CHICAGO, IL - ​Hazel Technologies is continuing its mission to reduce food waste with its latest kiwifruit partnership. The USDA-funded technology company has tapped New Zealand-based Zespri International, this time to target the root of the matter. Hazel recently announced the commercial launch of Hazel™ Trex, a new technology brought to market designed to improve kiwifruit orchard performance and increasing orchard efficiency.

“We are thrilled to support Zespri in the kiwifruit industry by making this innovative technology available,” said Adam Preslar, CTO at Hazel Technologies. “Hazel is truly committed to improving fresh produce quality, reducing waste, and increasing sales from seed to shelf.”

According to the release, the technology works by providing guidance on the best timing for orchard management practices. Trial data indicates there is a benefit of using Hazel Trex on traditional Hayward and “Gold” kiwifruit orchards.

‍

Grower block trials have indicated that king flower production increased by approximately 15 percent can be achieved in Hayward when using Hazel Trex.

“We are pleased to have the Hazel Trex test available to Zespri growers this season. Through Zespri Innovation trials, we have demonstrated that this technology can be used to optimize orchard practices to improve budbreak and flowering results,” said Dr. Mary Black, Innovation Team Leader for Orchard Productivity at Zespri International. “We believe growers can use this technology to optimize the timing of budbreak enhancers, therefore improving the performance of their orchards.”

Founded in 2015, Hazel Tech® solutions revolve around the controlled release of active, shelf-life enhancing vapor from packaging materials, as well as pre-harvest quality technologies. Hazel® patent-pending technologies have been tested by many of the country's top academic research programs including UC Davis, Cornell University, and Oregon State University.

‍