JANUARY 2011 - Apata

NEW YEAR, NEW VARIETIES: DAMIAN YOUNG, Kiwifruit Grower Services Manager
When the New Year comes around, many of us start thinking about New Year resolutions.
JANUARY 2011
Is one of your New Year’s resolutions to plant New Varieties? ZESPRI are currently working on the key dates for
next year’s new varieties tender process. The dates are expected to be similar to that of 2010, with key information
and hectares released around June.
Following on from its highly successful first year, the Apata New Varieties programme will continue organising hub
groups and technical support Field Days for growers taking part in the NV programme.
Our Grower Services team are available to come to your orchard to offer advice on your NV plan. We have cost
models we can discuss with you that detail potential cash flow and expected grafting costs.
So why have growers considered investing in New Varieties?
- economic reasons: perceived better returns
- spread the risk
- everyone else is keen so it must be good
- don’t want to miss an opportunity
- new challenge
Here are the top 3 areas to consider when thinking about planting new varieties:
physical: - suitability of the site, aspect, contour, altitude
- early start/main pack?
- frost risk, shelter, structures, irrigation etc
financial: - ability to forego cashflow for 1+ years (or more)
- risk of variety failure
- options/fallbacks
- what return is required by you for the risk involved
people: - current physical management ability
- financial management
- experience with conversion to Hort16A?
- require input from consultants or Apata staff?
- realistic goals and objectives - are you looking for the silver bullet?
Have a chat to a grower you know that has already taken part in the New Varieties conversion. You can also join
our Apata New Varieties programme where you will hear first hand from pre-commercial trialists about their New
Varieties journey so far.
Remember your Apata Grower Services Representative is here to help. Our contact details are listed on the back
page.

ORCHARD OBSERVATIONS: WADE HUNKIN, Apata Technical Services Manager
In general we are encouraged at what we are seeing in orchards during our first visits for the new year. Fruit has sized well in
both Green and Gold orchards, fruit is quite clean and shape in green much better than last year. What a difference a warmer
late spring can make.
The wet weather just at the end of green pollination has definitely had an impact with a number of growers reporting losses
due to sclerotinia despite their best efforts with fungicides. Often fruit parts were slow to drop from fruit so provided an
excellent site for sclerotinia to grow. While there was some fruit drop, scarring appears to be the most widespread issue.
Thinning strategies
GOLD - As already noted Gold fruit has sized well, there is little blemish apparent and low numbers of undersize fruit. For
most there is little to be gained in a thinning round now, better to leave the fruit there until closer to harvest when a final
cosmetic round is recommended.
HAYWARD - Ideally the first round of thinning will have been done by now on green crops and they will be looking good.
Certainly there are not the same problems with square fruit as last year but the flats are still there. The main concern we have
is around numbers particularly on spurs. While so far fruit has sized well there is risk that it will not continue to do so where
the leaf to fruit ratio is low. Often overall numbers are still high so a good strategy will be to bring back the spurs to 2-3 fruit
only in the course of reducing to 45-50 fruit per square meter overall. This needs to be done as soon as possible to get the
maximum benefit.
Its worth reminding oneself what fruit per square meter means in Trays per ha. Assuming a typical 10% male area and
average size of 33 the table below demonstrates the number of resulting trays per ha at different levels of conversion to class
1 (allowing for both packing and thinning rejects)
Conversion to Class 1
Fruit per m2 70% 75% 80% 85%
30 5727 6136 6545 6955
35 6682 7159 7636 8114
40 7636 8182 8727 9273
45 8591 9205 9818 10432
50 9545 10227 10909 11591
55 10500 11250 12000 12750
60 11455 12273 14182 15068
65 12409 13295 14182 15068
70 13364 14318 15273 16227
75 14318 15341 16364 17386
A monitoring record is required to spray. The counting
procedure is set out in the KiwiGreen fact sheet on
PVH:
• Count the number of adult PVH in a two minute period
in a bay (or vine if that is more convenient).
• To assess the need to spray a whole block, do 5
separate counts per block, (2 in the outer rows and 3
from middle areas).
• To assess the need to spray outer rows only do 2-3
counts from each outer row.
The easiest way to spot them is to check the new shoots
in the leader zone where there is normally more light.
So if you have 70 fruit per square meter even if you remove 15%
now and have a 15% reject rate at packing you would be looking at
over 13000 trays per ha – exciting but realistic? For Gold maybe but
Green?
Pest Levels
Monitoring for leafroller has commenced in both Green and Gold
and pressures appear low for now. Some scale monitoring has been
carried out on gold with very low levels of scale being observed.
Passion vine hoppers nymphs have been well in evidence, with
adults beginning to appear now. The only product available for use
in orchard is pyrethrum, it is broken down by UV light so apply in the
late afternoon for maximum impact. The nymphs appear easier to kill
so should be targeted first.

