Mary Robertson - the plant breeder and gardening columnist kept her vegetables prolific and clean of disease and pests using Nature's Curator.

This years Fieldays, themed ‘My Land, Our Environment’ will feature a New Zealand-made world-first spray that mimics Mother Nature and switches on plants’ immune systems.

Nature’s Curator, the home garden version of the horticultural spray Agrizest, will be demonstrated at Mystery Creek Fieldays in the Horticultural Hall from June 10-13.

Inventor Nathan Balasingham said his scientific breakthrough, which is certified organic, has the potential to boost New Zealand’s ‘clean green’ image by reducing chemical use, while improving plant productivity, quality and nutritional value.

Balasingham, a Master of Horticultural Science with first class honours in biochemistry and 36 years in research and development, applied the findings of the World Plant Genome Project to his own experiments on plant immunity.

The result is a compound of plant extracts that contain molecules proven to interact with ‘receptor’ molecules on other plants’ leaves.

The compound fits into the new scientific system called ‘bio-mimicry’ which imitates the way nature works.

Just a light misting with Nature’s Curator instantly switches a plant’s immune system on to high. The plant is effectively tricked into thinking it is under attack and prompts production of essential oils that improve health, growth and increase disease resistance.

The compound – more accurately described as an activator - includes extracts from food products such as coconut, aloe, kelp, palm oil, lecithin and soy beans. It is not a fertiliser, food or pesticide, instead it activates plants to improve their own natural processes and defences.

Crop growers round New Zealand trialling Agrizest in the past four years have reported better yield and quality of harvest. Nature’s Curator has been trialled by garden writers and groups during the past year with many reporting they are impressed by languishing plants bursting into new vigour.

Former agricultural sprayer John Head of Waiuku said he is delighted the spray is safe enough that he no longer has to wear protective clothing and breathing apparatus. “I’ve seen increased overall health and a natural balance in my garden, with less pests and disease. Nature’s Curator has increased my vines’ crop quality and fruit volume and has produced good healthy growth on my feijoas. My citrus leaves changed from yellow to green virtually overnight.”

John Head - the former agricultural sprayer finds Nature's Curator allows him to spray safely just wearing shorts and tee-shirt.

Kapiti Coast plant breeder and gardening writer, Mary Robertson, said, “I’m amazed at the rapid results for such little effort. I do not spray my vegetable crops for pests and disease and expect to lose a proportion to these problems. However, this year my crops have been prolific and clean.”