Growing for gold

Amid the thousands of trees growing row upon row in the various orchards of Earnscleugh, there is one over which much fuss is being made.

Newly named "Clutha Summer", its branches are dotted with apricots. Because it is late spring, the fruit are small and green; give it another couple of months, however, and those apricots will be plump. As for colour? Think of it as Red Gold.

In an area also defined by the tailings left by all those Clutha River dredges, where just a few kilometres away a new mining operation is trying to unearth alluvial gold, there is another treasure hunt going on.

At Plant & Food Research's Central Otago site, where knowledge seems to sprout as abundantly as the trial seedlings that occupy the Crown Research Institute's 57ha block of land, experts are two years into a "Sumptuous Summerfruit" programme focusing on breeding a late-season, high-quality apricot for export.

Though "Clutha Summer" was originally developed as an early-season cultivar, a possible alternative to the popular "Sundrop" , the tree in question has been crossed with pollen from late-harvest seedlings, the aim being to have a look-alike, taste-alike "offspring" that would fill the marketplace from early January to late February.

Such initiatives are welcome in an industry defined by the perennial resilience of growers to threats of frosts, hail, rain, pests and market fluctuations.

As John Webb, chairman of the Otago Regional Fruitgrowers Committee, says: "Orchardists are a form of masochist... The only thing I'd say was of any use after a hail storm is a handkerchief." Mr Webb is a third-generation fruit grower; the Stonehurst Orchard he operates with son Simon was founded by his grandfather (also John) in 1914. Hence he possesses an attribute important in this business: patience.

"It's a long game; you're looking to the future," Mr Webb explains. "One assesses new varieties, puts them in the ground and crosses one's fingers.

"I think, historically, around 25% of the trees that go in the ground never come into full production. We do take punts on new varieties but not all of it works for us. Sometimes you have to go through a bad time in order to get to a good time." That's where science can help.

By growing a new fruit variety, developed to be harvested in a shoulder season - either earlier or later - a grower might get a better return, although that strategy comes with added risk (frosts in spring, for instance).

There is also the advantage of brand awareness to consider. The longer, or more often, a grower can have a piece of fruit - accompanied by a sticker with a logo and name - on a shop shelf, be it in New Zealand or overseas, the better (provided the produce holds its quality).

Which takes us back to the apricot.

There are three key research components to Plant & Food's Sumptuous Summerfruit programme: developing new late-season cultivars; identifying factors that influence post-harvest fruit quality; and looking for gene markers that indicate sweetness and long storage.