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Following the 2017 Mycoplasma bovis outbreak the New Zealand government decided to eliminate the disease from the national herd, something never attempted elsewhere. The present qualitative study aimed to explore the psychosocial impact on New Zealand farmers of the incursion and its management following this decision. Eighteen farmers and farming couples in southern New Zealand were interviewed about their challenging and sometimes harrowing experiences, including the lockdown of farms and subsequent loss of autonomy, stock culls, protracted cleaning of properties and negotiation for compensation. Farmers described their separation from typical farming practices as they transitioned into an incursion management process overseen by an ill-prepared government agency. Untimely and poor communication; lack of clarity about animal testing regimes; indecision regarding stock management; authoritarian and at times brutal decision-making concerning herd culls; and the ignoring of practical solutions to on-farm problems left farmers bewildered, angry and traumatised. Farmers spoke of their frustration at losing control of their properties and businesses, elements central to their identity. In emerging from the incursion, having replaced culled stock and resumed business, participants reflected on their changed farming practices, including greater attentiveness to biosecurity issues. They also reflected that relationships within rural communities, and between farmers generally and the state had transformed. Similar disease incursion experiences have been reported elsewhere and M. bovis is unlikely to be the last such event New Zealand experiences. Therefore, we conclude that paying close attention to the lessons learned from this event, including those related to process, communication, and valuing of famer knowledge and experience, will provide benefits to the sector generally, avoid injuriously impacting farmer wellness, and improve acceptance of future management strategies. • New Zealand's unique response to M. bovis impacted heavily on farmers' wellbeing. • Animal disease incursion management can be as disruptive as the disease itself. • Farmers' wellness is at the centre of successfully manged animal disease outbreaks. • Building local relationships vital in successfully managing animal disease outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endophytes are well-known for their symbiotic interaction with plants and their ability to promote plant growth by producing various metabolites. The most well-studied endophytes are bacteria and fungi. For generations, viruses were misnamed, and their symbiotic associations were ambiguous. Recent advances in omics techniques, particularly next-generation sequencing, have given rise to novel developments in the mutualistic relationships that exist between plants and viruses. Endogenous viruses have received a lot of attention in the animal world, but limited information exists on their functions and importance to plants. Therefore, endophytic viral populations inhabiting the root of a maize plant were assessed in this study for the first time using shotgun metagenomics. Complete DNA was extracted and sequenced using shotgun metagenomics from the maize roots in farming sites where organic fertilization (FZ), inorganic fertilization (CZ), and maize planted with no fertilization (NZ) are being practised in an experimental field. Our results identified 2 orders namely: Caudovirales (67.5%) and Herpesvirales (28.5%) which dominated the FZ site, although they do not show any significant difference (p > 0.05) across the sites. At the class level Microviridae, Phycodnaviridae, Podoviridae, Phycodnaviridae, and Poxviridae dominated the FZ site. Myoviridae and Podoviridae were more abundant in the CZ site, while only Siphoviridae predominated the inorganic fertiliser site (NZ). Diversity analysis revealed that viral populations were more abundant in organic fertilization (FZ). Taken together, this research adds to our understanding of the symbiotic integration of endophytic viruses with maize plants and that their abundance is affected by farming practices. In addition, their potential can be exploited to solve a variety of agronomic issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study explored the impact of the 2017 Mycoplasma bovis incursion and its management on farmers in southern New Zealand. Eighteen farmers and farming couples were interviewed about their experiences. Analysis of interview data evoked van Gennep's notion of liminality with its journey through distinct phases associated with ambiguity, confusion and uncertainty. Farmers described separation from usual farming practices during the incursion management process. The disruption to farming rhythms was characterised by long periods of waiting for test results, stand-down periods, and compensation claim outcomes. In emerging from the incursion, participants reflected on altered identities and relationships within rural communities and with the government, including greater awareness of biosecurity issues. The liminality of M. bovis was anchored upon the farm. However, the liminal space of M. bovis lingered long after the official exit of the farm from liminal status. • Southern New Zealand farms became liminal places and spaces under Mycoplasma bovis biosecurity restrictions. • The on-farm intervention was a liminal journey for affected farmers. • Affected farmers described being altered by their liminal experiences. • The post- M. bovis farmscape was distinct to the pre- M. bovis farmscape on affected farms. • The liminal space of M. bovis extended beyond the official exit of the farm from liminal status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Zealand government narrowly frames farming policy to exert pressure on farmers to increase their contribution to the national economy by producing more agricultural products for export through adopting on-farm 'best practice'. Simultaneously, farmers are under pressure by the government and the public to protect, if not enhance, the sustainability of their farming landscapes. These expectations are to be met in an environment of changing extreme weather patterns, increasing costs and financial uncertainty. Farmers' response to their context was studied by analysis of what farmers actually do-their practices and outcomes of those practices-enabled through the collection of data from sheep/beef family farms undertaken over 8 years by the Agriculture Research Group on Sustainability. The outcomes of their practices, while sometimes visible in the landscape, became more apparent through a nuanced analysis of multiple data sources (quantitative and qualitative) which revealed the complexity involved in sustaining families, animals and landscapes. Farmers could be grouped into categories labelled developers or low performers, adaptable risk takers, organic conservers, extensive farmers and stable, continuous improvers, indicating the range of choices farmers make to meet their goals while carefully adapting their management of the natural resource base. Pressure to 'change' to fit politically driven agendas that overemphasise economic growth runs the risk of undervaluing what farmers already do and may limit the different ways they are able to balance their management of the sustainability, resilience and productivity of their production landscapes and farming businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To determine if current sheep/beef farming practices affect pesticide residues in streams, current-use and legacy chlorinated pesticides were quantified in 100 sediment samples from 15 streams on the South Island of New Zealand. The study involved five blocks of three neighboring farms, with each block containing farms managed by organic, integrated and conventional farming practices. Significantly higher concentrations of dieldrin, ∑ endosulfans, ∑ current-use pesticides, and ∑ chlorinated pesticides were measured in sediments from conventional farms compared to organic and integrated farms. However, streams in the latter two farming categories were not pesticide-free and sometimes contained relatively high concentrations of legacy pesticides. Comparison of measured pesticide concentrations with sediment quality guidelines showed that, regardless of farming practice, mean pesticide concentrations were below the recommended toxicity thresholds. However, up to 23% of individual samples contained chlorpyrifos, endosulfan sulfate, ∑ DDT, dieldrin, or ∑ chlordane concentrations above these thresholds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]