Lefroy Valley held its annual Gisborne Sweetcorn Field day on Monday 7th March on Bushmere Road. This year Gisborne was not so kind with a mix of showers and sunshine, nothing a good hedge could not stop. Again it was another good turnout of growers. The field day was followed as always by a fantastic evening meal at the Bushmere Arms enjoyed by all.
Processing Supersweet Yellows: A pleasant surprise was the performance of HY 1656. A high coloured yellow which has performed well in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Blenheim. Good yield, recovery and a strong plant. Galaxy remains a quality performer for use as IQF kernel with great factory recovery. We were able to see again the exciting varieties from last year: HY 2282, 2283, 2795 and 2786. All with great colour.
In addition to these there were two new numbers 4739 and 2354. Great colour and slightly earlier to mature, more along the lines of a Krispy King type. The plant styles, rowing, kernel depth and husk cover make these must trial varieties. Growers and processors will follow them with interest.
Freshmarket Sweetcorn: Do not forget our market leading early bi-colour, Entree for a proven, reliable start to the season. For yellows HY 1027 is an excellent early and approximately the same maturity as Entree. HY 1027 has great colour, rowing, flavour and a nice deep kernel. Worth a look early! For a main season yellow you can not go past Galaxy. Galaxy has a strong plant, rust resistance and great tasting corn.
