Isramart : NZ: Kiwifruit carbon in spotlight

Isramart news:
A project to measure carbon levels in kiwifruit orchards and assist market access for the fruit will be launched at a grower meeting in Tauranga on Thursday.

Funded by the Sustainable Farming Fund and carried out by the Carbon in Orchard Soils Team (Cost), the project is seeking growers keen to volunteer their orchards for the three-year study.

“The project will quantify the above and below-ground carbon storage in kiwifruit orchards, and we believe this improved knowledge will contribute to the eco-verification of New Zealand’s image as a clean-green producer of kiwifruit,” said Allister Holmes, of Cost.

There was growing concern in offshore markets that many existing land management practices for food production were releasing additional carbon into the atmosphere, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions, he said.

“If it can be demonstrated that in New Zealand the production of kiwifruit can maintain or increase carbon storage in the soil then this may allow greater differentiation of our products in environmentally-concerned markets such as Europe.”

Increasing carbon levels in the soil may have other economic benefits for growers including a reduced need for fertiliser and irrigation, improved plant health and production.

In all, 73 orchards, including those producing green, gold and organic fruit, will form part of the study overseen by soil scientist from Plant & Food, the Agricultural Research Group on Sustainability (Argos), the PlusGroup and local and regional councils, and involving up to 18 researchers.