BigBucks and Royal Beaut (RYB Select) Field Day, 7 February 2025
On 7 February 2025, SAPO hosted an insightful field day in the beautiful Witzenberg Valley, Ceres, showcasing BigBucks and Royal Beaut (RYB Select) apples. Over 50 industry professionals, including producers, technical advisors, and exporters, gathered for a day of learning and collaboration.
At Paardekloof (a DuToit Agri farm), Willie Kotze provided valuable technical insights into the BigBucks and Royal Beaut blocks. The group then moved on to Wakkerstroom, owned by Fourie Zulch, where Hammies Hamman continued the discussions, diving deeper into best practices and innovations.
Bigbucks Field Day, 3 February 2025
On 3 February 2025, a group of producers and technical advisors gathered at the Fruitways offices in Elgin before heading out to visit Glen Elgin in Grabouw and Graymead in Vyeboom.
A big thank you to Dian Craven from Fruitways for sharing valuable insights with the group. The key takeaway? Timing is everything!
➡ VERY IMPORTANT: ‘BigBucks Gala’ should be harvested at physiological maturity, not based on colour. Harvesting ‘BigBucks Gala’ fruit too early negatively impacts eating quality and compromises the name of ‘BigBucks Gala’.
Delwilmore Field Day, 31 January 2025
On 31 January 2025, we visited the Delwilmor Pear trial block at Rosendalfontein in the scenic Witzenberg Valley, Ceres. Planted in 2013, the trees were packed with fruit, as seen in the photos. Hosted by SAPO, the field day showcased the progress of this promising variety.
Due to the success of this trial, Rosendalfontein established 3 hectares of Delwilmor pears. Now in their third leaf, the trees were harvested at the end of January, yielding an impressive 50 tons per hectare.
Key takeaway for producers:
· Managing fruit load is essential to prevent pears from growing too large.
· Colour: Starts green and ripens to a slight yellow with a green sheen.
· Brix: 12–13 °Bx
· Blooms: End of September
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For more information, contact SAPO Trust at elsa@saplant.co.za.