Keep control of your journey

Transcription

1 MAY 2017 TREVELYAN S NEWS Harvest Progress Page 2 INDUSTRY UPDATE Hayward Organic Supply Page 3 TECHNICAL INFO Technical Bulletin Page 4 MAY 2017 GENERAL NEWS Staff Profile Page 8 Keep control of your journey James Trevelyan MANAGING DIRECTOR My father was a passionate sailor and my mother proudly couldn t tie a knot. I spent my younger days in and around small sailing boats. I enjoyed the fact that every time you set off, the weather had a major bearing on your journey. No journey was ever the same; you would typically have to reset the sails continually to optimise the boat. The challenge was observing the conditions to make the most out of them. I see growing kiwifruit as having similar challenges. You have the weather and the plant interacting in a complex manner and us, the grower, endeavouring to influence the outcome. I typically see the same growers producing fantastic results year in year out. I guess they are the better sailors. These better growers tend to also have less costs than the rest of us. They are doing the basics very well. They are in control of their journey. We have now finished packing the last of the Gold3 for the season. If I put my grower hat on, I am pleased Trevelyan s had the ability to NIR grade fruit. As a packhouse we need to set ourselves the challenge of helping growers to be better sailors and optimise their journey by embracing the A,B,C that some growers just seem to get right every time.

2 2 TREVELYAN S KIWIFRUIT NEWS MAY 2017 TREVELYAN S NEWS Harvest Progress Phil Allison To date we have harvested bins made up as follows: FRUIT GROUP BINS PICKED BINS PACKED TRAYS PACKED AVERAGE SIZE REJECT RATE TRAYS/BIN AS OF MAY 28 TH PERCENT PACKED G3CK 55,792 55,792 4,984, % % G3OB 3,113 3, , % % G14CK 2,139 2, , % % HWCK 33,586 31,623 2,732, % % HWOB 2,004 2, , % % Gold3 Harvest is almost finished with only one maturity area left, which is a repack after a previous select harvest. The harvest of these should be completed within the next few days. Low dry matters have been an issue with much of this fruit harvested later in the season. The following table shows the trays by size that have not been packed due to dry matter to date this season: Size Kg Not Packed Trays Not packed OGR/ Tray OGR Lost 25 6,509 1,808 $5.88 $10, ,000 5,833 $5.88 $34, ,403 16,223 $6.62 $107, ,159 20,044 $6.62 $132, ,713 71,031 $6.96 $494, ,983 61,940 $5.03 $311, ,582 30,162 $3.41 $102,851 TOTAL 745, ,041 $1,193,807 This equates to $1,193,807 in OGR that Trevelyan s growers have missed out on this season. For tips on how to reduce this amount in 2018 see the technical update prepared by Peter Mulligan after our dry matter field day. Hayward Harvest is now in full swing with brix levels moving into, and in some cases through, the ideal storage levels. Brix levels are moving rapidly this season so when yours reach a good level it is important not to delay harvest. Green14 Harvest was completed on the 27th of April. Fruit drop towards the end of harvest was again the main issue with this variety. Shipping and Fruit Loss to Date Fruit Group Shipped to Date Fruit loss to date % Shipped* % Fruit loss* G3CK 1,765, % 0.01% G3OB 189, % 0.00% G14CK 177, % 0.03% HWCK 1,435, HWOB 25, TOTAL 3,593,439 1,212 *Only calculated once submit has been completed for a fruit group. The shipping team have been busy with loadouts through the early part of the season with a total of 3.6 million trays shipped to date. That equates to 50,000 trays (185 pallets; 8.5 trucks) every day. Final 2016 OGRs The final Zespri and TGL OGR forecasts are done for fruit harvested in the 2016 season. It is fantastic to see the per tray and per hectare OGR values from TGL being well ahead of the industry average in all fruit groups. This continues a long trend of above average results for Trevelyan s that is a credit to all involved from the growers, the pickers, the packers, the quality team, and the shippers. It is only when all parts of the supply chain do their jobs well that such consistent above average results are possible.

