FRUIT RESEARCH

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 119, 23 May 1933, Page 8

FRUIT RESEARCH

FUTURE PROGRAMME PROBLEMS TO BE FACED BRITISH MARKET The future policy of fruit research in New Zealand is discussed in a memorandum which has been issued by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and the question is asked whether the present programme is beet suited to the present and future needs of the industry. It is felt that research activities should be directed only into those channels which are most necessary.' In view of the complexity of the world's trade position at the" present time, bringing new and difficult problems to.the Dominion's main exports, the question is raised whether we are, as is the case with butter, approaching a state of.glut in our main markets for fruit. Summarising the position :in this respect, , the memorandum says:— "Empire countries provide 41 per cent, of the imports of all fruit to Great Britain, and the same proportion of the apple imports. Canada exports five times as much apples to tlte United Kingdom and Australia about three times ■as much ■as New Zealand. The former shows' a tendency to gradually increase her output, while Australia's figures are ynry fluctuating and possess no marked tendency. Of .non-Empire countries, the U.S.A. predominates as the greatest single source of imported apples to the United Kingdom/ but here the output shows a slight tendency to diminish. The fact that both . Australian and New Zealand fruit leaches the market during the period March-September, when the Northern Hemisphere supplies are .at their lowest; favours a'more: even .distribution of supplies. x ' . "From an examination of the position, it would appear that there seems to be no immediate prospect of an over-supply of the United Kingdom market for apples and pears, and hence it maybe safe to assume and to hope .that .no, attempt,will be made to arrange for quotas. It would also seem probable that.new plantings of orchards are at a minimum elsewhere, as well as in New Zealand, and that, whatever increases will occur will be attributable to already^ established orchards coming into full bearing, •or• to others enlarging their output by .■ improved management practices." BETTER QUALITY FRUIT. Discussing the quality of fruit sent overseas, the memorandum remarks: "The reports to band, of the. condition of the Dominion's highest value apple, Cox's, must cause grave concern because of the extent to' which :it is affected by bitter pit. In the. shipment on one vessel up to 50 per cent, wastage,has been reported. The same physiological defect has also affected other varieties to a marked extent this season, and the position seems to warrant a * further concentrated attack being made upon this serious defect.; Despite the fact that most extensive endeavours have been made overseas to elucidate bitter pit, and tp devise 'means of overcoming it, and even though these have, €0 far as is known; not been entirely, successful, the trouble is sufficiently serious to warrant its. being made a major research activity for the current year. "During the year attention has , beep drawn "■ to the extent to which, bruising occurs in the orchard and packing sheds. In the interest-of quality there is probably still room for further research -in • this connection. ',;.'..' .•■..-■ "The position seems to demand that our researches be directed into such channels as will still continue to improve the quality of the ■ fruit supplied both to the overseas and to the local markets. The improvement of quality may, involve some very far-reaching work. On. the other hand, members of this committee may be able to'suggest certain other' lines which require immediate attention, and also such improvements as.would bring fairly rapid economic returns. The research workers are not in a position to secure, the fullest understanding of how the quality of our fruit is viewed on the • London market, and it would be very useful to secure,a fuller idea of this, which may: give a lead to the , direction of research along particular channels. It would' appear that our research activities should have ; two general purposes in view: (1) The reduction of production costs in the orchard, and (2) the improvement ■in quality of the fruit when sold. ' ,'■'" "Attention has already 'been directed towards the question of tree variety and the possibilities that there may be .useful results accruing from attention to strain and varieties; the entomological, mycojogical, and spray investigations have already borne, some fruit in the direction of cheapening' production costs, but much more remains to be done in this direction; manurial trials have thrown some light upon what practices to avoid in certain cases, and to adopt in ethers, but the fringe of this problem- has barely been touched, especially the relation of manures to fruit quality; the cold storage investigations have thrown light upon the behaviour of apples and pears under a number'of temperature and humidity conditions, and the results from this work have; in a number of instances, been put into practice. In ' this field also, however, much still remains to be done."