New! Our 2011 Recipe Book!
Tree Crops Recipe Book - what better to buy for Christmas, or that special birthday?
Kiwifruit Psa (Pseudomonas syringae pv actinidiae)
Tree Croppers have long been keen observers of plant behaviour.
Strictly speaking, the kiwifruit species is not a "tree crop" but a vine - or is it?
Perhaps under certain conditions it aspires to become "tree-like".
The Psa scare has prodded some older growers to mutter "I've seen those symptoms before... what were the circumstances, what did we do, and what was the outcome?"
Kiwifruit Psa scare a symptom of a vine 'tree trunk syndrome'?
One such grower recalls how the mature but sickly wilting vines he hastened to remove exhibited tree-trunk-like behaviour.
In developing huge upright trunks that lifted much of their upper weight clear of the support structure, these vine-trees exuding red sap seemed to be developing a heavier root structure than expected, when dug out.
The grower wondered if some biological mechanism had been triggered to enhance this tree-like changes which caused the plant great distress - perhaps changes that this vine-aligned species was no longer equipped to cope with?
He seemed to remember a prolonged cloudy or wet period leading up to the appearance of the wilt.
After the urgent removals of whole plants were made, the grower surveyed his orchard for other suspect vines. It was then that he appreciated for the first time that his best-producing vines were on scrawny-stemmed, crooked or bowed boles, with their canopy and crop supported entirely by the post-and-wire structure.
At that time he wondered if all newly-planted stems should be set on an angle well away from the vertical to ensure they could never bear significant weight, as well as possibly encouraging the best crop. The plant roots would also be planted further away from that most toxic structural item, the "ground-treated" wooden kiwifruit post.
Meanwhile, the severe wilt problem went away, and the occurrence was all but forgotten about, until recently - read the kiwifruit 'tree trunk syndrome' query [article withdrawn-
considered pseudo-science; no industry interest in any trial of obliquely-rising vine stems?].
Psa - recent opinions
An orchard environment is laden with bacteria of many mysterious types and functions.
A common perception of the 2010 winter is that it was very wet. Observations suggest that it was very cloudy rather than rainy.
Bacteria can thrive in shady damp environments, lacking ultraviolet light to reduce reproduction.
Sunlight contains ultraviolet radiation, weakened by the ozone layer, cloud cover and canopy excessive leaf.
New Zealand is notably located in a "hole" in the ozone layer - which may be good for kiwifruit, but for goodness sake remember to cover your body from that fierce radiation when you go out to do any remedial canopy leaf thinning.
We might remain wary of ozone over godszone. It may have an upside, so to speak.
We might become wary of global warming if it means increasing periods of cloud cover.
2010 November 27, December 12
Grower Groups - recent opinions
It is encouraging to see NZ kiwifruit growers standing united in one major industry group, controlling their own interests as they have every right to do.
This contrasts sharply with the early days when every maverick grower tried to outdo the efforts of others.
Typically they soon became fodder to the middlemen, marketers, and retailers who can ruthlessly plunder a primary producer industry from their consumer end of the chain.
Long may the grower unity survive, rejecting 'divide and conquer' approaches by parasitic middlemen-corporates opening up 'fair competition' - yeah right. We have seen those 'competitive' outcomes - raped investments, below-breadline incomes - many times.
A recent Bay of Plenty field day recognised a classic case of this with beautiful lemon crops unwanted.
Some lemon growers believed they were too few to form a growers marketing group.
Tree croppers attending urged the growers that while few in number it was the best time to unite.
The 'widely-beneficial' type of monocultures and grower monopolies are delicate balancing acts and must be managed with vigilance.
A grower group can become 'birds all lined up in a row' very quickly when a crisis occurs or is orchestrated.
Once into 'backside covering mode' it can be very difficult to get information in or out of such organisations, no matter how well-meaning the intended information transfer may be.
They can come under close public scrutiny, as they should, when politicians start to dish out public money, say, to copper spray-supplying corporates - for operations that a few days' free sunlight may achieve.
Or an operation that might be avoided in future by doing new grafting and planting in a different way:
Investors! Don't forget to plough some research into the 'primary' of your produce chain...
2010 November 27, December 12
Walnut blogletter launched by Nick Nelson Parker
“For a while I have been promising to put out a Walnut Action Group newsletter, free of charge, to anyone interested in receiving it.
So here is the first one.
Diana Loader and I, as members of the New Zealand Tree Crops Association Walnut Action Group (WAG) have independently become aware that most walnut growers we meet do not know of the existence of each other. This blogletter aims at putting walnut growers in touch as much as providing information.“Before I start, let me set out how I envision it working.
This blogletter will only be about walnuts.
I will only send it to people who request it. (If) you have verbally expressed interest in receiving it, I have put you on the mailing list. Let me know if you want off.
I am hoping it will be more a blog site than a newsletter. Email me with things you want discussed, experiences you have had, websites you have found etc..
Treecrops newsletter editors; please advertise this blogletter in your newsletters. If anyone else knows of someone who would like to be involved, please pass this on. Thanks.“So I look forward to hearing from you.”
nick nelson parker
Dr Don McKenzie Award 2010 presented to Dr Gordon Lees
The Dr Don McKenzie Award is awarded to a member making a significant contribution to tree crops. This year Northern Region successfully submitted that Dr Gordon Lees' work contributes, and is designed to protect the widest range of crops, benefiting all NZTCA members, as well as all fruit growers in New Zealand.
Full Article - TreeCropper 62, page 33
Doug Davies
Doug (Douglas John) Davies passed away on 7th May 2010 at North Shore Hospital; aged 84 years.
As a founding member and our first national secretary, Doug contributed much to NZTCA.
Dearly loved husband of Melba and loved father and father-in-law of Wendy and Gavin, Kathleen and Murray, Marianne and Bruce, John and Lynda, Phillip and Hee. Loved Grandad of Reuben and Kim, Sada, Harry, Alisha, Jedd, Derek and Rachel, Adam, Samuel and Ruchika, Thomas, Alexander and Sebastian, and great-Grandad of Asha, Finn and Oliver.
A service was held at St Pauls By The Sea Anglican Church, Milford, on 12th May, followed by private cremation.
Stop Press, TreeCropper 62, page 8
Fresh Local Produce
Plant and produce markets operated by local enthusiast growers and fundraising groups for a few hours weekly have added colour and a social event to many small towns, as well as supplying some remarkably fresh local produce.
Katikati has enjoyed its Plant and Produce Market late each Friday afternoon for some months now at the A & P Showgrounds, and among other informal markets we have heard about is the Rotorua Night Market.
This report courtesy of Irene Scrivener (Rotorua):
I went there last week and bought some fresh produce from around the wider area which tasted fantastic (Was quite excited to find wonderful really crisp dark purple skinned non-sprayed red delicious apples - far superior to those in the supermarkets).
Bridget can be contacted at Rotorua District Council and is keen to grow the market -1/2 stalls cost $39 per night. She is very enthusiastic, approachable and keen to encourage stallholders. Last Thursday it was buzzing. If interested you can find more info on the Rotorua Night Market website.
Archival Upheaval
Articles archive for TreeCropper updated
The wealth of material published in TreeCropper magazine is a little easier to re-discover, with this on-line archive updated in a sortable format. Now you can quickly find out when the topic was published, then you just have to find that particular magazine...
We are still some distance away from having the actual articles available on-line but the archive listing update is a step along the way.
– more news here soon –
