Are spiders an untapped resource for horticulture pest-control?
Put down the insecticide... the spider will take care of that.
Photo:
Claire Concannon,
It's estimated that spiders consume up to 800 million tons of insects globally every year. But a new paper by Plant and Food Research says there's been very little analysis on the role that spiders play in managing pests on horticultural farms in Aotearoa New Zealand Researchers behind the paper are calling for more funding to study how spiders can be used for more eco-friendly pest control practises in our horticultural sector.
Lead author Nicola Sullivan joins Kathryn to discuss.
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Are spiders an untapped resource for horticulture pest-control?
Put down the insecticide... the spider will take care of that. Photo: Claire Concannon, It's estimated that spiders consume up to 800 million tons of insects globally every year. But a new paper by Plant and Food Research says there's been very little analysis on the role that spiders play in managing pests on horticultural farms in Aotearoa New Zealand Researchers behind the paper are calling for more funding to study how spiders can be used for more eco-friendly pest control practises in our horticultural sector. Lead author Nicola Sullivan joins Kathryn to discuss.
