Hortfocus 2017

FARMLANDS

HORTFOCUS

The latest on practices, people and products for a growing industry

The latest on practices, people and products for a growing industry

February 2017 Edition Issue No. 7

Farmlands Horticulture - continuing growth As we move through another busy summer, it is timely that we wish you all a successful and profitable harvest. We do, however, acknowledge the uncertainty and disappointment that some growers must work through following unfavourable weather events such as hail.

The Farmlands Horticulture team has had a busy season working with growers that have chosen us to assist them in maximising the sustainable profitability of their operations.

Of course the growers that we work with are also the shareholders of our business. This relationship is therefore more than the traditional merchant/grower relationship that you will all be familiar with.

When our clients are also our shareholders we, in effect, are working for those growers. This takes the relationship to another level, where unbiased technical advice will endure well beyond achievement of one-off sales.

This season we have continued to grow our presence in key horticultural sectors in New Zealand. We are proud that some significant horticultural businesses have this season entrusted Farmlands to work with them.

reviewing the products and suppliers that we use. Without exception, our product selection revolves around the best technical fit and value for our shareholder growers. Recent examples are our national beekeeping supplies roll-out, our new high performance copper hydroxide product ChampION++ and the BreakNSure dormancy break prediction testing kit for Hayward kiwifruit.

In addition to providing horticultural products and technical expertise, Farmlands is dedicated to providing the full range of products and services for your orchard or farm. Beyond the core services such as fuel, electricity and FMG insurance, shareholders have access to a further 7,000 businesses across New Zealand that accept the Farmlands Card.

Farmlands Co-operative now has more than 64,000 shareholders.

If you think it is time to join us and enjoy the unique benefits of our co-operative, just ask the friendly staff at one of our 83 stores nationwide or visit our website www.farmlands.co.nz.

All the best for the year ahead.

We take this responsibility seriously and are therefore very proud of the favourable feedback received from these growers. We take this opportunity to thank them for allowing us to demonstrate alternative solutions to common crop protection challenges.

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In ensuring that our shareholders have access to the latest and most appropriate inputs for their operations, we are constantly

Mark Daniels General Manager – Farmlands Horticulture

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Farmlands HortFocus

Maximising returns on G3 gold kiwifruit As G3 is still a relatively new variety, there are ongoing learnings on manipulating dry matter. The structure of Zespri payments has altered crop management. Up to 70 percent of tray returns are now attributed to taste and dry matter.

maintaining leaf quality will support next season’s buds. Post-

As crops near harvest, it may be useful to consider how

fertiliser applications should be completed by fruit set.

management practices might have influenced crops and what

Natural leaf drop is preferential for plant nutrient retention. The

post-harvest practices should be considered.

energy for new emerging shoots initially comes from reserves

High water content and excessive nitrate levels are the enemy of

stored in winter buds (until leaves develop and commence

fruit dry matter. The challenge is to find the balance between crop

photosynthesis).

loading (tray production), canopy vigour and nutrition to maximise

Winter canopy pruning should focus on selecting medium sized,

returns. Growers should aim for a medium to low vigour canopy

evenly spaced cane. Wood selection is very important. An optimum

with well selected medium sized cane. The canopy should be even

bud count is 25-30 per square metre. Excessive cane tying should

and open, allowing good sunlight penetration.

be avoided, otherwise later vine management and spring fruit

Weather and geographical location also play an important part.

thinning will be required. Ideal cane spacing is 40-45 cm.

Fruit dry matter seems to be maximised in seasons with warm

While growers have the ability to drive high yields, caution is

springs, moderate rainfall and summers with long sunshine hours.

required if yields surpass 15-18,000te/ha, as this may result in

A large leaf area facilitates carbohydrate production. If excessive

higher proportions of small fruit. Conversely, under-cropping may

vegetative growth is minimised, and vines are cropped moderately,

result in lower numbers of large fruit, a limiting of returns and

fruit taste and dry matter can be maximised.

excessive vegetative canopy growth.

The following is a recently updated summary of management

Hydrogen cyanimide should be applied approximately 20 to

practices related to optimising dry matter in G3 crops:

30 days before natural bud break. This provides more uniform

Heavily cropped vines should receive post-harvest foliars, as

bud break, flowering, and crop maturity. The timing of hydrogen

harvest Psa protection sprays should take precedence, as it’s critical to keep vines clean at this stage.

Soil tests and fertiliser recommendations from your Farmlands Horticulture Technical Advisor are important. Ground spread

Join us at

THE 2017 NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL FIELD DAY What’s happening?

