Sharing the knowledge on berryfruit

Nelson growers have an opportunity to find out more about new fruit varieties and growing developments at a public meeting in Motueka tomorrow.

Motueka plant breeder and consultant Harvey Hall, who made a extensive trip to Europe visiting research organisations and growers, wants to pass on what he saw to growers here.

He believes there are opportunities for the future using different techniques and cultivars.

"What growers want to see is money in the bank. When we can start introducing new innovations and producing high-quality fruit right around the year and selling a lot of the produce in the fresh market, then I think there are a lot of opportunities for the future."

Mr Hall spent 27 years with DSIR then Hortresearch as a plant breeder, particularly of raspberries, blackberries and boysenberries, then three years ago started his own business, Shekinah Berries. He has also produced a book with four others on raspberry breeding genetics which was published this year.

His seven-week trip during the European summer took in Spain, Portugal, Britain, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland as well as Israel and Russia.

One of the growing techniques he was interested in was in Spain where blackberries were grown in pots, then when the plants went dormant they were put in coolstores and brought out to resume production.

"That meant the grower could get year-round production. Even after producing a crop you can prune them to get another crop," Mr Hall said.

In Russia, he was astounded when visiting a research programme breeding new raspberry varieties originating from genetics in Britain to find self-supporting plants.

"I went into a five-hectare field and there was not a sign of a post or wire anywhere."

The plants had been selected for upright growth and for large fruit. They had no irrigation, minimal spraying and were producing six kilograms of fruit a plant.

"If we put them in typical New Zealand spacing we are talking 37 tonnes a hectare."

Raspberries were in big demand here but growers had struggled to produce them economically, he said.

"There is tremendous opportunity and a lot of that is going to be dependent on new cultivars."

He is collecting genetics from Russia and other countries and taking them to Australia where he also works. He plans to grow the seedlings in Australia then bring selected varieties to New Zealand where they will have to be quarantined.

He is also keen to see if there is interest in a red-fleshed apple bred in Switzerland and licensed through Next Fruit Generation in the Netherlands. Public meeting, "Berries and horticulture in Europe - are there opportunities for New Zealand growers, marketers and consumers?", 7pm, tomorrow, Motueka Baptist Church, 15 Greenwood St, entry $10.