Australian Berry Growers' Journal SPRING 2018 Issue 40 by BerriesAustralia

Australian Berry Grower SPRING 2018 ISSUE 40

Welcome RABA

Microlearning

Botrytis issues?

Raspberries & Blackberries now included

Bringing skills training to the palm of your hand

Tackling this troublesome fungus

Workplace relations update Changes to your obligations

Also • Celebrating 40 years of the ABGA • New blueberry marketing strategy • Can blueberry pomace be used to make food packaging? • Strategy for growing berry exports

Australian Berry Grower 1372A Bruxner Highway, Lindendale NSW 2480

Editor Jane Richter

SPRING 2018 / ISSUE 40

Contributors Peter McPherson Richard McGruddy Alex Smith Melinda Simpson Michele Buntain Cathy Byrne Shane Singh Liz Singh Ben Rogers Luke Jewel Tony Mahar Mal Deveson Grant Gartrell David Stevens-Castro Jenny Shanks Jeremy Jones Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this Journal, the information contained is necessarily of a general nature and should not be relied upon as a substitute for specific advice. Permission must be obtained from Berries Australia prior to copying any material from the Journal.

Design & layout by Kern & Kraft Design using the original design created by Peppercorn Creative with thanks to Kate Prezioso

THIS ISSUE From the Editor – Jane Richter

ABGA President’s Report – Peter McPherson

RABA President’s Report – Richard McGruddy

Executive Director – Alex Smith

Industry Development Officer’s Report – Melinda Simpson

Marketing Report – Jane Richter and Magnum & Co

Raspberry & Blackberry Industry Snapshot – Jane Richter

NFF sees a berry bright 2030 – Tony Mahar

Understanding insect pollinators in blueberries – Jeremy Jones

NSW Government driving best practice – Luke Jewel

Berry Export Strategy - Hort Innovation

Introducing Microlearning – Cathy Byrne

The secret life of redberry mite in blackberries - Dr Stephen Quarrell and Michele Buntain

40 years of the ABGA – Part One – Jane Richter

CENTRE SPREAD

Members’ Perspective – Grant Gartrell

Country Profile: Chile – David Stevens-Castro

The Schultzes: Sustainable & Innovative Farmers – Jane Richter

Botrytis problems? – Liz and Shane Singh

Blueberry Pomace in food packaging – summarised by Jane Richter

Jane Richter jane@chorizotrading.com 07 5438 7662

Members Perspective – Mal Deveson

Workplace Relations Update – Ben Rogers

All advertising is subject to approval by ABGA and RABA prior to publication.

Enhanced National Bee Pest Surveillance Program – Jenny Shanks 68

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Australian Berry Grower

INDUSTRY

From the Editor JANE RICHTER

Welcome to the 40th edition of this journal and what a journey it has been for blueberry growing in Australia to reach this milestone.

his 40th edition coincides with the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Australian Blueberry Growers’ Association way back in 1978 in Victoria and you will find Part 1 of a two-part history in the centre pages of this journal. It also is a time for introducing a new industry to the journal – welcome to Raspberry and Blackberry Australia and all the growers of Rubus across Australia.

This edition of the newly re-named Australian Berry Grower journal includes a brief snapshot of the current raspberry and blackberry industry with information kindly provided by Hort Innovation. I have reached out to all of the current providers who are undertaking projects funded by the industry levy for Rubus, and project updates are included in this edition where information was available to be shared. Speaking to Aman Singh Lehl and his father to research the history of the OzGroup for our feature on the early years of the ABGA, I am struck by the common theme I have found talking to farmers across many areas of horticulture. We battle against the forces of nature on a daily basis and succeed oftentimes in spite of the blows dealt by hail, frost, flood, pestilence or drought. And why do we do it? The answer I receive is so often the same. Farming allows you to be your own boss, out in the fresh air; some of the limits found in other careers just don’t apply. With that freedom comes responsibilities that you generally cannot easily escape, even for a short time, but the rewards are nearly always worth it.

The ripples from these initial small actions – to deliberately insert sewing needles into a small number of fresh strawberry punnets – have impacted the entire fresh food industry in Australia and have caused sufficient concern overseas that several trading partners have questioned Australia as a safe supplier of produce.

ABGA & RABA Details

One thing I can assure you of, having been on the inside of some of the discussions following this crisis through my work with Queensland Strawberries, is that this berry industry has excellent representation through Alex Smith at all of the important tables around which plans for the future are being made. The formation of Berries Australia Limited as a representative voice is timely and absolutely necessary, and puts all berries in a better place as a result.

Membership of the Australian Blueberry Growers’ Association is open to all blueberry growers.

I am still finding my feet in navigating the industry and I would like to actively encourage anyone with a story to share to please get in touch. You don’t have to write your story – just tell it to me and I will weave the tale on your behalf!

As a passionfruit grower and a horticultural marketing consultant, I do have some understanding of the issues you face in horticulture today. I’d like this journal to always be relevant and timely with the information it delivers, so please let me know what you’d like to see included. Jane Richter jane@chorizotrading.com

Australian Berry Grower

To join ABGA, visit our website: www.abga.com.au and apply online All applications are subject to approval by the Management Committee. Grower Membership: $165 per year Associate Members: $450 per year For any queries contact: members@abga.com.au

RABA MEMBERSHIP Membership of Raspberries & Blackberries Australia is open to all Rubus growers. To join RABA, visit our website: www.raba.com.au and apply online All applications are subject to approval by the Management Committee. Grower Membership: $195 per year Associate Members: $450 per year For any queries contact: members@raba.com.au

JOURNAL CONTRIBUTORS We are always on the lookout for new contributions. Please contact: Jane Richter | jane@chorizotrading.com

At the time of going to press, the Strawberry industry in Australia is in the grips of a crisis spawned from the actions of persons unknown who have deliberately set out to cause harm. I have no doubt that the individual or individuals behind this action had malicious intent, but I also believe they were unlikely to fathom the depth and breadth of the impact of their actions not just on the unsuspecting members of the public, but on the hard-working families who grow the strawberries and all of the contingent businesses whose livelihoods depend on it.

ABGA MEMBERSHIP

JOURNAL ADVERTISING Contact Jane Richter for the latest schedule and advertising rates for Members and NonMembers. Member advertising rates are only available to members who have paid their membership in the current membership year. Jane Richter | jane@chorizotrading.com

Australian Berry Grower

INDUSTRY

President’s Report PETER McPHERSON

“

With 2018 marking the th 40 anniversary of the ABGA, it is timely to reflect on just how far we have come as an industry. The key to our growth and our ultimate success which has accelerated over the past decade is that we as growers have continued to be innovative in both the development of our product and the agronomic practices we use.

Industry Communication

s result of this, Australian blueberries are now rightly regarded as being some of the tastiest and highest quality berries produced anywhere in the world. The industry has always sought to establish and maintain the quality of our fruit at the highest levels in the domestic marketplace. This has been crucial to establishing consistent and growing consumer demand, with market researchers finding that it can take up to six weeks for someone who has had a bad experience with an item of fresh produce to come back and purchase the produce again. As more volume comes on to the domestic market we must be ever vigilant to ensure that quality standards do not slip. This means we must resist the temptation to put inferior product into the market. With this in mind, the recent severe frosts in northern New South Wales highlight the need to be aware of what frost damaged fruit looks like and to be disciplined in not allowing inferior product into the supply chain.

Strategic Investment Plan

FROST DAMAGE ON FRUIT

Given the growth in new plantings and capital investment in existing farms, it is critical that the domestic and export markets grow, which requires further market development. The industry produced over 17,000 tonnes of fruit in the 2017/18 financial year and this is expected to continue to grow with a target of 20% of annual production being exported by 2022. In today’s terms, that is in excess of 3,500 tonnes of exports compared to the current export volumes of less than 500 tonnes of fruit. This will require a strategic focus on not only opening new market access, including Japan and China, but also developing plans for in-country marketing and securing effective supply chain elements that can be trusted and will develop as demand improves.

In March we completed our Strategic Investment Plan which contains three broad objectives. These include growing the market size both domestically and internationally, delivering value to all grower members through better education and access to information and knowledge, and better managing industry risks, including biosecurity, food hygiene and water security.

Australian Berry Grower

In order to provide value to all growers it is important that ABGA listens to its members and stays in touch with key industry issues. Effective communication with all growers is imperative to achieving this, including through our website, journals, eNews bulletins, conferences and other specific forums. To this end the ABGA website is being re-built so that it is easy to use and will ultimately contain tools specifically designed to help grower members stay better informed. An example of this is in making the Blueberry Industry Code of Conduct available and searchable online through the website, in addition to providing checklists and interactive tutorials on farm practices. In the longer term, the implementation of shared knowledge forums will be tested and shaped to encourage grower participation.

The ABGA is working in partnership with Hort Innovation and other Australian Blueberry Commonwealth and Industry State agencies to establish Strategic Investment Plan 2018–2022 berry marketing into Asia on a much stronger footing. From pursuing a biosecurity protocol with China to building a better awareness of documentation, cool chain and freight logistics to Indonesia or Thailand, we are pursuing all available avenues to expand our markets.

Berries Australia One recent initiative that we have successfully concluded is the establishment of a joint venture company between ABGA and Raspberries and Blackberries Australia (RABA). The entity will be called ‘Berries Australia Limited’ and reflecting the coming together of these bodies this journal will now be known as Australian Berry Grower, presenting information on the raspberry, blackberry and blueberry industries. Berries Australia Limited will be managed by the Executive Director of ABGA – Alex Smith and will have a Board of Directors made up equally of the peak industry bodies as shareholders. Our goal is to seek out lowers costs, gain better berry industry coordination and build stronger markets for what we grow. It is an exciting time to be a berry grower. Kind regards Peter McPherson

Reducing Industry Risks A focus on reduced industry risk will occur through a series of projects undertaken in partnership with Government and other industry bodies to develop clear frameworks that better manage risk across major areas of biosecurity, market access, food safety and workplace environments. These frameworks will adopt industry best practice and include, where feasible, online learning, compliance testing and accreditation for member growers.

Australian Berry Grower

Peter McPherson Mobile: 0418 666 651 president@abga.com.au

INDUSTRY

Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Report RICHARD McGRUDDY

Given that it is a rapidly expanding industry, we need to pay attention to managing this within a sustainable business model. The executive management team are working closely with Hort Innovation to review and manage the strategic plan, target key R&D projects and build a better communications program for growers. The three core pillars currently for the Raspberry and Blackberry industry are to increase domestic consumption, increase exports and increase farm productivity. Projects are put forward under these three core

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It is wonderful to be involved with RABA and Berries Australia Limited now we have a dynamic team who are all engaged to drive change and promote the industry into the future.

imon Dornauf has been appointed as Vice President and Kate Sutherland as Secretary of RABA. These two new people have accepted office bearing positions and have been growers for many years in the Tasmanian region. They will be a great asset for the industry to get a broader national perspective. This is coupled with myself in Queensland and Rowan Francis as Treasurer being from Victoria. Alex Smith has now been formally appointed as our Executive Director who has been working hard to get a clear focus and stable footing for RABA. He has been instrumental in ensuring that relevant priority projects are being put forward for the association and that the industry has good representation across Commonwealth and State government departments. The Raspberries and Blackberries industry is continuing to grow at a rapid rate. With a vast improvement in private varieties being grown in recent years, the consumer is experiencing better flavour, larger size and longer shelf life from their purchases. As growers, we are now achieving higher yields and increased efficiencies in our harvest and better efficiencies within our operations.

industry pillars which are of benefit to the whole industry. Biosecurity is an issue that affects us all and can rapidly change the landscape we operate in if we are not risk prepared with adequate measures in place. RABA is still a member of Plant Health Australia and looks forward to the support that PHA provides to all growers across Australia helping to maintain our border security. Growing berries is one of the most labour-intensive industries in Horticulture. A strong seasonal workforce is vitally important to the success of all our businesses. It concerns me that the numbers of working holiday makers are decreasing across the country, so we must all do our bit to ensure that a positive message gets sent back home with our workers. We need to maintain a positive image in the berry industry as they can also get visa extensions working in other regional placements. RABA is now represented on the NFF Horticulture Council by our Executive Director and as such he is continuing to be our voice in the discussions about the Horticulture award changes, a potentially new AG Visa or extension of existing visas and the broader national agriculture issues.

It has been a long time in the planning for the RABA and the ABGA to be united in their approach towards driving the industry forward. Each peak industry body remains in place, but with a single voice under the Berries Australia Limited banner. We believe that this will result in gaining better momentum through collective bargaining across various government departments. Our AGM this year will be held at the Pacific Bay Resort in Coffs Harbour on the 12th of November. A formal invitation will be sent by the Secretary in early October. The ABGA will also have their AGM at the same location and time. This will then be followed by presentations and guest speakers in the afternoon. Then a good dinner and get together for RABA and ABGA. I am personally looking forward to meeting everyone there. Kind regards, Richard McGruddy

Richard McGruddy Mobile: 0408 763 804 president@raba.com.au

Australian Berry Grower

INDUSTRY

Executive Director ALEX SMITH

“

Welcome to the spring edition of Australian Berry Grower. You may be wondering why we have changed the name of our industry journal?

ver the past 6 months we have been working on a strategic project to bring the whole berry category under one umbrella for projects. This does not mean replacing the peak industry bodies like the ABGA. It does mean that we have formed Berries Australia Limited and the proprietary company is a joint venture between ABGA and Raspberries and Blackberries Australia Incorporated (RABA). The ABGA/ RABA initiative has resulted in a new proprietary company, limited by guarantee, and managed by a board of directors appointed by the shareholders (ABGA and RABA). The reasoning is that we will be able to better serve our members (growers) by co-ordinating projects across the berry category.

Communications is one area where we will be able to deliver stronger value through a combined journal for growers. We are hoping that we will eventually welcome strawberries to this new vehicle as a shareholder as well. There are many areas that make sense to utilise a combined approach. Some examples that would result in higher returns through a co-ordinated strategic direction are biosecurity, farm workforce management and export market development. This direction has the endorsement of Horticulture Innovation Australia and many other stakeholders in Government and Industry. Our top-level strategic investment goals are: a) to grow the market, b) to deliver value to all members and c) to manage our risks. Growing the market is taking on many forms with the recent release of the Berry category export marketing strategy from Hort Innovation being one key foundation of that direction. It is important that we continue our efforts to get back into the Japan market and that we conclude our biosecurity protocol arrangements with China. ABGA is working closely with the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) on input to those discussions. DAWR is hoping to be able to reach an agreement with Japan sometime mid next year and we will be then able to resume fresh blueberry marketing to Japanese consumers.

Australian Berry Grower

China will take considerably longer and with some geopolitical factors being outside of anyone’s control on a government to government basis it may take up to two years to reach an agreement for that market.

Subject areas for growers such as workforce management of seasonal workers, water security and runoff management, spray drift management are being considered for the initial focus.

Domestically we are producing more and more fruit on a yearly basis and as such we will likely reach peak fresh fruit demand in the very near future. It is critical that growers understand the preferences for various varieties in the domestic market and the need to maintain and increase fruit quality. The quality of the fruit produced for the fresh domestic market is one of the most critical factors in getting consumers to buy berries every week.

ABGA has established two key subcommittees to focus on specific areas. The marketing subcommittee is made up of the skilled marketing professionals drawn from the larger grower organisations. This committee assists in defining the annual marketing budget for fruit. We have allocated a budget to build awareness of berries in the consumer market and we will be pushing a “freeze your own” campaign as well as a health benefits of blueberries campaign. The second subcommittee is focussed on R&D projects and priorities. This committee is made up of our leading agronomists across the industry. They are developing a prioritised list of what areas we should be undertaking research in to benefit the whole industry. It is expected that Rubus agronomists will also join this committee.

“

Marketing specialists believe that one bad experience will result in up to six weeks before a consumer will try the fruit again.

In some regions there has been substantial frost damage to the current blueberry crop. ABGA has put out a technical bulletin on identifying what that damage looks like and how to detect it. We must remain conscious of not putting frost damaged fruit into the marketplace. Everyone loses when that happens.

It has been a busy first six months in the role, but we have achieved what we set out to do and a berry category focus will result in better communication and more focussed strategic projects that will benefit everyone.

Please email me or call me if you want to have your say.

We are continuing to enhance our web presence for both ABGA and RABA with new tools and knowledge access planned for release later in the year. Driving value to growers by ensuring that you have access to knowledge and learning materials is key to making sure we have an ever-increasing skills base in our industry. One other project that is being developed is in the area of microlearning. That is delivering short tutorial materials to a smartphone or tablet in the field. This approach is designed to give growers an ongoing learning path in key areas by pushing short (10 minute) tutorials that can be accessed when you have a little time to spare. The approach will maintain a record of competency and it will map out clear levels of achievement.

Australian Berry Grower

Alex Smith Mobile: 0409 200 926 alexsmith@berries.net.au

INDUSTRY

It is important to monitor your soils, if you don’t there is no way of knowing if you are under or over watering your plants, so you’re really only guessing. It is important that you pick up low soil moisture before your plants start to show signs to optimise growth and yields. It has been found that through monitoring, water use can be reduced by 40% without affecting yield. There is a range of monitoring products available, each with pros and cons. If you can’t afford to buy a monitoring system or it’s not for you, a soil auger or some device that you can push down and take a sample at the 20cm level will give you some idea if you are over or under watering.

