July Dreer Fellowship Report

From Kiwifruit to Pipfruit – Diversifying My Experiences

Though my work in New Zealand has predominantly focused on kiwifruit, I have taken advantage of opportunities to venture out and work in a more familiar crop from previous studies – apple. As with kiwifruit, learning about the means of production and marketing of this export-focused industry has been fascinating. It also gave me the opportunity to meet HortResearch scientists from other stations, namely Havelock North (Hawkes Bay), Motueka (Nelson), and Mount Albert (Auckland).

There are approximately 11,700 hectares of apples in New Zealand, with half of the production located in the Hawkes Bay region near the southeast corner of the North Island. This is followed by the Nelson, Cantebury, and Otago regions on the South Island, and a small amount of production in the Waikato Plains of the central North Island. Apples are an important domestic crop, as New Zealand is a country near the top in terms of annual per capita consumption, but in fact, what makes this commodity particularly significant is its export value. In 2005, approximately 68% of the annual crop was exported to 58 countries, valued at $387 million (NZD) to the New Zealand economy. The value was further enhanced, as another $33 million (NZD) were exported as processed product. The majority of these exports (71%) went to the European Union.

After profitable years in the 1990’s, the apple industry worldwide has experienced a drop-off in the current decade, primarily due to a surge in Chinese production, which now accounts for 35% of the worldwide product. Because apple consumption in Asia is relatively small compared to that in Europe and North America, this has meant that much of China’s production has entered export channels, which has particularly affected the New Zealand industry given its focus on exportation. This surge also came at a time of internal changes. Like the kiwifruit industry, apples were, until the last few years, controlled by a single supplier – ENZA. Growers, however, voted to deregulate the industry in 2001, and now there are approximately 90 exporters of apples in New Zealand. These worldwide and national factors combined have resulted in less control over commodity price and a drop in the number of growers and area planted since 1995.

Despite these fluctuations, the New Zealand apple industry continues to be an important one, and New Zealand apples account for 6% of the world market. For a country the size of the state of Colorado, this is an impressive stance, and much of it is the result of how growers have adapted to worldwide pressures by making their product unique. In the face of consumers – especially those in the European Union - desiring fruit produced by “sustainable” methods, New Zealand answered the call. In 2002, Kiwi apple growers were the first to begin adapting their practices to an “Integrated Fruit Production” (IFP) system, and shortly thereafter in 2003, the entire New Zealand industry had been converted. The universal adoption of IFP has since set a standard, and consumers have come to recognize New Zealand apples as a quality and safe product.

The Role of HortResearch

Much of the research conducted on Integrated Fruit Production takes place at the HortResearch station in Havelock North in the Hawkes Bay region. The Havelock North station is approximately 150 hectares, and though some of this area is planted to various berry and summer fruits, the majority is planted to apple. Breeding, physiology, post harvest, and pest management scientists are at work there, and given the opportunity to visit, I learned how many are contributing to the knowledge behind IFP. For example, at the time of IFP implementation, each plot of land was given a specific “RPIN” number to assist in identification of farm and fruit. In terms of pesticide spray records, this number and an inventive computer software known as Spray View Analyst, have allowed for a comprehensive spray use diary to be developed, dating back to 1992. Review of this information allows scientists at HortResearch to know which chemicals are most popular, how grower usage compares to average usage, and how dates of application correspond to disease outbreaks and weather patterns. The Property Spray Plan Manager is another program, and it links spraying with Global Information System (GIS) mapping to observe whether chemicals are used where insect resistance has been established.

As a result of closer monitoring, the frequency and types of pesticides being used are also changing. Overall pesticide use in Hawkes Bay and Nelson have fallen 15% and 19%, respectively, in the last two years. Organophosphate use has dropped precipitously in the last ten years, as growers use “softer,” low-residue chemicals. Insect pest monitoring using pheromone traps has helped reduce pesticide use and eliminate “calendar spraying.” Perhaps the most severe pest problem in New Zealand is the Venturia inaequalis pathogen which causes blackspot (apple scab). Blackspot outbreaks are also monitored closely so as to time pesticide applications properly, and organic controls for disease – such as copper and sulfur – are being studied for their efficacy.

Soil management and nutrition, however, tend to be areas where there is a gap in IFP knowledge. Proper soil drainage and high levels of organic matter appear to enhance orchard life and profitability, but fumigation continues to be an important component to orchard renovation and replanting. Fumigation continues to be accepted in IFP because it is a one-time application before the trees are in the ground. It is also accepted because it could help reduce pesticide use later in the life of the orchard. In replanting trials, fumigation with choloropicrin – a broad-spectrum fumigant – was shown to overwhelmingly improve growth of ungrafted rootstocks (M.26) in a soil with replant disease history. Nevertheless, alternatives to undesirable fumigants, such as methyl bromide, are being studied, and alternatives to fumigation altogether are also under investigation.

