VOL 95 | NO 04 | AUGUST 2020 HORTICULTURE NEW ZEALAND Covid-19 impact on kiwifruit industry In this issue 14 Attracting the 30 Co-operation key to 36 We pulled it off: harvesting next generation coping with Covid-19 through a pandemic NEW Break the cycle fast! Unique, fast acting and systemic control of Codling Moth, Leaf Roller Caterpillar and Bronze Beetle in Pipfruit. • New chemistry with a unique spectrum of pest control • Strong proven activity against all life stages of moths • Fast cessation of feeding with systemic activity and excellent length of activity • Soft on key beneficials Insist on Vayego from Bayer today! We’re with you in the field | cropscience.bayer.co.nz Registered pursuant to the ACVM act 1997, No P9623. See www.foodsafety.govt.nz for registration conditions. Approved pursuant to the HSNO Act 1996, No HSR101424. See www.epa.govt.nz for approval conditions. Vayego® is a registered Trademark of the Bayer Group. © Bayer New Zealand 2020. BAC 1951 NEW 53 16 Break the cycle fast! 26 Contents AUGUST 2020 42 Up Front Your Industry 48 An Adventure in Olives 2 President’s Word: 23 Citrus grower — Russell Borman 50 Automation and Agritech What’s going to be involved 26 Business leader turned get Funding Boost in growing New Zealand? mandarin grower Technical 4 The Chief Executive: 27 Ready for lockdown audit Covid-19 has changed the world 28 Employing people who lost 53 Strategies for chemical crop their jobs due to Covid-19 management Your Levy at Work 30 Co-operation and strong 58 MetService update: La Niña Watch 8 Natural resources and environment relationships key to coping 60 Canopy Management — looking 10 Farm Environment Plan update with Covid-19 back, looking ahead Unique, fast acting and systemic control of Codling 11 GAP, safety and technology 32 Zespri — Covid-19 64 Drainage problems in a drought? 12 Different rules create concern 34 Good planning key to response What’s New Moth, Leaf Roller Caterpillar and Bronze Beetle in Pipfruit. 14 Attracting the next generation 36 Apple and Pear update: • New chemistry with a unique spectrum of pest control 16 GoHorticulture internship We pulled it off — harvesting A regular advertorial section of new products programme grows new through a pandemic and services. This publication does not endorse • Strong proven activity against all life stages of moths the products or services featured here. industry talent 38 Horticulture: capitalise on • Fast cessation of feeding with systemic activity and excellent 17 Horticulture Career government recovery plan 68 Get your orchard off to a strong start length of activity Progression Managers 40 Reg & Patsy preserved their 69 Go carbon neutral with MSC • Soft on key beneficials 18 Women in Horticulture — own piece of history Mediterranean Shipping Company Krista Manuel 42 Season a struggle for small grower 70 AsureQuality’s new look Insist on Vayego from Bayer today! 20 Brown marmorated stink 44 Persimmon update 71 T&G Global take delivery of twenty bug interceptions down 45 Avo update: Fit for a better world new Hydralada platforms for pruning 46 Summerfruit update 72 Vayego® 200SC Insecticide We’re with you in the field | cropscience.bayer.co.nz Registered pursuant to the ACVM act 1997, No P9623. See www.foodsafety.govt.nz for registration conditions. Approved pursuant to the HSNO Act 1996, No HSR101424. See www.epa.govt.nz for approval conditions. Vayego® is a registered Trademark of the Bayer Group. © Bayer New Zealand 2020. BAC 1951 The ORCHARDIST : AUGUST 2020 1 PRESIDENT’S WORD What’s going to be involved in growing New Zealand? If anyone had told me at Christmas that within a few months a tiny silent virus would bring the world to its knees and that six months later 15 million people would be infected and 600,000 dead, I would have thought they were doomsayers. By Barry O’Neil President : Horticulture New Zealand While large numbers roll off our tongues more environmentally sustainable, and that very easily, when you stop to think about is more connected to our communities the magnitude of these numbers it is with employment and support. truly staggering! The United Kingdom has more or less New Zealand did a fantastic job getting the same land area as New Zealand but on top of the virus and absolutely produces twice the amount of food that squashing that curve, but then Kiwis started we do — nearly 60 million tonnes compared to realise the challenges that lay ahead, to us at just under 30 million tonnes. But in starting with a million of our residents and an environment where we are trying to increase citizens visiting or living overseas, many of whom are value not volume, and where we are also taking bold wanting to come home. Our success beating Covid-19 steps to address our polluted waterways as well as climate was in no small part due to us working together as a team change, how can we also increase our productivity? of five million, and we should be very proud of that, but Our twelve highest farmgate values created per hectare we were also helped by being a tiny isolated nation at the are actually from horticulture — different types of fruit bottom of the world. But being isolated is also potentially and vegetable production are at the top, with dairy only going to be one of our greatest challenges — how can we coming in at thirteen, and beef and lamb the lowest stay connected to the rest of the world when many other value per hectare of all farming activity. But when we countries we trade and communicate with have not been consider export values, dairy is still miles ahead with so lucky in controlling Covid-19? over $18 billion, sheep and beef at $10 billion, and New Zealand must stay connected to the rest of the horticulture comes in at just over $6 billion if we world to maintain its social and economic advantages include wine. That is because pastoral farming utilises — we export 80% of the food we produce, we are reliant over 10 million hectares, whereas horticulture including on overseas skills and labour, overseas advanced viticulture only utilises around 150,000 hectares — technologies, vehicles and machinery, fuel, and so on. think about the potential that exists here to convert We are part of this world, and we can no longer can survive over 1 million hectares of land suitable to horticulture for long periods disconnected from our global context. that is currently being farmed pastorally. Resulting from a huge spend from the Covid stimulus and Horticulture not only creates the highest land use recovery package, every single Kiwi whether one year economy and employment, but is also very much more old or 100, will have a $40,000 debt that will have to be environmentally sustainable compared to other sectors paid back. It’s not fair for the country to burden our future — and yes we are fortunate that we don’t have issues like generations with the $200 billion of public debt that has methane gasses, urine leaching, pasture pugging, or now been created. animal welfare challenges to deal with. Of the challenges we did or do have, significant progress has been and will We must use the Covid recovery investment and continue to be made so that horticulture will be one of the opportunity to drive an economic recovery that is earliest sectors to meet the government’s carbon neutral focused on the food and fibre sector that will be conditions along with freshwater management outcomes. 2 The ORCHARDIST : AUGUST 2020 Planning ahead With growing demand for fruit trees, now is the time for you to start planning But while horticulture has a major and leading part to your orders for 2022 and onwards. play in our economic, social, and environmental recovery, that’s not saying it’s going to be easy, and the next few years We still have some remaining trees available are going to be a very challenging time for many of us. for 2021 so please get in touch. ® But while horticulture has a major and Kioto leading part to play in our economic, Kioto® from Escande Nursery in France is now proven to be New Zealand’s best apricot for social, and environmental recovery, its season. 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