Dr. Sean Gresham joined the AgFirst Hawkes Bay team in December 2023 after completing his Ph.D. at North Carolina State University in the USA. He brings to the team broad experience in crop protection research and extension with a specialty in apples. Sean grew up in South Canterbury and gained his bachelors degrees (B.Sc. (Plant Science) and B. Environ. Mgmt) from Lincoln University before gaining his Masters in Entomology from Virginia Tech. Sean previously worked for PGG Wrightson/Fruitfed Supplies on the R&D team in Hawkes Bay, working on product development and technical extension for tree fruit and winegrapes.

Areas of interest:

· R&D field trials across horticultural crops.

· Tree physiology and crop load management.

· Crop protection for horticultural crops.

· Sustainable agriculture.

· Quality systems and metrics.

· Adoption and implementation of new technologies.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science (Plant Science), B. Environmental Management – Lincoln University

Master’s of Science (Entomology) – Virginia Tech

Doctor of Philosophy (Entomology) – North Carolina State University

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