Love a prickly pear

We all hate weeds, right? But what is a weed anyway? How about say, wheat. Or corn, or oats. Are they weeds? The battle in Australia with prickly pear is legendary, and there's even a memorial to the Cactoblastis moth that helped bring them under control.

It turns out that the prickly pear could be a valuable nutritious crop that grows in our drying land, and our guest today is a self-admitted fan. Caroline Gouws is a PhD student at the University of Canberra who's looking at its processing and nutrional benefits. Maybe the spikey invader has a place after all if we're prepared to give it a go.

We even sampled some on-air. But careful to not wipe it on our cloths...because it's also a nifty dye!

Interview by Rod

 

While you're here
Present your research at the New Investigator Forum, 6 June at JCSMR

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