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Junior Units

"Sow the Seed" has developed Junior units of work (Year 7-10) that can be used in conjunction with the Mātiki Minecraft or stand alone in the classroom.

The Junior Units and are to support teachers of Science, Social Science, Technology, Agriculture and Horticulture:

Discover

Primary Production in New Zealand

Primary Industry Careers

Seeds

Biodiversity

Technology

Rural Safety

Potatoes

Dairy Production

Beef Production

Sheep Production

Mātiki Minecraft Project

Teaching years 7-10

Primary Production is a 54 billion+ industry in Aotearoa New Zealand. Primary production is the process of producing raw materials and products from natural resources, land and water. The main primary industries are agriculture and horticulture, forestry, fishing, and aquaculture, others are turf culture and equine.

We invite and encourage you to teach and inspire students about the primary production sector.

Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, kia ora ai te iwi.

With your food basket, and my food basket, the people will prosper.

We have developed a resource for you.
Included is:
• Teacher guide
• Engaging activities

Lesson Format and Timings

As you embark on this unit, remember that you have the incredible ability to shape your students' learning journeys. Embrace the flexibility of these lessons and trust your instincts about what will resonate best with your class. Every discussion, activity, and experiment is an opportunity to spark curiosity and foster a love of learning. Your passion and adaptability will make a lasting impact. Get started and create an engaging, memorable experience for everyone!

Timeframe: Lessons are generally designed in a one-hour blocks but feel free to modify to suit you and your students. You do not need to complete all the lessons or activities.

Integrating Minecraft

Minecraft is a great tool to use for discovery, innovation, designing, prototyping and showcasing student work. Think of it as a Google Slide or Powerpoint on Red Bull.

Because Minecraft is exciting and students can ruin it for others, talk to students about how to behave in a digital world. Respecting other students builds, talking responsibly and not doing anything that will be detrimental to the learning. If there is a student you know will ruin the session, place them in their own world rather than a shared world.

Immersive Reader

If you have students that have trouble reading lot of text, have them use Microsoft's Immersive Reader, which comes built into Minecraft Education. This tool, when activated, will read text to students, change the font to something easier to read, show only one line at a time and more.

Look for the icon below when looking at text on Minecraft Education.

Big Question

How can we innovate our primary industries using technology and sustainable practices, while learning from our history, to improve the efficiency, profitability, and environmental impact of New Zealand's primary industries, to produce high-quality products that compete globally and lead the world?

Key Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

to increase awareness of primary sector growing systems, sustainable management practices, use of modern technologies and rural safety through engaging and interactive activities.

use their research and knowledge to build a modern farm/orchard that uses modern practises you see in New Zealand.
create innovative ideas to improve or solve a problem in a primary industry.
discuss in detail about the diversity of careers opportunities in the primary industry.

Curriculum Links & Key Competencies.

Level 4

Nature of Science

Students will:

Understanding about science

·       Appreciate that science is way of explaining the world and that science knowledge changes over time.

Investigating in science

·       Build on prior experiences, working together to share and examine their own and other’s knowledge.

Communicating in science

·       Begin to use a range of scientific symbols, conventions and vocabulary.

Participating and contributing

·       Use their growing science knowledge when considering issues of concern to them.

Living World

Students will:

Life processes

·       Recognise that there are life processes common to all living things and that these occur in different ways.

Ecology

·       Explain how living things are suited to their particular habitat and how they respond to environmental changes, both natural and human induced.

Evolution

·       Begin to group plants, animals and other living things into science-based classifications.

·       Explore how the groups of living things we have in the world have changed over long periods of time and appreciated that some living things in New Zealand are quite different from living things in other areas of the world.

Science
Students will gain knowledge, skills and experience to:

· Understand how exploration and innovation create opportunities and challenges for people, places, and environments.

· Understand how producers and consumers exercise their rights and meet their responsibilities.

Level 5

Students will:

Communicating in science

·       Use a wider range of science vocabulary, symbols, and conventions.

