15 Jan 2025
The president of the Central Otago Fruit Growers Association, Kris Robb, stated that the quality of this season's cherries is exceptionally high. “We’ve had mixed weather so yields vary from orchard to orchard, but overall this season looks better than the last one".
07 Jan 2025
A recent study conducted in cherry orchard soils in New Zealand analyzed in detail the effects of increasing copper concentrations (7-263 mg/kg) on three key biological indicators: earthworm behavior, soil respiration, and root growth.
09 Dec 2024
Claire Scofield studies the effects of environmental conditions under rain covers on calcium uptake in cherries. The aim is to further our understanding of xylem dynamics and the impact of rain covers on these processes.
20 Nov 2024
Some dwarfing rootstock selections for Gisela® cherry trees have recently been licensed in New Zealand and will be more widely available to growers from 2026. Gisela® 12 and 6 are currently being tested in Central Otago.
25 Oct 2024
In New Zealand, Central Otago meets most of the conditions, followed by Marlborough and perhaps Hawkes Bay and Canterbury. However, other important factors to consider are the distance from international and national markets and the possibility of extending the harvest season.
22 Oct 2024
The technical manager of Bloom Fresh for Australia and New Zealand, Arisa Hayashi, emphasized that these new varieties, unlike traditional cherry varieties, which require 800-1,000 hours of chilling, these new cherries require less than half that.
16 Oct 2024
Developed by the international breeding company Bloom Fresh, the low-temperature varieties have been planted with the hope of increasing supply to meet the appetite of Australians and exports for these festive fruits.
27 Sep 2024
Gisela® 12 and 6 are currently being grown indoors in tissue culture at the Waimea Nurseries laboratory and are being tested in orchards in Central Otago, including Clyde Orchards and Suncrest Orchard in Cromwell.
19 Sep 2024
According to Mike and Rebecca Casey of Forest Lodge Orchard in central Otago, farmers installing their own solar systems could save New Zealand from an energy crisis if the government allowed them to enter the energy market.
08 Jul 2024
"At the end of the day, all we do is harvest light: without light, nothing can be grown and we have to maximise it," says cherry consultant Earnscy Weaver, who introduced a new cherry growing system in New Zealand.
