8 Things I Learned About New Zealand Apple Production (and You Should, too)

Editor’s note: For nearly two weeks, I traveled between the North and South Islands of New Zealand as part of the International Fruit Tree Association’s (IFTA) New Zealand Study Tour, sharing sights and sounds through online postings and social media (Twitter and Instagram at @HerrickAFG) with the hashtag of #IFTANZ. If you missed any of my coverage, be sure to visit http://www.growingproduce.com/tag/ifta-conference-2018/.

It’s no coincidence that I chose 8 items for this feature. The number 8, specifically No. 8 wire, is a part of Kiwis’ DNA. And, as you’ll read below you’ll learn more about how important this mentality is to New Zealand apple production and what I learned about along my travels.

1. NO. 8 WIRE
As the International Fruit Tree Association’s New Zealand Study Tour kicked off in Christchurch, we were told of the story of the No. 8 wire. No. 8 was the British Standard wire used for sheep fencing but was often used to fix structural or mechanical issues. It has become a greater symbol for New Zealanders’ resourcefulness in problem-solving and the No. 8 wire has become synonymous with Kiwi innovation.

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8 Things I Learned About New Zealand Apple Production (and You Should, too)

‘Honeycrisp’ is a managed variety and only grown on the South Island of New Zealand. (Photo: Christina Herrick)

2. HONEYCRISP A MANAGED VARIETY
One thing that struck me was how ‘Honeycrisp’ found its way to New Zealand. When the variety was passed on by traditional importing measures, Andy McGrath of McGrath Nurseries secured the rights to import and license the variety within New Zealand.

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In the U.S., ‘Honeycrisp’ can be and is planted in many orchards, unfortunately, some believed to be not the best locations for the variety. The licensing of ‘Honeycrisp’ in New Zealand allows for a more measured approach, one that provides the best climate for the variety, and ultimately securing the best possible outcome for the apples grown.

South of Christchurch is where McGrath sees the opportunity to grow the variety at its best. McGrath Licensed Varieties Ltd. holds the rights to the variety in the country and Honeycrisp New Zealand Ltd., handles the sublicense to market the variety in and from New Zealand. According to McGrath Nurseries website, ‘Honeycrisp’ out-earns any other varieties grown in the country for the export market.

3. VERTICAL GROWTH
The amount of pendant growth is hard to miss as I traveled from orchard to orchard throughout the North and South Islands.

“We get some serious growth here in New Zealand,” says Morgan Rogers, Head of Quality & Innovation and ROW Manager for T&G Global Ltd.

It’s no secret New Zealand (NZ) growers experience abundant sunshine, and their trees show it. The amount of sunlight is less than the total hours in places like California in the states, but it’s the sunlight coupled with abundant rainfall that make for very vigorous NZ growth.

Evan Heywood, Co-Owner of Birdhurst Orchard in Motueka, NZ, says their orchards get typically around 60 inches of rain each year and about 2,500 hours of sunshine. Most growers talk about how pruning is conducted not to encourage renewal growth but to cut back on excessive vigor. Jon and Paul Paynter of Johnny Appleseed and Yummy Fruit Co. say their approach is to machine-prune directly after harvest.

“We were not sure it was not the stupidest thing to do,” John Paynter quipped.

8 Things I Learned About New Zealand Apple Production (and You Should, too)

A shelterbelt is seen in the background at T&G Global’s high-density V-system orchard trial. (Photo: Christina Herrick)

4. WINDROWS EVERYWHERE
Driving along the fruit-growing regions of New Zealand were quite a sight. While we’d pass the occasional kiwi or apple orchard in plain sight, for the most part, orchards were indistinguishable.

This is, in part, due to windrows.

But in New Zealand, they’re called “shelterbelts.”

What’s interesting is that, yes, they’re used to help protect trees from prevailing winds, but there is also a boost to the microclimate of the orchard, with protection from frost due to higher temperatures, higher humidity, and even an improvement in pollination and fruit set. Japanese cedar, she-oak, willow, poplar, and alder are among some of the popular plants to use.