Living World

Students will:

Life processes

·       Identify the key structural features and the functions involved in life processes of plants and animals.

Ecology

·       Investigate the interdependence of living things (including human) in an ecosystem.

Evolution

·       Describe the basic processes by which genetic information is passed from one generation to the next.
Students will gain knowledge, skills and experience to:

·       Understand how economic decisions impact on people, communities, and nations.

·       Understand how people’s management of resources impact on environmental and social sustainability.

·       Understand how people seek and have sought economic growth through business, enterprise, and innovation.

Links to other curriculum areas: Technology, Digital Technologies, Mathematics, English, Aotearoa Histories,

Key Competencies: thinking, using language, symbols, and texts, participating and contributing

Opening! Explore Totara Minecraft World

Download and explore the Totara Minecraft World. Your students will 'Spawn' (begin) at the Totara Estate Entrance. From here, your students can either walk up the driveway or click on the teleport to get the the estate.

Have your students explore the world and learn about Aotearoa's Primary industries by talking to NPC's, reading the signs. Don't expect too much in the first session as students usually get excited, especially if they haven't used minecraft in school before.

Suggestions on how to approach this unit of work.

You have many choices with how you approach the learning.

Students work independently: working through the tasks and primary industries. You may want them to choose one or two tasks in each area as some tasks are time consuming.

Students work in groups: Each group is given an area to research and complete the tasks. After tasks are completed, each group would present their learning and findings to the rest of the class.

Once tasks are complete, students can take a look at the challenges, which sit under the Mātiki Hub or go to the Build a Farm Challenge.

Build a Farm Challenge

Students need to select an area of the farm and build their own farm operation in Minecraft. They can either work as a group in each area or individually with one world per 5 students.

There are 5 areas available in the Mātiki Hub. Students are given a colour before using the teleport to take them to their area to build. There is more space if you want to have more groups of students. The world will get slower the more students in the world.

Students must create a farm using the research they have gathered from the world and elsewhere. Their aim is to replicate, innovate and create their farm as accurately as they can in Minecraft. This can be challenging and they will need to find ways of doing this. This is all part of the experience and problem solving.

You could also get the original world Totara Origins (without the tasks, information and challenges) and have students take the world from being an old historical farm into a modern farm.

The Challenges

The challenges are found within the depths of the Mātiki Hub. Walk yourself down and guess the lever code to enter. Inside you will fine multiple challenges of real life problems to solve. Students will need to research, innovate and create solutions to their problems.

1

BIOSECURITY CHALLENGE

Disease or pest infection can be disastrous for an orchard, and if it spreads between orchards, it can be catastrophic for the industry.

Biosecurity is the precautions that growers need to take to reduce the chance of a new disease, or insect pest arriving on their property.

Your challenge is to design and develop a biosecurity defence system to protect an orchard from either diseases or insect pests.

2

THE COOL CHALLENGE

Keeping Cow's Cool. Dairy cows feel hot much sooner than we do, because digesting grass and making milk creates a lot of heat. When it's above 23°C and 80% humidity, they can't lose that heat fast enough, so they start to eat less and make less milk to stay a bit cooler. If it gets even hotter or more humid, they can suffer from heat stress, which is when they start panting and drooling.

With so many cows and so few trees, it is tricky for farmers to keep all their cows cool enough so that feed intake and milk production aren't reduced.

Your challenge is to find a way to keep cows cool in hot weather conditions.

3

TRACK AND TRACE CHALLENGE

Forestry is the fourth largest export earner for NZ, contributing over $5.9 billion to the New Zealand economy each year. Traceability of timber products is especially important with the increasing rate of globalisation & prevention of illegal logging worldwide. Customers want to know which clean green forest their product came from. Traceability is the ability to trace the history, application or location of the wood, or the processing of it by means of recorded identifications. This involves identification of the product and recording of data from the forest where it was grown, through processing and distribution to the customer (the supply chain).

Your challenge is to develop a traceability system for tracking timber product from an overseas market back to the forest where it was grown.