IDO Report Melinda Simpson Blueberry Industry Development Officer, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wollongbar

he blueberry harvest in NSW is well under way now with production expected to exceed previous years. From July onwards, clear skies and little or no wind has resulted in frosts in newer areas of production in northern NSW. Common impacts and signs of frost damage on fruit include: internal browning of fruit, irregular colouring and ripening of berries as well as misshapen fruit. Please keep an eye out for these signs and educate your pickers so that we don’t see this fruit on the market.

POOR DRIP UNIFORMITY USUALLY OCCURS FROM:

The devastating effects of Australia’s unprecedented drought are spreading further through the eastern states. With limited rain over the last few months and a dry spring predicted, water supplies may become depleted, and managing your water use is critical in preventing this.

5. Submain and dripline drainage, this refers to when the water in the irrigation lines continues to drain out through the lowest emitters when water is turned off causing these plants to be overwatered.

Factors contributing to under-watering can include: blocked drippers; poor dripline setup/maintenance and lack of soil moisture monitoring.

You can contact Melinda directly Melinda Simpson Phone: 02 6626 1350 melinda.simpson@dpi.nsw.gov.au

1. Poor pressure, where the bottom rows are waterlogged, and the top plants remain dry. For example, a 0.4L/hr difference in the drip emission of the top of the dripline compared to the bottom can equate to a 145L difference over one year.

During drought conditions, reduced water flow and low volume can have an impact on water quality parameters. Salinity, nutrient levels and turbidity can increase due to reduced dilution and flushing. Water quality assessments during and after drought conditions are important to ensure the water is safe for its intended use.

4. Poor maintenance

If you are on slopes of greater than 10 degrees, pressure compensating driplines are advisable. You should aim to have a discharge variation of less than 5%. There are also a range of products available which can help with uneven watering on slopes, an example product is non-drain driplines and valve products which as soon as you stop watering, the emitters shut and the dripline remains full so you don’t get the issue of overwatering though dripline drainage. Drip systems should be flushed regularly to minimise blockages and should be done at least three times during the season. In some areas where water is of very poor quality flushing may need to be more frequent. You can tell if you are flushing regularly enough by the colour of the discharge from the driplines, if it is a thick brown toothpaste consistency you need to be flushing more regularly.

Australian Berry Grower

Since the previous Journal, the following minor use permits have been released/extended:

PERMIT 13289 for the use of Indoxacarb in Blueberries and Rubus species to control Light Brown Apple Moth and Elephant Weevil Borer has been extended to allow use in protected grown cropping systems.

PERMIT 86586 for the use of Fluazifop to control various weeds in Blueberries has been re-issued allowing use in all states until August 2023.

PERMIT 86469 has been released for the use of Zinc Phosphide for the control of rats and mice in Blueberry orchards.

PERMIT 14425

2. Blockages 3. Using the wrong dripline

Chemical updates

NATA accredited water testing can be carried out at the NSW DPI lab in Wollongbar. To find out more about the tests available, the type of tests you should be requesting, pricing, obtaining sampling kits and submitting your sample: * go to DPI’s webpage on water quality testing www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/irrigation/quality

* call the laboratory directly on 02 6626 1103 * email wollongbar.csu@dpi.nsw.gov.au

On another note, I have had some concerns from Essential Energy regarding limited access and obstruction by netting and blueberry plants around powerlines. Please remember that you must provide an unobstructed access and working space along the full length of the powerline corridor, a width of 4.5 metres and height of 4.6 metres are typically required for the safe passage of vehicles and an unobstructed working space around power poles for a radius of 10 metres is required for the replacement of power poles.

Australian Berry Grower

for the use of Bifenazate for the control of two spotted mite and European red spider mite in Raspberries and Blackberries has been extended to September 2023.

PERMIT 14424 for the use of Fenhexamid to control grey mould in Rubus and Rubus hybrids until September 2023. A permit application has been made for blueberries and will be released later this year.

PERMIT 14423 for the control of Queensland Fruit Fly in Blackberries, Raspberries and Blueberries using Abamectin has been extended to March 2024.

PERMIT 12534 for the control of Scarab beetle larvae in Blueberries using Imidacloprid has been extended to October 2020.

PERMIT 14234 for the control of Two-Spotted Mite in Ribes and Rubus crops using Emulsifiable botanical oil has been extended to August 2023.

INDUSTRY

Marketing Report Magnum & Co and Jane Richter

As was announced in the May edition of the Blueberry E-News, from 1st June, industry-wide marketing activities are now being managed by ABGA.

he marketing programme, managed on behalf of the industry by Sonia Gabauer from Driscolls, has built a very strong platform for Australian blueberries with local consumers. 56% of households are now buying fresh Australian blueberries which is at a similar level to that of Avocados. To take us forward from this already strong position, it was necessary to go back out to the market to ensure we had the right marketing agency partner on board for the next few years. Following a tightly contested three-way pitch process to select that new partner, a Sydney-based marketing & communications agency – Magnum & Co – have been appointed to work with ABGA to bring to life strategies for continuing to rapidly grow domestic consumption in the upcoming seasons.

Magnum & Co is an integrated communications agency based in Surry Hills, NSW with a client portfolio including other horticultural crops like Australian Mangoes and Australian Dried Grapes, as well as Australia Post, Converse and GoDaddy. Magnum & Co have a passion for helping products and brands find new ways to tell their stories and connect with their consumers in authentic ways. The agency specialises in public relations, social and digital media, content production, influencer marketing and experiential marketing.

So, what is the objective we are working to for the upcoming season? Simply put - get more people, buying more fresh Australian blueberries, more often. Increasing the proportion of households who put fresh blueberries into their trolley is critical to increasing the volume sold on a weekly basis, especially during the seasonal peak supply periods.

How will this be achieved? By broadening the appeal of fresh blueberries and bringing new shoppers to the fresh blueberry category. Part of the journey involves creating a significant shift in consumer perception from where it sits now as an ‘expensive fruit option’, to ‘more than just an everyday fruit choice’, by creatively educating consumers about the blueberry’s health and nutrition credentials. Although as marketers we like to complicate things, the simple fact is that there are only two ways to increase sales of your product; encourage new people to buy into your category or ask existing buyers to buy a larger volume. The strategy for Australian Blueberries will address both of these options, with an emphasis in the first part of the campaign to attract completely new buyers to blueberries. At a macro level, we need to increase the number of Australian households who actually buy fresh blueberries from where it currently sits at 45% to over 60%. As a reference point, the equivalent measure for fresh strawberries is over 80% so you can see that there are a large number of households already into berries – they just need to be persuaded to add fresh blueberries to their repertoire.

Australian Berry Grower

Each additional 1% of households equates to nearly 100,000 families buying fresh blueberries, so you can see how attracting new buyers quickly builds sales. Within the households already purchasing, we want to drive their average spend on blueberries up from where it currently sits at $35 per year to over $50 per household per year over time.

45% 60%+

$35 $50+

So what is the plan? Magnum & Co will use an integrated approach combining social media, influencer marketing and public relations strategies. Digital content will be focused on four messaging pillars of Taste & Versatility, Convenience, Provenance and Benefits. ‘Taste & Versatility’ will focus on showcasing fresh blueberries as a shopping basket staple and the multiple ways to enjoy them with a focus on the simple & everyday usage rather than fancy cooking. An additional focus will be given to a FYO (Freeze Your Own) messaging platform during the full peak of supply. ‘Convenience’ encourages consumers to store a punnet in the fridge at home, at work and providing them with on-the-go solutions. ‘Provenance’ brings the growers to the fore and educates consumers on locality, cost and taste diversity and varieties. Finally, ‘Benefits’ continues to reach more consumers with the health, wellness and beauty benefits of fresh blueberries.

INDUSTRY

Magnum & Co have created a video marketing campaign across digital and social channels including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The tagline of the campaign “Blooberries - the fruit that makes you go ‘oo’” provides an ownable and memorable creative territory in ‘oo’ that allows ABGA to educate consumers on the four key products pillars of taste & versatility, convenience, provenance and benefits. The video marketing campaign showcases a series of facts to make you go ‘oo’ with surprise! This will add value to the consumers’ world by telling them everything they want to know about blueberries (in the moments they need to know it). To strengthen the ‘Blooberry’ campaign messaging, the Australian Blueberries website and email assets have been refreshed. This will encourage digital and social action by driving traffic to the website and serving email subscribers quarterly correspondence using key campaign assets to keep this existing (and growing group) engaged.

SOCIAL SNAPSHOT

MEET IVY-MAE! The new spokes-girl for Australian Blueberries Ivy-Mae was chosen for her distinctively cheeky approach and her ability to deliver key messages for Australian Blueberries in a way that will cut through and appeal directly to the largest core audience of families with young children.

All of the existing recipe materials, amazing food photography and videos will be re-used as a part of the overall campaign including the materials generated by the successful partnership with Good Chef Bad Chef.

Facebook Page Likes

Instagram Followers

66,037

6,475

69,000

5,089

194,000

10,300

Visit www.australianblueberries.com.au, and follow on Facebook and Instagram for more details & to see Ivy-Mae in action FACEBOOK-SQUARE Facebook.com/australianblueberries instagram instagram.com/australianblueberries

This snapshot gives you an idea of the size of current social audiences for Australian Blueberries in comparison to other relevant horticulture industries. It is our intention to reach out and attract significant new audiences for the messaging through this latest campaign.

Magnum & Co started activities in August and already have a number of key influencers on board, talking actively about Australian fresh blueberries and posting relevant contents. The number and reach of these will increase as the supply increases over the season.

Australian Berry Grower

INDUSTRY

Let’s talk about your industry

Raspberry & Blackberry INDUSTRY SNAPSHOT Jane Richter

Bradley Mills Relationship Manager Hort Innovation

Meet the raspberry and blackberry industry Relationship Manager and see how he can support you. Bradley is keen to chat with you. He is your link to the latest R&D and marketing developments and how these can help your business grow. It’s easy to request a phone call – just go to the ‘Contact Me’ form at horticulture.com.au/contact-me. Alternatively, call 02 8295 2300 or email membership@horticulture.com.au and let us know you would like Bradley to call you.

horticulture.com.au 16

Australian Berry Grower

About Raspberries

About Blackberries

Raspberries are traditionally grown in climates with cold winters, which provide the plant with required chill, and crop most abundantly from early November until May.

Blackberries are mostly grown in southern regions of Australia and are available from early November until April.

More recently, warmer climate plantings (producing in winter and spring) have allowed fresh Australian raspberries to become available in supermarkets and green grocer stores almost all year round. The raspberries that are available in the winter/spring months are grown in northern NSW, southern QLD, and near Perth. There is a range of varieties of raspberries, some are lighter in colour while others are a deep red when ripe. All raspberries have similar nutritional profiles. Australia has over 180 raspberry growers, producing approximately 5,000 tonnes of raspberries each year. The industry has tripled in size over the past four years. Australian raspberries are grown across the country, with key growing areas highlighted on the map on the next page. Given the seasonality of raspberries, imported frozen product is significant with 10,637 tonnes imported in the year to 30 June 2017.

There are several varieties that fruit sequentially, to provide a range of berries from dark-coloured round fruit, to elongated berries available across the period. Each variety of blackberry has its own unique flavour, varying in aroma, acidity and strength of flavour. Australia has 40 blackberry growers, producing approximately 830 tonnes of blackberries each year. The Australian blackberry industry is growing, but at a slower rate than the Australian raspberry industry. This is due to fewer varieties suitable for local growing environments, along with the harvest season confined to summer months only. Australian blackberries generally need a cooler climate, with the majority of production occurring in Victoria and Tasmania.

SHARE OF TOTAL RUBUS PRODUCTION 2016-17 14% BLACKBERRIES 1% OTHER BERRIES 85% RASPBERRIES BLACKBERRIES RASPBERRIES OTHER BERRIES

Australian Berry Grower

INDUSTRY

FRESH RUBUS BERRIES SUPPLY CHAIN – YEAR ENDING JUNE 2017 CONSUMER METRICS

7t $0.2m FRESH EXPORT

5,946t $166m

19%

243g

5,469t $195m

<1% 92%

PRODUCTION

223g

FRESH SUPPLY

8% 0%

7t $0.2m

$0.0m

FRESH EXPORT

FRESH IMPORT

RASPBERRIES AND BLACKBERRIES: A HEALTHY PUNNET KEY GROWING AREAS

Source: Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2016-17

KEY GROWING AREAS

QUEENSLAND WESTERN AUSTRALIA

BRISBANE SOUTH AUSTRALIA

PERTH

NEW SOUTH WALES

SYDNEY

VICTORIA

RASPBERRY

MELBOURNE TASMANIA

BLACKBERRY

GROWER PROFILE Robin and Simon Dornauf Tasmania

Meander Valley Berries is an iconic, family run farm in the heart of the scenic Tamar Valley. Owner Robin Dornauf has been growing fresh Australian berries since 1985.

While consumption has risen steadily in line with increasing production, only around 19 per cent of Australian households purchased fresh raspberries and blackberries in 2017. The average purchase was 243 grams per shopping trip and on average, each person in Australia ate 223g of fresh Rubus berries. This suggests that there is significant scope to increase the category in the shortto medium-term.

Important implications of this consumer research are that the types of strategies that will be important for expanding demand and consumption include: • Defining an occasion(s) where raspberries and blackberries are to be consumed • Promoting the health attributes of the berries. A range of positive health outcomes is associated with Rubus, and they contain high levels of antioxidants, similar to other berries.

INFORMATION AND CHARTS REPRODUCED WITH THANKS FROM THESE SOURCES: Edentify (2016), ‘Raspberry and Blackberry Consumer Research’. RASPBERRIES & BLACKBERRIES: A healthy punnet, Hort Innovation 2016 Raspberry & Blackberry Strategic Investment Plan 2017-21: Hort Innovation 2016 Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook, 2016-17

Consumer research confirms that the major challenges facing the raspberry and blackberry industry are:

NORTHERN TERRITORY

Compulsory levy is payable on raspberries, blackberries and hybrid brambles that are produced in Australia and either sold by the producer or used by the producer in the production of other goods. The raspberry and blackberry industry collects statutory levy funds for R&D and marketing activities. The levy rate on fruit is currently 12 cents per kilogram, which represents an R&D levy of 10 cents per kilogram and a marketing levy of 2 cents per kilogram. In 2016/17, total raspberry and blackberry levy receipts were $557,403: $464,555 of R&D levies and $92,848 of marketing levies.

1. Raspberries and blackberries are not readily recalled in purchase situations, so there is a challenge to make consumers think of these fruits more often (before going shopping and while in-store) 2. Consumer perceptions of raspberries and blackberries are positive, but they are regarded as expensive. Therefore, the challenge is to strengthen positive associations and perceptions, and promote the value of the products.

For the past five years, Robin has been running the farm with his son Simon Dornauf, producing fresh raspberries and blackberries along with strawberries and blueberries. Meander Valley Berries enlists a team of around 180 people help pick the berries in peak season. This year, Robin and Simon expect to produce more than 85 tonnes of raspberries and from 15 to 30 tonnes of blackberries.

Australian Berry Grower

Download a copy of the industry plan for Raspberries and Blackberries from: https://horticulture.com.au/grower-focus/ raspberry-and-blackberry

INDUSTRY

COMING SOON IN

2019

Farmer peak body sees a berry bright 2030 Tony Mahar CEO, National Farmers Federation

The National Farmers’ Federation is the peak body representing Australian farmers. Here NFF Chief Executive Tony Mahar explains blueberries’ role in NFF’s vision for agriculture to be a $100 billion sector by 2030.

NETAFIM AUSTRALIA 213 - 217 Fitzgerald Rd Laverton North, VIC 3026 Australia

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nity, integrity, innovation and diversity. These are some of the values of the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) which has been advocating for the interests of farmers and the agricultural sector for almost 40 years. Most recently we have rightly, more adequately, acknowledged the huge role the horticulture sector and specifically berry sector, has in the growth of Australian agriculture. Accordingly, we have sought to enhance our advocacy efforts in the horticulture space via the establishment of a new NFF Horticulture Council. The new initiative for the NFF is essentially about leveraging and building on the work the NFF has and are doing in some of the key areas of policy that impact on the horticulture sector such as labour shortages; water security; competition policy; infrastructure; digital technology; energy; biosecurity; trade and market access. The Council, which the Australian Blueberry Growers’ Association is a valued member of, was established in February 2018 to build and amplify the advocacy efforts of horticulture growers at a national level to key stakeholders such as government and retailers. It is currently chaired by Fiona Simson President of the NFF and has eleven members representing some key commodities and regions.

The Horticulture Council of the NFF will enable horticulture growers to engage and participate in some of the critical national policy development processes and have a strong coordinated say in key issues impacting on the growth in the Australian agricultural sector, which we think can reach $100 billion by 2030. It is our view that this is a mutually beneficial development for both the horticulture industry, including berry growers, and the NFF - where we can enrich and consolidate the existing efforts into a stronger more collaborative national approach. In terms of specific issues, we have been developing an approach to address the horticulture sector’s workforce woes. In a specific effort to try and ease the burden, we have been progressing the adoption of an “Agricultural Visa” by the Federal Parliament. This is a deliberate and targeted advocacy effort that could, if agreed to, directly respond to the skill and worker gap currently constraining the horticulture (but also the wider) industry. We have been having discussions with all sides of the Parliament and we are optimistic that an outcome will be achieved. More broadly we are calling for recognition of agriculture’s proven credentials and contribution, by the establishment of a whole-of–government Agriculture Strategy that plans for, and guides our sector’s growth and of course horticulture and berries are a key part in that discussion. Agriculture is not only an industry with a special place in our past, but also an exciting place in our future. We are delighted to be able to work more closely with the Australian berry sector and we look forward to a collaborative and constructive partnership which will deliver benefits for growers across the country.

