The biggest transition to a new variety ever seen in the New Zealand kiwifruit industry will happen this winter as 2068 hectares of orchard are grafted with the new Psa-V tolerant fruit known as Gold3.

Zespri has today announced the results of its tender process which will see 1610 hectares of existing Hort16A vines convert to the new variety and a further 359 hectares of mainly green vines also grafted to Gold3.

New gold – Zespri chief executive Lain Jager with the new fruit called Gold3, which will be grafted on to vines on 1206 hectares of New Zealand orchards this winter.

Zespri is heralding the move as the next stage in the industry's recovery from the devastating vine-killing disease Psa-V, which now infects vines on almost half of all the land on which New Zealand kiwifruit is grown.

Speaking at the National Fieldays on Wednesday, Lain said the removal of significant numbers of infected Hort16A vines from the Te Puke region would reduce the inoculum levels in that environment, which should assist in the establishment of Gold3.

'However, we have never said that there are no risks (from Psa) to Gold3 and it will be vital to protect the juvenile vines as they become established.

'There are no Psa resistant varieties. This means even with the introduction of a variety with greater Psa tolerance, the learning curve for the industry as to how to best manage orchards in a Psa environment remains steep.

'Mitigating this risk will require the proactive management of orchards and an on-going commitment to innovation. Managing the threat of Psa must now be considered as business-as-usual for all growers and the wider industry.”

Lain says this will be the largest transition to a new variety in a year than has ever been undertaken by the industry and represents the transition of almost 15 per cent of New Zealand's kiwifruit hectares to a new variety. The previous largest transition to a new variety was in 2000, with the release of 1200 hectares of Hort16A.

'The announcement is a significant turning point for our industry, both in terms of beginning to emerge from Psa and in cementing the future growth of the industry.”

Lain says while the presence of Psa will mean a level of on-going uncertainty for kiwifruit producers, the kiwifruit industry's unified structure coupled with the resilience and determination of New Zealand kiwifruit growers has allowed it to find a way forward in the face of the devastation caused by Psa.