fbpx Meet Jim Walker | LEARNZ

Meet Jim Walker

Job: 

Leader of Plant and Food’s apple crop protection research - insect and plant pests.

<- Homepage: Our Primary Industries: Unpacking the apple story

Job description: 

Leading a team of scientists to develop new methods of pest and disease control including:

  • New control methods to replace pesticides
  • Better systems to monitor pests and pathogens to help growers avoid overusing pesticides
  • Non-insecticidal control measures – sex pheromones to control pests
  • Greater use of natural biological control – parasites and predators
  • Keeping unwanted pests and pathogens out of New Zealand.
Work background: 
  • 1970s: Went to University (Canterbury) for 6 years in New Zealand
  • 1980s: Went to University (Washington State, USA) for 4 years
  • 1990 – 2020: Scientist, Senior Scientist, now Principal Scientist.
Favourite part of job: 
  • Doing things that help our environment (reducing pesticide use)
  • Helping our fruit industry to be more successful and prosper
  • Many parts to the job, variety of tasks, interesting people and real challenges.
Least favourite part of job: 

Writing reports.

What I am working on now: 

Major pest threats to NZ horticulture – that challenge NZ’s border biosecurity including Brown marmorated stink bug and fruit flies etc.

A quick story about a job well done: 

We have helped reduce the amount of insecticide used in NZ apple production by 90% over the last 20 years. We have apple growers who are really proud of the fact that they produce the cleanest and safest apples in the world.

A (humorous) story about a job that went badly and what you learned: 

I was part of the NZ team challenging Australia’s ban on the import of New Zealand apples. I was one of 10 in the NZ delegation attending the World Trade Organisation (or WTO = World Court) at a hearing in Switzerland. On the first day at WTO my friend from MPI split the seam (a very large split) in his suit pants – we then all had to hide his bright red boxers every time he stood up – it made it very difficult not to laugh and take our case seriously. But in the end (not the rear end) NZ beat Australia – we got NZ apples into Australia without having to ‘bare it all’.

Qualifications: 
  • 9 years at University – lots of hard work, but lots of fun (USA)
  • PhD in Entomology – bugs! Integrated Pest Management.
Interests outside work: 
  • Cyclist – road and mountain bikes
  • Fly fishing for trout in the Kaweka’s (in back-country streams)
  • Swimming, hiking, international travel and photography.

Jim Walker is a Leader of Plant and Food’s apple crop protection research programme. Image: Supplied.

Read Now