Columba College pupil Corrie Anderson (17) is now eligible to apply for both the Powering Potential and the Prime Minister’s Future Scientist awards.
The latter is worth $50,000 and can be used to support tertiary education.
Corrie won five awards at the fair, plus the best in fair award, with her project titled "Horopito: Insecticidal properties and chemical structure analysis of a New Zealand native plant".
"It was quite a surprise at first. I didn’t think I was even going to get an award.
"I was quite mind-blown and taken aback by it."
Horopito (Pseudowintera colorata) is a small evergreen tree, known by many New Zealanders as pepper tree, because its leaves have a hot taste.
She said it has existed in New Zealand for 65million years, and its red-splotched leaves have active anti-fungal and insecticidal compounds.
The plant had a long lifespan because fungi and insects were discouraged from attacking its leaves.
It also had antioxidant flavonoids and anti-inflammatory/antiseptic properties, and had been used medicinally since the 19th century.
Corrie’s project looked at the insecticidal and chemical analysis of horopito.
"I found it has insecticidal properties, so it repels insects such as aphids which I tested it on."
She said it had not been tested yet, but there was evidence to suggest horopito could be developed as an insecticide for use on a wide range of plant life.
"We found it could be used as a natural deterrent, rather than some of the harmful chemical ones that are man-made and cause more harm to other plants.
"I’d like to keep working on the project and see where it would go from here on.
"It could have commercial potential."
Fair co-ordinator Steven Sexton said there were 264 displays from 309 pupils, representing 27 schools across Otago.
Premier award winners: Aurora premier award — best in fair: Corrie Anderson (Horopito: Insecticidal properties and chemical structure analysis of a New Zealand native plant); Otago Institute award — general excellence: Rebekah Lynch (Anabolic Supplements: The protein shake for plants); OSTA premier award — general excellence: Millie Todd (The secrets of light); Niwa award — best project relating to water or atmosphere: Rachel Cunningham (How healthy is the Taieri River and does farming impact water quality?); Dairy NZ award — Most promising senior young scientist: Maia Dean (Creme de la creme of cream); NZ Oil & Gas award — Most promising junior young scientist: Jordan Hannon (Mouldy Juice? Food challenge test); University of Otago Division of Sciences premier award: Karl Brinsdon (Phased out: Using a micro-controller to control a guitar effect); University of Otago NZ Marine Studies Centre premier award — gifted and talented year 7 and 8 pupils: Caleb Simpson (Walking on water: What affects surface tension?)john.lewis@odt.co.nz