Tel: 1300 307 407 Fax: 03 9369 3865 Email: au.net.info@netafim.com Web: netafim.com.au

Australian Berry Grower

RESEARCH

The behaviour and movement of insect pollinators visiting blueberry plants DIFFERENT TUNNEL COVERS (POLYTHENE, BIRD-NET, SHADE-CLOTH) USED TO TEST THEIR EFFECTIVENESS FOR BLUEBERRY PRODUCTION.

Jeremy Jones, Raymond Dempsey, Maurizio Rocchetti, Mark Hall and Romina Rader University of New England, Armidale and Costa Group

Blueberries are widely grown across many parts of Australia. Some producers grow blueberries in open fields and others in polytunnels.

s most blueberry varieties benefit from insect pollination to provide higher yields and better fruit quality, it is important to understand how differences in insect communities and their behaviours in different regions influence the yield and quality of berries produced. Jeremy’s honours project focused on pollinator communities in Mareeba, Far North Queensland (FNQ), to determine which were the main pollinators and how they respond to different tunnel types. Blueberry crops in Australia include several different species and hybrids, each dependant on the transfer of pollen between other varieties to different extents.

This research was conducted on a blueberry cultivar that is highly self-compatible, meaning it is not so dependent on pollen being transferred from other blueberry varieties to achieve optimum yields. For effective flower pollination, pollen must be deposited on the pollen-receptive part of the flower — the stigma. Insects move the pollen within and between flowers, fertilising the flowers in the process. Blueberries have downward-hanging, bell-shaped flowers, with their pollen enclosed in tubular structures. This presents difficulties for flower-visiting insects to reach the pollen and effectively move it to the stigma. Different types of flower-visiting insects have different mouthparts and feeding behaviours, so not all flower-visiting insects are able to effectively pollinate blueberry flowers.

Our results showed that honey bees were the major users of the tunnels, accounting for 95% of all observations. Wild hover flies were the next most abundant group of flower-visiting insects observed in the tunnels, representing 3% of all observations. Stingless bees only accounted for 1% of all insect observations. This result was surprising — in fieldgrown blueberry systems located in coastal NSW, stingless bees are frequent and effective pollinators of blueberry flowers.

Honey bees are very good generalist flower visitors, able to extract pollen from many different flowertypes, including blueberries. When feeding on blueberry flowers, they may exhibit three types of behaviours: nectar foraging, pollen foraging or nectar thieving. Nectar and pollen foraging involve the bee placing its head over the opening of a flower and using its tongue to collect nectar or pollen from the base of the flower. In this orientation, the bee’s body contacts the stigma, in doing so it transfers some pollen, enhancing pollination. Nectar thieves, on the other hand, extract nectar from the flower without contacting the stigma, effectively stealing the nectar to little pollination benefit of the plant. In tunnels at the FNQ site, one in every four honey bees observed on a flower was in the act of thieving nectar. At the FNQ site, we observed nectar foragers and nectar thieves, but not a single blueberry pollen forager. This observation has also been made on bees visiting blueberries on farms in northern NSW. There were also subtle trends in the distribution of nectar foragers and nectar robbers along the tunnels, suggesting robbers move deeper into the tunnels more regularly than the nectar foragers. Nectar foragers were much more abundant near the openedges of the tunnels in comparison to the centres.

To investigate which insects were the main flower visitors, we repeatedly walked of the entire lengths of nine 100-metre-long blueberry tunnels, recording the identity, behaviour and location of every observed flower-visiting insect. The open-ended tunnels were covered in either polythene, shade-cloth, bird-netting or a combination of polythene and shade-cloth. At the site, honey bees were stocked at a rate of around five hives per hectare. Stingless bee hives were also positioned on site at a density of around 11 hives per hectare. All of the hives were located outside of the tunnels.

Australian Berry Grower

STINGLESS BEE ON BLUEBERRY FLOWER

Australian Berry Grower

HONEY BEE NECTAR FORAGING ON A BLUEBERRY FLOWER

HONEY BEE POLLEN FORAGING ON BLUEBERRY, WITH POLLEN ‘BASKET’ VISIBLE ON HIND LEG

RESEARCH

We are now collecting yield data for each tunnel to understand if these trends in visitation are impacting yields. The trend emerging so far is that yield is higher towards the open-edges of tunnels in comparison to the centre, reflecting the observed differences in pollinator abundance along the length of the tunnels. Numerous other factors are likely to be in play, relating to plant physiology, light levels and temperature, however, as in the pollinator distribution data, the trend is strongest in the polythene-covered tunnels. We will investigate these trends further with the next round of analyses. HONEY BEE ‘THIEVING’ BLUEBERRY NECTAR.

BUTTERFLY ‘THIEVING’ BLUEBERRY NECTAR. THE MOUTHPARTS OF BUTTERFLIES ALLOW THEM TO EXTRACT NECTAR FROM THE BLUEBERRY FLOWERS WITHOUT CONTACTING THE STIGMA.

Future work will focus on teasing out the best conditions for optimum pollination by a variety of pollinators under protected cropping systems and how to maximise fruit size at all distances along the rows.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This research was funded by a grant awarded to Romina Rader as part of an AgriFutures Australia supported project, “Securing Pollination for More Productive Agriculture: Guidelines for effective pollinator management and stakeholder adoption”. The project is funded through the Australia Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources as part of its Rural R&D for Profit Program, as well as Hort Innovation. Costa Group is a collaborator on this grant.

Commercial plant orders for Winter 2019 delivery are now open.

Contact Joel at joel@moonblue.com.au or on 0427 578 813 to discuss your requirements. Download an order form from our website for quick and easy ordering. Having supplied the industry with blueberry plants for over thirty years, we can offer a large number of varieties both new and old including Southern and Northern Highbush and Rabbiteye types.

Our website has full variety descriptions.

Moondarra Blueberries – Victoria, Australia

BERRY YIELDS ALONG THE LENGTHS OF TUNNELS FOR THE DIFFERENT COVER-TYPES. EACH TUNNEL WAS PARTITIONED INTO FOUR UNIFORM SUBSECTIONS AND THE TOTAL YIELD OF BERRIES RECORDED. ALL IMAGES PROVIDED ARE COPYRIGHT: JEREMY JONES.

(03) 5165 3498

joel@moonblue.com.au

Australian Berry Grower

INDUSTRY

NSW Government project to drive best management practice in berry crops By Luke Jewel R & D Officer – Land use change NSW DPI luke.jewell@dpi.nsw.gov.au

“

Intensive horticulture industries are expanding around the globe and Australia’s berry industry is no exception.

lueberry production has tripled over the last three years along with more intensive production systems such as substrate and Spanish tunnel systems. Rapid growth also brings challenges and the need to find a balance between productivity, profitability and environmental sustainability. The need for this balance is accentuated where industry growth centres are adjacent to high value coastal assets such as the Solitary Islands Marine Park on the North Coast of New South Wales (NSW).

The Marine Estate Management Strategy 2018-2028 is a first for NSW and sets out the vision and principles for the management of the marine estate (coastline, estuaries and marine waters). The Strategy’s vision is a healthy coast and sea, managed for the greatest wellbeing of the community, now and into the future. The Strategy has nine interlinked management initiatives, supported by detailed actions, which address the priority and cumulative threats to the marine estate over the next ten years. The NSW Government has invested $45.7 million for the first two years (Stage 1) of the Strategy to help address the major threats to the environment and the community benefits: pollution and litter.

SOLITARY ISLANDS MARINE PARK

A recently released study conducted by Southern Cross University, which reported the results of water and sediment sampling and analysis, concluded that blueberry and other intensive agriculture industries in the Coffs Harbour region had contributed to nitrate and phosphate run-off into estuaries and lakes adjacent to the highly sensitive Solitary Islands Marine Park. The report strongly recommended that industry should reduce fertiliser inputs as a matter of priority. NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) will be leading a two-year $3.8 million project (‘Clean Coastal Catchments’) to address this threat by: • Working with growers using a social research approach to identify the key farm practices which will drive reduction of nutrient inputs and losses from farms • Conducting applied research trials to establish locally applicable best management practices (BMPs) around water and nutrient management • Using demonstration sites to showcase these

• Working with peak industry bodies to educate and empower growers to effectively manage water and nutrient use efficiency, and runoff. Alex Smith, the Executive Director of the Australian Blueberry Growers Association, is very supportive of this project and will be a key member of the project steering committee. The final outputs from this project will also provide valuable knowledge for berry growers nationally and will be shared through the industry communication channels with all relevant stakeholders. Melinda Simpson, Blueberry Industry Development Officer, will be part of the DPI team and will play a key role in engaging and consulting with industry. She can be contacted at 02 6626 1350 or via email Melinda.simpson@dpi.nsw.gov.au

BMPs and drive adoption

In 2017, the Marine Estate Management Authority completed a state-wide Threat and Risk Assessment of the NSW marine estate to inform the development of the Marine Estate Management Strategy (MEMS). One of the priority threats identified by the risk assessment was diffuse pollution from coastal intensive agriculture. Diffuse pollution can result from a range of sources such as soil erosion and nutrient run-off in surface water which collects excess fertiliser or manures and so on.

• Southern Highbush and Rabbiteye varieties grown to order

• Cultural information available on request

• Proprietary and public varieties available

• Various container sizes available from 100mm maxi

• All plants grown in soil-less potting mixes • Plants suited to warm climate areas of Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland

pot to 175mm standard. • Other sizes available upon request • Experienced in interstate and overseas shipping

Send for a copy of our price list today… And check us out on the internet. www.mountainblue.com.au 1372A Bruxner Highway, Lindendale NSW 2480, Phone: (02) 6624 8258, Fax: (02) 6624 6070, Email: oﬃce@mountainblue.com.au

Australian Berry Grower

INDUSTRY

Berry Export Strategy 2028

WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE?

A Q U I C K O V E R V I E W O F I N T E R N AT I O N A L T R A D E O P PO RT U N I T I E S A N D C O N S I D E R AT I O N S With thanks to Hort Innovation

SUMMARY

he Berry Export Strategy 2028 provides the strawberry, raspberry and blackberry sectors with a strategic assessment of future opportunities for export market development over the next 10 years. The strategy has been produced by Hort Innovation using industry research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government. The supporting data underpinning this strategy has been prepared by market analysts and researchers Auspex Strategic Advisory using an Export Market Assessment Model to filter, rank and prioritise export markets, and identify vulnerabilities. The strategy provides a valuable resource for growers and industry more broadly to identify any trade development investment opportunities.

WHERE ARE WE NOW? Strawberry, raspberry and blackberry production predominantly occurs in South East Queensland; North Coast, Central and Southern Tableland regions in New South Wales; Yarra Valley in Victoria; Northern and Southern Tasmania; Adelaide Hills in South Australia; and Perth and the Great Southern region in Western Australia.

The industry is largely made up of large corporate players, cooperative marketing groups, and a base of both large and small-scale independent growers. The sectors have seen significant growth in recent years, with strawberry production having almost doubled and raspberry and blackberry production more than tripling over the past five years. While not within the scope of the project because the industry does not pay a research and development levy, blueberries are also experiencing strong growth, and can also benefit from the export opportunities identified in this document. Production, adoption of protected substrate cropping, improved genetics and an expanding geographic footprint are all contributing to the success of the industries. Berries recently overtook bananas as the highest value fresh grocery category domestically and are a key fresh growth category globally. It is an exciting time for the berry sector, a transition point. There is broad industry interest and a strong commercial appetite for export market development. Australia typically exports more fresh berries than it imports. For the year ending June 2017, 4244 tonnes of fresh berries were exported.

Australian Berry Grower

The strawberry industry Strategic Investment Plan, which was developed with industry, identifies increasing Australian strawberry exports from 4 per cent to at least 8 per cent of national production by volume, in selected markets with a capacity and willingness to pay a premium for quality fruit. It also notes the need to develop export markets and diversify the industry’s product offering. By 2021, the raspberry and blackberry Strategic Investment Plan aims to boost Australian raspberry exports by more than 5 per cent by volume, also in selected markets with a capacity and willingness to pay a premium for quality fruit.

“

It is an exciting time for the berry sector, a transition point. There is broad industry interest and a strong commercial appetite for export market development.

WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES? The berry industries have an opportunity to leverage existing opportunities, and also explore new markets. The strategy identifies the best short-term prospect markets for Australian berry industries as: 1. Hong Kong and Singapore: Important market to build the wider industry’s familiarity and experience with export, as well as the global reputation for Australian fresh berries. 2. United Arab Emirates: A high income, relatively high-value market in which Australian product is already well-established with a premium positioning. Also, an important market to build the wider industry’s familiarity and experience with export, as well as the global reputation for Australian fresh berries. 3. Canada: A large, affluent, growing market with a strong cultural familiarity with the product, with some short windows of opportunity for premium trade that align with Australian production.

Australian Berry Grower

The strategy also identified Japan and Taiwan as high-value markets with a strong affinity for premium Australian food and agricultural products. Currently, there are market access restrictions however the berry industries could work towards overcoming these as a long-term strategy. The strategy also identified several specific opportunities for each of the berry categories. For the strawberry industry, the strategy suggests focusing on: 1. Macau: A popular high-end tourist and gaming destination for affluent mainland Chinese and other Asian tourists, presenting an opportunity to position Australian product with Asian consumers alongside trade into Hong Kong. 2. New Zealand: A small but very accessible developed market with limited import competition, where geographical proximity and close trade ties present significant advantages to Australian producers looking to quickly and competitively supply market windows. 3. Thailand and Malaysia: A high growth, relatively high-value middle-income market in which Australian product is already well-established with a premium positioning. For the raspberry and blackberry industries, the export market rankings are dominated by high- income countries across Europe, North America and North Asia. South East Asian markets fail to stand out owing to their limited affinity for the product at present.

TASMANIAN BERRY GROWER NIC HANSEN SHOWING MACAU CHEF ANTIMO MERONE AROUND HIS PROPERTY AS PART OF EXPORT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES

INDUSTRY

I N N O VAT I O N

What does microlearning offer Australian berry growers? Cathy Byrne service@hortpod.com.au

WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? The Strategy makes the following findings: • There are several high-value target markets which are currently open to trade and immediately accessible for berry industries. While developing these export markets, industry should also take a long-term approach and pursue new technical market access in other priority export markets for the future. • More consumer insights research needs to be conducted to better understand target markets.

• To capture knowledge on current strengths and gaps, the industry could benefit from investment in the identification and mapping of existing export supply-chain linkages and networks. • It is recommended that industry develop an export advisory group to enhance industry coordination and input to government. Hort Innovation will work with the berry industries to determine their appetite for levy investment and roll-out of trade-related research and development activities.

• The industry could benefit from joint marketing promotions with other Australian horticulture/ food and beverage products. • It recommends the establishment/ pilot of an export facilitation manager to assist new exporters with the procedures and regulatory requirements for priority export markets.

For more information on the berry industries, refer to the Horticulture Statistics Handbook and the Strategic Investment Plans for strawberries, raspberries and blackberries which can be found at www.horticulture.com.au For industry seeking more information: trade@horticulture.com.au

“

Time-poor farmers might roll their eyes at another technology buzzword trying to land in their patch. Growers already have to navigate Horticulture Produce Agreements, HACCP, CODEX, AQF or Freshcare compliance.

Australian Berry Grower

n addition, growers face changing award legislation and seasonal worker management issues. The FairWork Ombudsman’s Harvest Trail Inquiry report will increase scrutiny on farming, packing and processing, as Australian retailers seek more environmentally responsible and ethical products. Failure to comply could cost a grower $63,000 per breach. Ouch. To assist, AGBA developed a responsible Code of Conduct, but some growers struggle to implement requirements regarding nutrient run off, fertiliser and pesticide use and workplace health and safety.

Australian Berry Grower

The need for training “ABGA is committed to improving the industry’s environmental and ethical performance and is keen to assist growers to access relevant training” – Alex Smith, ABGA. Keeping up with changing standards requires upto-date training, yet much of the training on offer can be costly, time consuming or poorly designed. Even training that claims to be more accessible ‘e-learning’ is often just a lengthy power-point with links to other reading. We’ve probably all experienced short term knowledge retention by cramming for an exam, which is then quickly forgotten; or sitting all day in a mildly relevant workshop and coming home with a binder (or USB) full of worksheets that are never used. Fortunately, that style of learning is not the only option.

Micro-learning… what is it? Micro learning involves short, relevant content, repetition, and testing. The principle is: learn it and show you know it. Usually delivered via smartphone or tablet, short tutorials provide concept information, application in different contexts, coaching and encouragement. Small tests check your understanding as you go, adapting the pathway for each person. This means that, if you already understand, you don’t have to repeat material. Equally, if you are not crystal clear on important information, you are asked to apply a concept again, just to make sure you get it.

