Fruitfed Supplies had a strong presence at the second Vegetables Big Day Out, New Zealand’s largest vegetable industry event held on 5 March at the Vegetable Industry Centre of Excellence (Te Ahikawariki) in Pukekohe.
Around 400 attendees joined in the one-day programme which brought growers, researchers, scientists, suppliers and policymakers from around the country to showcase the latest in sustainable vegetable production, crop protection, new varieties and technologies.
As research sponsors of the event, Fruitfed Supplies conducted trials across two plots this season; one to assess biostimulants and adjuvants on onions, and the other to demonstrate a system change approach to growing potatoes in New Zealand by using drip-irrigation.
Chris Lambert, Technical Specialist – Vegetables, and Lachlan Walter, R&D Intern, presented the findings from their drip-irrigation trial. Their work explored how this irrigation strategy influences foliar disease, pest risk, soil structure and nutrient management compared to conventional overhead irrigation. With positive results, strong industry engagement and more questions that need answering, they are looking to continue this research next season.
Other presentations included technology showcases such as spore trapping for disease modelling, digital pheromone traps for pests, drone spraying, laser weeding and leaf moisture and spray coverage sensors. The team also learnt more about projects relating to boosting on farm biodiversity, onion Stemphylium management and other cultural controls for potato tuber moth.
Chris says the day was highly worthwhile: “It was great to see such a turn out to the Vegetables Big Day Out and we were very happy with the crowd that showed up to hear about our trial, particularly with a few growers showing interest in trying this for themselves. The sheer amount of experience and knowledge exchange at this event gave us plenty of ideas for next time.”
He adds: “There is something for everyone at the Big Day Out and we look forward to supporting it again next year.”
Fruitfed Supplies showcased innovative research and strong industry engagement at New Zealand’s 2025 Vegetables Big Day Out, presenting trial results on biostimulants, adjuvants and drip-irrigated potato systems while connecting with growers and experts on sustainable vegetable production.
