The kiwifruit industry reported a difficult pollination season for gold fruit last year due to cold weather during flowering.
As a result fruit size and yield were down for many orchards.
Nevertheless, some have beaten the trend and achieved good pollination by applying pollen.
Graeme Crawshaw applies pollen every two days to his
8ha organic gold orchard in Te Puke.
Even without the powerful effect of BenefitPZ, which is not used in organic farming, the orchard has achieved an OGR over 100,000 per hectare for the last two years.
Graeme outlines his regime: "At the start of the flowering, in the fine weather, we put on 15gm of pollen per hectare twice, in two passes, two days apart, with the Kiwi Pollen Miniduster, targeting individual canes.
"This treatment took five man hours per hectare. We maintain a beehive stocking rate of 8 hives per ha as well, since the bees also move this applied pollen around the orchard.
"Then the rain started and it was cold, and after a two-day gap we sprayed PollenAid wet spray, 250g per ha, with a 4-litre pressure sprayer, again targeting whole canes. We did a complete round of the orchard with these hand sprayers.
"Since the early '90s when we were spending 50 man hours per hectare for this treatment, we've figured out how to cover the ground much faster.
"We did it in 10 man hours per hectare. We used our regular team of Dan, Pam and Avtar and his family of five.
"After two more days it was still raining and by now it was full bloom, so we applied pollen broadcast using the PollenAid boom sprayer.
"We applied the pollen at 350gm per hectare, taking one hour per hectare.
"The main crop of exportable fruit was fully pollinated, and, as evidenced by the brown seeds, much of the pollination was the result of the applied pollen.
"We know this from the colour of the seeds. Chinensis pollen produces black seeds. Hayward pollen, which is the pollen variety used for applied pollen, produces brown seeds. The predominant seed colour in our fruit was brown.
"Further, all the small unexportable fruit had obviously fewer seeds.
"Would I do it again? I cannot afford to risk a lesser pollination result.
"How I would apply it, (wet, dry, targeted or broadcast) and the rate, will depend on the conditions on the day. But I will be ready."