4

SAVING FOR A NOT SO RAINY DAY CHALLENGE

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the land or soil, to assist in the growing of crops and is usually used at times when there is insufficient rainfall to optimise plant growth.
Water is moved through pipes, canals, sprinklers, and other man-made means. Poor water application caused by worn / wrong / damaged equipment, and poor position of the irrigators on the land can result in some areas being overwatered, and some being underwatered.

Your challenge is to come up with a solution to make irrigation more efficient, to reduce water wastage and improve productivity,

5

THE MONSTER MUD CHALLENGE

When the ground is wet, cattle can
damage the soil. This is known as 'pugging'. Pugged soils become compacted reducing pasture and crop yields.

Your challenge is to come up with a solution to identify areas of land susceptible to pugging, and a solution to limit the likelihood of reduced pasture or crop yields.

6

THE DRY CHALLENGE

Droughts are becoming more frequent and severe, with significant economic impact on producers and communities. Hawke's Bay apple growers are concerned and looking for solutions to have a reliable source of water to irrigate their orchards.

Your challenge is to design an innovative way for water to be stored/preserved for use in times of severe drought.

7

HAVE YOU ANY WOOL CHALLENGE

Crossbred wool makes up 90% of NZ’s wool production. It is generally used for making carpets and some clothing. The other 10% is Merino wool, which is much finer and softer, and is used mainly for clothing. The market price for crossbred wool is currently very low, making it difficult for farmers and the wool processing industry to make money.

Your challenge is to come up with an innovative product that uses the properties of crossbred wool and uses enabling technologies in producing, marketing or distributing the product. Describe the market for the product (who would buy and use it).

8

COME WORK WITH ME CHALLENGE

The diverse range of career opportunities in the primary industries provide variety, challenge, financial rewards, and opportunities to grow and make your mark. Yet these industries struggle to attract enough young people to meet the capability requirements to ensure these industries important to New Zealand remain sustainable, progressive, and productive.

Your challenge is to develop a solution for what the primary sector needs to do to attract more youth to the agri-science and business industries.

9

THE RIPARIAN ZONE CHALLENGE

Land development for farming, urban areas, industry, and flood control has cleared much of the original vegetation along waterways. Riparian planting involves replanting these areas beside waterways to help manage floods, seasonal wet and dry conditions, and prevent sediment, nutrients, and bacteria from entering waterways through runoff or leaching.

Your challenge is to make a riparian zone that improves water quality, keeps stock out, increases biodiversity, and minimises flood damage. You are to make a riparian zone using plants and fences to solve your challenge.

10

THE BIG APPLE CHALLENGE

The challenge of seasonal labour in New Zealand's apple industry is growing, as there is a consistent shortage of workers to meet the high demand during harvest seasons. The physically demanding nature of apple picking, combined with fluctuating immigration policies and a competitive job market, makes it difficult to attract enough workers.

Your challenge is to find a way to harvest apples at the right time while maintaining fruit quality with reduced labour.

11

THE GUARDIANS CHALLENGE

Many farmers and growers see themselves as guardians of the land. They recognise that healthy biodiversity supports farming by providing pollinators for crops, improving water quality, reducing soil erosion, and offering homes for native species.

Your challenge is to come up with a way farmers and growers can have on-going real-time information to monitor biodiversity on their properties.

Arable farming in New Zealand involves cultivating crops such as wheat, barley, maize, and various vegetables on fertile land. This type of farming thrives in climates with moderate temperatures, adequate rainfall, and well-drained soils. Farmers use advanced techniques and sustainable practices to maximise yield and maintain soil health. Arable farming plays a crucial role in New Zealand's agricultural sector, contributing significantly to the economy and food supply.

Automation and Irrigation

Pivot irrigators are automated using advanced technology to make farming easier and more efficient. They have sensors that can detect the moisture levels in the soil and the weather conditions. These sensors send information to a central control system, which decides when and how much water to spray on the crops. Some pivot irrigators even use GPS to move precisely over the fields and ensure even watering. This automation helps farmers save time, reduce water waste, and grow healthier crops.