I N N O VAT I O N

So, the pathway might vary for each person. Micro-learning is more effective than simply loading reading material online, or cutting long videos into smaller pieces.

As part of employee and organisation communications, micro-learning needs clarity of purpose, realistic budget and resourcing, alignment with organisational values and a way to measure its success.

In 2012, DuoLingo generated a global awakening in micro-learning. It now has more than 250 million users and 80 courses. The program was designed to best fit with how humans like to learn and is considered to be one of the best instructional approaches for the times.

A leading digital strategist notes that, “The rate at which an organisation learns may be its only competitive advantage” Peter Drucker. However, the speed at which micro-learning can be developed does not mean it should be rushed into – or that it should be a rush job. After all, it has taken some time to arrive.

The benefits

Why now?

Research into micro-learning has shown:

20 years ago, when the internet was a toddler, Learning Management Systems were providing huge cost savings and transformations in distributed workforce training. Some early technology requirements limited learning to a prescriptive, one-path approach.

• Better knowledge retention (short and long term) • Higher motivation and completion rates • Just in time relevance (at work, where and when learning is needed) • Mobile device convenience (smartphones, ipads are more likely to be used between other activities, so learning becomes part of daily life) • Improved immediate task-focus as well as long term behavioural change • Faster cognition and confidence via immediate feedback • More social/peer and shared learning • Personalised adaptive pathways, based on proficiency, means you only learn what you need • Ease, speed and cost-effectiveness of design delivers exceptional value

The requirements Do you remember when desktop publishing was democratised? All those clashing fonts and colours! And more recently, just because video cameras and editing software packages are cheap, doesn’t mean you are destined to become a you-tuber. Like any training, micro-learning requires good instructional design, connection to useful resources and whole-of-organisation support. Good writing remains a major factor in its success. Another factor is ensuring that end-users (members in your organisation) contribute to determining content priorities. Analysis of the skills-gaps will ensure that any micro-learning strategy will serve its target audience.

Industrial application in workplace safety Working with Norfolk Southern railroad, DuPont was engaged to deliver a safety training program using individual risk assessments for hazardous work. There was a concern that the initiative needed ongoing reinforcement. DuPont developed a series of safety messages targeting common injury-causing tasks. Safety messages highlighted proper techniques (eg for lifting, climbing, situational awareness etc.) while reinforcing the safety brand.

Norfolk Southern reinforced their safety culture, improved risk assessment skills and procedures, and lowered injury rates – all using two-minute micro-learning modules.

So, what can micro-learning offer? Micro-learning can standalone, or support traditional training. The key for an industry is to determine the most critical training need, and start there.

Recent advances in adaptive technology and learning theory have combined with a better understanding of collaboration and social learning. Now, micro-learning has emerged to leverage these developments and is maturing. Technology improvements in (and access to) mobile devices, cloud-based collaborative applications, video and graphics compression, are providing new opportunities to rethink how we best think.

Industrial application in dairy Canada’s largest dairy co-operative, Friesland Campina wanted their supply chain to be more agile; to respond to consumer nutrition trends and retail stocking choices. Their ‘route 2020 strategy’ included micro-learning to upskill supply chain participants in: how to minimise energy use and greenhouse emissions, optimal pasture grazing, water stewardship, sustainable production, regenerative practice and on-farm solar energy. In 2017 its Farmer-to-Farmer program enabled 18 dairy farmermentors to advise 40 co-ops in Asia and Africa. Recognizing the need for accessible micro-learning was the first step.

Australian Berry Grower

Cathy Byrne (PhD) is the Systems and Knowledge Portal Manager for Southern Cross University’s Farming Together co-operatives and collaboration pilot program. Cathy was Project/ Partner Manager for Australia’s (and world) – first online tool for co-operative establishment and produced a video learning site for co-op governance. Also Director of Hortpod, a microlearning company specialising in Australian horticulture, Cathy is reviewing micro-learning platforms and authoring applications. Previously, Cathy worked in the USA and Asia, developing and delivering industrial learning partnership projects.

Australian Berry Grower

INDUSTRY

RESEARCH

ABGA & RABA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS WITH TECHNICAL BRIEFINGS & A JOINT DINNER Pacific Bay Resort, Cnr Pacific Hwy and Bay Drive, Coffs Harbour, NSW 2450 Monday 12th November 2018, 9:00 am – 8:00 pm AEDT

Berries Australia welcomes you to attend the Annual General Meetings for Australian Blueberry Growers’ Association or Raspberries & Blackberries Australia, combined with an informative afternoon of technical briefings relevant to the Berry Industry.

We encourage you to get involved and come along to support your association in this fantastic opportunity to network and get up to date. The morning session will cover the Annual General Meetings for ABGA and RABA, while the afternoon session will tentatively be a series of technical briefings by respected speakers from the industry covering topics such as:

The secret life of redberry mite in blackberries Dr Stephen Quarrell and Michele Buntain, TIA stephen.quarrell@utas.edu.au

• Biosecurity protection across the Berry category; • Australian horticulture: Workplace relations, Seasonal workers, Ag Visas;

“Think half the size of a two-spotted mite that likes to play catch-me-if-you-can. They spend most of their life tucked away inside buds, under leaf scales and then under the fruit stem and between the actual fruit drupelets.”

• Hort innovation: Asian export market access, Berry category Research & Development priorities; • Commonwealth Department of Agriculture biosecurity trade protocol status Please note, we need a minimum of 50 attendees in order to run the technical briefings in the afternoon, so please register your attendance ASAP if you are interested. If there are not enough attendees the technical briefing session in the afternoon will be cancelled and only the AGMs & dinner will go ahead. In the evening we will be having dinner at the Bayside Bar & Grill, located onsite at Pacific Bay Resort. For more details about the venue, see: www.pacificbayresort.com.au Please register to attend ASAP: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/berries-australia-abga-and-raba-agms-technical-briefing-afternoon-registration-50887528969

“It’s their star survival strategy, which makes them so hard to manage,” he said.

edberry mites can devastate blackberry crops, causing irreversible damage to fruit and up to 60 percent crop loss. The microscopic mites colonise the tiny spaces in the developing fruit and cause uneven ripening. Individual drupelets (often nearest the stem end of the fruit) remain hard, red and fail to ripen. The rest of the berry turns black, but the fruit is unsaleable and a potential disease risk if left unpicked. This tricky pest is being tackled by a team from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA), Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, IPM Technologies, and Raspberries and Blackberries Australia (RABA).

MEET VIC SZABO, PROJECT OFFICER Hi, my name is Vic. I recently started as Project Officer at Berries Australia Limited. My role is to support Alex Smith, CEO of Berries Australia, to carry out the numerous projects we have in the pipeline which are aimed at strengthening and progressing the berry industry. My background is health and plant science, thus I’m very interested in the health benefits of berries. In fact, I’m about to embark on a research project which aims to uncover the hard science behind the benefits of blueberries, which I hope will help to promote these super fruits! I’m thrilled to be a part of this exciting industry and I look forward to working with you. Please feel free to contact me for matters relating to ABGA and RABA memberships, upcoming events and general enquiries.

The team is working to develop integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to improve both monitoring and management of redberry mite in blackberries. TIA entomologist Dr Steve Quarrell said one of the less endearing features of redberry mites is that they are small - “bloody small” - and they like to hide.

To make monitoring easier, TIA honours student Hui Law has developed a faster and more efficient method of keeping track of redberry mite populations. The traditional method involves placing buds or fruit onto sticky strips, waiting around four weeks for the fruit to dry, and progressively catching the mites on the sticky strips as they crawl away. “This is messy and slow so it really isn’t a practical solution for IPM consultants or growers to use,” Hui said. Hui’s new extraction method involves rinsing the buds or fruit in an ethanol solution for a few minutes. She then pours this over black filter paper to collect mites and small insects that were hidden within the fruit. The creamy white coloured redberry mites stand out on the black filter paper which makes counting them much easier and faster. “We still need a reasonable level of magnification, around 15 to 20 times for counting, so slightly higher than a typical hand lens a grower would use,” she said, “but this method will make monitoring on farm a much more practical option”.

Vic Szabo | Mobile: 0490 092 273 | vicszabo@abga.com.au

Australian Berry Grower

RESEARCH

KATIE MULDER (HILLWOOD BERRIES AGRONOMIST) AND STEPHEN QUARRELL (TIA)

HUI LAW (UTAS / TIA HONOURS STUDENT)

Dr Quarrell said an efficient counting method is the first step to understanding and then managing redberry mites. “If we can monitor where and when the redberry mite population is on the plant, then we can better target our IPM strategies,” he said.

The research team is not sure if this preference is due to the lifecycle of the mites synchronising with the later fruiting varieties, or a particular characteristic of the plant that they find attractive. New late season floricane varieties becoming available will be ones to watch carefully in the coming season. Trials in 2018/19 will target the susceptible varieties, looking at the development of softer pesticide programs and the introduction of predatory mites as potential management tools. Whilst many crops had low or no redberry mites present this season, the intervention programs used were quite intensive due to a previous history of redberry mite infestation. It will be a positive step forward if the research program can help growers reliably produce high quality blackberry fruit with strategies that are more sustainable and friendlier to people and the environment.

Last season, Hui extracted and counted mites from over 1400 blackberry fruits from eleven different cultivars at eleven different commercial sites in the major blackberry growing regions of Australia. The count also included samples from wild blackberries, both on and off farm. Mite numbers tell only part of the story. Growers have helped the research team fill in the bigger picture with historical information about their crops and how they manage them. Dr Quarrell said this has really helped identify some hot spots for redberry mites, and management practices that could be improved. “Wild blackberries were a real eye-opener for us. The mite counts from these were sky high compared to the numbers in the commercial blackberry crops.” “The danger is that nearly all the growers we interviewed said they have wild blackberries near their commercial crop, even as close as five metres. So managing these redberry mite populations could have quite an impact on preventing re-infestation of crops,” he said.

The project is funded by Hort Innovation using the raspberry and blackberry research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government, supported with in-kind contributions from TIA. TIA is a joint venture between the Tasmanian Government and the University of Tasmania. Hort Innovation is the grower owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Redberry mites show a definite preference for particular varieties over others, with the standouts being ‘Chester’ and one proprietary variety.

Australian Berry Grower

0 •

• 1

P A

T O N E

78 —2

CELEBRATING

40 YEARS

OF THE AUSTRALIAN BLUEBERRY GROWERS ASSOCIATION

B Y

J A N E

R I C H T E R

THE EARLY YEARS

There is some confusion as to when and how the very first blueberry bush came to Australia. Some reports have blueberries growing in Tasmania at the turn of the 20th century, presumably brought from the United States. In a 1982 report penned by Ridley Bell, he notes that highbush blueberry varieties had been introduced into Victoria in the 1960’s, however these plants had been discarded because of suspected disease problems. He goes on to describe how seeds from the breeding lines in the United States were imported in 1969 by David Jones, from the Horticultural Research Institute (Knoxfield), sourced from Dr Stanley Johnson, University of Michigan, and used as part of an Australian breeding program. These seeds were grown up by Karel Kroon and Ridley Bell at Knoxfield and this eventually led to the Knoxfield series first released to propagators and nurseries in 1976. The first 15 selections in the Knoxfield series were all named after ladies of the era – the most famous of which, and one which is still widely grown today in the southern states and overseas, is ‘Brigitta’, and would you believe it was named after Dr Brian McCluskey’s Bank Manager’s wife! Rewind four years to 1974, when Margaret and John Tucker bought a piece of land at Caveat in central Victoria, not far from the small country town of Yarck. They wanted to farm the land, but the question was what to farm there? A year or two passed and the Tuckers were referred to the local horticultural branch of the state department of agriculture and visited the local research station at Knoxfield to get some ideas. Fortuitously, the department had just received some blueberry seeds from the United States and Margaret came back from that meeting “hooked on blueberries and remained hooked on blueberries for life”. It was in these very early years that Karel Kroon from Knoxfield spent many a day up at the property with the Tuckers.

— 1. The book ‘Blueberry Culture’ by Paul Eck & Norman Childers, first published in 1967 and updated in 2006, is still considered one of the premier texts about blueberry cultivation.

On Wednesday 9th June 1976, John and Margaret Tucker left their property and journeyed to the United States to research this wonder berry for themselves. They toured the major growing regions and encountered a prominent scientist named Dr Paul Eck. Margaret and Paul became very firm friends and when Margaret returned to Australia on Friday 16th July 1976, she was determined to build a blueberry industry to be proud of in Australia. Upon their return, Margaret was horrified to find that the bushes they had planted from the US stocks had been burnt by a root fungus - Armillaria - local to the area and were essentially dead. Entries from Margaret’s diary at the time show that she was undeterred by this setback. Ridley Bell had come to the Horticultural Research Institute at Knoxfield in 1975 as a scientific officer. zRidley was a part of the team who raised and assessed multiple sets of seed-reared bushes and from that initial work came the Knoxfield series. Other participants included David Jones, Graham Barthold and other senior staff at both the Department of Agriculture and the Knoxfield farm like Karel Kroon.

1978-1989 THE BIRTH OF AN INDUSTRY & ITS ASSOCIATION In those early years, there was difficulty in getting plants propagated for commercial production as most fruit nurserymen just weren’t interested, so Ridley had to get a range of people outside horticulture to take on the job. Notes provided for this story detail some interesting characters getting involved at this point - a surgeon named Dr McCluskey (yes the same Dr McCluskey with the Bank Manager) as well as brothers Mick and Geoff Joy. Other willing propagating pioneers included Alex Hodge and Paul and Joy Orr. Further extracts from Margaret’s diaries at the time show that she certainly was actively receiving and planting plants from 1976 to 1978. She picked up blueberries on Monday 22nd November 1976 and Friday 5th August 1977, and entered on St Patrick’s Day 17th March 1978 is the first record of a blueberry growers meeting, held at 2 Kembla Street Hawthorn in Melbourne’s inner east – the Tuckers’ family home at the time. Just two short months later, on Tuesday 9th May 1978, the group met again, but this time the diary entry is titled ‘Blue Berry Assn. 5.30pm meeting’. The people present at that very first meeting around the Tuckers’ kitchen table were Margaret and John Tucker, David Swanson, Alex Hodge, David Crawford, Karel Kroon, John MacDonald, Mick Joy and Ridley Bell.

I THINK IT IS SAFE TO DECLARE THIS AS THE START OF THE AUSTRALIAN BLUEBERRY GROWERS ASSOCIATION AS WE KNOW IT TODAY. In the very early days after the Tuckers’ first visit to the United States, Paul Eck offered his assistance to the Horticultural Research Institute at Knoxfield but was politely declined due to a lack of funds available to pay for his travel expenses. Determined to help Australian blueberry growers succeed, Margaret formed the association and invited interested growers to pay an annual subscription, the proceeds of which funded the first visit to Australia by Paul Eck in August 1978. Notes found in Margaret’s records from those early days show a balance of $796.00 in the trust account, a healthy fighting fund for the late 1970’s. During that visit in August 1978, Paul attended the International Horticultural Congress being held in Melbourne and then spent time visiting farms and holding field days across Victoria and in Tasmania too. Hand written minutes, in a beautiful formal cursive script that we so rarely see today, recorded the goings-on at an association meeting held a year later on Monday 9th April, 1979 at 8pm, again in the Tuckers’ Hawthorn home. The agenda included short reports of activities during the previous year, a financial report, a talk by Ridley Bell on his recent trip to New Zealand, the election of committee members and associated office bearers as well as ‘Paul Eck’ as an item attached to ‘Any other business’. At the inception of the association in 1978, Margaret had taken up the acting-Secretary role with her husband John filling the interim-President position.

THE UNKNOWN BERRY

In 1976, Ridley Bell visited the Footscray markets in Melbourne with 12 trays of fresh blueberries in 450g punnets from the trial bushes at Knoxfield. Not one market trader had a clue what on earth they were! Today would be a very different story.

— 3.

The Horticultural Research Institute at Knoxfield started life as the Scoresby Horticultural Research Station in 1950 to undertake research into fruits and ornamentals. Sadly, today the site is about to become home to 400 high density dwellings as part of the redevelopment of the Knox City area. 1. MARGARET & JOHN TUCKER 2. HORTICULTURAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT KNOXFIELD, VIC 3. RIDLEY BELL

— 2.

— AN EARLY ABGA LOGO

KAREL’S WISE ADVICE REMAINS JUST AS TRUE TODAY

The notes reveal that she was actively encouraging the participation of others; ‘new faces and personalities are good for a committee and show a healthy interest’. In that first year of operating there were at least ten other families involved in the association; names listed include Schultz, Adams, McKay, Raymond, O’Neill, Corbett, Etheridge, Kroll and Shannon from locations around Victoria including Healesville, Wandin and Hoddles Creek. In the late 1970’s, Ridley started making connections with Prof Mike Mainland from North Carolina University, Prof Max Austin from the University of Georgia and Dr Jim Spiers at the University of Mississippi. Through this network he was able to start bringing in varieties suited to different climates. One person who became incredibly important to the fledgling industry was Professor Paul Irene from the University of Florida at Gainesville. He was running a breeding program in Florida focussing on warmer climate varieties, and it was his breeding programme that would go on to supply much of the varietal diversity now found in the warmer climate region of northern NSW. In parallel with the seed raising activities, some established varieties were imported from the United States and put through a two-year quarantine process before being made available to growers in the fledgling industry. It was 1978 when Dr Brian Fletcher from the NSW Department of Agriculture brought in the very first low chill varieties – Sharp Blue and Florida Blue – and one plant of each were provided to Ridley in Victoria, as well as a small selection of nurseries.

