Summerfruit growers in Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago can learn firsthand about the benefits of understory planting at field walks in November.
Hosted by Summerfruit NZ, the field walks will showcase to growers the benefits of understory planting and will provide attendees with useful tools to evaluate biodiversity in their orchards. The events will help extend knowledge from the Summerfruit NZ–A Lighter Touch understory planting project, which aims to enhance orchard biodiversity to support pest control and improve soil health.
Staff from the Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI), Plant & Food Research group, will lead sessions on scouting and identification of beneficial insects and understory plants. Each field walk will run for about two hours on the dates and times below:
- Central Otago: 12 November, 1-3pm at Lowburn Cherry Orchard, 95A Radford Road, Lowburn, Cromwell.
- Hawke’s Bay: 18 November, 1-3pm at Te Mata Estate Vineyard, 2671 SH 50, Roys Hill, Hawke’s Bay 4171.
The field walks will involve three practical components, starting with a discussion about the understory plants, including the benefits they provide and their management in an orchard. A visual soil assessment will be demonstrated, as well as how to interpret the results. The final session will focus on beneficial insects, including how to sample and identify them, and the role they play in helping with pest management in the orchard.
Download the information flyer here.