Trunk Girdling
This year more than ever growers are asking about trunk girdling.
The advantages of a summer girdle are an increased dry matter and greater return bloom at the possible expense of
compromising vine health. A trunk girdle is somewhat easier to apply than cane girdling and gives a more consistent result but
is more invasive and getting it wrong has more impact so a cane girdle might be a comfortable halfway house. See the January
2008 Kiwifruit Journal. If your vines are healthy - a good canopy, previous girdles have healed quickly and well and plenty of
white feeder roots – then the economic advantages of a summer girdle are hard to ignore. One reason not to may be if you are
considering a new variety conversion.
So look closely at your orchard before making the decision – we are happy to assist. If you are girdling identify any vines that
need a year or two off and mark them clearly. Make sure the job is done properly, it is most important to not go too deep into the
xylem while ensuring all the phloem tissue has been removed. See the Kiwitech bulletin on the subject for a thorough reminder
and the January 2008 Kiwifruit Journal contained a good article on different techniques and options. On orchard hygiene is
increasingly important - sterilise equipment frequently.
With fruit already large (in gold perhaps as a result of extra Benefit applications) and a wetter summer there is increased risk of
lower dry matter levels. There is no evidence of PSA infection from trunk girdling that we are aware of so on balance proceed
with trunk girdling.
The following is taken from ZESPRI’s PSA: Cane and Trunk Girdling Version 1
Growers should be particularly cautious girdling in orchards when bacterial leaf spot symptoms are seen.
• Cane girdling is considered safer but will not give the same level of response as trunk girdling.
• Covering girdles is not recommended.
• An information sheet ‘Psa Orchard Hygiene’ is available on The Canopy (www.zespricanopy.com) which outlines the
increased general hygiene measures required to manage Psa.
Girdling Equipment Hygiene
• As an absolute minimum, it is critical that operators check that any tools entering the orchard have been cleaned with soap
or detergent and water to remove any plant residues and then sterilised.
• More frequent sterilisation of tools is recommended, especially in orchards where evidence of Psa like symptoms have
been observed. Ensuring tools are clean and sterilised between each girdle provides the best protection but will not be
practical in most cases.
• To ensure effective sterilisation, tools need to be dipped in a 10% bleach solution, 70% alcohol solution or commercial
disinfectant for at least two minutes.
•
Application of a sterilising solution or copper based spray to girdle wounds has been tried by some growers in Italy, but
ZESPRI has no evidence that this reduces the risk of infection. Chlorine based solutions should be avoided as these have
not been tested.
Males
A follow-up round of pruning is required later in January to get the best out of the males next pollination. The new strong canes
should be button stubbed and the short terminated shoots retained. This is a further opportunity to reduce the height of the
plant by removing the high points. Heavy cuts should be protected with a suitable seal.

PSA UPDATE: KIWIFRUIT VINE HEALTH
Psa isolate test results provide a clearer picture of Psa in the Te Puke region
Further Psa isolate test results have been received by Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH) this week. An additional 15 leaf
samples taken from Psa affected orchards in the Te Puke region have been identified as positive for an Italianlike
isolate.
This takes the current number of orchards with an Italian-like isolate to 25 out of the total of 86 Psa affected
orchards in the greater Te Puke region. These orchards are all confined to an area south of Te Puke.
A new “Te Puke Psa Priority Zone” has been established which surrounds these orchards and includes 97 others.
Psa isolate testing is being prioritised for orchards within or near this zone. It could take a few weeks to work
though this complex process.
Growers within or near this zone are strongly encouraged to use a copper-based spray to help minimise Psa
spread during the forecast rain and wind in the next week or so.
All growers are urged to be vigilant with monitoring and continue the recommended orchard hygiene practices
above.
Sampling Process
Orchard sampling and isolate testing of Psa affected orchards recommences this week and results will come through
in batches on a regular basis. Isolate test results will be communicated to growers as they are available.
Sampling and isolate testing of orchards in the Te Puke region are being prioritised to provide a better picture
of the location of the Italian-like Psa isolate within the region. The inclusion of samples from other regions will
provide an indication of whether the Italian-like isolate is contained within this region.
Following the identification of both an Asian-like Psa isolate and a potentially more damaging Italian-like Psa
isolate, KVH has been working closely with orchardists to aggressively manage Psa.
A dedicated Psa Grower Liaison Manager is working closely with Psa affected growers with the Italian-like isolate
to coordinate comprehensive orchard assessment and to define, agree and act upon a Psa Orchard Management
Strategy.
Psa Update:
The number of New Zealand orchards affected by Psa remains at 122;
- 52 are Hayward orchards,
- 70 are Hort 16A orchards or Hort 16A and Hayward orchards.
Psa affected orchards have been identified in Hawke’s Bay, Tauranga, Whakatane / Edgecumbe, Waikato, Golden
Bay, Motueka, and Gisborne, Franklin, Katikati and Horowhenua.
The majority of Psa symptoms identified are considered primary symptoms – leaf spotting. To date approximately
11 hectares have had an independent assessment and been removed under the Psa Orchard Management
Strategy. All growers are strongly encouraged to adhere to the best practice orchard management guidelines and
operational processes. Alignment of on-orchard practices with the agreed Orchard Management Strategy will
ensure eligibility for funding support.
Key Contacts:
Growers should direct questions and enquiries relating to Psa to your post harvest supplier; your ZESPRI Grower
Liaison Manager; or the ZESPRI Grower Contact Centre (0800 155 355 or contactcanopy@zespri.com).
Further information about KVH, best practice orchard management and the Psa Orchard Management Strategy
can be found at www.kvh.org.nz or www.zespricanopy.com.

