Variety known as Green146 is described as ‘most promising new cultivar’ to emerge from company’s pre-commercial trial
New Zealand kiwfruit marketer Zespri has identified a new, ‘self-pollinating’ green-fleshed variety which could go at least part of the way to replacing Hayward, the most commonly traded green kiwifruit worldwide.
In an update to growers, it provided more details on Green146, and described it as “the most promising new cultivar” to have emerged from its pre-commercial trial programme in New Zealand.
Carl Cooper, executive officer for innovation and commercialisation, said developing a potential new green cultivar was about protecting the strength of the green category while building additional value over time.
“Hayward remains central to our green portfolio and to the returns many growers rely on,” he said.
”At the same time, we know we need to keep evolving to make sure Zespri Green stays competitive and continues to meet the needs of consumers, customers and growers over the long term.”
Consumers seem to prefer it to Hayward, but it also retains that variety’s “classic green kiwifruit characteristics”, the company suggested.
For growers too, there are potential advantages. With a harvest date approximately two to three weeks later than Hayward, yields are reportedly around 50 per cent higher than the established variety when produced on the same scale.
Orchards could turn out several thousand trays more per hectare, Zespri noted, while average sizes appear to be larger.
And there may be also advantages in terms of climate change, including greater resilience and productivity in warmer regions.
Another key difference is the variety’s hermaphrodite status, which means the same flowers that produce the fruit also produce the pollen.
This means there is potential to make orchards more efficient and productive when it comes to flowering and pollination, even in challenging weather conditions.
Untapped demand
Roughly 70 per cent of the world’s kiwifruit production volume is green, of which New Zealand grows around 7 per cent, roughly 6,000ha of Hayward planted in the country.
And while the vast majority of any green fruit exported is sold under the Zespri brand, many of its competitors around the world are investing in new varieties or improving their own production of Hayward, which is not subject to any licensing restrictions.
Zespri’s search for improved green kiwifruit stems in part from a need to differentiate itself from those competitors, as well as a desire to meet untapped demand for products that offer an “outstanding and consistent” eating experience, clear health and nutritional benefits to consumers, and strong performance through the supply chain.
“What we are looking for is a strong total package; good orchard performance, solid supply chain outcomes, and fruit that performs well with consumers in market,” said Cooper.
“That combination is what supports long-term category growth and stronger grower returns, and that is what we are assessing with Green146.”
The project to replace Hayward is currently Zespri’s largest precommercial project, with 20ha of test plots assessing a range of green cultivars across the Eastern and Western Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Waikato and Northland regions.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Hayward was the foundation on which New Zealand’s kiwifruit industry was built, but as growing conditions and market expectations have evolved, it has shown more variable performance on orchard, particularly during warmer winters.
“Then when it gets to the market, we hear from consumers that the taste doesn’t consistently meet their expectations,” the group explained. “While they’re drawn to Zespri Green for its health benefits, it is getting harder to retain loyalty over time when the eating experience is mixed, and we risk losing ground in the green category.”
It added: “A better green variety that performs well for both growers and the market will help ensure that we are building demand ahead of supply to deliver the best possible returns.”
