The report of business trip to Chile and New Zealand（2010/7/6）

Keigo Nakamura

Thank you for your usual cooperation.
I visited the all of Bulb grower Company in New Zealand 21st to 28th in June, and checked bulb growth and harvesting situations. The report is as follows.

● Chile

１．The Climate and enlargement

The temperature changed low in Chile 2009 and 2010 generally.
When bulbs ware planted, weather was not good and because of a late frost happened a long time, planting was late and some of bulbs ware planted in middle of November.
Summer was cool and had sunlight.
The growth delay recovered rapidly, was blessed with good weather from March.
The season average temperature was 2℃ lower in Puyeue（location of SB）but that is depends on the area.

About Enlargement. As follows,

location	temperature	enlargement	production company
North	normal	Good	Sun Harvest
Center	little low	Little good	Sone・Chile Bollen・part of field in Southern Bulbs
South	Low	normal	Southern Bulbs・Sun＆Breeze・Montes Verdes

Because temperature stayed low, the region which normally has high temperature is getting better growth in general.

The big size planting material were planted tending to dense, and enlargement was less (compare with small size)

LA varieties was finished harvesting and grading already, bulb shortage resulted a little.

２．The power of the bulb and the shoot formation
I checked many variety’s sprouts this year, and the graph shows result in “%” that compares with check data of last year.
Sprout development is delay in general.

Because of late planting and less temperature difference between summer and autumn, sprout development seemed to started late, so the number of leaves are not many, sprout length and width were also not specially big.
Sprout development of color varieties are going further, on the other hand, late sprout development varieties remained kind of immature.
Except the difference of varieties, planting season and density also influence, so it’s rather complex honestly. That’s why we do statistical investigation every year.

Chile bulb’s sprout may looks little too big in normal year, therefore we thought this year is suitable.(standard level of NL crop.)

● New Zealand
1.Climate and enlargement

　When planting started, climate was very good; most of bulbs were planted within September.
As you can see the graph about a temperature change (yellow line), was charted half month delay overall.
Temperature was low until summer, but autumn was warm and growing kept till the last of autumn.

The sunlight of January to June (monthly average) of 2010crop was 156 hours was little less, compared with the average year value 171 hours.
Temperature was higher in later season, therefore dieing of field was later. Power contents of 2010 crop has possibility to be same as last year. (Lower than normal year)

　The enlargement is similar tendency like Chile, also North Island and South island have constant difference as you can see the following graph.

	enlargement	Sprout development	Grower company
North island	Good	Progressing	Island bulb
North of South island	Standard	A little Progressing	VZ・Bakker
South of South island	Standard	Standard	Southern flora

＊About sprout development, there are differences by production area (same tendency every year),we can say almost the same level as last year by averaging the whole.

● Rainy harvesting and working people

　When I visited Chile, harvesting situation was about 50 %, NZ was about 35-50%.
This year, both countries had a lot of rain after harvesting season started. Some place got 300 mm in one week.
“A typical Holland winter climate” is cold and a windy drizzle, but the Southern hemisphere is not a drizzle, it’s same as Japanese rain.

　When I visited, the weather was good again, I could check without getting wet in the rain. Now harvesting was restarted and going good for the second half.


harvest soon.	people taking out a old stem.

You are working in agriculture. It’s said “Manos verdes” in Chile language that means “Green hand”.
Growing the target products need touch the soil receive the environment (climate) by the skin and watch and feel a product besides the logical on the desk, or sense of control the work.
Especially horticulture, moreover Lily plant can reflect the our decision on each occasion on result. We fell it is good point.

　There is no formula prospect for harvesting result (an addition and shortage).
My method of prospect is very complicated, like leading crossing point of several lines by mix the information with difference angle and accuracy (reliability).
It’s good that I could check the bulbs there actually as the environment changes more and more, to investigate numerically and objectively become important.

　In 2010, a big earthquake happened in Chile, volcanic eruptions in Europe and low temperature in Japan and Holland (It is called an Arctic Oscillation.)
In salmon aquaculture in Chile there are new virus problem, also foot-and-mouth disease of cattle in Kyusyu (Japan) are not somebody else’s problem.

　A lot of things happened or changed in environment, we have to do our work and do our best that delivery the good bulb toward to lend the profit for customer!