2011 GROWER CONTACTS
Growers will receive their ZESPRI contract packs in the first week of February. To ensure a smooth start
to the season, all forms must be completed and returned to ZESPRI by the end of February 2011.
Growers must remember to get their entity (Apata Suppliers Entity Ltd) to sign
their 2011 Supply Agreement (yellow form) before sending it back to ZESPRI.
You can post your 2011 Supply Agreement to Apata to be signed, or bring it
into our Turntable Hill Road office.
If you have any queries or need help completing the forms, please call the
ZESPRI Grower Contact Centre on 0800 155 355. We’d also like to remind
you that your Apata Grower Services Representative will be visiting you in
February to take you through the 2011 Apata Kiwifruit Services Agreement.
BAY OF PLENTY GROWSAFE COURSES
There are two options for GrowSafe certification on offer in the Bay of Plenty: half-day recertification for
those with existing certificates, and full day for new candidates:
Renewal:
Half-day Re-certification Course dates in Katikati: 3 February, 3 March, 7 April, 5 May, 2 June.
This is a half-day course, and is run by Eddie Biesiek, through Certified Ltd.
The course is preceded by some pre-course work which is sent out to each candidate at least a week prior to the course.
The half-day discussion group finishes off the paperwork, and we cover any HSNO or GrowSafe issues the candidates want
to discuss.
Candidates must be able to produce copies of their existing GrowSafe and Approved Handler certificates, plus three Spray
Diary records.
Cost is $250 per person, inclusive of GST, payable to Certified Ltd.
The outcome is new 5 year GrowSafe Introductory, and Approved Handler Certificates for Agrichemical use, storage and
disposal.
The GrowSafe certificate is re-issued with the same number. To book a place, please contact Eddie Biesiek, Certified Ltd,
07 549 4775 or 021 494 042.
New Candidates:
Full one-day course – 8.30am to 4.00pm at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, Windermere: 18 February, 15 April, 17 June
19 August, 14 October, 9 December
The one-day course, to Unit Standards 21563 and 21564, is being offered by Bay of Plent Polytechnic for $410 per person
inclusive of GST. The outcome is both the GrowSafe Introductory and Approved Handler Certificates for Agrichemical use,
storage and disposal.
For enrolments, please contact The Bay of Plenty Polytechnic direct on 0800 267 7659, ext 6891.

Apata Contact Details
Apata Turntable Hill Road, RD2 Katikati Phone: 07 552 0911 Fax: 07 552 0666
Pyes Pa 83 Pyes Pa Road, Tauranga Phone: 07 543 1211 Fax: 07 543 0096
Northland 37 Southend Avenue, Whangarei Phone: 09 430 8003 Fax: 09 430 8006
Kiwifruit Services Contact Details
reception@apata.co.nz www.apata.co.nz
Kiwifruit Grower Services Manager GM Grower Services
Damian Young 027 500 8586 Bevan Bayne 027 511 6666
damian.young@apata.co.nz bevan.bayne@apata.co.nz
Grower Services BOP Grower Services BOP
Neale Cameron 027 582 6364 George Doig 027 453 6423
neale.cameron@apata.co.nz george.doig@apata.co.nz
Organic Category Manager Harvest Manager
Andrew Wood 027 475 1323 Piers Zajac-Wiggett 027 426 5548
andrew.wood@apata.co.nz piers.zajac-wiggett@apata.co.nz
Northland Growers Grower Services Coordinator
Louise Hailes 027 200 9954 Trina Hawkins 07 552 0512
louise.hailes@apata.co.nz trina.hawkins@apata.co.nz
Technical Advice Grower Payments
Wade Hunkin 027 481 9905 Dinah Rutherford 07 552 0504
wade.hunkin@apata.co.nz dinah.rutherford@apata.co.nz
DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this publication is intended to be of a general nature and should be treated as a guide only. Apata
makes no warranty or representation as to the accuracy or completeness of the information, photographs or other published material in this
publication. In this publication, published material authored by a person other than Apata reflects the view of the author and not the view of
Apata. Apata shall not be liable to any person for loss, injury or damages arising from any person’s reliance on the published material.