PGG Wrightson Ltd Experience and product knowledge assists customers with orchard conversions

Experience and product knowledge assists customers with orchard conversions

The conversion of agricultural land into kiwifruit orchards has been popular in recent years in the Bay of Plenty. Steve Wood, Fruitfed Supplies Technical Horticultural Representative based in Te Puke, shares how he assists orchard owners with converting land for horticultural use.

Fruitfed Supplies Technical Horticultural Representative, Steve Wood

With most of Steve’s customers being kiwifruit growers, he has significant experience and knowledge of how to convert paddocks into productive orchards using the best systems and products available.

Forming a part of the initial discussions, Steve says he and the grower plan the infrastructure required for the orchard, based on the size of the block. Planning the materials used to create the canopy structures requires product knowledge. As Steve says, “price, availability and quality are the main factors involved in determining the materials used. I look at the options available at the time and recommend products that offer the best price and can be delivered within an acceptable timeframe.” “Recently, a customer bought a dairy farm for conversion to a kiwifruit orchard,” says Steve. “Once the 45 hectares of rolling hills were contoured into flat land, we supplied all the materials needed to build the orchard. That included the posts, strainers, cable and wire needed to create the support and pergola structures for the kiwifruit plants, plus windbreak netting to protect the vines from adverse weather.” Steve also helped with the more technical aspects of the development including installing frost fans and planning the soil nutrition. Planning an efficient irrigation system starts with understanding the amount of water consented for use on the block. From there, the volume of water available for use each day is calculated, factoring in the size of the orchard. As Steve explains, “this gives an indication of the most appropriate flow rate to be delivered to all areas of the orchard. To design a tailored system that will meet the needs of the orchard, we bring in irrigation specialists.” Once an orchard is established, Steve helps with the regular maintenance required for the canopy structures and irrigation systems. With irrigation systems often used for fighting frosts, Steve says he reaches out to customers to remind them in late winter to complete a maintenance check so should a frost hit, the system is fully functional. “We service the inline injection units for fertigation as well as assisting with the replacement of componentry for the irrigation system. If replacement sprinklers are required, I simply take one to identify the correct part and place the order with the supplier. We aim to make the maintenance process as easy as we can for our customers,” says Steve.

Visit fruitfedsupplies.co.nz to find out more about Fruitfed Supplies’ range of products and services, or to find a store near you.

Fruitfed Supplies is a trading division of PGG Wrightson Ltd (PGW). PGW and the writer do not warrant the information’s accuracy, quality, outcome or fitness for any purpose.