Research & Varietal development are at the forefront of the apple industry in all countries.
Tomra Food has revealed the first details about its new research orchard in New Zealand set to enhance the company's fruit science programme and improve its sorting and grading solutions.
TOMRA is a Norwegian multinational corporation manufacturing collection and sorting products, such as reverse vending machines for the food, recycling and mining industries. With over 82,000 (RVMs) installed, 10,000 food sorters and 6,000 recycling systems worldwide, TOMRA is the market leader in its industries.
T&G launches new apple variety - Joli tm is a new global premium apple variety that will be available to consumers from 2028 onwards
At T&G, we are committed to the highest standards of environmental, social and business responsibility and ethical conduct, including respect for human rights.
We are Aotearoa New Zealand's iconic produce grower and apple exporter.
We work with growers and distributors to bring our produce to customers all over the world.
TOMRA Fresh Food have created a new research orchard which occupies a 2.5ha plot in Waikato, New Zealand, next to the company's 5,100 square metre Field Research Centre, which opened in 2022.
TOMRA Fresh Food's field research manager, Richard Pickard said the orchard is set to provide a number of benefits.
Below: Tomra Fresh Food's Research Orchard
"The orchard's purpose is to monitor the flowering and fruiting of plants at each stage, adding to our understanding of the core commodities handled by our sorters and graders. We will assess fruit defects, quality issues, and key characteristics such as flavour, sweetness, and firmness,"said Pickard.
"This complements our fruit science programme, which for ten-plus years now has been researching how the chemical and physical properties of fruit correlate with fruit quality and sorting requirements."
Almost half the orchard's ground area has so far been planted, with three varieties of kiwifruit, five varieties of apples, four varieties of cherries, and avocados. Lemons, mandarins, limes, oranges, and blueberries will also be planted in the coming weeks. Fruits are being cultivated both conventionally and with experimental techniques, including UFO (upright fruiting offshoot) cherries, FOPS (future orchard production system) apples, and under-cover in-bag blueberries.
Cultivation at the research orchard is also forward-looking in its mindfulness of sustainability. Environmentally-friendly materials, such as bamboo, biodegradable tapes, and organic fertiliser are used wherever possible. Water irrigation is controlled by an integrated solar system with inground moisture meters, which can override the solar system to reduce water waste. And mulch, pruning, and cut grass are returned to the soil.
Below:Tomra Fresh Food's commodity science team lead, Brittany Jaine at the research orchard
Tomra
Fresh Food's commodity science team lead, Brittany Jaine said the company has one of the world's largest libraries of fruit data, acquired from hundreds of thousands of fruit samples and analysed for factors such as flavour, firmness, storage potential, defects, and the influence of weather conditions.
It is this strong scientific foundation of fruit knowledge that the research orchard will build on.
"By obtaining more detailed information about the pre-and post-harvest physiology of our core commodities, we will gain even greater insights into the quality challenges faced by our customers, how and why they occur, and how best to detect them when sorting and grading. Customers will also be able to visit our orchard and discuss the challenges they face. Replicating these challenges in-field will enable us to understand their problems and develop the best possible solutions fully.
This will help strengthen TOMRA's position as the leading provider of the world's most effective sorting, grading and post-harvest solutions."
"For scientific studies, we need high-quality data plus an understanding of the full history of each piece of fruit we analyse. The research orchard provides a controlled source of fruit, where we know all pre- and post-harvest conditions, such as climate, irrigation, sprays, and handling. From this base, we can draw accurate conclusions with confidence," Jaine said.
"By obtaining more detailed information about the pre-and post-harvest physiology of our core commodities, we will gain even greater insights into the quality challenges faced by our customers, how and why they occur, and how best to detect them when sorting and grading.
"Customers will also be able to visit our orchard and discuss the challenges they face. Replicating these challenges in-field will enable us to understand their problems and develop the best possible solutions fully. This will help strengthen Tomra's position as the leading provider of the world's most effective sorting, grading and post-harvest solutions."
Click on Tomra food categories - Apples for more information and a video about Tomra Apple process.
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News from T&G Global.
"Our story began more than 125 years ago as Turners and Growers, a fruit auction business in Auckland. Today, as T&G, our fresh, delicious produce nourishes people in more than 60 countries around the world. Together, we're united in growing healthier futures".
T&G Global has today launched Joli tm, a new global premium apple variety, which joins the company's established portfolio of Env tm and JAZZ tm apple brands.
Joli tm, which global consumers will be able to enjoy from 2028 onwards, is the result of over ten years of innovation. Developed Joli tm in Aotearoa New Zealand, Joli tm is a productive, large, full-flavoured bright red juicy apple which appeals to both consumers and growers, with trees producing high yielding, high colour fruit.
T&G Global Chief Executive, Gareth Edgecombe, says Jol harnesses New Zealand's great intellectual property and its addition to the company's premium apple portfolio will help build a stronger horticulture sector.
"New Zealand has an enviable global reputation for innovating, developing and sourcing the world's best plant genetics and growing world-class premium apples, and T&G's growth strategy is focused on utilising this to create value for our growers, regional communities and economy. This is critical in order to succeed in what is a highly fragmented and commoditised global apple market, says Gareth.
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The launch of Joli tm builds off the success of T&G's premium Env tm and JAZZ tm brands, perfectly complementing them by appealing to a different group of global consumers.
Joli tm is an outstanding apple with fantastic attributes. It's a bright shiny large red apple, with a full-flavoured balanced sweetness- which bursts with juiciness. Joli's tm size and taste profile make it a perfect everyday premium apple for sharing occasions.
"For growers, Joli tm has very strong orcharding attributes, including high levels of output and the ability to grow throughout New Zealand. Furthermore, Joli tm harvest profile balances our premium JAZZ tm and Envy tm brands, harvesting in mid to late March," says Gareth.
VentureFruit is a registered T&G Global company, offering variety management services to plant breeders and owners, growers and sales and marketing companies.
VentureFruit General Manager, Morgan Rogers, says "VentureFruit works closely with many global breeders, including Plant & Food Research, as they develop new apple varieties and other produce categories to address not only consumers' preferences, but the performance of the variety against diseases, growing potential and postharvest considerations, such as its ability to hold its quality and freshness - which is especially critical for Aotearoa's horticultural export sector. Joli tm was T&G's pick for the next addition to its premium apple portfolio due to its excellent performance across the key metrics T&G values most."
T&G is the global exclusive license holder for growing, marketing and selling the variety, which is branded as Joli tm, and plans to plant 27 hectares on its own orchards over the next three years. T&G is also seeking Expressions of Interest from independent growers across Aotearoa New Zealand to be part of the commercial growing pilot. Over the next five to six years, as additional
Interested New Zealand-based growers can obtain more information about this opportunity, by contacting growingenquiries@tandg.global
The English Apple Man Comments
Below: Honeycrisp
In the Journal for 19th May 2023 The English Apple debating the future prosperity (?) of UK apple growers, said; "Probably the only home grown (UK) apples able to earn a small profit at the moment are the Branded Club varieties. Like Jazz and Pink Lady".
At a local Italian trade show 10 years ago, Walter Guerra displayed every managed apple variety he could find. He ended up with 30.
In November 2023 at Interpoma in Bolzano, South Tyrol, Italy, that number topped 60.
The drive to develop new varieties with the 'quality' to become successful CLUB varieties like Pink Lady, Jazz, Envy, and American varieties like Honycrisp is ongoing!
The Tomra research orchard is interesting, 'identifying orchard issues' which will become important in the design/modification of equipment in the packing stations is a forward thinking idea!
That is all for this week
Take care
The English Apple Man