Trade displays – featuring businesses selling everything from sprayers and harvesters to pallets, software and pruning equipment.

Competitions – including the Ravensdown Innovation Award, and the Hawke’s Bay Young Fruitgrower of the Year.

Seminars – industry representatives come together to provide education, innovation and information sharing.

Date: Thursday 29th June 2017, 8.30am - 4.30pm Venue: Showgrounds Hawke’s Bay 2 | FARMLANDS HORTFOCUS

Mark it in your calendar now – we looking forward to seeing you there!

February 2017 Edition

cyanimide application is important, and is influenced by winter

through leaf sampling is essential. Healthy calcium levels assist in

chilling hours. Farmlands’ recent introduction of the BreakNSure

developing strong cell walls in the fruit.

test kit will better enable determination of winter chill hours and

Girdling will generally increase dry matter by approximately 1

therefore the optimum timing of application for any particular crop.

percent per girdle. Girdling should occur approximately 28 days

It is important to monitor bud break and flower bud density. High

after mid bloom, with a second girdling around mid-February (no

densities should be thinned before and again after pollination.

later than end of February). Stressed or young cropping vines

Pollination is obviously critical to fruit production, so adequate bee

should not be girdled. Girdled vines require monitoring to ensure

numbers and sufficient male flowers are essential. Insufficient male

that they are healing in the centre (from top and bottom) of the

flowers makes artificial pollination essential. Generally, large fruit

wound. If healing occurs on only one side, further girdling shouldn’t

will have higher dry matter, small fruit will have lower dry matter. A

be undertaken.

reasonable target is 60 fruit per square metre.

Good vine health is required to achieve high dry matter. Psa,

Most canopy management should be conducted early to minimise

diseases and stress will have a negative effect. Foliar potassium

fruit marking and excessive vegetative growth. Significant fruit dry

products assist in feeding leaves, fruit and vines.

matter can be lost to unnecessary vegetative growth. Three to four

However applications should be stopped 6-8 weeks before

rounds of early crush tipping will assist growth containment.

harvest, to avoid negative effects on dry matter. If vines are

It is essential that leaves are kept healthy – they are the carbon

stressed then particular management practices and products will

collectors. Once again, ensure that canopies aren’t too dense and

be required.

ensure that light is getting through the canopy. Grass growth in the

Robust Psa protective programmes are essential throughout

sward is a good visual indicator of light penetration.

the season, and careful consideration of the products and

Vine growth can be regulated to achieve good dry matter

timing of applications is essential. Some products may be

production in several other ways. Nitrogen can be applied in

detrimental to maintaining valuable leaf quality, particularly

spring, however excessive fertiliser applications should be avoided.

during the spring period.

Leaf testing should be employed to monitor nutrient status. Foliar

Article supplied by Mark Loeffen, Technical Advisor, Farmlands Horticulture.

products will be of particular assistance in cooler temperatures, or if smaller leaf sizes are prevalent. A Farmlands Horticulture Technical Advisor can advise on appropriate options. Good levels of leaf calcium are important through pollination and monitoring

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Farmlands HortFocus

The science of biostimulants “The global biostimulants market is achieving a truly remarkable growth in the field of plant health products.

The industry is growing by close to 15% per year and this trend is expected to continue, as the global demand for a more sustainable agriculture and environmentally-friendly products is on the rise.”* – 12/1/2016 Biolchim S.p.A. is a leading company in the production and commercialization of biostimulants. Thanks to the experience acquired in its 40 years of activity, the strong relationships with significant worldwide producers of raw materials and the collaboration with recognised agricultural universities and research centres globally, Biolchim offers a complete portfolio of biostimulants that maximise the performance of any crop, anywhere in the world. Biolchim products are currently distributed in more than 60 countries.

Biolchim has also recently acquired the entire ownership of Cifo and a major shareholding in West Coast Marine Bio Processing, a Canadian company that manufactures and sells extracts of Macrocystis BioGro Certified seaweed, better known as “Kelpgrow”. Both are respected companies involved in global agricultural and horticultural markets.

What is a biostimulant?

European Biostimulant Industry Council (EBIC):

| Pink Lady SunRed®

“Plant biostimulants contain substance(s) and/or microorganisms whose function when applied to plants or the rhizosphere is to stimulate natural processes to enhance/ benefit nutrient uptake, nutrient efficiency, tolerance to abiotic stress and crop quality.”

