EXTENSIVE flooding across the North East from heavy rains over recent weeks is causing concern for many within the horticulture industry, including kiwifruit producers at Whorouly.
Whorouly Kiwifruit Company, Jade Quality Kiwifruit, was last week racing against the clock to protect its orchard from further inundation from rising floodwaters from the Ovens River.
Typically when plants have a root system underwater for a period of time, it can cause fungal diseases in the root system of the plant and can travel to the leaves and fruit with the potential of killing the plant.
Glenys and Jim McNamara, former owners of Jade Quality Kiwifruit, have been working with the new owners of the business to help minimise flood impacts.
"The kiwifruit crop is in flowering stage which is the most critical part of the process," Mr McNamara said.
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"Team members are correctly artificially pollinating at the moment, however parts of the orchard that are under water cannot be accessed which means if pollination is not taking place, the fruit will be smaller in size or no fruit will grow at all.
"When a kiwifruit flower is well pollinated it produces plenty of seeds and the more seeds, the heavier the fruit which is often what growers want."
Glenys and Jim said as well as impacting kiwifruit plants, floodwater was also impacting bee hives that have been placed around the orchard to assist in further pollination of the plants.
With rising water, hives have had their lids removed as an exit from flood water which interrupts the hive and for bees to fulfil their role in the orchard.
"We have had to remove the lids off a number of the hives that are impacted with flood water," Glenys said.
"Some hives are damaged at the base but we have created an exit point allowing the bees to fly in and out.
"There is a lot of work to be done before Christmas with all team members working as hard as they can."
Jim raised further concerns about the orchard that is paramount to the survival and efficiency of sections of kiwifruit under water.
"Vines will begin dying when submerged under water for more than a four day period...so it's a waiting game for the Ovens River to subside," he said.
