Follow the Cultivar Import Project

New on the NZWIG Website is a section providing the background and updates on the cultivar importation project.  We intend to keep the pages up to date with progress through the years so that growers can take an interest in how the selections are doing.

Check it out — here.

Talk on Climate Change for Tree Croppers

Tuesday 21 July, 7-9pm, Talk by NIWA on Climate Change

Venue: Canterbury Horticultural Centre, Hagley Park, Christchurch. Talk will be in the Wattling Room on the ground floor.

Climate science, adaptation to and mitigation of changes re tree crops; the value of trees as carbon sinks; tree species suitability in global warming scenarios; historical cycles vs anthropogenic changes in climate.

Choosing the cultivars to import for trial

[the following information has been supplied by Heather North from the NZWIG Research Committee, for members' information and comment.  It outlines the characteristics under consideration for each of the cultivars  - GN]

HOWARD + LARA

Going by the recent Special Information Meeting, people seem pretty happy with Howard and Lara as two definites for import. They came out looking fine in the Lincoln University taste test (no significant difference between these and Rex – though Meyric came out a bit lower).

Walnuts help diabetes control

Walnuts help diabetes control (ScienceAlert)

A new study has found that keeping the diet for type 2 diabetes under control gets a lot of help from including daily amounts of foods with the right kind of fats such as walnuts.

Check out the full article by clicking the link above.

Graeme

A heads up on the future of irrigated Walnut orchards in NZ.

Under the disguise of “The Restorative Program for Lowland Streams” eCan are reviewing water consents in the Rakaia Selwyn region.

The Rakaia Selwyn Consent Review covers 620 existing consents of all sizes, we are one of the smallest consents with only 10ha and a consent of 5 l/s, many of our neighbours are huge farming corporations, unfortunately eCan is insisting we all jump through the same hoops some of which are very expensive, no consent holders will gain anything from this review and most will loose a great deal of their current annual allocation.

It should be noted with alarm that whatever the results of this review it WILL be inflicted on all other consents throughout the eCan’t region in the coming years and other district authorities will use the same results in their areas, this is a National problem.

The next step we face is to have our case presented to a set of commissioners to decide on each consent, the full cost of this falls on the consent holder and is very expensive per minute. Pay up or shut up is the clear message from eCan’t.

What eCan wants is to inflict a water use restriction based on their WQN9 usage plan which results in around 50-60% of the water that is needed to grow large deciduous trees or grass! The figures vary depending on where you are situated.

There is a newly available alternative to WQN9 available from Aqualink and Irrigation New Zealand that is much more realistic and closely matches the results we are seeing in our orchard, I can work these figures for people or burn the CDs or DVDs if requested via   walnut (at) mermadale (dot) com

For our orchard WQN9 offers 56,000 cubic metres per season whereas the Aqualink model offers 90,000 cubic meters both are based on intensive pasture with 80% efficient irrigation, my research indicates that Walnuts need 1.1 times this figure. You can see from these figures that we will struggle to grow good Walnuts, if any, using the WQN9 figures if the Aqualink figures are correct.

The Aqualink figures have been internationally pier reviewed so should be scientifically acceptable, time will tell if eCan can live with these figures which looks doubtful at the moment.

I would welcome any irrigation or evaporation figures from other walnut orchards world wide, please get in touch by email or post a response to this discussion. The more evidence we have the greater the chance of obtaining a realistic consent.

The future of our industry depends on getting these figures right please lobby your MPs and region counsellors to let them know that WQN9 could be the death of tree crops in New Zealand.

As a minimum I strongly suggest that you join Irrigation New Zealand, they are a strong voice and do listen to all their members and are acting to change eCan on the issue of WQN9.

Walnut wood available

We have received a query  through the NZWIG website, as follows:

Maybe not your usual question, however I have just had a large walnut tree felled on my property.

Does anyone / anybody buy these? I have been told the wood is great for wood turning, therefore it would be a pity to sell as fire wood.

I am in the Hawkes Bay and would appreciate any guidance, should you have any.

The message is from Tobias.  He is happy to be called on 021 2862427

Discussion on importing cultivar material

The following is from an email to the NZWIG committee from Mike C. He was responding to the fact that the committee is considering planning a special general meeting to enable the next round of discussion and decision on importing trial cultivars.   With Mike’s permission and on the suggestion of our president the message is posted here to enable discussion.  Please use the comment facilities here to express your opinion, or speak to a committee member.

Mike writes:

In respect to the importation of new a new cultivar [or cultivars] I feel that if we have a SGM (Special General Meeting) on this matter that all information should be tabled well before the meeting so that members can study and analysis it. At the meeting no new data or information should be introduced. However issues concerning new cultivars other than those considered for importation should not be avoided nor should issues arising from the growing of other new cultivars.

