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European canker (EC), caused by Neonectria ditissima, is an important disease in apple-producing regions in New Zealand. In order to improve plant protection, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can be used to map plant disease location and severity in agricultural settings. Data were compiled from apple growers in Tasman, New Zealand, to investigate EC distribution over 4 years, for the period 2015–2018. ArcGIS software, including the Spatial Analyst, Interpolation and Geospatial statistics toolboxes, was used to map EC incidence at the spatial scale of orchard blocks, which allowed the identification of disease hot-spots. A clustered spatial pattern of disease was detected every year and areas with higher risk of EC were identified within the region. The spatial patterns detected were related to disease pressure over time for different apple cultivars. The use of GIS provides a platform for analysing and visually communicating disease patterns over time. Investigating disease spatial pattern allows the inference of spatial processes and further hypothesis generation to understand the pathogen.

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No abstract

Plant biomass can be used for multiple forms of bioenergy, and there is a very large potential supply, depending on which global assessment is most accurate in terms of land area that could be available for biomass production. The most suitable plant species must be identified before the potential biomass production in a particular region can be quantified. This in turn depends on the degree of climatic adaptation by those species. In the range of climates present in New Zealand, biomass crop growth has less restriction due to water deficit or low winter temperature than in most world regions. Biomass production for energy use in New Zealand would be best utilised as transport fuel since 70 % of the country's electricity generation is already renewable, but nearly all of its transport fossil fuel is imported. There is a good economic development case for transport biofuel production using waste streams and biomass crops. This review identified the most suitable crop species and assessed their production potential for use within the climatic range present in New Zealand. Information from published work was used as a basis for selecting appropriate crops in a 2year selection and evaluation process. Where there were knowledge gaps, the location-specific selections were further evaluated by field measurements. The data presented have superseded much of the speculative information on the suitability of species for the potential development of a biofuel industry in New Zealand.