3 MAY 2017 TREVELYAN S KIWIFRUIT NEWS 3 OGR $/Tray COMPARISON OF TREVELYAN S AND INDUSTRY OGR Returns per packed class 1 tray. $12 $10 $8 $6 $4 $2 $0 Trevelyan s Annual Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) report COMPARISON OF TREVELYAN S AND INDUSTRY OGR Returns per supplied hectare. Ready. Set. Pack. The third annual Trevelyan s Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G4 report has been posted to growers. This report specifies our economic, social and environmental performance for the reporting period Jan-Dec It describes how we interact with growers, staff, customers and the community. Key achievements and challenges for the business are reported as well as the sustainability strategy that is used to drive improvement. The report includes the results of the growers and staff surveys conducted in October We thank everyone for contributing to this process to produce this report and we look forward to your feedback. Hayward Organic Supply Phil Allison The 2017 season for Hayward Organic has been characterised by slow maturity and low dry matter fruit. The impact of this was the volume harvested during KiwiStart was lower than required (only 577,000 of the 750,000 demand cap was supplied and most of this was taste band M and thus not available to Japan). After the KiwiStart demand cap closed, submit stopped with no trays submitted for the next two weeks. The impact was that the markets, particularly Japan, were very short of organic fruit. To encourage fruit supply and to make more fruit available for Japan, Zespri and ISG agreed to two measures: 1. Taste band R was inserted with R band fruit being available for Japan. When taste bands were first introduced R was between T and M for all fruit groups. Over time it was dropped as there was always enough Y and T band fruit to meet demand from Japan so there was no longer justification for the extra complexity it caused. In exceptional seasons, like this one is for organics, R is reinstated as a taste band. On the 8th of May, the TZG cut offs for the Hayward Organic taste bands became: TASTE BAND TZG RANGE Y Above 0.59 T 0.40 to 0.59 R 0.32 to 0.40 M MTS to 0.32 TREVELYAN S NEWS INDUSTRY UPDATE

4 4 TREVELYAN S KIWIFRUIT NEWS MAY 2017 INDUSTRY UPDATE 2. Introduction of a supply premium and supply cap for harvest in week 21 and 22 of fruit that was taste band R, T, or Y. The payment for this was $0.50 per submitted tray with the volume capped once Zespri had enough fruit. This was very successful with 416,000 trays submitted by the industry while the cap was open. Of this volume Trevelyan s growers supplied 115,826 (28% of the industry volume). Trevelyan s supplies about 9% of the total industry HWOB crop so being able to achieve 28% of this incentive shows how quickly the packhouse and grower can respond to incentives when they are introduced and is a credit to all involved. Fruit that was submitted under this cap will be shipped in the next couple of weeks. TECHNICAL INFO Technical Bulletin Psa Reminders Apply protection to fruit stalk wounds immediately after harvest, using copper and Du-Wett. Make an application of Actigard post-harvest. This can be combined with copper. Make application only if leaf is still in good condition. The frosts experienced from mid- May onwards have closed off the opportunity to apply Actigard on many orchards. If using Actigard be very aware of the risk of residues on blocks that are still to be picked, either through spray drift or by subsequently using the same sprayer, to apply stain remover. Maintain a copper programme throughout leaf fall to ensure that leaf scars are protected as the leaves fall. Gold3 Winter Pruning As the winter pruning season is approaching and Gold3 harvest is over, I thought I would cover Gold3 pruning this month. The basics of pruning have not changed from my April 2016 newsletter where I wrote a detailed article on this topic. I refer you to that article. What are the key parts of a Gold3 winter pruning specification? The following bullet points are all important. I have listed the first four bullet points in priority order, highest priority first. Cane quality Cane spacing Canopy fill Vigour control Bud numbers Psa wound protection especially along the leaders and sub leaders Cane quality is essential if you want high flower numbers per winter bud next spring. MAY 2017 A tight winter pruning specification with follow through supervision is fundamental for producing high yields of high dry matter Gold3 fruit. The specification should include selection of the best available quality fruit stalk cane of moderate diameter and very even cane spacing across the whole bay. NEW TAKES 1. If you can achieve well spaced, high quality cane from your winter pruning operation you will be in a sweet spot, able to produce high flower numbers with a canopy set up that will not require major summer pruning intervention. We are very fortunate with Gold3 that it produces such a high performance wood type: the fruit stalk cane. Our challenge is to ensure that the winter pruning job makes the most of this opportunity. 2. Cane spacing and dry matter variability. This season we have seen the dry matter response from canopy management. A canopy that is consistent with good light penetration will generally produce a very consistent crop which is more likely to pass Zespri dry matter thresholds, other factors notwithstanding. Even cane spacing is fundamental for this but it has to be followed by appropriate summer work. Research and practical experience have shown the negative impact of dense canopy on the fruit within the dense area. In some cases matters are made worse and variability is increased further if withered stalks develop in the dense canopy.