To be able to make appropriate and correct decisions all the peripheral info and data issues need to be tabled prior to the meeting. If the answers are not known then that should be clearly and concisely stated and where possibly the reason, or reasons, for the unknown should be provided. The extent of this periphal info and data might require brianstorming sessions or some prior consultation with members known to be on both sides of the importation arguement. If this is not done correctly then there is a possibility that unforseen arguements may arise at the time of the meeting. The side issues are important and should not be sidelined, they will not go away regadless of the the decision the Group makes so they need to be correctly and appropriately addressed in an open forum. All information and data provide should have both the pros and cons stated. There should be no bias or skewing presented in a discussion document.

The following lists are some of the issues that may arise and should not in any way be suppressed

Climatic variation

Growth rates

Effect of wind on this / these new trees

Shelter requirements for this / these new tress

Soil type differences and the effect of trees

Nutrient dominance or deficiency effect on trees at variuos stages of growth

Disease and pests

Resistance to coddling moth

Effect on trees of other diseases not yet known in NZ

Blight resistance

Pollination

Pollination success rates

Polinators needed

Early, mid reason or late flowering

Effect of frost on this / these new trees

Effects of drought or soil wetness [or levels of water application or miosture tolerance]

Crop Yeild [from adolesence to adult trees]

Crop data

Crack out ratio

Storage [Reduction in kernal quality of given time spans in NZ conditions]

Tree Growth

Tree shape and planting spacing

Pruning regimes available to growers for best yeild

Grafting success rate [if known from overseas sources]

Any particular root stock

Tree growth rates [anticipated in NZ and NZ regions, known in other country /. regions]

THIS LIST SHOULD BE REGARDED AS IMCOMPLETE.

Is this tree / these trees likely to be successfully in specific areas of NZ

Also has any progress been made on the quality of other trees and crop from other NZ regions.

Has any progress been made to discover if this cultivar [or cultivars] already exist in NZ

Is this tree [or these trees] new and if so what is the history of its / their development.

What is the marketing value of this / these new nuts and their value added products

What arguments are going to be employed to convince new growers to plant this / these cultivars instead of the existing cultivars of known quality.

What arguement, or arguements, is/are going to used to convince the consuming public that THIS IS SOMETHING NEW

Coping with frost

For the second year in a row Canterbury has suffered a devastating “advection” frost. Devastating because it kills off all tender shoots even several meters above the ground, including flowers. Last year it was October 19, htis year November 9th.

Richard L. Snyder, Extension Biometeorologist University of California, Atmospheric Science describes advection frost in an article on the “Principles of Frost Protection”:

Advection Frost

An advection frost occurs when cold air blows into an area to replace warmer air that was present before the weather change. It is associated with moderate to strong winds, no temperature inversion, and low humidity. Often temperatures will drop below 32^°F (0^°F) and stay there all day. Advection frosts are difficult to protect against, but fortunately they are rare in California fruit growing regions.

Another helpful explanation that includes reference to the affect of terrain (like snow on the Port Hills or foot hills draining down onto the plains) can be found at “The Weather Doctor”.  The way they put it is:

Whereas frost masses move across continents under the push of global air currents, flood frosts fall downslope under the pull of gravity — their cold air heavier than the surface air undercutting the lighter, warmer air below. Flood frosts form at high elevation and flood down hillsides and valleys, forming frigid pools in depressions and low terrain. Unlike the frost masses, flood frosts usually whisper as they roll down the hills and valleys at night, stirring dead leaves in passing and blackening low-lying vegetation with their touch.

Flood frost is a form of atmospheric motion known as katabatic flow.

Katabatic Frost

We have put up more information about preventing frost damage on the NZWIG website.  There are some links to other material, and there is an edited version of a useful 1971 article from the DSIR by E.W. Hewitt.

Actually it seems that there is not much any of us could have done to prevent major damage from the advection frosts but there are some helpful ideas for less severe events.

Zinc Foliar Spray?

Zinc Foliar sprays Help..

Our Zi levels in our (01Feb-sampled) leaf samples have gradually fallen at ~ 5ppm per year from 30ppm in 2006 to 20ppm in 2008 so we have decided to act.  We are keen to try foliar spray and intend to mix with mankocide (so no ‘spraying cost’) and spray in Nov or Dec.

The best guidance we currently have is http://walnutresearch.ucdavis.edu/1993/1993_196.pdf and this seems a little dated (1993).

Has anybody tried to elevate Zi levels with foliar sprays.. did it work (what product/rate etc)?  Were there any ‘issues’.. phytotoxic effects?

Any data, information, knowledge or wisdom out there?

[message relayed here on behalf of Clive]

Where to get Diameter tape measure

Thanks to Heather North who has passed on this link to where we can buy Diameter Tapes [http://www.geosystems.co.nz/Category/67,11,57/Diameter-Tapes.aspx].  This is the best (most efficient and accurate) tool for measuring the growth of our trees.

The tape gives you a diameter measurement rather than the circumference.  Remember, we are measuring trees at 600mm above ground level.  Use the webform to send in your data so we can add it to the benchmark project.

Graeme