Welcoming Address

ISHS Acta Horticulturae 557: VII International Symposium on Orchard and Plantation Systems

Welcoming Address

Author:

I.J. Warrington

Abstract:
Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues from around the world, friends,
Welcome to New Zealand,
Welcome to Nelson,
Welcome to the 7th International Symposium on Orchard and Plantation Systems This is a joint symposium organised under the auspices of The International Society for Horticultural Science in collaboration with the New Zealand Society for Horticultural Science.
It combines the interests of three of the ISHS Fruit Section Working Groups:

Orchard and Plantation Systems;
Rootstocks – Breeding and Evaluation; and
Environmental Physiology

As a Council member of the ISHS I strongly recommend membership of the Society to you. The ISHS does an excellent job co-ordinating the running of these symposia, publishing the proceedings in the important Acta Horticulturae series and, of course, hosting the International Horticultural Congress which is held every four years. I hope that you are planning to attend in Toronto in August 2002!
Organisation and membership of professional societies is not the responsibility of others – they deserve the support of each and every one of you.
It is very appropriate that this symposium is being held in New Zealand where horticultural exports are such a significant part of the economy. This Nelson region is particularly important for the production of apples, kiwifruit, berryfruit and hops. You will get to see some of those industries this week.
Horticulture in this country has grown significantly over the past 20 years. In 1980 the value of exports was a mere $NZ100 million f.o.b. whereas for the last 12 months it exceeded $NZ1.75 billion constituting 13% of all agricultural exports.
Fruit, vegetables and flowers are exported to 110 different countries around the globe with Japan, the European Union, the United Kingdom, the USA and Australia being the primary export markets.
We are, of course, well known for being the home of ‘Royal Gala’ and ‘Braeburn’ apples and for ‘Hayward’ kiwifruit and our reputation for producing fine white wines is steadily growing.
You have an interesting and very full programme of papers and posters to support the theme “In pursuit of biological, environmental and economic sustainability”.
There is no doubt that consumers world-wide are increasingly demanding a guarantee that the foods that they eat are safe, healthy and nutritious. Regular calendar-based spraying with broad-spectrum pesticides for the control of our major pests and diseases, which was routine only a decade ago, is simply no longer acceptable. New Zealand scientists have been quick to support fruit sectors within this country to develop integrated fruit production systems:
“Kiwigreen” for kiwifruit was first trialed in 1990 and was fully adopted by the industry by 1997, when the entire crop of 61 million trays was produced using either IFP or organic production methods;

IFP for apples was first introduced in the 1996/97 season and, within 4 years, there were 1,100 growers producing around 400,000 tonnes (80% of the total export crop) in full compliance with the requirements of the scheme; and
in other sectors, such as avocados (“Avogreen”), persimmons (“Greengold”) and grapes (NZ Integrated Winegrape Production), schemes are now well advanced to actually achieve minimal intervention with undesirable pesticides.

Programmes are also well developed to ensure effective and efficient use of irrigation water and to eliminate contamination of ground and surface waters from fertiliser applications.
Your symposium is timely. More than ever before we need efficient production systems that maximise the output of product, with the desired quality attributes, in ways that are economically sustainable for our commercial fruitgrowers. Improved understanding of the influence of canopy architecture, source: sink interactions, tree and vine physiology, and the options for changing orchard systems through the use of disease and pest-resistant vigour-controlling rootstocks together with the use of different tree densities and planting arrays, are just as relevant today as they were when the first in this series of symposia was held in 1976.
Organising a programme with 53 oral papers and 40 posters, involving over 100 delegates from 18 different countries, is no small task. On your behalf, I would like to thank the Organising Committee for bringing together such a comprehensive programme both for the delegates and for their partners.
Special thanks goes to John Palmer as Convenor, and to the Chairs of the three Working Groups – Jim Flore, Terence Robinson and Tony Webster. Within New Zealand, John has been ably assisted by Jill Stanley and Dennis Greer, Stuart Tustin and Jens Wünsche – thank you on behalf of everyone for your long hours of effort, for the many committee meetings you must have attended and for the personal contributions that each of you has made towards ensuring that this week is a successful and memorable one.
To all of you enjoy the symposium and, if you are a visitor please enjoy your time in New Zealand; enjoy our hospitality, our special scenery and, of course, the programme that has been arranged for you.