The establishment of effective shelter for subtropical cropping in North Taranaki: A thesis submitted as the requirement for the National Diploma of Horticulture

Abstract

As the value of horticultural cropping continues to expand in North Taranaki, so grows the realization as to the importance of shelter to that expansion. Subtropical production is no exception and relies heavily on protection from damaging winds to nurture these relatively delicate wind sensitive plants. Select sites in North Taranaki are able to provide the environmental ingredients to support a diversification in to subtropical production, however, the severity of Taranaki's wind is one element which is often overlooked or underestimated. The persistence and the strengths of particularly the prevailing westerly wind tend to undermine the efforts of potential horticulturists who don't hold enough respect of this very prominent climatic feature. This Thesis looks at the relationship between horticultural shelter and the development of subtropical cropping in Northern Taranaki.