TASK: Research different types of irrigation systems, select your best option for your farm and design and build your irrigation system in Minecraft.

How Crops Take in Water

Water is essential for growing many of our daily foods, especially fruits and vegetables. In some parts of New Zealand, like the East Coast and Central Otago, irrigation is needed because there isn't enough summer rain. Irrigation helps ensure crops survive and produce high-quality food. In other areas, irrigation is used during dry seasons or to give high-value crop the right amount of water. Sometimes, it's even used to protect crops from frost!

TASK: Take a look at the diagram in Minecraft. Explain how the diagram works in 2 - 3 paragraphs.

Ext: How much water are you going to need on your farm if you created a farm on the grounds of your school. First, find out the rainfall level of your area. Calculate how much extra water you will need and put a plan in place to irrigate and store water.

How to Grow Crops in Minecraft

TASK: In this activity, follow the instructions on the boards to create your own crop farm. Select a seedling such as carrots or wheat and plant them in in the ground to grow.

You can make your plants grow faster by applying fertiliser. This is called SUPER fertiliser in Minecraft and can be made in the science lab.

Alternatively, you can use bone meal. When applying, you'll notice green stars appearing above the plants, indicating they are being fertilised. You might need to use bone meal on each group of plants. Once your crop is fully grown, it's time to harvest the carrots or wheat.

Harvesting: Once your plants are fully grown, break your plants and pick them up before they disappear. If you harvest too early, the crop will be low yielding.

Storing your Harvest

In New Zealand, farmers use different methods to store the crops harvested. For example, they often keep fruits and vegetables in cool, dark places like sheds or special storage rooms to prevent them from spoiling. Some farmers use modern cold-storage technology to keep crops like pumpkins fresh for longer periods. For crops such as potatoes they may leave the crop in the ground to store them until they are needed.

This helps ensure that the food stays fresh and can be enjoyed even months after it's harvested.

TASK: Build your own silo to store your grain. Your silo must be big enough to store large amounts of grain.

Your design must include:
1. An easy way to fill transfer your grain to a truck for transport.
2. An automated way to tell you the silo is full.
3. Good airflow for the seed to dry.
4. Measurement tool, so you know how much grain you have.

Build a John Deere

John Deere, is an American icon that started his career as a general repairman and tool maker. He opened his first blacksmith shop in Grand Detour, USA in 1837. He changed the way people brought their ploughs by pre making his products rather than only being made to order.

This allowed his customers to see his products before they purchase with no wait time.

TASK: Take a look at the many innovations John Deere has made. Select one and build it in Minecraft.

Going further: New Zealand is full of innovative people. Let's go into the tractor market. Can you find a niche area in farming to innovate a new type of tractor? Prototype it in Minecraft or alternatively you could design it on Tinkercad or draw on paper.

Screenshot 2025-03-17 at 9.24_edited.jpg

The dairy industry in New Zealand is a cornerstone of the country's economy, known for producing high-quality milk products. With its temperate climate, abundant pastureland, and advanced farming techniques, New Zealand is one of the world's leading dairy exporters. The industry supports thousands of jobs and contributes significantly to rural communities. Sustainable practices are increasingly adopted to ensure environmental stewardship and long-term viability.

History of Dairy in New Zealand

Navigate yourself to the men's quarters and have a chat to Samuel Marsden, a very important historical figure who brought the first cows into New Zealand.

TASK: Go into your inventory and select a 'book', 'quill' and 'camera'. While exploring, take photographs using your camera and take notes with your book and quill. Add your photos as evidence and notes to your book and quill.

Things to note:

What are the main dairy cow breeds, and when were they introduced to New Zealand?
Research how the history of milking cows evolved, including changes in milking equipment and shed designs.

Milking Sheds and Technology

Take a look at the ever-changing dairy sheds that have improved efficiency and milk production. This innovation needs to continue for New Zealand to remain competitive and cost effective with the rest of the world. Could you create your own shed to improve dairying in Aotearoa.