5 MAY 2017 TREVELYAN S KIWIFRUIT NEWS 5 Where good summer management builds upon a good winter pruning job, the result is a crop with low dry matter variability. As mentioned at the 24 May field day, crops with well-managed canopies are returning high dry matter with low dry matter standard deviations, around , e.g. MAs at Javic Ltd, Gold Nugget, John May s and Ellison-Ranui. The standard deviation describes crops that have a tight or narrow spread of dry matter around the mean dry matter. More variable crops will have standard deviations of Questions that arose from our Gold3 Dry Matter Field Day 24 May at Javic Ltd Orchard, Brown Road. In addition to the notes in the handout, a number of issues were raised that we recorded on the white board and discuss here. Further information on these topics and other topics will be passed on as soon as they become available. Some recent Zespri-funded research was discussed with full results being available once the trials are fully analysed and reporting is complete. The question was asked, have we got the right male for Gold3? Team members of OPC were present so we hope for follow up from OPC on any suitable males from the breeding programme or grower discovery that would add additional value alongside the standard M33 male vine set up. M91 males have survived Psa to date, however, following a cold winter and cold wet spring their susceptibility to Psa may show through and may be a suitable addition see research results below. In a technical editorial Ploidy: What is it and why is it Important (Jan/Feb 2014 Kiwifruit Journal), Alan Seal and and Yilin Jia from Plant and Food Research discuss their findings. I have presented some of their findings in the table below. POLLINATION OF TETRAPLOID GOLD3 Male Pollen Source Fruit Weight (G) Dry Matter (%) An issue with M91 can be late timing, however, timing can be variable. Te Puke data from Mike Currie (Plant and Food) shows Gold3 flowering over the period 2-13 November with M91 flowering 1-19 November and M33 opening much earlier than G3 and remaining open until 12 November. These flowering dates are probably from vines that are not treated with a dormancy breaker. Stringing In answer to questions raised by the grower groups at the field day, Bill Snelgar from Te Puke Plant and Food made brief, informal, comments on early findings from a trial on the most suitable time to take canes down off strings, from a dry matter perspective. Canes were dropped in February compared to leaving them up. I understand that there was no difference in dry matter either way. You might have thought that dropping the canes would have made the canopy denser. However, top growth on the ends of the dropped canes was probably reduced which may have compensated I haven t seen the trial. The trial did not compare the effect on dry matter of stringing and non-stringing, only the timing of dropping canes. Strings have a place in strip male orchards especially wider rows as they enable full canopy replacement (cane vigour up strings allowing). The full footprint will help settle any vine vigour issues that may be present. Extenday Questions were asked about the effectiveness of this technology. I directed the question to Gavin Dyer (Gold Nugget orchard co-owner) and his orchard manager Dave Timms as this orchard had trials with individual MAs with Extenday this season. However, both had left the field day at that point. I understand that some previous OPC field research work has not shown clear benefits. I have thought that use of Extenday in strip male systems with strung cane may add dry matter through use of reflected light off the ground improving photosynthetic efficiency. Alister Hawkey could not see a dry matter effect with Extenday on his Fandango strip male orchard last season. Following on from the field day, Ash is working on the details of yields and dry matter from the Gold Nugget MAs. We will bring you additional information on this grower comparison when the information is available. TECHNICAL INFO M91 (Tetraploid) M33 (Tetraploid The difference in fruit size between the two pollen sources was statistically different but the difference in dry matter was not significant. So the question arises, has the M91 done doubly well as it has sized with no significant negative impact on dry matter from the additional 9 grams? Perhaps OPC can follow through on this? Trunk Girdling There were a lot of questions raised about this and the responses we can expect from varying timing, different tools and timing of healing. Peter Blattmann and Bill Snelgar spoke about previous research work. Bill stated that we can expect a 1% dry matter unit response from each summer trunk girdle. The December girdle provides a large fruit size response with a vegetative vigour control response. The vegetative vigour control