In 1980, Paul Eck came back to Australia and stayed for a year-long sabbatical to study blueberry adaptation to different soil types in Victoria. He had written Blueberry Culture in the late 1960’s and this was the virtual ‘bible’ for blueberry growing at the time. Ridley and his friend Ross Burgess went on a voyage of discovery across the United States in June 1981 for a whole month; paradoxically from the same experience Ridley came back utterly energised about the future potential of the blueberry industry for Australia and Ross came back with the completely opposite state of mind! Later in 1981, Ridley Bell left Knoxfield and moved to Northern NSW as he saw the future for the industry being in warmer climates on the supply shoulder between the Chile and South Africa seasons. His successor at Knoxfield, Dr Kevin Clayton-Greene continued the great work done by Ridley at Knoxfield in supporting the young blueberry industry and he stayed until the blueberry research program was closed by the state government in the late 1980s. Kevin, along with Dr Doris Blaesing, developed the protocols for the post-harvest treatment and storage of blueberries which are still widely used by the industry today. In 1982, Ridley produced a report for the industry which highlighted ‘The Economics of Blueberry Growing’, although I imagine these numbers now need another zero added to them and Ridley certainly wouldn’t want to be held to these numbers nowadays!

Mal Deveson had a farm in Gippsland and was running cattle when he went looking for something that he could do more intensively on his 160 acres. Ridley Bell by this point had spent time in both the United States and New Zealand studying the blueberry industry and was working at Knoxfield. Mal was invited by a local extension officer to attend a presentation delivered by Ridley in Warrigul and so began another love affair with the humble blueberry. In 1980, Mal started a living blueberry museum on his property as well as his commercial orchard and this has proven very useful in the breeding plans across the decades and still exists today with plants growing there with their roots in the very early days.

Industry volume through the late 1970’s to early 1980’s came in a two month harvest window and amounted to approximately 70 tonnes of fresh fruit, all sold on the domestic market.

— 4.

The joint marketing initiative held together for a year or two, but as more growers came into the industry and volumes grew, it wasn’t long before Australian blueberries were being exported far and wide, mostly through the AUSFresh business belonging to Shaun Keenan. Stuart Dobson started The Big Berry at Hoddles Creek which became the largest blueberry farm in Victoria. And Stuart was even President of the Association for a while. He later sold the farm to Paul Casey and moved to Western Australia to grow other things.

— 5.

The industry in northern NSW kicked off with the development of low chill varieties. The Johnson brothers came to Corindi Beach in the early eighties and planted a large cluster farm operating under what may well have been the first managed investment scheme in Australian Horticulture. They bought land, sub-divided it and sold off individual plots to investors, and then managed the whole area as a farming operation generating returns back to each investor. By the late eighties, NSW was growing the lion’s share of the industry volume, but the ABGA was still really a southern association with limited engagement by the NSW growers. In 1986, a number of the cluster farm owners formed a cooperative with Peter McPherson as Business Manager and Gary Wright as Horticultural Manager. Peter went on to serve as ABGA Treasurer for many years and is the current President of the association, and a guiding force for the industry still today.

At least five acres of blueberry seedlings were planted by the Tuckers at Caveat with the help of Knoxfield and after a couple of years the Tuckers were propagating and selling bushes themselves. In 1980, the Caveat property was sold and Margaret & John moved the farm to a fifty acre site at Drysdale where Tuckerberry Farm still operates today, under the careful stewardship of Margaret & John’s daughter Christine and her husband David.

There were a number of other key people who must be acknowledged for their tremendous contribution – the industry was indeed a team effort. Graeme Frith was the Director at Knoxfield through this period and Karel Kroon was another enthusiastic proponent of the budding berry bushes. In these very early stages it is fair to say that the industry consisted mainly of hobby farmers with little knowledge of the complexity of blueberry growing, but with plenty of passion for finding out. Other names that feature from that time are Graham Barthold, Jim Addison, Rod Kefferd, Dick Cohen and David Swanson. David was one of the founding members of the ABGA, but sadly died prematurely. Dick Cohen was an early President in the association as was Barry Megee and Stuart Dobson.

In 1982, another milestone in the industry saw the development of a joint marketing initiative for blueberries. With the help of Shaun Keenan from Horticultural Holdings, an expert export marketer at the time, and others from Knoxfield a common packaging was developed with an accompanying marketing plan in each capital city central market. Only one or two agents were selected to market the fruit and the packaging came with a rather unique fold-out style of recipe leaflet to help people to understand what to do with a blueberry! Margaret started a newsletter to share information within the industry and this was taken over by Ridley after he had moved to northern NSW. It was highly informative and covered several photocopied sheets in those early days. That newsletter was the very early predecessor of this industry journal that you are reading today.

EXTRACTED FROM 1982 REPORT FROM RIDLEY BELL “THE ECONOMICS OF BLUEBERRY GROWING” In 1980, Frank Edlinger started a farm named Avonsleigh Berries in Victoria with his first field of blueberries planted in 1982 (nicknamed the ‘old’ field) and a second paddock planted in 1985 (a.k.a the ‘new’ field). The farm is still operated to this day by the next generation, Martine and Harold Edlinger, and has plantings of sour cherries to complement the blueberry seasonality. There were lots of field days during the eighties, with a strong sense of camaraderie in the industry and the optimism of a group of growers with a crop that was going places. The ABGA membership was 20 or so growers – mostly in Victoria with one in South Australia and a couple in Tasmania.

Struggling for decent varieties for low chill varieties, in 1992 Gary Wright and Ridley Bell flew to the University of Florida and met with Prof Paul Irene. Due to a lack of support from US growers, the breeding programme there was just about to close down. Fortuitously Ridley and Gary were able to forge an agreement with Paul that has seen a continuous flow of the best breeding outcomes from the continuing programme make their way to Australia each year since. Australia was very fortunate in the 1990’s not to have the disease Blueberry Rust. As a result, in Australia we could grow the bushes as evergreens; a practice that nowhere else in the world could achieve at this time. Ridley and Gary created a system called ‘evergreening’ and this is now the standard by which all blueberries are grown in low chill climates all over the world. In 1989, the business managed by Shaun Keenan withdrew from soft fruit exports following issues with inconsistent fruit quality and the fluctuation of exchange rates in a market where prices were fixed for the season. Shaun continues to export Australian native flowers to this day through his business Floratrade.

— 6.

— 7.

4. AND 5. FIELD DAY IN THE UPPER MURRAY 6. EXCERPTS FROM EARLY NEWSLETTERS 7. PAUL CASEY

19 9 0— 2 0 0 0 The nineties were a decade of tumultuous economic fortunes, starting with the recession that Australia ‘had to have’ from 1990 to 1991. Really the industry needed a levy to be put in place to fund investment in R&D and to support the further growth of the industry. As with all changes of this nature, there were those who strongly backed the idea and those who just as vehemently opposed it. This division nearly folded the organisation and without the perseverance of people like Kevin Collins and Margaret Tucker, it may well have collapsed altogether. To succeed, the association needed to represent everyone in the industry and that had to include the rapidly rising base of growers in the northern areas in NSW. Pam Vroland put in a lot of effort to try to broaden the perspective of the ABGA and bring the Woolgoolga area growers into the fold – particularly those from the OzGroup cooperative. The International Society for Horticultural Science (ISHS) International Symposium on Vaccinium Culture was convened by Dr Kevin Clayton-Greene at Melbourne University in January 1993 and Narandra Patel presented a paper on the breeding program taking place in New Zealand. Mal Deveson managed to negotiate access to these varieties for the Australian market and started a propagation program supplying plants to interested growers. In July 1994, Margaret wrote to Greg Luke, a blueberry grower at the time in Western Australia, to encourage him to join the ABGA. At this point, Margaret lists the membership as 10 from NSW, 1 Qld, 1 SA (Grant Gartrell), 10 Tasmanian, 2 WA & 29 Victorians. She continues by saying that they ‘are working closely with the Australian Rubus Growers Assn., (ARGA)’. In 1994, annual membership was $40 and the committee consisted of six individuals, including Margaret back in the President’s chair, Mal Deveson as the ABGF Delegate and Evert Driessen as Treasurer.

THE AIMS BACK THEN ARE NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM THE AIMS OF THE ASSOCIATION TODAY: 1. To bring together for their mutual benefit all persons involved with the growing and propagation of blueberries. 2. To establish blueberries as a viable indust ry by the promotion and encouragement of the consumption of blueberries in Australia and overseas.

3. To develop local and export markets for both dessert quality and processing fruit. The Association will develop strategies for promotion of blueberries.

4. To pursue improved productivity within the industry, the Association will: a. Promote information exchange by the publis hing of a newsletter and the holding of semina rs, field days, etc. b. Encourage the establishment of formal education facilities for the industry c. Develop group buying procedures d. Identify research and extension needs

5. To develop effective Government and commun ity support for the industry. The Association will develop a register of blueberry growers and will cooperate with other horticulture groups and affiliate with appropriate industry associ ations.

It was this committee and a group of growers and propagators within the industry that really got the organisation back up and running again. Kevin Collins started to put out a regular newsletter from his base at Yellingbo Berries in Wandin, Victoria and there were a series of field days, berry expos and even trips to see the industry in New Zealand.

— 9.

In the later nineties, Kevin Collins, in the October 1998 edition of the newsletter, thanks the committee for deciding ‘to have the Newsletter printed more professionally than my previous endeavour’, signalling another step forward in the development of the industry communications. Well ahead of its time, the communique also refers to the ‘possible provision of a Web page on the Internet’ and bear in mind, this is the pre-Google era as that business had only started in September of 1998. Margaret’s reputation in the blueberry industry attracted many of the growers who are still a part of the industry today. You may recall the story of Rod & Jill Sanders from Drum Drum Farm down on the Mornington Peninsula and how they came into blueberries after having heard about ‘this fancy new crop called Blueberries’ and visiting the orchard at the Joy’s farm near Pearcedale. And I am sure there are many more out there that owe their blueberry careers to the enthusiasm of Margaret Tucker. And fittingly, this contribution was honoured in the Australia Day Awards list in 2000, when Margaret was awarded an Order of Australia for her services to the blueberry industry. In 1998, something else happened on the other side of the world that propelled the global blueberry industry forward and continues to be a major driver for consumer purchase today. Dr Jim Joseph and Dr Ronald Pryor from Tufts University in the United States published the findings of their research into the nutritional profile of blueberries amongst a reference group of around fifty other fruits and vegetables. The cataclysmic findings showed blueberries contained the highest concentration of antioxidant compounds of any known fruit or vegetable at the time. This one fact alone has transformed this humble berry into a super star and earnt it the well-deserved title of a ‘super food’. In 1999, the 10th National Berryfruit Conference was held from 24th to 28th May at Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast. It was reported that the ‘content of presentations and discussions, the opportunity to meet other growers, and the outstanding speakers such as Mike Mainland, made the Conference an enjoyable and worthwhile event.’ An interesting excerpt from the May 1999 journal discusses the export market for the season just finished; ‘Export of Australian blueberries requires a concerted effort by all parties concerned. Growers must be dedicated and focused on the job at hand. Exporters must understand the clients’ requirements exactly and have an intimate knowledge of the competition from within Australia and from USA, South America etc. Consistent quality, quantity and continuity of the markets in Europe and emerging markets of Japan and South East Asia

is 100’s of times larger than Australia’s demand. Japan alone is seeking in excess of 500,000 trays of fruit for the 1999-2000 season from all countries. However, the fruit needs to be hand-picked, specially prepared product, but they are willing to pay the money. The majority of exports are done by three North Australian companies who are growing for the express purpose of servicing the demand from overseas. Quality of fruit has been good and well received internationally. Prices have ranged this season from $24 to $36 per tray (12 by 150gm) for export, and approximately $12 to $25 per tray on the local market’. How times have changed. Another concern for growers at this time was ‘the impending SQF 2000 / HACCP introduction’. Fast-forward almost twenty years and now it is the advent of HARPS with all the additional burdens that places on growers which is providing new headaches. At that point, the newsletter laid out the options for growers many of which are as relevant today as twenty years ago; • • • • •

comply with all the new requirements and absorb the cost, becoming a solely Pick-Your-Own operation, convert the blueberries into various value-added products, a combination of each of the above, and finally, consider retirement.

Kevin signed off this edition of the newsletter with the perennial hopeful wish for the upcoming season being ‘a great season, enough water, no hail, frantic customers and good returns’. The year 2000, of course, also saw the introduction of the GST from 1st July. With any change of this nature comes confusion. Why would jams not attract GST but juices would? For most growers, simply applying for and using their ABN would deal with that issue, but extra bureaucracy required nonetheless. The joy of the first Business Advisory Statement under the GST regime is described with mirthful sarcasm; I guess there must be a new definition for the word “progress”! Again, Kevin’s clarity of thought and optimism shines through in his editorial when he highlights ‘all things considered, while decisions concerning future directions growers will follow may be difficult for some, the industry is growing steadily (as is our membership), and survival and prosperity will still depend on good weather, good practices and high standard of product for sale’. Tragically in mid July 2000, Margaret Tucker passed away suddenly from an aggressive form of leukaemia and the loss of one of the key industry pioneers was felt across the country. As Christine Lean, Margaret’s daughter laments, she didn’t live to see the industry she loved really blossom or the iconic Time magazine cover, a copy of which I have been unable to track down sadly.

Who remembers the wonderful Blueberry Recipe Book produced and sold in the 80’S and 90’s?

— 11. — 8. 8. KEVIN & ANN COLLINS 9. GRANT GARTRELL - THE LONE SA MEMBER

— 10. 10. S EPTEMBER 22nd 1999, KEVIN COLLINS AND SOME LOCAL GROWERS MEET WITH WOOLWORTHS 11. L -R: GRAEME HARVEY, MAL DEVESON, MARGARET TUCKER, ELIZABETH HARVEY ATTENDING A BERRY EXPO

VALE MARGARET TUCKER

EXTRACTED FROM SPRING 2000 JOURNAL EDITORIAL BY KEVIN COLLINS Margaret has selflessly been very active in organising conferences, been President and Secretary of the Association over various periods, and always been very generous in terms of time and willingness to contribute to individual growers and the industry as a whole and was eventually officially recognised by the award of the Australian Order of Merit. While this both surprised and pleased her, it did not lessen her practical battles with starlings and drought which were affecting their bushes until her sudden and untimely death. Margaret’s enthusiasm, drive, vital personality and contributions to the blueberry industry will not be forgotten.

THE OZ GROUP — A Brief History Jaspal Singh Lehl came to Australia with his wife and two young children in 1985 from the Indian state of Punjab. Deep family ties and trans-generational support run strongly through the entire story of the OzGroup right from the very first blueberry farm planted by Jaspal and his family in 1996 at Corindi Beach. When Jaspal arrived from India, he and his family came to the Woolgoolga area and worked in Johnson’s blueberry operation (now Costa’s) during the season. In the off-season for blueberries he journeyed out to Griffith and worked the grape-picking season. It is clear from the outset that this is a family that understands hard work and is not afraid to tackle a challenge. In 1988, Jaspal’s parents Joginder Singh Lehl & Beant Kaur Lehl travelled to Australia to visit, and with support from within the wider family, were able to move permanently to Woolgoolga in 1989. With extremely generous assistance and support from other family members, 118 acres of bush were purchased in 1989 for the princely sum of $125,000. This is a small sum in today’s terms but 30 years ago was a fortune. A banana farm was started literally from scratch, hewn from the ground by dedication and good old-fashioned hard graft. Peach trees were added and the farm provided a relatively stable existence for the family, which by now had grown to three children with Herjot born in Australia in 1994. Watching the blossoming blueberry industry and having spent time getting to know blueberries whilst working for the Johnson’s farm in his first few years in Australia, Jaspal wanted to add blueberries to the home farm’s stable of crops. Initially Jaspal worked to try to propagate up his own plants as getting hold of nursery stock was slightly challenging in the early 1990’s for many reasons. Eventually he was able to source plant stocks from Ridley Bell and started with two hectares of blueberries – mainly Misty and Sharp Blue varieties.

Those early years were tough with such a labour-intensive crop and what was a relatively small farming operation. In the late 1999 a group of four Woolgoolga blueberry growers including Jaspal came together in a partnership to work jointly for mutual benefit. Those founding partners were Jaspal; Gary, Harvinder and George Atwal; Satpal and Harjinder Gill; and Gurmukh and Kulbir Sidhu. Word spread, and the group quickly grew, adding more and more partners until in 2006 the twenty-six partners of Oz Berries purchased a block of land and built their own pack house facility with the help of a Federal Government grant.