TASK: Innovate and design a practical dairy shed in Minecraft (or outside of Minecraft) that improves efficiency for the farmer. How can you improve and streamline the milking process?

Grass

A dairy cow eats about 100 kg of fresh pasture each day. Good pasture management is important to keep animals healthy. Grass makes sugars during the day using sunlight, which it stores at night for growth. For grass to grow well, it needs nutrients, water, and the right temperatures. When grass is stressed, such as during droughts it does not grow well and can lead to a feed shortage.

TASK:

Your task is to find the best grass varieties for your dairy cows and create a plan to ensure the best growth. To do this, visit DairyNZ to learn how to measure and care for your grass effectively.

Screenshot 2025-03-12 at 12.07.15 PM.png

Silage/Baleage

Silage is like pickled grass, It's a way to save grass so cows and sheep can eat it later when there's not enough fresh grass, like during a dry season. This helps make sure the animals always have something nutritious to eat.

TASK 1: Design a flowchart that shows the steps involved in making silage. Things to think about:

When to cut the grass: It’s important to cut the grass at the right time, when it has the highest amount of nutrients.
Key steps to include: cutting, compacting, and storing the grass.
What machines are needed: Think about the best process to get high quality silage/baleage.

Task 2: New Zealand farmers use high-quality machines like mowers, tedders, and balers to cut and make grass for silage or balage. Mowers help cut the grass to the right length.
Design your own mower that will cut grass effectively.

Task 3: After the grass is cut, it needs to be compacted to remove as much air as possible. This helps preserve the grass for later use. Tractors or baling machines can help with this process.
Design and create your own tractor or baling machine that will compact the chopped grass and remove oxygen so the cut pasture can be stored as a high-quality feed.

Task 4:

Polythene is used to wrap silage. It prevents air from getting in, which could spoil the silage.

Use the science lab to make polythene using the compound creator. Try making a balloon.

A.I

Artificial Insemination or AI (not to be confused with Artificial Intelligence). Artificial breeding, or artificial insemination, in cattle is when semen is collected from a bull, and used to inseminate many cows. Trained technicians visit dairy farms in spring to do this job. Today 82% of cows are AI created.

Please note the word 'semen' will come up as ##### in minecraft.

TASK: What are the benefits and challenges of a farmer including A.I in their breeding plan? Do your research and complete a PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) chart on on what you find out. Discuss as a group your findings.

Raising Calves

Raising a calf is not as easy as you think. It takes a lot of work to raise a good calf. Farmers follow a plan to raise a calf from nearly born to weaning. Follow the steps in Minecraft before completing the task below.

TASK: Your task is to make a "How to raise a calf in New Zealand' video. You could use Canva or Adobe Express. People like quick, to the point videos. Make them concise and entertaining.

The sheep farming industry in New Zealand is a vital part of the agricultural sector, renowned for producing high-quality wool and meat. With its rolling pastures and favorable climate, New Zealand is one of the world's leading sheep farming nations. The industry supports rural economies and provides employment for many communities. Sustainable farming practices are increasingly adopted to ensure the health of the land and the well-being of the livestock.

Pressing Wool

Pressing the wool is an important part of the wool process. Take a look at this video to find out how it works.

TASK: To design and make a wool press in minecraft. Try using pistons as a way to press the wool.

Screenshot 2025-03-12 at 12.44.36 PM.png

Growing Great Lambs

Many things affect how fast lambs grow, like:

The health of the mother sheep (ewe)
How well the ewe can produce milk
The quality and amount of pasture (grass）
Weather conditions
The lamb's genetics and it's ability to grow

All of the above contribute to the health and wellbeing of the lamb.

TASK: Take on the role of a veterinarian and put together a health check list of common health issues to ensure the ewe is healthy before she gets in lamb.