6 6 TREVELYAN S KIWIFRUIT NEWS MAY 2017 TECHNICAL INFO response is ideal on a vigorous orchard. However, this response could be a double edged sword if used on an orchard where vigour was falling towards a low vigour level. Some leading growers were applying this girdle at 6 weeks from full bloom. The fruit sizing response will fall the longer it is delayed and there will also be a direct dry matter effect as we move away from the four weeks postbloom timing, if Hort16A research experience applies. We do not have a good data set from Zespri trials on the December girdling response on Gold3 other than the one Zespri trial at Athenree some years ago. However, I understand that some post-harvest facilities have done some work so it would be good if Zespri OPC could arrange to share this experience with the industry. The girdling programme should be tailored to each orchard and vines should be marked before each girdle if they have low vigour or poor health and are not up to girdling. Strip male versus opposing female? The results of this analysis would add value to understanding the relative importance of footprint size. Larger footprint vines in strip male orchards often have a lower vigour level than smaller footprint opposing female vines. Of course analysis of any single factor is not going to reveal the answer as the final dry matter level is the result of many factors. Larger footprint vines are often more fruitful than their smaller counterparts so higher crop load can add additional complexity when analysing dry matter results. Strip male vines often have improved light penetration, with some canopy gaps around the male vines assisting this. They will also generally have a better level of pollination due to the close presence of male vines. Phil Allison will report on an analysis of footprint size in due course. DISCLAIMER: In compiling this report Peter Mulligan Horticultural Consultant Ltd has taken into account all factors and used all procedures that a prudent and experienced horticultural consultant would consider and use. However this report is provided strictly on the basis that: i. It will be used solely by the persons to whom it is addressed and for the purpose for which Peter Mulligan Horticultural Consultant Ltd was instructed to prepare it. ii. Because of the large number of factors that can influence horticultural matters the liability of Peter Mulligan Horticultural Consultant Ltd for any consequences arising out of this report are strictly limited to the factors over which Peter Mulligan Horticultural Consultant Ltd has total control. TGL UPDATE Colin s Chatter: It usually happens in threes With there being no pressing issues, or equity matters, on the directors table this month, and with the busyness of harvest activity, your directors did not meet. I cannot see the point of having a meeting just to fill in space. And besides, it reduces the overall administrative costs of the company. Some of you will know, and therefore appreciate, how mechanical I am not! So when it comes to vehicles and motorised implements, if they do not go when I turn the key, the world is about to stop. That nightmare develops at a compounding pace when a second item goes down soon after the first, and I am yet to get the first repaired. But when the third vehicle decides to join the let s see how he handles this brigade and stops dead at the furthest point away from the house, down the back of the orchard, I start to lose my usual realistic perspective on life. A few hours later, or at the most, after at least one of the three items is returned to full health, the drama of the trifecta seems not so bad after all. It is simple mathematics really. I have let what is basically addition become a multiplication challenge. And when I discover that the solutions are exactly in the same mathematical order as the problems arose, the world around me is back in its usual sequence. When your directors address issues that arise in the course of the company s business, our primary objective is to ensure that we simply add or subtract information about the matter. Add information that is relevant and helpful, while subtracting information that is a non-contributor or distraction. What we guard against is multiplying and dividing. That only raises the temperature of the room and atmosphere. And here it is helpful to have not one, or even two, but three or more viewpoints to help crystallise our thinking. That is one of the reasons why we have nine grower directors and three Trevelyan s Pack & Cool Ltd appointed directors on our Trevelyan Growers Ltd Board. Colin Olesen Chair

