Our consignment of walnut trees from Tasmania to begin our new cultivar trial successfully received biosecurity clearance from MAF Biosecurity at Auckland Airport on Friday, which is a great result. To follow their progress and check the story to date, go to our special page … here.
Get ready to pick those green walnuts soon if you are wishing to enter the second Grand New Zealand Pickled Walnut Competition to be judged during March 2010.
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We will be doing a winter clean up at the Lincoln trial block this Sunday – 10.30am. It is basically pruning work. It would be great to have a good team of workers there. Please bring pruning equipment: saws, pole pruners, loppers. See the map of how to get there on the Events web page.
If the weather is very bad, check this page for up-dates.
Graeme
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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.
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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.
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[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). Continue Reading »
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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

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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
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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 variationGrowth ratesEffect of wind on this / these new treesShelter requirements for this / these new tressSoil type differences and the effect of treesNutrient dominance or deficiency effect on trees at variuos stages of growthDisease and pestsResistance to coddling mothEffect on trees of other diseases not yet known in NZBlight resistancePollinationPollination success ratesPolinators neededEarly, mid reason or late floweringEffect of frost on this / these new treesEffects of drought or soil wetness [or levels of water application or miosture tolerance]Crop Yeild [from adolesence to adult trees]Crop dataCrack out ratioStorage [Reduction in kernal quality of given time spans in NZ conditions]Tree GrowthTree shape and planting spacingPruning regimes available to growers for best yeildGrafting success rate [if known from overseas sources]Any particular root stockTree 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 NZAlso 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 NZIs 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 productsWhat 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
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