New Zealand's climate change-resistant apple proving successful in Europe
A variety of New Zealand apple bred to be resistant to climate change is proving a success in European countries like Italy, Spain and France, fruit and vegetable producer T&G Global says. The variety, called HOT841A, can be grown in a range of geographies and was the first variety of apple commercialised by T&G under an industry breeding project called the Hot Climate Programme. The programme, which is half-owned by Plant and Food New Zealand and half-owned by its Spanish equivalent IRTA, sought to secure the long-term sustainability of apple production in a changing climate, T&G global variety development manager Gary Wellwood said. Were looking at this in two ways. Where could we grow our apple varieties in the future if weve got to move with climate change. And its also part of a grow-closer-to-market scenario, looking at carbon and sustainability, Wellwood said. READ MORE: * New Zealand apple industry under threat from climate change * Time to embrace gene editing technology, scientists say * Tomato growers plan 24-hour strike in pursuit of living wage Reports from licensed growers overseas had confirmed the sweet red variety was growing well, he said. Temperatures in Spain could top 40C, but the apple had proven to be sunburn-resistant. Wellwood said the apple was growing equally well in temperate climates like the UK. This is an exciting find and proves that this apple is well-suited to many different geographies. It opens up further opportunities for growers in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres and provides an opportunity for year-round supply. In the Northern Hemisphere the apple bloomed in mid-April, for harvest in late September and early October, putting it into the market around two weeks earlier than Fuji apples. This would give consumers access to more variety on supermarket shelves, he said. Breeding takes a long time. Theyve been breeding for 17 years and this is the beginning of the fruition of that. Weve been trialling this variety for about five years now. Each year, people are getting more convinced of its potential, he said. There were test trees with 15 different growers across Europe and also some in Australia. In the UK, leading retailers and consumers had tested the fruit with very positive feedback, worldwide Fruit UK technical development manager Jeremy Linsell said. T&G was targetting other hot regions like Chile, South Africa and Washington state in the US for trials and potential licencing. The variety would eventually be given a more appealing marketing and trade name as more volume became available, Wellwood said. There would also be interest from New Zealand growers, particularly in Central Otago and Canterbury which had hot summers, he said. Commercial volumes were now being planted in Catalonia, Spain, where a six-year planting programme was underway. Spanish growers were eager to mitigate the effects of hot summer temperatures on the quality of their apple crop and had jumped at the chance to access this variety, Wellwood said.