7 MAY 2017 TREVELYAN S KIWIFRUIT NEWS 7 Upcoming Events Zespri OPC will be holding a series of winter workshops around the country through June. These indoor events are an opportunity to discuss the last season with other growers and start to develop your approach for the growing season. Dates and times are: JUNE 2017 EHC Profile GENERAL NEWS HAWKE S BAY MONDAY 12TH JUNE FROM 1:00PM 4:00PM Held at The Duke of Gloucester, 389 Gloucester Street, Taradale. TE PUKE EDGECUMBE OPOTIKI KATIKATI WAIKATO TAURANGA ORGANICS TUESDAY 20TH JUNE FROM 9:00AM 12:00PM Held at The Orchard Church, 20 McLoughlin Drive, Te Puke. FRIDAY 30TH JUNE FROM 9:00AM 12:00PM Held at The Orchard Church, 20 McLoughlin Drive, Te Puke. WEDNESDAY 21ST JUNE FROM 9:00AM 12:00PM Held at The Awakeri Events Centre, State Highway 30, Awakeri. WEDNESDAY 21ST JUNE FROM 2:00PM 5:00PM Held at Opotiki Golf Club, 14 Fromow Road, Opotiki. FRIDAY 23RD JUNE FROM 9:00AM 12:00PM Held at Katikati Rugby Club, Fairview Road, Katikati. WEDNESDAY 28TH JUNE FROM 9:00AM 12:00PM Held at Te Awamutu Golf Club, 2293 Kihikihi Road, Kihikihi. THURSDAY 29TH JUNE FROM 9:00AM 12:00PM Held at Tauranga Golf Club, 1295 Cameron Road, Tauranga. THURSDAY 29TH JUNE FROM 2:00PM 5:00PM Held at Tauranga Golf Club, 1295 Cameron Road, Tauranga. SAM KIRKPATRICK Senior Orchard Manager EHC Orchard Management LTD is delighted to announce that Sam Kirkpatrick has joined them in the role of Senior Orchard Manager. Sam is originally from Gisborne off a sheep and beef farm. After the completion of a Massey University Agricultural degree he ventured overseas for an extended period. Sam spent several years based in the UK initially playing polo and greenkeeping before managing a very successful private polo team outside of London. He managed 30+ staff during the polo season as well as estate development projects in the UK and USA. Returning to Gisborne, Sam and his wife purchased a 4ha citrus, gold and green kiwifruit block. Prior to purchase, the block had been leased out and lacking most inputs. With valued consultation, attention to detail and timely undertaking of key tasks, the orchard was transformed in three growing seasons. The orchard was sold in June 2016 when Sam and his family returned to the UK for a 6 month contract. Sam is looking forward to returning to the kiwifruit industry at a management level and being part of the EHC Orchard Management team. He will add valuable experience in orchard and team management. We look forward to introducing you to Sam in the near future.

8 8 TREVELYAN S KIWIFRUIT NEWS MAY 2017 GENERAL NEWS StaffProfile Kevin Page Grounds Supervisor What is your role and how long have you worked at Trevelyan s? Rubbish. I started when there was only one packhouse. Mount Trevelyan stood where coolstores nine and 10 are now. My role has a variety of aspects. Grounds maintenance, including new plantings and tree health, is where it began for me here. That led to orchard tractor work such as mowing and spraying - not that there is much orchard left now. It also led into pest control. When I first took on that aspect of the job we had eight bait stations. We now have nearly 400 at three sites. Because of my background I was also asked to do monthly inspections for O.S.H., B.R.C. and the Building Warrant of Fitness. As well as these areas I have been able to help Donna with the waste programme. From my first waste audit here, when half of the waste being sent to landfill was cardboard, to today where we create a revenue stream from our recycling programme, has been an interesting journey. What s your favourite thing about working at Trevelyan s? The wide range of tasks and the opportunity to learn. I have had the chance to participate in a range of roles from orchard demolition to the Health and Safety committee. Helping to design our compost system, going from the regulatory and compliance requirements to the native plantings limiting the effects around it, has been very interesting. What are your main interests/ hobbies outside of work? I have a small olive grove which offers some diversion outside of work and plenty of work outside of work. As well as reading and walking I have recently become interested in the distillation of essential oil. What would you like people to know about you? I was born in American to English parents. New Zealand has been my home since before the Norman Kirk election although I have spent a few of those years living overseas. Who has been the biggest inspiration in your life? Mrs Bowers my fifth grade teacher. All bets are on Arsenal were successful in defeating Chelsea by 2 goals to 1 and claimed the FA Cup. Congratulations to Jonathan who got closest to this score. The totals are now 6 for Dave, 3 for Jonathan and Ross, and 1 for Yvonne. This month the bet is on the score in the Chiefs game against the British & Irish Lions, being played in Hamilton on Tuesday the 20th of June. The bets are: Chiefs Lions Ash Cody Daniel Birnie Daniel Green Dave Jonathan Ross Yvonne VineOnline TRENDING WEBSITES, YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK & INDUSTRY e-info Check out our website trevelyan.co.nz trevelyanspcl facebook.com/trevelyanspcl Zespri Australia Feel Alive with Zespri Australia! youtube.com/watch?v=d62yh9ampmu KVH Psa-V Risk Management Plan kvh.org.nz/indgrafters DISCLAIMER: The information contained in this document is given in good faith, but because in providing this report it has been necessary, in some circumstances, to rely on the information provided by others and a number of future factors, this may influence the result. Accordingly, Trevelyan s Pack and Cool Ltd and their employees do not accept any liability should any grower or other party incur any loss having relied on information given in this document.