Pollinating flowers by spraying pollen in PollenAid is a commercial success story.

The PollenAid process maintains the viability of kiwifruit pollen in a water-based suspension so it can be sprayed on to female flowers to set seeds. The more seeds that set, the bigger the fruit will be.

By using Pollen Aid, flowers can be pollinated during adverse weather when insect pollination is not possible.

In replicated trials conducted in No. 4 Road, Te Puke, New Zealand, vines were either pollinated by wind and bees or by wind, bees and the PollenAid process using the Kiwi Pollen Sprayer. To simulate the affect of wet weather, all male flowers in the treated area were removed prior to flowering. The trial was conducted by an independent consultant and the crop was graded by HortResearch's manager Bruce Stowell. The results were startling:

Pollination system Average fruit weight (g) Average tray count Yield
(Trays per hectare)
Yield
(metric tons per hectare
Wind and bee pollination 88 36.4 4,400 14.08
Wind, bees and PollenAid 102 31.4 7,700 24.64

 Clearly, pollination by the PollenAid process can make up for inadequate wind and bee pollination.

 

PollenAid is proven technology

The PollenAid process involves mixing kiwifruit pollen in PollenAid suspension medium and then spaying the pollen suspension on to open kiwifruit flowers. Best applicators are those with airshear nozzles or Cambrian sprayers with modified swirl plates.

The PollenAid Suspension Medium was developed specifically to maintain pollen in a viable state while in an aqueous liquid. It is of vital importance that the procedures outlined below are carefully followed in order that the pollen is kept alive during transfer to the female flower.

  
Water for making PollenAid suspensions
  

Metal ion contamination in normal tap water results in rapid death of pollen. Water used to make PollenAid must be deionised prior to preparation of pollen suspensions.

Treat water by passing through a deioniser column and storing the clean water in storage drums (black PVC or food-grade plastic).

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PollenAid and BioPollenAid Suspension Media
  

PollenAid Suspension Medium was developed  by MAF, New Zealand, for conventional orchards.

BioPollenAid Suspension Medium was developed by Kiwi Pollen specifically to meet the requirements of organic orchards. 

The label instructions on the packaging for each type of PollenAid concentrate must be followed exactly. Always mix PollenAid concentrate in deionised water before adding pollen.

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Suspending Pollen in PollenAid
 

Measure the required amount of PollenAid suspension medium into the Kiwi Pollen mixer.

Add the appropriate amount of thawed pollen carefully to the surface of the PollenAid medium.

Agitate rapidly for 10 minutes or until a uniform suspension is obtained.

Recommended mixing rates: 4 g pollen per litre of PollenAid

Important: Because pollen is a living cell, all of the pollen suspension must be used within one hour of mixing.

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Marker Dye
 

Kiwi Pollen has developed a non-toxic red dye that can be added to PollenAid during PollenAid mixing.  PollenAid droplets coloured with the dye can be easily seen on the petals of sprayed flowers, thus marking those flowers that have been spray pollinated.

A similar red dye - Bio Dye - has been developed for BioPollenAid and is approved for use on organic orchards.

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Spraying Flowers
 

Airshear technology has been repeatedly proven to be the most effective way of applying male pollen to female kiwifruit flowers.

Kiwi Pollen has developed a Kiwi Pollen Sprayer that is portable, lightweight and simple to use. The sprayer uses airshear technology and is suitable for both large and small orchards.

The Kiwi Pollen Sprayer mixes low pressure air with the pollen suspension within the airshear nozzle to create uniform droplet sizes. The spray angle from the nozzle facilitates accurate and efficient delivery of the pollen to the target flower.

Recommended spraying rates: 1.5g of pollen per 1,000 flowers.

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For more information download PollenAid Manual



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Postal Address: PO Box 761, Te Puke, New Zealand
Te Puke Office: Main Road North, Te Puke
Ph: 64 (7) 573 5100, Fax: 64 (7) 573 5101
info@kiwipollen.com