Genetics

Genetics plays an important role in New Zealand's sheep farming industry. Farmers use genetic selection to breed sheep that are healthier, grow faster, and produce higher-quality wool and meat. By carefully choosing the best sheep as parents, desirable traits are passed down to future generations. This selective breeding process results in more productive sheep over time.

This planned breeding program helps New Zealand produce some of the best lamb and wool in the world.

Task: In Minecraft, follow the wool task experiment to create different coloured sheep. Make a chart and record what combinations of colours create the different colours.

Going further: you could work out what the probability is of those colours occuring.

Docking

Docking lambs in New Zealand is a process where farmers remove part of a lamb's tail. Docking helps reduce the build-up of faecal material, dags, reducing the risk of fly strike, which can harm the sheep. It's usually done when the lambs are young, using special tools to make it as quick and painless as possible.

TASK: Have a chat to the Dockman in Minecraft before taking a look through docking regulations in New Zealand. Then answer the following questions.
1. What is the best length for my tail docking and why?
2. Do I have to dock my sheep? Why or why not?
3. What is the best practice for docking a sheep's tail? Write the instructions for your farm.

Drenching

Sheep can get worms, which commonly live in their fourth stomach or small intestine. These parasitic worms can cause health issues in sheep, potentially leading to sickness or even death if left untreated. There are different types or parasitic worms that affect sheep in New Zealand. Preventing worms is important to maintain healthy, productive sheep.

TASK 1: Select one of the worms from the boards in Minecraft. Click on the link below and find out how you can minimise the risk of your sheep getting worms and, what you should do if they get worms.

Write a list of actions you should do to reduce the risk of worms in your sheep.

Task 2: Design a solution to help sheep farmers in New Zealand reduce parasitic worms in their flocks. Your idea needs to be effective, safe for the sheep, and easy for farmers to use.

New Zealand's beef farming is an important part of the country's agriculture. The mild climate helps grow pasture, making it perfect for raising beef cattle. This industry supports many rural communities by creating jobs supporting local economies. Farmers take great care to look after the land and their animals. Because of this, New Zealand beef is known worldwide for its high quality and great taste.

Selecting the Best Cattle

Choose the breed of cattle best suited to your farm in New Zealand. Think about the following:

The amount and quality of pasture and extra feed your farm can grow.
The type of production your farm focuses on (such as prime beef, bull beef, or store cattle).
The genetic traits of the cattle, like ease of calving, growth rates, and carcass quality.
The hardiness and temperament of the cattle.

TASK:

Build your own beef farm on Totara Estate or another Minecraft world. Research different cattle breeds and choose the one that best suits your farm. Think about the local climate, type of land, and how much pasture and crops the farm can grow. On a board, state the following:

The cattle breed you selected and why you chose it.
What meat production goals you want to achieve?
How you will feed your cattle to achieve these goals?
How you will keep your cattle healthy to achieve these goals?

Going further: create a business plan and budget for your farm. Consider how many cattle you’ll need based on your farm size, how much they will cost to buy, the cost of keeping them healthy, and how much money you can earn from selling them.

Apples have been grown in New Zealand since Europeans first arrived. Samuel Marsden, a missionary, brought the first apple trees in 1819. Farmers quickly saw that they could sell apples overseas. The first apples were sent from Christchurch to Chile in 1888 and in the 1890s, exporting to the UK started.

The word 'pipfruit' means apples and pears because they have small, hard seeds called pips in the middle. The New Zealand pipfruit industry is renowned for producing high-quality, premium fruit that is exported globally. This industry significantly contributes to the national economy, generating nearly $2 billion in total revenue.

Pipfruit Irrigation

Being able to control water is important to growers. Explore the “Irrigation” book in the chest to answer the questions.

TASK: Look at the waterfall created with pistons in Minecraft. Recreate this on your orchard to irrigate the pipfruit crop..

TASK 2: Why do orchardists need a good irrigation system？Use the slates in Minecraft to enter your answers.

Take a look at the Pivot Irrigator activity in Arable.

Nutrients

Pipfruit, such as apples and pears, require a variety of essential nutrients to thrive and produce high-quality fruit. Some of these nutrients are found in the soil and others need to be added.

