Plant & Food Research has merged with AgResearch, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research and Scion to form the Bioeconomy Science Institute
Podcast
Crafting a crunch - 40 years of apple innovation
04 Nov 2025
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In the spring of 1985, a pivotal breeding cross produced two of New Zealand’s most successful apple varieties —Scifresh and Scilate— later commercialised and marketed by T&G Global as JAZZ™ and Envy™ apples.
This pioneering work at the Bioeconomy Science Institute’s (formerly DSIR’s) Hawke’s Bay research orchard led to commercial partner T&G Global licensing the varieties and taking them to consumers around the world. Since then, JAZZ™ and Envy™ apples have enjoyed remarkable global success, reaching consumers in more than 55 countries and earning a reputation as two of the most sought-after premium apple brands in the world.
In this episode of Scigest, we dive into the incredible story behind these two varieties with Bioeconomy Science Institute apple breeder Dr Richard Volz and hear about the dedication, passion, and years of scientific research that goes into breeding apples that truly stand out on the global stage.
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