10 Benefits Confirmed Across 5 Orchards Over 3 Years
This was not a single-orchard snapshot. The same treatments were replicated across five Bay of Plenty kiwifruit orchards over three full growing seasons, with results significant to between 90% and 99.99% confidence. The findings cover every stage of the kiwifruit value chain — from vine health in the orchard through to shelf life after coolstorage.
Improved fruit firmness during coolstorage
Improved post-coolstorage shelf life
Reduced new season canes lost to wind damage (blow-outs)
Encouraged more new canes adjacent to and from the main leader
Reduced the incidence of coolstorage pitting
Increased the calcium content of the fruit
Reduced the nitrogen/calcium ratio in the fruit
Increased fruit weight at harvest
Increased the percentage of 22 count size fruit
Increased the number of earthworms in the soil
Trial Design
On each of the 5 pergola-structured orchards, 4 treatment plots were randomly selected and each received 5 spray applications per season — 15 applications over the three years of the study.
Control
Water only — soil (500 ltr/ha) and foliage (2,000 ltr/ha)
Soil Only
AgriSea Soil Nutrition 10 ltr in 500 ltr water/ha
Foliar Only
AgriSea Foliar Nutrition 10 ltr in 2,000 ltr water/ha
Soil & Foliar
Both AgriSea products at rates above — combined programme
Application timings: new canes at 10–20cm, pre-blossom, mid-blossom, post-blossom, and 1 month prior to harvest.
Fruit Firmness After 6 Months Coolstorage
All fruit from each plot was harvested, graded, packed into trays, coolstored, then held for 36 hours at ambient temperature before penetrometer testing. The combined Soil & Foliar treatment delivered the greatest improvement in firmness.
Three-Year Average Fruit Firmness
Higher is better — firmness measured by penetrometer (kg)
Post-Coolstorage Shelf Life
A sub-sample of coolstored fruit was held for a further 14 days at ambient room temperature, then inspected for rots, softs and firm (eating quality) fruit. The combined Soil & Foliar treatment produced dramatic improvements across all three measures.
Rots Reduced by up to 50%
Soil only: –20% rots. Foliar only: –37% rots. Soil & Foliar combined: –50% rots. Less wastage means more marketable fruit reaching consumers in good condition.
Soft Fruit Reduced by up to 32%
Soil only: –15% softs. Foliar only: –30% softs. Soil & Foliar: –32% softs. Firmer fruit after extended ambient storage gives growers and exporters a greater window for distribution.
Firm (Eating Quality) Fruit After 14 Days Ambient
Percentage of fruit in eating condition — higher is better
Vine Health — Blow-outs & New Cane Growth
Vine structure directly affects the productivity of your orchard for years to come. AgriSea treatments reduced cane losses to wind and encouraged significantly more new cane growth — both critical for maintaining productive canopy structure.
Blow-outs Reduced
New season canes lost to wind damage — lower is better
New Canes Grown per Vine
Canes adjacent to and from the main leader — higher is better
Coolstorage Pitting & Fruit Calcium
Coolstorage pitting is a significant quality issue for kiwifruit exporters. AgriSea treatments dramatically reduced its incidence — and the mechanism is clear: calcium in the fruit was significantly increased, and the nitrogen/calcium ratio was reduced.
Coolstorage Pitting Reduced up to 49%
Soil only: –13% pitting. Foliar only: –38% pitting. Soil & Foliar combined: –49% pitting. Less pitting directly reduces downgrading and export rejections after storage.
Fruit Calcium Increased up to 11%
Calcium was the single element to show the most significant differences from the seaweed applications. Soil only and Foliar only: +9% calcium. Soil & Foliar: +11% calcium. Higher calcium in fruit is directly linked to reduced pitting and improved firmness.
Coolstorage Pitting Incidence
Mean percentage of fruit with pitting — lower is better
Soil Health — Earthworm Population
Soil samples were extracted to 18cm depth using a golf greens hole cutter — 5 samples per plot, across all 20 treatment plots. The soil-only treatment produced a remarkable 150% increase in earthworm numbers, a result significant to p=0.01.
The soil-only treatment was the only result to reach statistical significance for earthworm numbers (p=0.01). Earthworms are a key indicator of soil biological health and long-term orchard productivity.
Fruit Weight & Returns — Independently Confirmed
The fruit weight and economic benefits observed in this trial were independently confirmed in a follow-up study at a Te Puke kiwifruit orchard conducted by Bio Soil & Crop Ltd NZ and presented in the NZ Kiwifruit Journal.