FORMULATED FOR BLUEBERRIES

‘Where the roots are at home’

By 2013, the company partnership arrangement had simply become too unwieldy to manage efficiently as a corporate structure and the organisation made the bold step to close out the existing business arrangements and establish a brand-new full cooperative. OzGroup Co-op Limited was born. The organisation operates under the true cooperative spirit; mutual benefit with mutually observed rules. All members must market all of their fruit through the cooperative. The business is managed by a board and there are full-time staff in all of the operational positions that you would expect to see in a sophisticated multi-million-dollar business. The co-op has evolved on to meet the needs of its’ members; agronomists are now part of the package and the business even operates its own produce store in town to provide ag supplies after a business closure left the area with a single supplier holding an undesirable monopoly position. The Lehl home farm is now covered in 14,000 blueberry bushes and the family has bought a second property with macadamias already in situ. The farm enterprises now include 35,000 bushes with 2.5 hectares of hydroponic raspberries in tunnels plus a further 2 hectares under way. Remarkably, three generations of the family are still involved in the farms on a daily basis, testament to an incredible work ethic and the amazing support that Jaspal’s family continue to provide. The middle child, Aman, was just five months old when he came to Australia and is now not only fully involved in the running of the family operations, but he also gives his time back to the industry as a member of the ABGA Committee. His cousin, Gurmesh, is the current Vice President of the association whose family runs a property in Corindi where he grows 12 hectares of blueberries as well as a significant macadamia nut operation. Today, the OzGroup has over 150 members and is an outstanding example of how an effectively structured and forward-thinking cooperative model can deliver real benefits for growers. Australian Berry Grower

INDUSTRY

Tara Valley Nursery

“

Jane Richter

ou may well have never heard of Tara Valley Nursery, but I’m certain you will have heard of some of their retail product ranges which include Berrylicious, Patio Orchard and The Living Architecture range. The business has been locally owned for a decade, is based in south east Queensland and has been on a tremendous journey of growth and transformation. The nursery started life as a landscaping supplies business, servicing the local region and then the Hickman family owners set up the nursery operation to supply the booming ornamental plant market, originally to independent retail outlets until Bunnings came along as a customer. Tara Valley Nursery now supplies plants to customers all across Australia each and every week. L TO R: DAVID BEIRNE, ANDREA ROBERTSON, DEB MOORE, BRYCE HILL

In the last eighteen months, the business has evolved and restructured to build a new vision for the future. Tara Valley has an on-site tissue culture laboratory managed by senior team member Deb Moore. This lab is used to produce large quantities of plants that are either new or for which it may be difficult to source conventional propagation material. There has always been a robust tissue culture and propagation team within the business to ensure the consistent supply of the right plant material for their wholesale customers, but that capability has now been taken to a new level and the nursery is fully geared up to start the supply of stocks direct to commercial growers. The original Tara Valley Nursery mantra has been “give gardeners what they want” and this extends throughout their whole business ethos. Tara Valley Nursery values fairness, honesty and partnership with both its staff and its customers. For them it is part of their DNA.

Australian Berry Grower

Good relations start within the business; paying a fair wage, practising open communication and treating all of our staff with respect. It starts with our people, but ultimately flows through into how the business operates with all of its customers,”

says David Beirne, the Sales and Marketing Manager. The MD/CEO Bryce Hill and the whole team believe there is no such word as “can’t” in this business – everything is possible. That attitude is what has allowed the business to think bigger and create a step change in its path. Taking a keen interest in what the emerging trends are both domestically and internationally and ensuring they have the support of the very best people in plant science is their recipe for innovation and it shows. At the end of the day though, a nursery is only as good as the quality and consistency of the plants that it produces. The commercial value of the nursery depends on the reliability of its plant supply and at Tara Valley there appears to be a very keen focus on meeting customer expectations; ensuring orders are met, on time and in full, every time. When asked what the next big thing in berries may be, I was encouraged to hear that Tara Valley have not only secured supplies of the American cranberry, Vaccinium macrocarpon, but are ready to take commercial orders for delivery in early 2019. And where can these thrive in Australia? Anywhere outside of the tropics with flat land that is laid level and an abundance of water supply. Sounds interesting? Then get in touch with the team at Tara Valley Nursery – there’s no such word as can’t.

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Where tradition meets science... SOMETHING LISTED HERE

Heading Blue Title Yellow

Tara Valley has been a trusted supplier of berries to the ornamental market for over a decade. Since that time we’ve strived to embrace the newest trends in horticulture and produce superior plants with cutting edge technology. We’re now offering tissue culture grown berries to the ornamental and agricultural markets.

MEMBERS’ PERSPECTIVE

Grant Gartrell The Blueberry Patch, Nangkita, South Australia

Now S Usupplying B H E A D I Ntissue G T Eculture X T O Ngrown E stock of: John Smith - Blueberry Some Title or Biloxi location - Blueberry Brightwell - Blueberry Gulf Coast - Blueberry Misty - Blueberry Sharpblue - Coming soon: Stevens Cranberry

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I started my professional life as a physicist. I still enjoy physics, along with many other aspects of this wonderful planet, but for the last 40 years have found a good deal of satisfaction and balance, perhaps coupled with a little frustration, in growing blueberries.

Tissue culture plantlets

50mm tubestock

140mm potted stock

As an established supplier, we’re always growing berries. So if you’ve been let down at the last minute by another supplier, give us a call and we’ll do what we can to fulfil As an established supplier, we’re always growing berries. yourif order. forward ordering So you’veNo been let down at the required! last minute by another

Tissue culture plantlets

50mm tubestock

140mm potted stock

supplier, give us a call and we’ll do what we can to fulfil your order. No forward ordering required! 40

180mm potted stock

Give our team a call! (07) 3287 6139a call! Give our team (07) 3287 6139 marketing@taravalley.com marketing@taravalley.com Australian Berry Grower

lthough a few potential new growers have called in for advice over the years, I don’t know of anyone in recent times who has decided as a result to seek their fortune in blueberries. Strawberries remain the most widely grown berry crop in SA, and despite the excellent quality of the fruit and the undoubted capability of our most experienced growers, are pretty hard work considering the returns. Those strawberry growers who have thought there must be an easier way to make money and have had a quick look at the blueberry alternative have gone away with the thought that maybe strawberries aren’t so bad after all. So the blueberry branch of the SA berry industry could probably still hold its meetings in a telephone box, if we still had meetings, and if we could still find a telephone box around the place somewhere.

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While perhaps the most important thing in being a grower is that you really believe in what you are doing, it is important that your bushes like the soil, and the water quality and quantity, assuming you can get an irrigation licence, and the climate. The climate is noticeably on the move, and we already get too many days over summer where the north winds feel like someone left the fan-forced oven door open. I am an elected member of the local council, and therefore obliged to say that the views I am expressing here are personal and not purported to reflect council policy. Our council recently participated in the preparation of a climate change resilience and adaptation plan, so that we could understand the impact of climate change on our society, and how local government will be expected to cope with it. While I support the plan I am not 100% happy with it. On the one hand I am pleased that it shows we are recognising that global warming is a serious issue. However, I am concerned that the very existence of this plan might suggest to some people that all we have to do about climate change is accept it and adapt.

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Heading Blue Title Yellow SUBHEADING TEXT ONE John Smith Some Title or location

FIGURE 1: CLOSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CHANGES IN C12/C13 ISOTOPE RATIO AND ATMOSPHERIC CO2

The science on the basics of global warming is well understood. The very small but noisy minority who would have you think otherwise tend to be associated with vested interests. A geologist on the board of a coal mining company is not, ipso facto, an expert in climate science, any more than I am an organ transplant surgeon. If you are smart you won’t come to me for a heart transplant. The principal driver of our current global warming is mankind’s ever increasing release of so-called greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, primarily generated by the combustion of fossil fuel. Don’t just take my word for it. The CSIRO has published data (Figure 1) showing such a high degree of correlation between atmospheric CO2 levels over the last century and changes in the ratio of the C12/C13 isotopes of atmospheric carbon that there can be no realistic alternative source for this increase in atmospheric CO2 than our impact on the land and particularly our consumption of fossil fuel. Instead of simply accepting this we need to adopt clean alternatives.

The suggestion was put to me recently that we are well on the way towards fixing the hole in the ozone layer and so we should also be able to fix global warming by a similar concerted effort. Unfortunately, they are two quite different problems with quite different magnitudes and remediation time scales. I very much hope that public awareness of this difference increases rapidly over the next few years. The South Australian Government had a well attended 2 day symposium on global warming in the Adelaide Festival Centre in 1988. Like understanding the principles of heavier-than-air flight, the basic science has been known for over 100 years now, but even if we were not aware of it prior to 1988, we have had 30 years in which we have pretty much just watched the situation get worse with a significant increase in concentration of greenhouse gases in the upper atmosphere (Figure 1). If another 30 years slips by in the same fashion our grandchildren are going to be extremely disappointed in us.

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FIGURE 2: INCREASING FREQUENCY OF AUSTRALIAN AREA-AVERAGED EXTREME HEAT DAYS

Temperature records collected by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (Figure 2) show clearly that over the last hundred years the number of area averaged extreme heat events across Australia has doubled roughly every twenty years. This is classic exponential growth, in lock-step with increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide over the same period. The correlation with global warming tells us we can expect as much extreme weather in the next 20 years as we had in the last 100 or so years, with a further doubling for the 20 years after that, and so on, until we collectively curtail our use of fossil fuel. The basic physics of weather patterns tells us that as well as extreme heat conditions we should expect also to experience other forms of extreme weather as “the other side of the coin”, including increases in floods and drought. I listened to the radio news this morning about the worst storm for at least quarter of a century hitting Japan. Whether it is floods in India or heat in Europe, or even unseasonably cold weather affecting blueberry crops in Morocco, such news reports seem to be increasingly commonplace.

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This is already impacting on planning and engineering in local government today, whether the planners and engineers yet recognise it or not. I came across an example the other day where a footbridge across the Angas River in Strathalbyn, South Australia, had been seriously damaged by flood surges 3 times over a recent six year period, although it had been expected to survive everything but perhaps a one-in-a-hundred year flood. The flood study used in the design was carried out in 1988, and would have been based on weather and flow data accumulated over 30 or 40 years or more before that. This time lag wouldn’t matter if the factors driving our weather were stable and global warming wasn’t impacting on the probability of extreme events. But already now, directly because of global warming, the 1988 study is seriously out of date, so that what was initially thought to be a one-in-a-hundred year event should be expected to occur now about once every 12 years on average. It is extremely important to get that sort of stuff right when doing your infrastructure planning and design, but especially

MEMBERS’ PERSPECTIVE

difficult to do so when, as a consequence of global warming, in another 20 years, that once in every 12 years likelihood is currently on track to become once in every six years. It is not hard to envisage the effect of such changes on the future life expectancy of council infrastructure, on the workload of emergency maintenance crews, on insurance premiums, and so forth, and ultimately council rates. The consequences for blueberry growers is an increasing likelihood of at least partial, if not total, crop failures. We have interesting times ahead. While it is certain that the increasing frequency of extreme heat events since 1913 is attributable to global warming, the attribution of the cause of any individual event must still be characterised by a probability. We can put bounds on that probability.

GLOBAL NEWS

If we set a possibly artificially low attribution for such an event in 1913, by suggesting it was simply not related to global warming, then when the data shows a doubling of such events by 1933, we can infer that there is an even chance that any such event at that time would be related to global warming. By the year 2018 the odds increase to a probability of 97%, and rising, that any such event is due to global warming. While it is not a totally appropriate analogy, because some of the extreme heat events are survivable, if the engineers told you that because of a poor maintenance record an aircraft had a 97% chance of crashing on the next flight, would you get on board? That’s about where we are right now with our planet. It’s high time we booked it in for a service.

INSURING YOUR FUTURE IN AN INSECURE WORLD Jane Richter Hillridge Technology, an agtech start up, are looking to provide farmers with greater financial security and agency in times of stress, like what we’ve seen across New South Wales and Queensland this year. Hillridge is creating accessible, straightforward weather insurance for crops and livestock that pays out farmers automatically upon a specified weather event occurring, such as hail, flood, frost, or drought. The policy contract will be created using block-chain technology, meaning that, for example, if a farm has a policy with us protecting it from hail, as soon as hail is detected over the farm from either a weather station nearby or on the farm, the policy pays out, ensuring farmers get the money they need to recover when they need it, not in weeks or months. Similarly, if an area is affected by severe drought, as soon as a set threshold of rainfall is hit, as decided by the farmer, and detected by sensors on or nearby the farm, a payout is triggered. This means farmers immediately have access to funds

to either reinvest into their farming operation or whatever they feel is a priority, whether it be repaying farm loans or paying for their child’s tuition.

COUNTRY PROFILE:

The Chilean Blueberry Industry David Stevens-Castro Wine Expert & Consultant

Chile is the second largest producer of blueberries in the world, behind the U.S, and the largest exporting country. CHILE BLUEBERRIES PRODUCTION ZONES MAP

hilean blueberries are well known for their high quality of flavour due to their balance of sugars and acidity. The main challenges faced by Chilean producers relate to maintaining quality post-harvest during shipping and transportation to distant markets. With no real competitor in the North American counter-season, Chile’s production areas are expanding to the extremes of the north and south to widen the harvest season. Chile’s blueberry export for the season 2017/2018 was 110,700 tonnes1. The value of exports rose 5% to

To find out exactly what farmers need in order to feel financially secure and stable, Hillridge are surveying farmers nationwide. This allows you to provide some input on what challenges as a farmer you face, and what berry growers across Australia feel like they need protection from in their insurance products.

US$548 million, according to ODEPA data. By 2020 it is estimated that there will be 18,000 planted hectares in cultivation. The key export markets are the U.S and Canada which account for 69% of the volume, followed by Europe with 22% (with the UK and the Netherlands the most significant players in Europe), and Asia accounting for only 9%, with China being the most important destination country in that region.

Complete the survey online at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/HillridgeTech

An aspect of great consideration is the continuing increase of organic production which now represents 9% of total production. Reports from the 2017/2018 harvest state that one of the characteristics of this past season is that temperatures never exceeded 32°C. The unusual temperatures by Chilean standards, coupled with high relative humidity produced larger than normal berry size.

All those who undertake the survey will be in the running to win one of two R.M Williams’ Akubras, valued at $200 each, or an equivalent giftcard. For more information, contact: Nicholas Hulme | 0430 145460 or nicholas.hulme@hillridge.com.au

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ASOEX, Chilean Blueberry committee report

GLOBAL NEWS

Due to free trade agreements established between Chile and China, there is a significant focus on bolstering exports to China. As a highly populated region with relatively little existing competition, Chilean producers regard China as a key developing market, particularly since they are currently heavily dependent on the U.S and Canada off-season. Peru and Mexico are aiming to gain territory and will ultimately become strong competitors in the off-season market also. The key growing regions in Chile are the Maule (Zone VII on map), La Araucania (Zone IX on map) and Bio-Bio (Zone VIII on map) regions, where the peak harvest time is between December and February. Chile has 15,601 hectares planted with highbush blueberries, with the most common being Brightwell, Legacy, Liberty, Briggita and Bluecrop, although up to 20 varieties are in production. Indeed, blueberry growing has exploded in the last 10 years. The first blueberry plants were imported into Chile in 1979 by the government body agency Institute of National Agricultural Investigations (INIA). Ideal growing conditions have led to rapid and prolific success. Major international players operating in Chile include Driscoll’s from California and Fall Creek Nursery from Oregon, both in the United States. Most of the plants are sourced from local nurseries. The growers propagate themselves and re-plant poor performing plants. This process is generally substantially easier in Chile than in Australia, due to lower costs and ideal growing conditions. Protected cropping is minimal, and it is only used in the extremes of the growing areas, i.e. in the north to protect from sunburn and in the south due to late wet episodes. The majority of orchards are large, vigorous, very well established, profitable operations. Soils are prepared and cultivated with substrates in mounds of 60 to 90cm with drip irrigation so that plants go into the ground in a soil profile with plenty of oxygen to encourage the growth of micro-roots. In Chile fertigation is common practice. Pests of concern are Lobesia botrana, (the European grapevine moth), Pseudococcus (Mealy Bugs) and Light Brown Apple Moth. Of late, a new pest is the Drosophila suzukii (Spotted Winged Drosophila SWD).

GLOBAL NEWS

Issues generated by these pests can affect all stages, from flowering and fruit set, through to berry formation, however, most of the damage is done at larvae stage.

Wood diseases have become increasingly relevant. The fungus Chondrostereum purpureum is known as ‘Plateado’ in Spanish which translates as ‘silverplated’ and mirrors the English name for this fungal disease Silver Leaf. Other species including Neofusicoccum, Botryosphaeria dieback, Phoma and Pestalotia are the most concerning. These fungi are the most common and difficult to control issues in Chilean blueberry orchards as they affect the overall orchard performance, and therefore affect the yield, increase production costs and make re-planting a common practice in orchards over 5 years of age.

LIGHT BROWN APPLE MOTH, A NATIVE OF AUSTRALIA, IS ALSO A CHILEAN PEST IN BLUEBERRIES

Pseudococcus species are more complex, as their lifecycle encompasses a phase at ground level and then they move upwards in the bush canopy. They can grow under the bark as well as in hidden areas of the foliage and berry clusters. In 2016/2017 exports, 1% of all blueberry exports were rejected by SAG due to Pseudococcus detection. Drosophila suzukii has quickly become a pest of major concern due to explosive expansion and a short reproductive cycle. Other fruit trees also act as hosts, in particular grapevines and cherries in neighbouring areas, which increases the risk of infestation. Pest control is based on an integrated management process which — depending on the certifications of the orchards — utilises a combination of chemical, cultural and biological programs. Due to increases in organic production, more work is being done in the off-season, clearing adjacent areas, monitoring pest lifecycles and therefore controlling at the most susceptible stages of development and utilising innovative biological techniques. Disease issues are a constant in every season but Botrytis cinerea remains the most relevant as it affects fruit condition and is dependent on the climatic conditions during flowering, fruit set and harvest.