SunRed is a key biostimulant product featured by Biolchim that specifically addresses one of the challenging issues facing growers – colour enhancement in fruit crops, without degradation or sacrifice of fruit quality.

During pre-harvest and fruit ripening, fruit degreening is occouring due to chlorophyll degradation. SunRed supplies oxylipins to stimulate the activity of chlorophyll degrading enzymes (chlorophyllases). Colour development is due to the accumulation of anthocyanins and carotenoids (yellow, orange, red and purple pigments). SunRed also supplies both precursor (phenyalanine) and enhancer (oxylipins) of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway.

SunRed induces ethylene production which, in turn, stimulates biosynthesis and accumulation of carotenoids.

Article supplied by Biolchim. * Source: http://www.freshplaza.com/article/167591/Biostimulants-Europeconference-starts-in-Almeria from Fresh Plaza | Pink Lady ‘Control’

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February 2017 Edition

Autumn bee management The interest in beekeeping as a hobby or as a business venture has grown rapidly over the past few years and as always, Farmlands is here to help out!

Think of your bees as livestock, just like sheep and cattle. Their wellbeing is of utmost importance and it is critical for the health of your own (and other surrounding) colonies that good animal husbandry is followed.

Sure they might be a lot smaller, but just like larger animals, if they are well looked after, kept free of pest and disease, they will produce a bumper crop for you, whether it be milk, meat or in our case, liquid gold – honey!

We’ve introduced a variety of essential beekeeping products to our product range and it has been very well received by shareholders and bee enthusiasts alike. Our Beekeeping Product Guide profiles the range of beekeeping products that Farmlands stores either have in stock or can order for you.

As summer nears an end and honey harvesting is occurring, ensure there are ample reserves left for the over wintering bees otherwise supplementary feeding of hives may be required. This is also the time for late summer queen rearing for autumn hive splits and wasp control where necessary.

As autumn approaches, test for varroa mite and treat if necessary and check for American foulbrood. Careful inspection of all your hives is important to ensure that livestock is ready for the cooler weather ahead. Check their winter house is up to scratch, with no damage to allow the cold in, or possible unwanted entry from other bees, wasps and mice. It is also important to make sure your big livestock can’t get too close to your small livestock and

rub on their home! Damage can be caused by cattle knocking over hives.

We have been introducing our beekeeping range to many parts of the country, ensuring that we have a presence in every region.

If there isn’t a Farmlands store close to you with beekeeping products available, call into your local store to discuss your beekeeping requirements and please remember that they can be ordered in for you as required. Check out the latest Farmlands Horticulture Catalogue or our Beekeeping Guide to see what’s available.

Farmlands is here to help out with all your beekeeping needs, including supplies and connecting you with your local apiary industry groups.

Article supplied by Farmlands Horticulture.

Pick up your free Beekeeping Product Guide today!

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Farmlands HortFocus

Minimising agrichemical trespass In rural New Zealand there are a lot of hard working Kiwis running their own businesses, making the New Zealand economy sing. There’s often good banter across the fence between the sheep and beef farmer and that guy next door growing some weird horticultural crop. Sometimes this relationship can become volatile by totally unintentional agrichemical drift.

Agrichemical drift can occur via water droplet “spray drift” or through “volatilisation” of the agrichemical into a gas. In this gaseous form, the chemical can move great distances (many kilometres) from one property across many others. Problems occur when sensitive crops are located nearby. Hormone weed killers like 2,4D Ester or amine, MCPA, MCPB, Dicamba, Picloram, Clopyralid and Triclopyr used extensively on pasture and scrub land for the past 60 odd years are the cause of the problem.

Symptoms of spray drift of pasture/cereal hormone herbicides will depend on the crop involved and the concentration that the crop has been exposed to. Symptoms include soft shoot twisting, fruit/ crop abortion, major irreversible damage, or crop death.

Due to concerns of such damage, the Agricultural Chemicals (Vineyards) Regulations 1962 were introduced. These regulations prohibited the use of hormone weed killers in the period 1st September to 30th April for dust formulations and year round for a range of other formulations if used within 8km of a vineyard. The Pesticides Act has now been replaced and under the Resource Management Act 1991 many of the regulations now sit under Local Authority Plans. Applications of registered pesticides, including herbicides are deemed to be “discharging” potential contaminant within the geographic zone of the local Regional Authority. All users must be familiar with the particular constraints

Hormone damage to grape bunch, showing lack of berry set post-flowering.

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on “discharges” within their local region. Irresponsible or reckless spraying is clearly no longer acceptable and operators who tempt fate may find themselves facing criminal prosecution, hefty fines, or compensation payments following civil action.

