Earlier maturity kiwifruit earns cash for grower

Press, 5 October 1984, Page 22

Earlier maturity kiwifruit earns cash for grower

A retired New Zealand Army officer growing kiwifruit in a quarter-hectare suburban orchard in Tauranga has won the main award in this year’s Wrightson “Super Kiwi” contest for the most significant lead in the search for improved kiwifruit types. Brigadier Mike Kennedy discovered recently that one of his kiwifruit vines flowers ten to 12 days earlier than others, and its fruit ripen correspondingly ahead of the main crop. Already grafts have been taken from the vine to begin development of what could be a major new money-

spinner for the New Zealand kiwifruit industry. Announcing the award the New Zealand manager of Wrightson Horticulture, Mr Rod Russell, said that if new earlier-maturing varieties of the standard Hayward kiwifruit could be made available, many millions of dollars could be added to New Zealand export earnings. The chairman of the selection committee, Wrightson Horticulture consultant, Dr Harvey Smith of Christchurch, says members were very impressed with this year’s entries, but a far larger number were ex-

pected next season when growers were more aware of the project. Therefore only $6OOO of the total award pool had been distributed this year, leaving $14,000 for the season about to commence.

The selectors are looking primarily for early-matur-ing Hayward vines, but other characteristics of interest are good quality fruit of consistently uniform size, vines producing unusally high yields, vines which are resistant to disease, pests or drought or the unusual qualities such as self fertility or a different flavour.