Three new kiwifruit cultivars to be commercialised

Three new kiwifruit cultivars to be commercialised

Plant & Food Research welcomes the decision by ZESPRI Group Limited announced today of the advancement of three new kiwifruit cultivars into commercial production.

These new cultivars, along with two others chosen to commence grower trials, were bred by Plant & Food Research, the sole research provider to the New Zealand Kiwifruit Research Consortium. Plant & Food Research has worked alongside the New Zealand kiwifruit industry for 30 years breeding new varieties of kiwifruit, including the development of 'Hort16A', now marketed as ZESPRI®GOLD Kiwifruit.

Commenting on the announcement, Dr Bruce Campbell, Chief Operating Officer of Plant & Food Research, says, "We are very pleased that ZESPRI has chosen to commercialise these new varieties developed in our breeding programme, with an additional two with commercial potential entering on-orchard trials. We have a longstanding relationship with the New Zealand kiwifruit industry and it is very rewarding for us, and our breeders, to see our cultivars reach this next stage of evaluation and commercialisation."

ZESPRI will begin planting or grafting three new varieties this winter - an early-season GOLD, a potentially long-storing GOLD and a new sweet GREEN. Two varieties of RED kiwifruit will also enter on-orchard grower trials.

ENDS

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