This episode featured as part of the Agronomy segment in partnership with PGG Wrightson.

A new campaign to tackle pesticide resistance launches this month, as an NZIER report warns failure to manage it could cost New Zealand’s horticulture and arable sectors $1.2 billion. Livia Esterhazy, programme director of A Lighter Touch, says the threat is already here.

“Resistance is absolutely here in New Zealand,” she says.

“A lot of people are saying resistance management is the crop protection issue of our lifetime.”

She says over-reliance on chemistry is making pests and diseases resistant and ineffective, putting crops at risk of collapse. NZIER considers its $1.2 billion estimate conservative.

A full crop failure in Brazil forced that country to fast-track biological controls, she says.

The campaign, Keep What Works Working, runs until December and encourages growers to talk to agronomists early. She says nine out of 10 growers have shifted towards nature-based approaches.

Make sure to contact PGG Wrightson to plan your crop and pasture requirements. You can find your local Technical Field Representative or store team here.

CountryWide CONNECT with Andy Thompson & Sarah Perriam-Lampp is our daily rural show livestreamed from 11am-1pm. Visit country-wide.co.nz on how to watch/listen or download the CountryWide CONNECT mobile app, available on Apple iOS and Android.