May Dreer Fellowship Report

From New Zealand: The Future Looks Good as Gold

What is the future worth? What is the value of knowing what the future will bring? Surely, the folks on Wall Street would revel in the ability to know what lies ahead. A person buying a lottery ticket would likely accept a trustworthy prediction. The dangers imposed by natural disasters could be averted. Students could know their grades before an exam is taken. Families could plan vacations when fine weather is expected. The ability to see into the future – to know what problems could be avoided or what benefits could be augmented – what a valuable gift that could be!

For the last month, I have humored my family and friends in the United States saying I have acquired the ability to see into the future. Having crossed the International Date Line, I have commenced the third leg of my journey. I am living nearly a day in advance of those in my home country; I am in New Zealand.

On December 31, 1999, tourists flocked to the eastern shores of New Zealand and celebrations abounded as this country was one of the first to experience the new millennium. But just as New Zealand’s physical location allows the ‘Kiwis’ – as proud New Zealanders call themselves – to experience time before the rest of the world, Kiwis are also an innovative, forward-thinking breed. Historically, given the lengthy travel between the distant island and Europe, the people of New Zealand developed inventive ingenuity for independence and subsistence. For example, months before the Wright Brothers made their historic flight in 1903, South Island Kiwi farmer Richard Pearse is said to have made prior success with his own design. In 1911, Ernest Rutherford split the atom, inspiring modern nuclear physics. The jet boat and mechanical railway crossing were invented here, along with many adventure sports like bungee-jumping. In terms of social reform, New Zealand also made giant leaps ahead of the rest. In 1893, New Zealand was the first country in the world to allow women the right to vote. A few years later in 1898, out of concern for the poor, the world’s first old-age pension fund was established for men, followed by a similar fund for women in 1911.

In agriculture, similar ingenuity should not go unrecognized. It was in New Zealand that the mechanical cow-milker was invented, and dairy products remain at the top of this country’s export commodity list. The use of aircraft for seeding, spraying, and frost protection was also pioneered in New Zealand. Such history has developed into a present state where 60 percent of export earnings and nearly 12 percent of gross domestic product are due to agricultural products. Fifty seven percent of New Zealand’s total land area – 15,529,000 hectares – is under agricultural production. Ten percent of the work force is employed in agriculture, and sheep outnumber people 17 to one. Agriculture has obviously been a critical industry in New Zealand, and presuming that holds momentum, it is only prudent that Kiwis try to predict the future, stay one step ahead, and keep viable their agricultural industries. In modern times, this has meant a focus on systems of production and consumer appeal, both of which can be targeted with words like “sustainable” or “integrated.”

Sustainable Agriculture and Integrated Fruit Production

The sustainable agriculture movement began in the 1980’s as growers looked to improve land stewardship while maintaining farm profitability. Decades later, the principles still apply and continue to intrigue growers, researchers, and consumers alike. The primary focus of sustainable agriculture is a holistic approach to food production, with an emphasis on biological pest control and soil management. Today, sustainable production falls under the categories of ‘organic’ and ‘integrated.’ Organic schemes are standardized, prohibiting the use of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers and genetically-modified organisms. ‘Integrated’ production, however, has no specific standards and is perhaps most appropriately defined as a philosophy for justifying agricultural practices. It looks to balance agricultural production with environmental consciousness by reducing chemical inputs, and its adoption has been aided by economic forces.