The key to avoiding drift is education and co-operation between applicator and potentially affected parties. Farmlands fully endorses the responsible use of agrichemicals and would encourage any farmer who is located within an 8km range of vineyards or other sensitive horticultural crops to consider the following points: • Do not spray with hormone type agrichemicals between the period 1st September to 30th April.

• Select the correct nozzle and pressure combination to produce a heavy droplet that will not drift off target.

• Apply when there is air movement away from sensitive crops.

• Do not spray on hot days. Spray early morning. Stop spraying when wind exceeds 7km/h.

• Give priority to ground spraying rather than aerial application.

• Drift control additives can prove to be very beneficial when applying herbicides.

For more information, contact your local Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.

Article supplied by Chris Herries, Technical Manager, Farmlands Horticulture.

Normal healthy grape bunch post-flowering.

February 2017 Edition

Bud-WiserTM for post harvest nutrition Pipfruit, grapes, stonefruit and kiwifruit – these four New Zealand grown crops share a few things in common.

1. They lose their leaves in the period following harvest, usually after nutrients have mobilised to other plant tissue.

2. They store carbohydrates in the form of starches and sugars to support new shoot and root growth the following spring.

3. Depending on soil availability they are at risk of deficiencies of zinc, boron, magnesium and other elements.

For all of the four crops mentioned, it is also well worth noting that applying your foliar nutrient programme as soon after harvest as possible will maximise your chance of getting as much of these nutrients into the tree.

Making a foliar application right at senescence (leaf fall) will lose a lot of the nutrient onto the orchard floor.

If you would like to know more about Bud-Wiser, please visit the Grochem website or discuss with your Farmlands Horticulture Technical Advisor.

Article supplied by Grochem. www.grochem.co.nz

4. They can also be at risk of over-supply, e.g. boron leading to toxicity issues if these elements are too liberally applied.

In spring the tree is relying on nutrients and carbohydrates that were laid down in late summer of the previous year. For this reason, maximising the time from harvest through to leaf fall is critical for healthy flowering, pollination and tree growth the following spring. Many factors may limit uptake during this time.

Good soil moisture (irrigation) post-harvest is often overlooked as the crop is harvested but stressed trees at this time will cause premature leaf fall, reducing the amount of carbohydrate and nutrient stored.

Post-harvest foliar nutrition sprays can be a very important part of setting up the fruiting buds for next season. In saying this, there are only some nutrients that are mobile enough to be sprayed onto the leaves post-harvest and then transported back into the fruiting buds. Bud-Wiser contains three of the elements that are beneficial when applied post-harvest – boron, zinc and magnesium – in one easy to use, totally soluble product. All three are present in a form ensuring immediate availability to the plant.

Bud-Wiser is also widely compatible with nitrogen and other commonly used crop protection products (e.g. Captan).

It is beneficial to include nitrogen with foliar applications of BudWiser and your Farmlands Horticulture Technical Advisor will be able to assist you with the best nitrogen source for the crop involved. It is worth noting that in apples, leaf fall applications of nitrogen have been shown to increase the risk of European canker infection, so in this crop it is even more important to apply directly post-harvest and well before leaf drop starts.

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Farmlands HortFocus

Treading softly in a changing world As harvest draws ever closer, it’s a timely opportunity to be proud of the crops that have been produced and all the hard work and effort from yourselves and your teams that it has taken to get here.

Nufarm in conjunction with Farmlands, has bought ChampION++ to market. ChampION has a lower a.i than most other coppers currently available but with a new formulation and particle size, it makes it easier to use and is very effective.

What I always find interesting is how we all got here, with regards to our different growing programmes and methods.

Biostimulants are commonly used through Europe and other parts of the world and in the past few years we have watched their introduction into New Zealand. These types of products are by no means a replacement for a well thought out crop management programme, they are designed to complement and help enhance your existing programme by aiding with such things like recovery from plant stresses with products like Fylloton and Megafol.

Whether or not you consider yourself to be conventional, organic, biodynamic, biological, low input or other, we all find ourselves looking for the right input at the right time for the right reason.

We all work towards producing a high yielding, nutritious and flavoursome crop that provides an economically sustainable return for your business or family. Our Farmlands Horticulture Technical Advisors are here to understand your specific needs and be able to offer advice and products to complement that.