Australian Berry Grower

CHONDROSTEREUM PURPUREUM OR SILVER LEAF FUNGUS

Disease control is based on integrated management, but monitoring is key, with a combination of chemical and cultural programs in use, depending on the susceptibility for the occurrence of diseases. The disease host and the climatic growing conditions are what growers are constantly monitoring but replanting is really the only solution to diseases that affect the wood of the blueberries canes. Clearing bad plants in the orchards as well as continued monitoring helps producers to minimise the effects of ongoing disease pressures. Probably the biggest challenges for Chile’s blueberry production is that by 2020 the amount of hectares under production is expected to increase by around 20% and growers will be competing for workers with other labour intensive fruit growing industries, such as table grapes, winemaking grapes and cherries.

Australian Berry Grower

Additionally, the emergence of new competitors such as Peru and Mexico for the North American market, as well as Spain and Morocco for the European market, is encouraging Chilean producers to target the Asian market. The free trade agreement between Chile and China is facilitating this opportunity, and the fact that between 2009 and 2030, China will add 850 million to its middle class means there are plenty of consumers to go after, however the quality of the product needs to be exactly right. The focus is definitely on quality right now in Chile. As reported in Fresh Plaza in late August this year, Julia Pinto, the technical manager of the Blueberry Committee of Chile-ASOEX, said: “The quality issue is essential, when speaking about the future of blueberries. We need to focus on making our fruit succeed in the market, and we’ll only achieve this when consumers choose our fruit, and that’s a choice where the fruit’s quality and condition prevails. Our product has been historically good. We have a superior organoleptic quality, a blueberry with a balanced flavor, and a good size. We have achieved good calibers and a fruit with a good skin, now we need to continue working the fruit’s quality in terms of firmness, so we can compete better. Having more competition has caused a change in the quality standard, and we need to improve our quality to continue leading the blueberry export market.” “The committee’s main objectives has always been quality, which has been greatly improved and has allowed us to grow and be able to reach very demanding markets, such as China. Now one of the challenges of the industry is to continue consolidating in China, which means, not only producing a fruit with the necessary quality, but also having a greater diversity of varieties,” she said.

David Stevens-Castro has a degree in Agricultural Science, majoring in Fruticulture and Oenology from the renowned Pontifical Catholic University of Santiago, Chile. David is currently based on the Gold Coast where he works as a freelance consultant. E: david@paired-media.com

I N N O VAT I O N

Sustainable, innovative farming the Schultz way

“Sometimes I think some people have the impression that farmers go out there and hammer their soil, but in reality we look at our soil as though it’s our bank. So we’ve got to look at what we put into it, that it’s for the longevity of the farm.” He said it was becoming easier to adopt more modern ways of farming. “A decade ago we had to brew our own microbes here on the farm – it’s called tea bagging – but these days you can buy a lot of the fertilisers with microbes in them,” he said.

Jane Richter, with thanks to Growcom and Jennifer Nichols, ABC for their original material

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They jokingly call themselves ‘accidental strawberry farmers’ because of how they entered the berry growing industry, but the Schultz family’s farming practices are anything but unintentional.

drian and Amanda Schultz, together with their children Maddy and Lachlan and Adrian’s parents Bob and Joy, grow strawberries at Wamuran in south east Queensland and supply central markets in Brisbane, Sydney, Newcastle and Melbourne. They bought their 40 acre block in 2003 to expand Bob and Joy’s successful Australian native flower export business. But, when rising transport costs and the ailing Australian dollar meant the flower business wasn’t viable anymore, they went into full-time strawberry production. Now, they grow about 200,000 strawberry plants across 8.5 acres and market their strawberries under the brand name LuvaBerry. They have also expanded to grow herbs and finger limes, with plans to double their 1.5 acre finger lime operation and tap into the export finger lime market in 2018. The Schultzs attribute much of their success to ‘fusion farming’ – a term they use to describe their best management practices on farm. It is no secret within horticultural circles that the industry as a whole is moving towards more sustainable practices.

In a bid to put the spotlight on positive practices within the industry, the Schultz family started describing what they do on their farm as ‘fusion farming’. On their LuvaBerry marketing materials, they sum up their approach with the phrase, ‘we keep the soil healthy and use less chemicals’. Adrian said his family’s approach was a balance of chemical use, biological and organic methods, integrated pest management (IPM), reduced soil tillage and even the use of bee hives, to assist with pollination. “The term ‘fusion farming’ is just our way of trying to explain what we’ve aimed to do for a long time, and to easily communicate the ideology behind how we run the farm,” Adrian said. “It’s a fusion of some older ways of doing things and adopting new technologies and methods and getting the best result out of a fusion of them all together.” “In some ways it’s about marketability, but also we practice fusion farming because we live here. My kids eat the fruit so obviously we want to make sure what we’re producing is safe and of the best quality.” Adrian, who is also the vice-president of the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association, said he knew his family weren’t the only ones embracing best management practices. “There are a lot more people who have adopted these practices than there were around 10 years ago, but there is now a need to be seen to be actively doing things,” he said.

Australian Berry Grower

“At the end of the day, farmers want to do the best job and be environmentally sustainable but it’s also got to be profitable. Luckily technology has brought us ways of more easily incorporating microbes into our processes to make the fertilisers more available to the plant.” It is all well and good to aspire to clean and green farming practices, but at the end of the day every farmer must run a profitable business. Adrian said, while there were some higher costs involved in fusion farming, it was no more expensive than ordinary farming. “If we didn’t use predator bugs we’d have to use some fairly harsh chemicals to control the mites because they’re a big problem with horticultural crops and, because they have a very short life cycle, you have to rotate your chemicals on a regular basis. So you’re using a lot of chemicals and that’s expensive,” he said. “Putting the IPM in, it does cost you money to set up, but once they’re in there they basically take care of the crop for you. They might be a little bit more expensive, but then you save money by not spraying all season.”

and warm, sunny, dry days production outputs far outstrip the current demand and for a relatively short period of time market prices plummet, leaving many farms with tonnes of perfectly good fruit which the central market and supermarket supply chains simply price out of the system. Even outside of peak production, the market seems to have no appetite for extreme size variation, odd shaped or water damaged fruit – all perfectly edible. This results in large amounts of on-farm waste every week of the season. Mandy Schultz has taken a novel approach – harnessing the power of social media to reach strawberry-lovers in south-east Queensland and organising pop-up car park parties where she trades catering sized-bags of frozen strawberries for money – all arranged through a Facebook group. Interviewed by Jennifer Nichols for the ABC’s Country Hour, Mandy shared her exasperation at the sheer scale of waste “Basically, one day I had a hissy fit. I was in the pack house and I said ‘this is ridiculous, they’re such good quality fruit’,” she said. “I bought some bags and just started telling the staff to pull off the calyces [the cuplike flower in bud] and said ‘let’s bag them and I’ll worry about them later’. That’s really how cooking berries began.” Mandy said a group at Samford near Brisbane that espouses sustainability supported her efforts and allowed her to use their car park. “So we went out, my friend Eleanor and I, we only had 50 or 60 bags but by the end of it we’d sold a good half a tonne, at least, of frozen berry bags,” she said.

“The important thing is we’re running a business here, and it’s great to have these ideological aspirations about being as clean and green as possible but it has to be profitable. You need to be able to run your business and do it in a way that you can still make money.” On top of changing farm growing practices, the Schultz farm has taken a very innovative approach to the issue of fruit waste post-harvest. In the peak of the Queensland strawberry season when growing conditions are the optimal mix of coolish nights

Australian Berry Grower

I N N O VAT I O N

In late August, this year’s strawberry glut reached such a level that agents were calling their growers to advise that only the large berries would receive any kind of return from the market and to “not bother” with medium or small fruit. One of Mandy’s films, taken in her packing shed late one Friday night, and shared through her social channels, shows the depth of the problem. Her story was picked up widely by the media in Queensland at least, sparking outrage from consumers on social media, all wanting a solution to be magically found for a problem that will strike nearly every horticultural industry at one time or another. Which brings us back to the question of sustainability. For a farm such as Adrian and Mandy’s to survive, they have needed to find ways to differentiate their berry outputs from the next farmer who may be twenty times the size and more able to ride the cash flow wave. Deriving value from all aspects of your farm output requires you to innovate and frankly, to differentiate. Innovation isn’t all about the next big invention that changes the world. Innovation comes from getting out of bed and choosing to put on a different mindset. It means stepping back from challenges and asking how half of ton of perfectly good fruit that would otherwise go to waste or animal food can be turned into a unique selling proposition that your business can own and become known for – something that differentiates you from the next farm.

INDUSTRY

Diversification into other high value crops like finger limes is another strategy used in the Schultz playbook. Diversification reduces risk overall and can sometimes provide a portfolio of products that work well sold in combination, often giving you the edge in premium sales channels for instance. At the end of the day, as the market for berries in Australia evolves and more volume enters the market, those who have chosen to differentiate strongly and build a business that does not rely solely on sales into the traditional wholesale channels are those who will triumph.

THE SCHULTZ FAMILY

Botrytis Problems? Shane Singh & Liz Singh AgriHort Solutions Australia

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There probably isn’t a blueberry farm in Australia that doesn’t have some problem with Botrytis! Dry Botrytis-free conditions would be great for production, however given the wet, humid or foggy growing environments for Australian blueberries; Botrytis (Botrytis cinerea) presents a significant economic pressure.

t is commonly first seen in the field at flowering on the highly susceptible corolla tissue (Figure 1). Secondly it is seen during postharvest storage and unfortunately sometimes by the consumer (Figure 2). Our work in blueberry fields has identified a potential Botrytis infection point that has not been addressed in the blueberry industry. “Latent” infection of berries at flowering, causing soft berries at harvest and the grey mould during storage or at the shop front could be an easy fix. Given the limited chemistry available for Botrytis prevention in the Australian blueberry industry and the permit nature of chemical use; now is a good time to update your knowledge of Botrytis. Target key factors that influence infection and learn from another industry that has significantly reduced its Botrytis problems.

At last count the LuvaBerry War on Waste Facebook group had 5440 members. When Mandy announces a venue for her next swap-meet she is swamped with demand. Now this is not going to replace her main sales channel in the short term – sending fruit to an agent in the central markets. But from little things, often big things can grow. She is exploring other ways of returning value from her crop with freeze drying into powder form already underway. With her background as a nutritionist, it’s a natural leap across into this market and I understand that its not an option for everyone. The key is to have a mindset that welcomes changes, is willing to try sales tactics and channels that are not the norm. MANDY SCHULTZ MEETS A WAR ON WASTE MEMBER TO DELIVER FROZEN BERRIES

Australian Berry Grower

FIGURE 1

Australian Berry Grower

FIGURE 2

INDUSTRY

The Disease Botrytis cinerea favours high humidity (>95%) and temperatures in the range of 15-20oC for infection (Smith 1998), however germination can occur at much lower temperatures. Free water and a nutrient source (corolla tissue, pollen or non-pollinated ovaries) are required for Botrytis germination to occur. The rate of flower infection is dependent on

the flower growth stage, temperature and the period of water availability. Research has shown that corolla tissue infection can occur within a 24-hour free water period at temperatures between 4-8oC and once the temperature reaches 20oC, a minimum period of only 6 hours free water is required (Hildebrand et al. 2001).

Conidia (spores) are spread by wind Warm wet conditions starts fungus growth & the development of conidia (spores)

1. Infection requires free water and a nutrient source 2. Temperature promotes or delays infection 3. Corolla tissue highly susceptible

Botrytis spores and fungus survive in organic matter in the blueberry field waiting for a new infection opportunity

Latent Infection

KEY INFECTION STAGE

Problem Solving — Winegrape Industry Experience Liz Singh worked with the Murray Valley Winegrape Industry for ten years and saw the turning point for Botrytis management when growers addressed “one” critical timing for crop protection. Liz – “Given the similarities in fruit development between grapes and blueberries, key learnings from the Winegrape Industry could give the Blueberry industry a head start on significantly reducing the impacts of Botrytis.”

The turning point for winegrape growers was understanding that “latent” infection of berries occurs when the weather conditions are favourable for Botrytis infection at flowering. This is followed by a period where Botrytis lies dormant inside the berry without causing disease symptoms until the berry ripens; causing berry softening and grey mould.

In the Murray Valley Winegrape Industry, growers struggled to control outbreaks of Botrytis infection in wet seasons for the following reasons:

Once growers understood that infection could occur during a period of rain, high relative humidity, fog, mist or dew over flowering they were able to protect the crop at this critical infection stage and significantly reduce the impact of Botrytis later in the season should weather conditions be favourable for Botrytis disease expression.

1. They addressed the problem when they saw it; which meant they were always a step behind,

How does that help?

2. They had little understanding of the Botrytis disease cycle, 3. They didn’t have the correct tools to predict infection periods, 4. Latent infection at flowering was largely unknown, 5. Botrytis caused substantial damage due to the tight configuration of grape bunches; one infected berry can destroy a whole bunch of grapes and quickly move on to the next (Figure 4).

The grape flower (Figure 5) has very little flesh once the cap falls off, unlike a blueberry flower. Botrytis infection in grapes at flowering is not overly obvious; however, in blueberries the classic grey mould expression of the disease on the corollas is very obvious. Botrytis is an opportunist and infects wounds, dying tissues or natural openings. In the grape flower, there are several points Botrytis can enter to cause latent berry infection - 1,2,3,4 (Figure 5) (Keller et al. 2003).

The persistent calyx is a perfect storage spot for botrytis spores High disease levels at flowering produce spores that can infect fruit at harvest Infected fruit at harvest or during post harvest storage produces the classic grey mould expression of the disease producing more spores (conidia) to spread the disease in the field or in the packaged product.

Physical damage at harvest provides an entry point for botrytis spores that developed early in the season at flowering FIGURE 4

FIGURE 3: BOTRYTIS CINEREA LIFE CYCLE IN BLUEBERRY PRODUCTION (SOURCE: AGRIHORT SOLUTIONS & FLOWER/FRUIT IMAGES)

Australian Berry Grower

FIGURE 5 – GRAPE FLOWER – INFECTION SITES 1. CAP, 2. CAP SCAR, 3. STIGMA, 4. OVARY (SOURCE: KELLER ET AL. 2003)

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INDUSTRY

The corolla tissue of the blueberry flower is highly susceptible to Botrytis, producing high disease levels. When the corolla falls to reveal the berry, the natural wound opening would present an opportune entry point for Botrytis (this can be seen in the bottom of Figure 1.) The stigma can also provide access to the ovary, and the flower calyx, which becomes the berry crown, forms a perfect little cup to hold Botrytis spores for infection during ripening, if physical damage occurs.

• Understand how the chemistry available for Botrytis prevention works. Is the product contact or locally systemic? • Plan your prevention strategies and be aware of the potential for Botrytis to develop resistance to the chemistry if used incorrectly – www.croplife.org.au There are a number of disease prediction models for Botrytis including the Broome, Bacchus and Nair. These models use weather indicators to predict the activity of Botrytis and could assist growers in their decision-making processes.

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If you have a weather station in your blueberry field that is capable of measuring leaf wetness, contact Shane on 0428 674 655. Let’s make some practical changes to the management of Botrytis in blueberries.

SHANE SINGH (B Rur Sc) full bloom

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FIGURE 6

While it has been suggested that pollinated blueberry ovaries (berries) are relatively resistant to Botrytis infection (Lambert 1990), other sources point towards developing berry infection (Bristow & Milholland 1995). The concept of latent infection in blueberries is largely unknown. Given the similarities in fruit development between grapes and blueberries (Figure 6), the potential for latent infection occurring at flowering is an important consideration.

Protecting your crop Knowledge is a powerful tool to use in the protection of your crop. • Take some time to read about and understand the Botrytis life cycle (above) and consider the experiences of the winegrape industry. Flowering is an important key stage in the development of Botrytis in blueberry fields and control at this growth stage will assist in reducing the levels of Botrytis at harvest time.

M: 0428 674 655 E: shane@agrihort.com.au

REFERENCES • http://blog.pestprophet.com/managingBotrytis-grape-rot-on-grapes/ • https://goo.gl/images/CqY5TE • Bristow, P.R., Milholland, R.D., 1995. Botrytis Blight. Compendium of Blueberry and Cranberry Disease: 8-9. • Hildebrand, P.D., McRae, K.B., Lu, X. 2001. Factors affecting flower infection and disease severity of lowbush blueberry by Botrytis cinerea. Can. J. Plant Pathol. 23: 364–370. • Keller, M., Viret, O., and Cole, F. M. 2003. Botrytis cinerea infection in grape flowers: Defense reaction, latency, and disease expression. Phytopathology 93:316-322. • Lambert, D.H., 1990. Postharvest fungi of lowbush berry fruit. Plant Dis. 74: 285-287. • Smith, B. J. 1998. Botrytis blossom blight of southern blueberries: Cultivar susceptibility and effect of chemical treatments. Plant Dis. 82:924-927.

