Dedication of two Lincoln University professors acknowledged | Canterbury News | Local News in Canterbury

Years of dedication and commitment to their scientific fields have seen two Lincoln University professors awarded fellowships.

Professor of ecology Stephen Wratten was awarded a fellowship to the Royal Society of New Zealand science academy for his work on plant and insect life.

Associate professor of soil science Hong Di received a fellowship for the New Zealand Society of Soil Science for his work in soil science and environmental issues Wratten, formerly from England, has achieved international recognition for his research on plant-insect interactions, and the biological control of pests by parasites and predators.

"Ecology is a tremendously relevant area for a country like New Zealand with its economy so heavily dependent on land-based production," Wratten said.

"Down at the grass face, for example, plant and insect interactions are fundamental to agriculture, and the same applies in horticulture and viticulture," he said.

Wratten's studies involved using insects already in New Zealand to help eradicate the pests, rather than bringing in insects from other countries.

His studies have revealed chemical responses in plants to some insects, and how rapidly changing plant chemistry can affect the population dynamics of these insects.

He has also looked at ways of ensuring there is enough pollen and nectar for the insects, which farmers and winegrowers have been able to use to their benefit.

His work has advanced understanding of the dynamics of insect communities in agriculture.

In the 1980s Wratten was a member of the first group in the world to DNA "fingerprint" individual aphids and weevils.

Wratten arrived to New Zealand in 1993 and has been a professor of ecology at Lincoln University since 1996.

He is the author and co-author of six books, more than 60 book chapters and about 230 research papers.

Hong Di's work has involved studying the fate of fertilisers, pesticides and organic wastes applied to the soil.

He was involved with the development of eco-n, a soil treatment to improve the cycling of nitrogen in the soil and reduce nitrate leaching.

His team proved that the bulk of nitrate leaching in grazed fields came from animal urine rather than fertilisers.

He said he found it gratifying to have done something useful for the farming sector.

"I'm glad I chose soil science as a discipline to study and research because it is an interesting field, but also it is very important agriculturally and environmentally," he said.

"Soil is the engine room for farming and I feel I am playing an important role in contributing to rural farming."

He has been a staff member at Lincoln since 1995 after completing Master of Applied Science and PhD degrees at the University.

He also holds a BSc from the Agricultural University of Hebei, near Beijing in China.

Earlier this year he was made an honorary professor of China's Academy of Agricultural Science.