5. HIGH-TECH BENCHMARKING
While at a stop at Mr. Apple in Mangateretere, we got a chance to check out a 34-year-old block of ‘Royal Gala’ on M.793 rootstock. Some growers may wonder why a 34-year-old semi-dwarf block would still be in production, but after running it through “Billy,” an innovative software platform accessed via iPad, which tracks production and all sorts of data including thinning costs, packout,

Brix, firmness, starch, strength, and more, it’s easy to see why. The software gets its name from “Billy Basic” I was told.

Mark Anderson, technical manager for Mr. Apple, says the block is expected to have four picks with yields around 100 bins to the acre, with an average packout of around 80%. Anderson says that pendulous branches seem to generate enough energy to produce large fruit. And with the assistance of reflective material, color is easily achieved within the dense canopy.

8 Things I Learned About New Zealand Apple Production (and You Should, too)

Richard Volz says he’s breeding for interesting characteristics, but the primary focus is on flavor, disease resistance, soluble solids, and now red flesh. (Photo: Christina Herrick)

6. VARIETY DEVELOPMENT
New Zealand’s Plant and Food Research (PFR) has pioneered many varieties that have made their mark on the apple and pear industry in New Zealand, Australia, and abroad with varieties such as ‘Jazz,’ ‘Envy,’ ‘Rockit,’ and ‘Smitten.’ New pear variety development continues and the research team has recently released newcomers include ‘Reddy Robin’ and ‘Pica Boo’ pears as well as apples ‘Lemonaide,’ ‘Sweetie,’ ‘Cherish,’ and ‘Dazzle.’

The breeding focus is for the export market. However, as breeder Richard Volz noted, there are at least 100 different markets New Zealand and Australian apples can be sent, which can complicate narrowing down the needs of an entire industry.

“That’s a heck of a lot of different consumers,” he says.

Volz says he’s breeding for interesting characteristics, but the primary focus is on flavor, disease resistance, soluble solids, and now red flesh. Instead of looking at only one Vf gene for apple scab, all new varieties must have at least two to three Vf genes.

Performance also is an important focus, especially for an export-based industry. As each new variety is screened prior to release, the variety must also hold up in postharvest and longer shipping times.

“An apple needs to be quite robust,” he says. “We need to be thinking about how robust that apple is in terms of performance.”

7. KIWIS’ RESILIENCY
New Zealand takes its biosecurity very seriously, and nowhere was that more evident than going through customs. Boots were expected to be cleaned and free of all dirt. I heard other growers talking about having luggage scrutinized, lest a brown marmorated stink bug decided to come along for the long-distance flight.

While in New Zealand we visited just one kiwi orchard because of concern over Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa), which is spread by wind and rain as well as by footwear and orchard tools and vehicles.

The bacteria was first discovered in 2010 and hit golden kiwis very hard. It is estimated the industry lost more than $800 million, and the exact source of the outbreak is still unclear, although a group of growers took the Ministry for Primary Industries to court over the alleged importation of Chinese kiwi pollen and plant material.

While there are no PSa-resistant varieties, ‘Gold3’ seems to be more tolerant.

8 Things I Learned About New Zealand Apple Production (and You Should, too)

Aaron Cederman says without the Munckhof over-the-row sprayer, his limited staff would not be able to cover the 500-acre Birdhurst Orchard. (Photo: Christina Herrick)

8. MOVING TO LABOR SAVINGS
Many growers in New Zealand are moving toward more labor-efficient production, whether it’s harvest platforms or more consistent canopies, as it is done in the states. What is striking is how many growers have opted to use multi-row sprayers.

Birdhurst Orchard Manager Aaron Cederman says their orchard has four over-the-row Munckhof sprayers, and another one ordered. He says this allows them to react much faster and cover more ground easily, especially when the timing of sprays is critical. Each sprayer can cover about 6.4 acres an hour, and when the whole fleet is deployed, the team claims their fleet can cover the whole 500-acre, 1,200-trees- per-acre orchard in a matter of hours.

“It’s just about getting across the farms quickly,” he says. “We honestly wouldn’t be doing it with the single-row sprayer.”

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