Times are changing and globally as consumers look to agrichemical and fertiliser suppliers for softer options, the very pleasing result is that many of these new to market inputs are suitable for use in organic systems. We are witnessing reasonable spend into R&D by suppliers to provide us with ‘softer’ or ‘biopesticide’ options but like any other input they must be user friendly, perform and they must also be cost effective. There are a few success stories this season, where new modern inputs, some of which are organically certified, are being embraced and supported by growers.

Henry Manufacturing Ltd has been a successful part of the viticulture industry for more than 10 years, offering robust organic options for disease management such as their well-known products Protector and HML32. As the business grows, more exciting inputs are in play across crops other than viticulture, with work now being done in multiple vegetable and tree crops.

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There are also options to help the plant transition through specific crop phases such as transplanting, dormancy breaking and other important plant stages. We have evaluated many products in the market and carry a range of different options to fulfil your biostimulant requirements.

Our team of Farmlands Horticulture Technical Advisors are available to discuss options with you, no matter if you consider yourself a conventional or organic grower, or simply if you are looking to try something new and innovative, call us today – we’re here to help out.

Article supplied by Gaz Ingram, Organic and Biological Manager, Farmlands Horticulture.

February 2017 Edition

National Horticultural Field Day The date is set for the 2017 National Horticultural Field Day – Thursday 29th June at Showgrounds Hawke’s Bay. It’s a great opportunity to get off the orchard, harvester or out from behind the desk and catch up with others from the industry, learn and explore.

As the Field Day grows year on year, it is ticking all the right boxes to be the most important horticulture event on the industry calendar. It will be another fantastic day of Horticulture trades, business networking and a true showcase of New Zealand’s horticulture industry.

The National Horticultural Field Day has a complimentary ticketing system, which organisers are committed to, that ensures most members of the industry can attend the event for free.

Keep up to date with Field Day announcements and news: Twitter @nathortfieldday www.nationalhort.co.nz Instagram @nathortfieldday For trade enquiries, please contact Mell Anderson, Trades Executive: eventsupport@showgroundshb.co.nz (06) 878 3123 For free tickets to this event and any additional information, please contact Anna Hamilton, Events Manager: events@showgroundshb.co.nz (06) 878 3123 – 704

The trade component of the Field Day is the backbone to its success. Providing a ‘pure horticulture’ focus means attendees are not clouded by lifestyle or agricultural focussed trades. The National Horticultural Field Day visitors are an industry focussed, quality audience.

This year’s event will look quite different to previous, as the outdoor trades area expands to create more space and better traffic flow for exhibitors, taking over the Main Arena space of the Showgrounds. The Indoor Pavilion will be bustling with everything from nurseries, tools, software and technology to consultants.

The popularity of the Field Day grows each year and expectations are for a significant increase in exhibitors this year and an international presence. Visitors come from all over New Zealand and the organisers are committed to keeping the pure horticulture focus and growing the event in line with the industry’s demands and requirements.

The BNZ Seminar Series held at the Field Day has grown out of that demand for business to business networking. Industry heads, researchers, scientists and industry representatives come together for education, innovation and information sharing with several specialist seminars held during the day. The BNZ Seminar Series opens each year with the Horticulture Power Breakfast, which is a sell out event.

The Field Day is also home to some key horticultural competitions, including the Ravensdown Innovation Award and the main event of the day, the Hawke’s Bay Young Fruitgrower of the Year, where up to eight competitors battle it out for the annual title.

So mark your calendar now for Thursday 29th June 2017 – a great day and well worth the trip to Hawke’s Bay. We’re looking forward to seeing you there!

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Farmlands HortFocus

Grower Feature – Stanmore Farm Kate and Tim Gibbs from Stanmore Farm Nursery in Te Horo, on the Kapiti Coast, featured in a previous Farmlands publication 15 years ago. It’s an easy date for Kate to remember, as she has her youngest son as a reminder.

“The reason I remember the length of time was I had a 3 week old baby when we had a photo taken (for the article). The 3 week old is now sitting beside me as a 15 year old.”

When the original article was written, Kate and Tim were working for her father at his nursery. They now own the business themselves, specialising in growing grapevines for the wine industry. The journey to get there has been a story of flexibility and compromise.

“Stanmore Farm is an orchard and nursery, started by my father in the 1980s as just an orchard,” Kate explains. “We probably talked (at the time of the original article) about being in the vineyard planting boom. But then the GFC (Global Financial Crisis) hit and everything came to a grinding halt. Now everything is going gangbusters again, especially in Marlborough.”

Since their initial days of ownership in 2007, Kate and Tim have narrowed the scope of the business considerably. During the days of the downturn, however, Stanmore Farm was finding increasingly diverse ways to stay financially viable.

