Apple grafting breakthrough will save millions of dollars

Apple growers no longer have to replace their orchards every time consumers switch to a new variety.

 

Researchers at the NSW Department of Primary Industries say growers can graft a new variety of apple onto the stump of their old trees, instead of starting again from scratch.

 

Scientist Shane Hetherington says this technique yields good quality apples, reduces water use and will save the industry millions of dollars.

 

"There's a lot of infrastructure associated with these modern tree plantings," he says.

"They've got to have irrigation, they've also got to have trellising, and the cost of that can be between $30,000 and $40,000 per hectare.

 

"With this new system, instead of going in and planting new trees and having to rip all that infrastructure out, we can leave that infrastructure in place and just play around with the tops of the trees."