In 1997, a group from the Euro-Retailers Produce Working Group (EUREP) developed criteria to “reassure consumers” of food safety and sustainability, given the expansion of markets around the globe. These Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) became the standard for exportation of food products to Europe. With the adoption of EurepGAP standards by many European supermarket chains, exporting countries, like New Zealand, needed to reexamine their farming practices in order to maintain relations with their meticulous clients. Already, produce from New Zealand was disadvantaged compared to that from competing Southern Hemisphere countries because of higher input and labor costs. Promises of premium prices and assurances that markets would remain open to commodities produced by GAP standards led to the development of Integrated Fruit Production (IFP) – a branch of sustainable agriculture which focuses on fruit crops. New Zealand growers were quick to adopt the integrated approaches which would make them EurepGAP compliant and open the door to premium trade markets. Apple growers were the first to respond, and by 2003, all apples in New Zealand were regarded as either organic or integrated. The terms ‘conventional’ and ‘integrated’ had become synonymous. European markets remained open to New Zealand apples, and the growers of other fruit commodities with high export value – like kiwifruit and grapes – followed suit. Today, there are IFP programs for these plus summer fruits, berries, and various other horticultural crops, and the development of such programs came largely from the work of scientists at HortResearch.

HortResearch, Te Puke

I am working at the Horticulture and Food Research Institute of New Zealand, or more commonly known as HortResearch. HortResearch was established in 1992 when a reorganization of government departments resulted in “Crown Research Institutes” (CRIs) to pursue the agricultural research interests of the government. Similar to the agriculture experiment stations of land-grant universities, CRIs are government-owned, but they differ from the American system because they function as private companies trying to make a profit. Funding is received from both public and private sources, and it is expected that some money be turned back to the government and that scientific advances be made to benefit industry. HortResearch employs approximately 500 people, and research focuses primarily on kiwifruit, apple, and grape, though blueberry, peach, and other horticultural commodities are also of interest. Two of the primary objectives of HortResearch are making innovations in fruit breeding and advances in Integrated Fruit Production (IFP). Notable HortResearch successes include the Jazz™ apple and the ZespriGOLD™ kiwifruit. These are proprietary fruit which have earned revenue for the company, and their parentage is not disclosed. The work done in Integrated Fruit Production has been revolutionary, is now mandated in crops like apple and kiwifruit, and has allowed for continued exportation to European and Asian markets. Horticultural exports accounted for $2.3 billion in 2005, when 108 countries worldwide accepted New Zealand produce. The European Union, Japan, Australia, and the United States are the key export markets of horticultural commodities, with Japan and Australia each receiving over 60 different products. The adoption of IFP production has been instrumental in maintaining trade relations, and HortResearch has been instrumental in advancing the science behind IFP. There are ten HortResearch stations between the north and south islands dedicated to these programs; one of these stations is in Te Puke.

Though kiwifruit was introduced to New Zealand from China in 1904, Te Puke and the Bay of Plenty region on a whole could quite possibly be considered the kiwifruit capital of the world. Of the 11,550 hectares of horticultural area in the Bay of Plenty region, approximately 11,020 hectares are in kiwifruit. Though countries like China, Chile, and Italy rival New Zealand for highest annual production, the fruit, after all, has its namesake in this country and its people. A drive through the countryside will showcase kiwifruit as the dominant horticultural crop in the Bay of Plenty region. The orchards roll with the hillsides. Vines are planted in neat rows, and a grid of wire trellises supports the network of canes. Pendant fruit dangles, awaiting harvest. Each orchard is surrounded by tightly-spaced poplars or pines – soldiers standing shoulder to should at attention. These soldiers protect the orchards from winds and increase humidity, providing a pleasing environment for the crop. Native birds are abundant – fantails dancing on the wind and pukekos scurrying on the ground. A drive through the countryside will showcase such serenity, but it is an industry after all, and HortResearch is amidst it.