“Sometimes it’s an interesting angle to talk about (diversification) in economic situations. It was quite useful over the GFC, when the grape grafting fell away. We were not grafting many vines but we still had the orchard that was producing pears and blackberries.

We also had a commercial kitchen and were producing our own Te Horo brand of jam,” Kate says.

“During the GFC we also developed a 40ha vineyard for clients and managed it – we did that to keep our staff, some we’ve had for more than 15 years. The big financial crisis hit but we were very determined to keep our staff, so we found other things to do.”

Viticulture receives top billing on Stanmore Farms these days. The pear trees have all gone from the 100 acre property, as are a lot of fruit production blocks. Kate and Tim took the opportunity to re-plant the rootstock blocks with high-health material that has been DNA and virus tested. The landscape is now dominated by the grapevine nursery, aside from a few blackberries.

“You never know how long the low economic situation is going to last for. There was a time when we were thinking, is it ever going to come right again? But we’re flat out grafting now and we’ve still got all of our wonderful trained staff and their experience,” Kate says.

“We will only use half of the land available for the production side of things. In the off-season we fallow the land and grow green crops – mustard, lupins – which are useful in the grape side of things because they are naturally pathogenic. That’s really important to protect against trunk diseases in vines.”

The grapevine nursery is booming, with vines sent to clients throughout New Zealand who are starting new vineyards, as well as existing vineyards being replanted. Kate believes they are “the start of the journey” for people wishing to start their own vineyard and certification in the industry helps ensure consistent quality of product.

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February 2017 Edition

“New Zealand Wine Growers have a grafted grapevine standard,” she explains. “We all agreed to be audited and certified to this New Zealand standard, which has raised the bar.”

The standard ensures traceability, accountability and virus testing to ensure clean material is going out to the New Zealand wine industry. It adds another layer to what has been a volatile industry in the past 10 years.

“Pre-2007 there were 22 grapevine nurseries and by the end of 2012 there were five,” Kate says. “A lot of the industry fell away but during that time the rest of us worked together to bring a standard to the marketplace.”

Years of perseverance and budgeting on everything but imagination has helped Stanmore Farm transition effectively to one of New Zealand’s premier nurseries. Kate adds a “second string” to the budget – maintaining service levels with clients they hold strong relationships with. If there’s one thing that always boosts the balance sheet, it’s loyalty.

“I’m a trained viticulturist, so I can talk the language with them and provide advice and consultancy as people need the help. I’ve been around a long time – put it that way.”

Stanmore Farm has a focus on quality, which ties into Kate’s ideas on “premium production”. The Kapiti Coast doesn’t roll off the tongue as well as Marlborough does to the winery industry, so Stanmore’s comparative isolation provides a “clean environment” to some of the other issues facing viticulture.

“The fact we don’t have phylloxera (aphid) shows we are isolated from those grape growing regions,” Kate says. “But we also have a very temperate climate with high rainfall. It’s a north west facing property, frost free but with rich, deep, fertile soil. Our area was originally known as the production bowl for Wellington – it’s market garden country.

“When we grow grape vines as young nursery plants we get big, chunky vines and send them out to our clients who are all around the country. Vines are often stressed in stony vineyards – ours are healthy and they get a good start.”

While the majority of clients come from Marlborough, Central Otago is also a prominent destination. Both regions appear to be fond of the new rootstocks Stanmore exclusively grows, which are drought resistant and sodium soil tolerant.

“A lot of the booms going on in the wine districts, a lot of the premium land with water access, has been snapped up,” Kate says. “As the boom goes on, new vineyards are being established in slightly less suitable areas. Plus, we don’t know what’s going to happen with the whole climate change scenario. We’re very excited about these new rootstocks that are going to provide an alternative option.”

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Farmlands HortFocus

February 2017 Edition

Farmlands Horticulture Technical Team Farmlands technical staff are the go-to group for all things horticulture. Expert knowledge is complemented by on-site training, ensuring your team of Technical Advisors are at the forefront of the latest product and practice developments. Talk to your local Farmlands Horticulture team member today, to see how they can help your business grow.

To find out more, talk to us today.

0800 200 600 www.farmlands.co.nz

Farmlands Horticulture Store Locations

Farmlands Store Farmlands Horticulture

Farmlands Horticulture www.farmlands.co.nz

www.farmlands.co.nz Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited Š 2016. All rights reserved.

The information contained in this publication is of a general nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice in specific cases.

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