TASK: Nutrients

Make a list of the nutrient’s apple trees need to grow and produce high quality fruit.
Write down what each nutrient does for the apple tree.
Design a fertiliser that will help the soil provide the nutrients apple trees need to produce a good crop of quality apples.

Keeping Your Fruit Safe

Your pipfruit is under risk from multiple fronts, the weather, pests, diseases and outside chemicals.

TASK 1: Setup a small orchard within Minecraft with all the elements needed to keep your fruit thriving. Once you have created your orchard, place signs with each safety feature.

Pest Management

In New Zealand, pest management in pipfruit orchards, such as apples and pears, follows the Integrated Fruit Production (IFP) guidelines. IFP combines various methods to control pests in an environmentally friendly way. This includes using natural predators to eat the pests, setting traps to monitor pest levels, and applying pesticides only when necessary. By following these guidelines, farmers can protect their crops while also taking care of the environment, ensuring that the fruit we eat is safe and healthy.

TASK 1: Your orchard is under attack by one of the pests listed. Your task is to select one, make a large minecraft version of your pest and create a plan to stop this pest from destroying your crop.

TASK 2: An unknown bug has been found in a Hawkes Bay orchard. Scientists are on high alert as the bug they've named the sniffer has begun to destroy apple and pear trees at a rapid pace.
Put yourself in the shoes of Biosecurity New Zealand scientist and put a plan in place to eradicate these pests. Find out what kills these pests in Minecraft before it's too late.

The New Zealand kiwifruit industry is a major player in the horticultural sector, known for producing high-quality kiwifruit that is exported worldwide. With ideal growing conditions and innovative farming practices, the industry generates significant revenue, contributing over $3 billion in gross sales annually. Additionally, new kiwifruit varieties, such as the SunGold and RubyRed kiwifruit, have been developed to enhance disease resistance and offer unique flavours.

Psa Biosecurity

In November 2010, kiwifruit growers found a serious disease called Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae (Psa) that harms the vines of kiwifruit plants but not the fruits themselves. Some kiwifruit orchards in the Bay of Plenty had to be quarantined to stop the spread.
This kind of situation is a big worry for the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), which looks after New Zealand's biosecurity.

TASK: Create a news report for the the Psa biosecurity situation from 2010. You will need to answer the following questions in your report.

Who was involved?
When did it happen?
What is Psa and why is it not good for our kiwifruit industry
Where did it happen?
Why did it happen?
How did it happen? Did they find out how it got here?
What did they do to stop it?
What do they do now to prevent it happening again?

Growers Guide

Aotearoa Kiwifruit growers use a lot of strategies to grow their best fruit. Take a look at the Kiwifruit Growing Cycle and Orchard Management Display from the NZKGI.

TASK: Find out the best practices to increase the yield of your kiwifruit and create a 'Growers Guide' for your staff to follow.

Pollination

Bees play an important role in pollinating kiwifruit. Most growers don’t have their own beehives and rely on beekeepers to bring hives into the orchard during flowering. The number of hives and their placement is important. In Green Kiwifruit orchards, bees are introduced when 20-30% of female flowers are open. In Gold and Red orchards, bees are brought in earlier.

TASK: Pollinating kiwifruit flowers is not easy. Read the information provided in Minecraft and the Science Learning Hub, to find out how bees pollinate kiwifruit flowers. Can you come up with an innovative idea to improve the pollination kiwifruit flowers. Prototype your ideas in Minecraft.

Designing Your Own Kiwifruit

RubyRed (ZESPRI Red) kiwifruit took over 20 year to develop to becoming a commercial product. With its unique color and berry-like taste, RubyRed is attracting new and younger consumers and is selling at a higher price than ZESPRI SunGold. Check out the nutritional elements of RubyRed has in Minecraft and why are they good for our health?

TASK: Design your own unique kiwifruit. What nutritional properties will it have and why? What will it look and taste like for a national and international market？