The kiwifruit research conducted in Te Puke ranges from fruit breeding to entomology to physiology. To most consumers in the United States, the green ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit is the only discernable variety. Nevertheless, fruit breeders at HortResearch are credited with developing ‘Hort16A’ – the gold kiwifruit – which went into commercial production in 1998. A red kiwifruit is currently being tested but is not yet commercially available. All of these – green, gold, and red – are varieties of the same species Actinidia chinensis, but there is also work being conducted on Actinidia arguta. A. arguta is a small, hairless species of kiwifruit that can be eaten whole without peeling. Successes from the HortResearch breeding program will be marketed as “Kiwiberry.” The entomologists at Te Puke are working on various integrated approaches to combating scale insects and leafrollers – the two most common pests in kiwifruit. Cicadas are another pest studied, as they become problematic when they feed on canes. Much of the physiological work being conducted focuses on carbohydrate partitioning among the various parts of the vine. In recent years, studies have shown that kiwifruit can be tested for taste based on a parameter known as dry matter. Dry matter is the make-up of the fruit minus the water, so it includes carbohydrates, fiber, organic acids, protein, lipids, and minerals. Fruit taste improves as dry matter increases, and to satisfy discriminating consumers of export markets, the industry stresses the importance of dry matter – testing for it at packhouses, providing premiums to those growers whose fruit reaches high levels, and rejecting fruit that does not meet a minimum standard. Research in the infancy stage is finding that dry matter can be significantly improved with trunk girdling and/or vine pruning and training. Trunk girdling concentrates higher photosynthate levels in the canopy by closing avenues of loss to the roots. Pruning and training in such a way that allows ample light penetration through the canopy results in increased photosynthate production which can then be supplied to the fruit. My time at HortResearch will be spent working with the various fruit breeders, entomologists and physiologists conduction this research. I will also be participating in various extension-related projects, learning about the system of outreach for New Zealand growers. I surmise that the three months to come will not only introduce me to a new crop but also to new directions for horticultural production.

Conclusion

There is no time like the present to start thinking about the future, or perhaps, as is the case for New Zealand, thinking already takes place in the future. In a country where the people literally live ahead of the rest, how appropriate that their mode of thinking also be forward-thinking. From inventors to social reform, New Zealand has made a name for itself, historically and in present day. Agricultural trends have progressed in similar fashion through the universal adoption of Integrated Fruit Production and fruit taste standards for export. In New Zealand, staying one step ahead has been a way of life, perhaps even an intrinsic quality of its people. The world has come to expect from Kiwis zany, new sports and environmental consciousness. Pioneers have become innovators, and risk has not been an impediment. Here in New Zealand, the future looks very bright, and perhaps – as expressed in true Kiwi fashion – it even looks “good as gold.”

References

“About EurepGAP” (website). EUREPGAP® - The Global Partnership for Safe and Sustainable Agriculture (website). Viewed June 2006. http://www.eurepgap.org/Languages/English/about.html.

Dyck, B. 2005. “Understanding Dry Matter.” Kiwifruit – New Zealand Kiwifruit Journal. September/October 2005. pp. 9-11.

“Environment” (website). Statistics New Zealand. Viewed May 2006. http://www.stats. govt.nz/products-and-services/new-zealand-in-profile-2006/environment.htm.

“Exports” (website). Statistics New Zealand. Viewed May 2006. http://www.stats.govt. nz/products-and-services/new-zealand-in-profile-2006/exports.htm.

“General” (website). Statistics New Zealand. Viewed May 2006. http://www.stats.govt. nz/products-and-services/new-zealand-in-profile-2006/General.htm.

Hanna, N. 2005. Fodor’s Exploring New Zealand. Third edition. A.A. Publishing: United Kingdom. pp. 1-288.

“History” (website). Statistics New Zealand. Viewed May 2006. http://www.stats. govt.nz/products-and-services/new-zealand-in-profile-2006/History.htm.

Kerr, J., E. Hewett, and A. Aitken. 2005. “HortResearch Fresh Facts – New Zealand Horticulture” (brochure). ISSN 1177-2190. ISBN 0-477-10014-7. pp 1-33.

Pink, B. 2006. “First Results from 2006 Census Released” (website). Statistics New Zealand. Viewed May 2006. http://www.stats.govt.nz/products-and-services/media-releases/2006-census/2006-census-provisional-counts-2006-mr.htm.