YOUR INDUSTRY
SUMMERFRUIT UPDATE
Summerfruit primed and ready for the 2021–22 season By Richard Mills : Summerfruit NZ market support
Hawke’s Bay weather We’ve had enough of the rain and overcast conditions thanks very much. The rainfall totals seem to have varied around the district with the coastal areas copping a bit more – there were lingering puddles out near Red Bridge that were not so visible further inland, and hail damage in the early fruiting areas. We are hoping this won’t affect the overall amount of fruit for sale too much. Not nice for those who are dealing with it, but okay for the overall production. Harvest was underway mid-November and we will wait to see how good the brown rot control was. Now some good temperatures and sunshine are needed to harden the exterior of the fruit and get the sugar levels up.
Now some good temperatures and sunshine are needed to harden the exterior of the fruit and get the sugar levels up Growing degree days (GDD) in Bay View, for example, are pretty good – better than average in fact. As of 8 November, 345 units have been accumulated, but this is behind last season’s exceptional accumulation. This is confirmed by growers suggesting that harvest will be five to seven days behind last season, at least for the early harvested fruit. Stations that we access are a little above or a little below average, so nothing too different to the fiveyear average. The following table is a good illustration of why Bay View grows the early fruit. For cherry growers, the Marlborough comparison of GDD is 207 from trees that flowered at the same time as Hawke’s Bay – excluding Bay View.
58
The ORCHARDIST : DECEMBER 2021
Weather station
GDD (1/09 to 8/11)
Bay View
345
Twyford
233
Pakowhai
241
Lawn Road
204
Ruahapia
208
Havelock North
196
Longlands
251
Te Aute
236
Central Otago weather Growing degree days as at early November, are showing a steep pitch of the curve, i.e. there is a lot of heat being accumulated. Cromwell is on 144 units, which is now on par with last season and the 2017 season. Clyde is the same as last season on 131 units, and the Rockview site is now the highest it has been in the last five seasons on 158 units. Roxburgh on 127 units is only mid-pack in the five-year comparison, but is showing the same acceleration in accumulation as the other Central Otago sites. A couple of growers are anticipating 30-plus-degree days soon and remembering back to the 2017 hot season. By the time of publication, it may have all changed, but at this point it’s all good. Hawke’s Bay crop load In addition to the hail damage, a few blocks of summerfruit have been removed since last season including peaches, nectarines and especially plums, lowering the overall crop volume. Apricots seem relatively stable in planted area and this season there will be a few more cherry blocks producing fruit. The cherry crop load might be lower than growers had hoped, at least a bit patchy. Apricots seem to be pretty much up to the expected volume, as with peaches and nectarines. Hand thinning in a number of cases has been quick, which all bodes well for size and possibly quality.