The Australian pear industry is about to be dazzled with the first stage of commercialisation of the Celina/ QTee hitting the market.

Originating from Norway, the QTee is a natural breed of a Williams and Broket Juli cross which has resulted in a tasty and crunchy blushing beauty with an expected harvest 10 days before the Williams variety.

Horticultural Brand Management Australia general manager Elisa King says the beauty of the QTee is it can be eaten crunchy straight off the tree, or when left in ambient temperature for a few days, the flavour develops and you have a soft and juicy sweet pear.

First planted in Australia in 2019, the QTee is a productive variety well adapted for growing in both cool and warm climates.

“As of 2023 there are over 28,000 Celina trees grown in selected orchards under a range of climatic conditions from Shepparton to Batlow, the Adelaide Hills and Manjimup.

“The warm days and cool nights are ideal for nurturing great tasting pears and we have been very selective in finding the best growers across suitable regions to test the trees.

“We now have eight orchards with trial trees, and three orchards with commercial quantities,” Miss King says.

She says the support provided by HBMA to growers interested in the new variety is extensive and includes a grower manual based on a decade of learnings and research from Australian and other countries.

The manual is regularly updated while newsletters provide key, seasonal information.

“We also support growers with an agronomist to help teach growers how to best prune Celina trees.

“Pruning is so important to achieve the beautiful red blush -these trees are also extremely productive and require thinning,” she says.

HBMA has partnered with the Page Family Nursey in Tasmania to grow the trees on two different types of rootstock, BA29 and QA with a Beuree Hardy Intestem (the interstem does increase the growth time for the trees).

“We will be reviewing all test trees during the 2024 harvest and make plans for future tree plantings where the grower can decide which root stock will suit them best.

“We are being strategic with our planting program to ensure a steady and sustainable lift in future supply.”

The QTee is already well known in other countries in particular Europe where sales are very strong.

“South Africa have been growing the variety for over 10 years and continue to plant while Chile planted last year and the USA is now coming on board, hence the growth in the market for this exciting variety,” Miss King says.

QTee is sweet, medium sized fruit with an intense red blush on a green background, Pressure 5.8 - 6 and brix preference is 12, minimum in Europe in 11. 

HBMA will set Australia quality standards in due course.

HBMA is a vertically integrated company formed by five of Australia’s leading growers. HMBA co-ordinates growing, packing and marketing of Kanzi apples in Australia and will also manage the introduction and commercialisation of other new fruit varieties to the Australian market including QTee Pear.