Identifying male cultivars during flowering

Males are difficult to identify and the flowering period provides the best opportunity to distinguish between cultivars. Male cultivars vary in susceptibility to Psa-V. Therefore, the ability to identify different male varieties can assist Psa-V management activities.

Diseased males can impact future pollination requirements. More-tolerant male varieties are more likely to provide an ongoing source of pollen within the orchard.

To help growers identify between males, KVH has developed a simple guide including photos, descriptions and leaf characteristics of each variety.

• Click here to view the KVH Male Cultivar Identification Guide on the KVH website
• Click here to view a KVH information sheet about male susceptibility to Psa-V

Also, growers wanting to test their males to confirm identify are can contact Tree Lab in Rotorua who process male samples and send them offshore for DNA analysis.