Fay and Joe Gock, described as industry pioneers, were presented with the cup at the Horticulture New Zealand (HortNZ) awards in Wellington last week.
The couple, who are in their 80s and still growing crops, are renowned in the industry for their innovative approach to all aspects of the business throughout six decades of commercial fruit and vegetable growing.
HortNZ president Julian Raine said the couple had given decades of ''selfless'' and ''outstanding'' service to the industry and their community.
''Fay and Joe are completely passionate about horticulture.
''They have pioneered new approaches in growing, new packaging techniques and new technology which have hugely benefited many New Zealand growers.
''They have given their time and their stock, generously providing advice, assistance and mentoring to other growers over many years, as well as providing work and support for several generations of local families, and donated to schools and the underprivileged of Manukau City over a number of years.''
Mr Gock left China for New Zealand with his mother in 1940, at the age of 12, to join his father who was market gardening in Hawkes Bay.
They later moved to Auckland and leased 30ha of land in Mangere.
He married Fay, daughter of a fruiterer, in 1956.
From 1950 to 1980 the Joe Gock business was the biggest of about 100 market gardens in Mangere.
Growing kumara was a specialty and many of their innovations have contributed to the success of this product.
They developed a disease-free strain which is known as Owairaka Red.
Their stock proved to be the only disease-free stock in Auckland when Ruawai and Dargaville kumara was devastated by black rot. They donated their stock, through the Department of Science and Industry Research (DSIR) to help re-establish crops.
They pioneered raising kumara tubers using under-earth heating in modern hotbeds and with the DSIR developed a prototype kumara curing shed which cut losses and meant kumara could be marketed year-round.
They pioneered growing seedless watermelons and to distinguish this in the market were the first growers in the world to place stickers on each fruit.
When broccoli was being introduced in the 1980s, Mr Gock developed and patented the Gock bushel-sized polystyrene box which is packed with ice for transport so product arrives fresh.
The Gocks are among a handful of commercially successful rhubarb growers and export rhubarb to England and Japan. They have been active members of the Chinese Commercial Growers Association since the 1950s, mentoring many young growers.
HortNZ's Bledisloe Cup was first presented in 1931 by Governor-General Lord Bledisloe, for a competition between orchardists at the Imperial Fruit Show.