Fruitfed was established in 1916 as a grower-owned organisation and although the ownership structure has changed over its more than 100-year history, the name Fruitfed has remained.  Today Fruitfed Supplies is the horticultural trading division of PGW and for over 60 years our Technical Team has been an integral part of the business.

The PGW Technical Team is made up of three distinct divisions: Crop Monitoring, Research and Development (R&D), and our Agricultural and Horticultural Extension teams.  Crop Monitoring is our in-field data collection service providing a valuable tool to help growers understand their production systems to a greater degree.  The R&D team is dedicated to trialling new products for growers to manage existing and emerging agronomic threats.  The Horticultural Extension team is responsible for taking the captured field data from Crop Monitoring and the scientific results from R&D and translating this data into information our Technical Horticultural Representatives and customers can base their decisions on.

Chris and Vikki Nicholson are third generation farmers on their 212 hectare property at Pukekawa, in Northern Waikato.  Over the past 30 years the farm has been commercially growing vegetables and the Nicholsons developed the Hinemoa Produce brand which is known for its quality produce.  They have invested heavily in sustainability initiatives and in 2012 they won the Ballance Farm Environment Awards Waikato Supreme Title.

The family’s relationship with Fruitfed Supplies dates back to when they started growing vegetables.  Chris sees the value in being part of the development of new products for the industry, so he regularly opens his property to host R&D trials.  Chris says “I enjoy taking part in trials as it is important for the industry to get pests under control and any information I receive from the trials is a bonus.  Hosting visits and visiting other trials is the best way to see results first-hand.  The team is great to deal with, they get on and do the job and their results add value to my business.”

Chris grows late season potato crops which can experience high disease, so he was keen to be involved in the R&D potato blight trial run by Catherine James, Technical Advisor.  The trial resulted in the development of new tools for early potato blight control.

A developing threat to Pukekohe potato growers is the Potato Tuber Moth (PTM), Phthorimaea operculella which causes significant loss.  Fruitfed Supplies supported growers in the region with greater information and control strategies for their crops and Chris was part of this regional survey which is tackling PTM on multiple fronts.

Carmen Pieterse, Crop Monitoring Coordinator, was responsible for setting up the PTM survey in the field.  By proactively tracking the arrival, development, and peaks in PTM numbers across the region, growers could track the PTMs progress and make proactive well-informed control decisions.  Results were recorded on a weekly basis and Daniel Sutton, Technical Specialist - Vegetables, analysed and distributed the anonymised data to those involved in the survey.

Monitoring and tracking pests, disease, and beneficial insects allows for the use of softer control measures to remove the pests and keep beneficial insects in the crop.  This is the cornerstone of a beneficial Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system.  Carmen says, “nature does the work for you with the good helping to remove the bad, without having to introduce harsher chemicals and pay for sprays that are not required.”

Daniel is investigating new PTM control options and helping with new product registration data.  Daniel says “we are looking into other factors to help improve the effectiveness of in-field control options.  Some insecticides ‘miss the target’ when it comes to PTM so there is a big push for more targeted, appropriate insecticide use.  As part of our IPM strategy we are also working on in-field cultural practices by boosting the numbers and effectiveness of beneficial insects and looking at crop storage control options.

Working with Fruitfed

Carmen Pieterse joined the Fruitfed Supplies Technical Team as a Crop Monitoring Coordinator in 2020.  Based in Pukekohe, Carmen enjoys managing her team of scouts and believes crop monitoring is a small step to a more sustainable future.

Catherine James joined the Technical Team at Fruitfed Supplies in 2020 as the Technical Advisor for vegetable crops based in Pukekohe.  Catherine enjoys the privilege of being part of a team that is dedicated to helping our growers and the future of vegetable production.

Daniel Sutton has been part of the Technical Team for Fruitfed Supplies for over 10 years. Daniel works across many aspects of the vegetable industry, assisting to provide solutions to grower problems and working alongside industry bodies providing technical support.