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 |
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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.
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Water for making PollenAid
suspensions
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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).
Click
deioniser for more details.
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now for best price and shipping details.
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PollenAid and BioPollenAid
Suspension Media |
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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.
Click PollenAid for
more details.
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now for best price and shipping details.
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| Suspending Pollen in PollenAid |
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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.
Click Mixer for more
details.
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now for best price and shipping details.
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Marker Dye
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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. Click dye for more details.
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now for best price and shipping details.
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| Spraying
Flowers
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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.
Click sprayers for
more details.
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now for best price and shipping details. |

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For more information download PollenAid
Manual
Home
| Benefits | Pollen Supply
| Pollen Spraying | Pollen Dusting
| Contact
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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 |
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