these industries is exported, accounting for roughly 70% of New Zealand’s export trade. A report by the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research estimated that the entire plant-based primary industries would lose 30% of their value without the use of crop protection products. These products are primarily herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides, including both synthetic and organic products. Fruit and vegetable production are particularly vulnerable to insect pests and diseases, and without plant protection interventions would lose 75 and 88% of their value, respectively.
New Zealand’s primary plant production systems and native ecosystems are highly susceptible, economically, and ecologically, to the impacts of pests. The economic dependence on agricultural exports means that access to international markets must be protected, by ensuring that exported products are free from pests and diseases. Ecologically, New Zealand is highly vulnerable to invasion by exotic pest species. Agricultural systems in New Zealand are almost entirely comprised of imported plant species, primarily from the northern hemisphere. These are highly productive, but simple systems, that lack biotic resistance to pest incursions, and therefore impacts can be devastating. The vulnerability of ecosystems extends to the unique native flora of New Zealand, of which 80% of species are found nowhere else in the world. Protecting the survival of native taonga (treasured) species is a continual challenge, highlighted by recent incursions of pathogens threatening iconic species such kauri, pōhutukawa, mānuka and kānuka.
In a future with increasing global trade, rising human population, and changing climate, plant protection research and extension activities that deliver innovative and sustainable pest management solutions are vital for the wellbeing of New Zealand. The New Zealand Plant Protection Society continues to play a leading role in facilitating the exchange of information related to protecting agricultural and native plants against current and potential future pests.