Post-harvest research is also important in Integrated Fruit Production. Apple washing treatments are currently under investigation as a means of eliminating pests in the packhouse prior to shipping. In preliminary trials, pressurized washing has provided variable results on apple leaf curling midge, but it has improved USDA approval against mealybugs and woolly apple aphid mummies. Questions still remain, however, on how washing may spread bacterial diseases and rots.

Collaboration – HortResearch and Pipfruit New Zealand

Pipfruit New Zealand is the organization which represents apple and pear growers on a national and international level. The responsibilities of this organization are many, including identifying export markets, investigating issues that affect the industry, and making efforts to resolve market uncertainties. The organization also controls the money collected from a grower levy and determines how this money will be spent on research to further benefit the industry. For this reason Pipfruit New Zealand works closely with HortResearch, as much of the funding for HortResearch investigation comes from this levy. The two organizations also collaborate on annual grower seminars during the winter season.

In July, Pipfruit New Zealand hosted two technical seminars for growers and consultants in the Hawkes Bay and Nelson regions. Most of the presentations during these day-long seminars were given by HortResearch scientists, but after my previous Hawkes Bay visit, the seminar organizers from Pipfruit New Zealand and HortResearch requested that I present my Master’s research. Apple replant disease is a worldwide problem, and New Zealand growers are as much affected as growers in New York. Though the problem differs from country to country, and even field to field, the organizers believed that the growers would appreciate a new perspective and insight from abroad. So, I voyaged down to Hawkes Bay and then across Cook Strait on the Inter Island Ferry to Nelson. I relayed my findings on management strategies for apple replant disease to two receptive audiences. Interestingly enough, though, as previously mentioned, replant trials in New Zealand have shown overwhelming improvement in fumigated soil and my experiment showed the contrary, the growers accepted that this further demonstrates the complexity of the syndrome and interesting discussions followed.

Other interesting presentations at these seminars described integrated management of key pests like apple leaf curling midge, woolly apple aphid, and European canker. Other presentations discussed the physiological basis of vigor control in apple rootstocks and light interception in intensive plantings. Aside from the experience I gained from giving a presentation and the knowledge I took away from the others, I also got the opportunity to see these two growing regions (Hawkes Bay again and Nelson for the first time) by attending these technical seminars.

More Apple Research

HortResearch has a station in the Mount Albert suburb of Auckland. Though there is no agricultural land at this urban site, it is nonetheless the largest station, retaining the majority of the 550 HortResearch employees. At Mount Albert, there are many scientists working on entomological and pathological fruit disorders, but during my visit, I participated in a post-harvest and sensory evaluation. Post-harvest and food science investigators were collaborating on a project linking the mechanical post-harvest results of firmness to human sensory of crispness in apple. Ten varieties were used in the study: eight commercial and two unnamed varieties from the Hawkes Bay breeding program. In the laboratory, we were testing the varieties for firmness, soluble solids, and dry matter. Then, samples were taken to a tasting panel, and I observed how sensory panels are conducted. Interestingly enough, though post-harvest laboratory and sensory evaluations are common in apple, rarely are the two linked in an experiment. This study served this purpose and also compared across varieties. Having done little work in post-harvest, this was an interesting learning experience, and an opportunity for me to meet some of the HortResearch scientists in Auckland.

Conclusion

Apple is an important horticultural commodity in New Zealand, both on the domestic and international scene. It was the first crop in New Zealand to develop Integrated Fruit Production standards, and though the industry has had its set of challenges, New Zealand growers and researchers have identified Integrated Fruit Production as a means of delineating their crop from others. The IFP methods of apple growers in New Zealand are leading the world, and New Zealand has become a model for others to follow. My trips to Hawkes Bay, Nelson, and Auckland gave me the opportunity to learn more about IFP in apple and about the apple industry in general. From kiwifruit to pipfruit, my experiences in New Zealand have been diverse.

References

2006. “Growers and Consultants Technical Seminar 2006”. Seminar packet. Hastings and Nelson, New Zealand. July 25 and 27, 2006.

Butcher, M. 2006. Personal communication. May 2006.

Horner, I. 2006. Personal communication. May 2006.

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.

Walker, J. 2006. Personal communication. May 2006.