Australian Berry Grower

RESEARCH

Development and characterisation of cassava starch ﬁlms incorporated with blueberry pomace for use in food packaging applications Currently, approximately 40% of food packaging globally is manufactured using plastic materials. The issue of plastic waste collecting in our oceans has been highlighted recently by the information being shared about the great Pacific garbage patch.

s reported in March this year by Helen Thompson in Science News, about 1.8 trillion plastic pieces make up the garbage patch, the scientists estimate. Particles smaller than 5mm, called microplastics, account for 94% of the pieces, but only 8% of the overall mass. In overall size terms, reports are showing that the waste patch spans 1.6 million square km, about three times the size of France. Work is being carried out around the world to seek out alternatives to plastics for single use food packaging solutions. The challenge is a significant one given that part of the problem is a consumers desire to be able to inspect fresh produce prior to purchase, requiring the packaging to both protect the product in the supply chain and be see-through. One project, that is a collaboration between a team at Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil and the University of the Basque Country in Spain, is looking at biopolymers. Biopolymers made from renewable sources are considered a very attractive proposition given they are abundant, friendly to the environment and biodegradable.

Among the range of biopolymers under consideration are starches not least because of their easy availability, low cost and potentially good filmformation properties. This team are investigating one starch in particular – cassava starch – due to the characteristics it has; tasteless, colourless, non-toxic, odourless and biodegradable. In addition to these properties, starches can also act as a carrier of antioxidant and antimicrobial agents that can play an active part in maintaining the safety and freshness of the food through the supply chain. The team from Brazil are looking at this project in the context of their country being the third largest fruit growing nation in the world with annual production in excess of 43m tonnes. Of this amount, just over half is processed in some way prior to consumption which generates large amounts of fruit processing waste, including skins, seeds and pith, all of which contain valuable nutrients, fibres and compounds some of which, like anthocyanins, have very specific properties.

Australian Berry Grower

As well as being a rich source of antioxidants, the anthocyanin compounds contained in blueberries have the ability to change colour when subjected to different pH environments, thus enabling their use as an indicator of pH changes in some food products. The report summary highlights that ‘the incorporation of blueberry pomace (BP) into ﬁlmogenic formulations can be an interesting alternative to produce biodegradable, active and intelligent food packaging, adding value to this waste through the development of environmentally friendly products as well as contributing to minimize waste generation.’

Migration assays were also performed using Ethanol (96%) and 3% acetic acid (v/v) as food simulant solutions for fatty and aqueous foods, respectively. Total immersion migration tests were carried out in a glass vial. Then, samples (film and simulant) were placed in a thermostatic oven, set at 20°C, for 10 days. Immediately after the exposure of films to simulants, samples were removed and UV– vis measurements were performed for the simulant solutions. Three sets of samples were investigated for each film formulation and each simulant.

The objective of this joint study was to develop and characterise cassava starch films blended with BP and understand their potential use in food packaging. For this, different contents of BP were incorporated into the starch film formulations in order to evaluate the effect of BP addition in the film performance; in particular, thermal and optical properties, as well as physio-chemical behaviour concerning swelling and release of phenolic compounds.

At macroscopic scale, all films were homogenous, transparent, odourless and easy to handle. BP addition significantly affected film thickness, which ranged from 91.3 to 124.3 µm mean values.

Methodology Native cassava was used to prepare film forming solutions and blended with sorbitol as the plasticizer. Blueberry pomace was generated by bleaching blueberries with water vapour in an autoclave machine, cooling the fruit then juicing the fruit. The remaining pomace was then separated, filtered and freeze-dried before being milled and sieved to achieve a fine powder form of pomace. The cassava blend and pomace were mixed with distilled water before being processed into petri dishes and conditioned at 25°C and 55% relative humidity for 48 hours. The resulting films were identified based on their proportion of BP content as CS0BP, CS4BP, CS8BP, and CS12BP. A range of tests were performed to understand temperature resistance; the light-barrier properties of the films were determined by using an UV–vis spectrophotometer; and ten measurements were taken for each sample. Swelling was gravimetrically measured using three specimens of each film formulation.

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Results

Composite films performed better overall compared to cassava starch films without blueberry pomace. A similar trend has reportedly been observed for other biopolymers, such as gelatin, when compounds rich in polyphenols, such as seaweed extracts, were incorporated into film forming solutions. This behaviour is related to the changes promoted in inter- and intra-molecular interactions by the incorporation of compounds rich in polyphenols into biopolymeric matrices. The addition of blueberry pomace caused high absorption below 300nm, indicating that films with blueberry pomace were able to protect against UV light, preventing the deterioration of food due to UV radiation. The results showed a fairly constant result in this area regardless of the proportion of BP content. It is important to note here that the UV light barrier values presented in this work for cassava starch films prepared with blueberry pomace were higher than those found for synthetic polymers, such as oriented polypropylene (OPP) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE). On the flip side, the addition of blueberry pomace reduced the film transparency due to the fact that anthocyanin-derived pigments present in blueberry pomace are involved in the absorption at this wavelength.

RESEARCH

ABGA

ABGA Committee Highlights 2018

The addition of blueberry pomace promoted a decrease in gloss values. It is known that the lower the gloss value, the higher the surface roughness and it is important to remark that roughness is required when intending to print or heat-seal the film in order to improve the adhesion of inks onto the film surface or the adhesion between surfaces, respectively. Swelling tests were carried out and it is worth noting that all samples maintained their structural integrity after 1440 min (24 h) of immersion in water. Similar values have been reported for starch films in the broader literature available on this topic. The absorption values for the films with blueberry pomace were slightly higher than those for the film without blueberry, indicating that blueberry pomace affected the water uptake capacity of the films, probably due to the fibre present in blueberry pomace.

The ABGA Committee has set out a progressive agenda for 2018 and many of the goals have been achieved or have made considerable progress.

Conclusions The thermal, optical and physio-chemical properties of cassava starch films incorporated with blueberry pomace from juice processing were investigated. The results highlight the potential of cassava starch and blueberry pomace to prepare renewable and biodegradable products to promote a sustainable production of food packaging. The films with blueberry pomace were found to be UV resistant due to the presence of aromatic compounds in the blueberry pomace and, thus, able to prevent food deterioration caused by UV radiation, extending food shelf-life. Furthermore, migration assays showed the release of active compounds into the acetic acid medium, indicating the feasibility of these films as food packaging for aqueous foods.

This article has been summarised from the paper published in the International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 106 (2018) 834–839 Development and characterization of cassava starch ﬁlms incorporated with blueberry pomace by Cláudia Leites Luchese, Tania Garrido, Jordana Corralo Spada, Isabel Cristina Tessaro, Koro de la Caba

t the beginning of 2018 the ABGA Committee set out to create a new entity for the Berry category. This was in partnership with Raspberries and Blackberries Australia Inc. Berries Australia Limited is now in place with a Board of Directors. The four Directors are Peter McPherson and Andrew Bell from ABGA with Anthony Poiner and Richard McGruddy from RABA. The mission of Berries Australia is to act as a service provider to all berry peak industry bodies covering administration support and governance. Berries Australia will also be the project lead for those projects that show better economic sense across the berry category. That is where the same problem exists for raspberries as it does for blueberries, for example.

Australian Blueberry Industry Strategic Investment Plan 2018–2022

Australian Berry Grower

Also, during 2018 ABGA has completed its Strategic Investment Plan for 2022 with the main goals being to grow the market, deliver increased value to all members and manage the risks.

We have published this plan and it is available to all members. We have developed a new consumer marketing strategy that focusses on FRESH berries and will include both health and wellness marketing of blueberries but also tips on how to freeze your own. We need to target the food miles and higher risks of imported frozen berries. ABGA is in close cooperation with Hort Innovation to establish a new Collective Industry Fund for Blueberries. Industry sectors without a statutory levy in place may seek to establish a Collective Industry Fund (CIF), where funds are contributed by growers and managed in the same manner as a statutory levy. These funds are then matched by Government for specific projects. This fund will be managed by Hort Innovation and will be directed by a Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP) made up of growers and other supply chain participants. The ABGA Committee has also ratified the establishment of the R&D Committee and the Marketing Committee. These committees are made up of professionals in the industry who are chartered with delivering on success for their own organisations. This level of coordination is proving to be valuable in prioritising an industry-wide approach. The ABGA Committee has maintained a continued focus on growing the market with early progress being made for access to China and a continued focus on re-establishing access to Japan. The Annual General Meeting for 2018 will be held at the Pacific Bay Resort in Coffs Harbour on the 12th of November. Invitations will be sent out in early October, but in the meantime please save this date in your diaries.

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To help with weed control we are excited to have recently taken delivery of a Weedtechnics SW900 steam weeder. A dozen or so years ago we purchased a steam weeder from New Zealand and although it showed promise, application control of the generated steam proved difficult.

Mal Deveson Moondarra Blueberries, Gippsland Victoria

Mal Deveson has been growing organic blueberries in Moondarra since 1980. In this article he introduces the latest in weed management tools that are fully compatible with organic or biodynamic growing systems, or for those simply looking for a viable alternative to herbicides which ar suspected to be damaging to human health.

t probably has always been, that whenever farmers meet up, the conversation inevitably turns to the weather. Be it drought, flood, hail, frost, wind, heat or bushfire threat, as berry growers we all at some point have experienced some if not all of these threats to our wellbeing and enterprise. Large parts of Victoria are currently severely rainfall deficient. Last year here at Moondarra, in Gippsland, we recorded the lowest rainfall since purchasing our farm in 1976. This year to date is 30mm behind last year. However, in SW Victoria around the Otway ranges they are running above long term averages.

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Consensus from climate scientists is that the general drying trend will most likely continue.

Last summer we almost exhausted our irrigation water reserves with the dams having only just now recovered. Talking recently with some other berry growers farming in central Gippsland they have reported that their dams are not receiving sufficient runoff yet to fill. Consensus from climate scientists is that the general drying trend will most likely continue with more extremes of all those threats mentioned above.

This new machine operates with a mix of steam and boiling water rather than steam alone and application is very controlled and effective. It is early days, but from what we have experienced with its use so far prospects look very promising. Apart from the use of fossil fuel to run it, there are no negative environmental impacts whatsoever. There also is no risk of starting fires which was a concern with our earlier machine.

Australian Berry Grower

We recently held a Sustainable Agriculture Project open day, facilitated by Peter Ronalds from the Westernport Landcare network to demonstrate the effectiveness of this new concept in weed control. There were around 30 people in attendance who were involved with production horticulture including a number of berry growers. Jeremy Winer, the Managing Director of Weedtechnics, gave a presentation before demonstrating the use of the machine in our blueberry block. Comments from participants on the day were overwhelmingly positive. News of the huge damages payout in the USA against Monsanto as a result of Roundup® use, the week before our open day, had Jeremy’s phone running hot. Councils and others responsible for maintaining public spaces, where herbicide use has become standard practice, are looking down the barrel. There are already a number of councils both in Australia and the USA utilising the Weedtechnics units.

The last month has seen some significant wind events with associated damage to bird net structures and greenhouses. There is now tree debris along road ways, from windbreak plantings and the edges of the bush requiring clean up before burn off restrictions are introduced which, due to the dry, are predicted to be early. There have already been significant wild fires in Eastern Victoria and we have only just emerged from winter! With regard to water use, a focus for us is to find more efficient ways to utilise the water we have, such as improved application methods, better plant stress monitoring, increasing soil water holding capacity via higher humus levels and reducing weed competition.

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Apart from the use of fossil fuel to run it, there are no negative environmental impacts whatsoever

Back to the weather and where our blueberries are at. Average temperatures over winter have been above average although due to wind chill, the perception from those in the paddock is different. The fruit buds are swollen and ready to go so we will expect to introduce the bees in a few weeks’ time [midSeptember]. Bud count looks positive so depending on wind/rain/frost, over flowering the potential fruit set could be good.

For more information about the Weedtechnics range of steam weeding products, visit their website www.weedtechnics.com or contact Jeremy Winer jeremy@weedtechnics.com 02 9986 1505

Australian Berry Grower

A good number of Victorian growers travelled over to Launceston for BerryQuest in February. Timing was a bit difficult for southern growers being at the height of their harvest season, but for those that could manage time away, it was an excellent event, very well organised and well worth the effort in attending.

INDUSTRY

Workplace Relations Update

Aside from that issue, the major development relating to piecework over the past year came from the ‘Marland Mushrooms’ matter. That was a Federal Court case in which the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) alleged that certain piecework agreements did not “enable the average competent workers to earn at least 15% per hour more than the minimum hourly rate” as required by the clause 15.2 of the Award.

Ben Rogers, General Manager – Workplace Relations and Legal Affairs National Farmers’ Federation

Growers could be excused for struggling to keep on top of the changes which affect their workforce obligations over the past 12 months: “protecting vulnerable worker” amendments to the Fair Work Act, the introduction of a Modern Slavery Bill, the roll-out of labour hire licensing schemes, and the Fair Work Commission’s ongoing “4 yearly” (now well into its 5th year) review of all Modern Awards. All have introduced change affecting farm business and their HR commitments.

iecework arrangements have been caught up in much of this activity. While the most significant developments have emerged from the Federal Court decision in the ‘Marland Mushrooms’ case*- which I will consider at length below — they also feature prominently in the governments’ thinking about labour hire licensing schemes, supply chain reporting requirements, and other legislative mechanisms responding to the all too frequent allegation of workforce mistreatment. However, it bears mentioning up front that one thing should not change. Growers will probably be aware of the Fair Work Commission’s decision — despite robust opposition from the NFF — to require growers to pay some form of overtime to their casual staff under the Horticulture Award (the Award). At present, it appears that casual workers will be entitled to a 15% ‘night loading’ when working after 8:30 pm or before 5:00 am on any day, or overtime (50%) if they work more than 12 hours a day or 304 hours over 8 weeks. However, it’s important to note that the decision should not affect growers’ obligations in respect of pieceworkers. I say “should not”, because the Commission has yet to formally make a decision, but all indications at present are that the piecework arrangement will be exempt. That means that casual employees who are working under piece rate agreements will not be entitled to any other form of loading (whether overtime or the “night loading” referred to above) based on the hours they work; i.e. irrespective of whether working during or outside of ordinary hours. Critically, that also means the piece rate itself does not have to be accounted for in those loadings; i.e. the “the minimum hourly rate” will not include the loadings.

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She took action against both the labour hire company which employed the pickers who worked under the agreements, and the grower who owned the mushroom farm where they worked. In the NFF’s opinion, however, the FWO’s claim did not provide any meaningful analysis regarding what the piece rate should have been or why she concluded that the actual rate was too low. She simply relied on the fact that few of the workers had ever achieved the threshold of 15% more than the minimum rate. A win by the FWO could therefore be interpreted to mean that rather than providing a method for setting a piece rate, clause 15.2 of the Award would, in effect, set a minimum amount which a worker had to be paid; i.e. rather than enabling the pieceworkers to achieve 15% more than the minimum rate, it would ensure they were paid at least that amount. The NFF intervened in the case, primarily to contest this point. The NFF was also concerned with the FWO’s assertion that when a piece rate is defective the relevant worker reverts to hourly rates. Finally, the NFF argued that the validity of the rate is firmly set at the point in time at which the piecework agreement is entered into and the working conditions at that time, and therefore a change in conditions (i.e. to make work slower) would not mean that the rate had to change (i.e. increase). The NFF’s intervention was successful on the first two points, but lost on the third. The judge decided that a range of matters - in particular, the circumstances of the particular farming operation and its workforce - needs to be take into account in determining the criteria for an “average competent employee”. The pick-rate of the workers who fit that criteria determines what the piece rate should be, and therefore workers who do not satisfy that criteria

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- for example, because they do not have enough experience - can be expected to earn less. The Court also found that if a piece rate is inadequate then the employee is entitled to top-up/back pay at the correct rate rather than defaulting to daily rates/conditions. Unfortunately, however, contrary to the NFF’s submission, the court did not accept that the piece rate is “locked-in” at the time the agreement is entered into. Instead, the Court found that the piece rate is subject to changing circumstances; i.e. if something changes so that the “average competent worker’s” pick-rate slows then the minimum hourly rate must increase. Although of a more technical nature — and less significant to the NFF — the judge also found that a piecework agreement which sets the piece rate too low does not result in “ongoing breach” i.e. for the duration of the agreement. Instead there is just the one breach at the time the defective agreement is reached. Finally, the judge found that while the labour hire contractor had breached the award requirements, he was not convinced that the grower was complicit in the breach. That was because the judge was not persuaded that the grower was aware the workers were casual employees, and therefore that the additional 25% casual loading had to be taken into account when determining the piece rate. The FWO recently commenced an appeal of the decision. That appeal is principally about the grower’s complicity (the ‘accessorial liability’) and the ‘ongoing breach’ issues, and we don’t expect it will change the substantive issues discussed above. That said, they are threshold issues - i.e. there is only a breach if the piece rate is inadequate so establishing the correct piece rate is fundamental in determining ‘accessorial liability’ and whether there is an ‘ongoing breach’ - so they will likely get some attention. At this point, a decision on the appeal should not be expected until the middle of next year at the earliest. *Fair Work Ombudsman v Hu (No 2) [2018] FCA 1034

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Our MySuper (Balanced) Investment Option returned 11.39% p.a.* for the year to 30 June 2018 and our Pension Balanced Investment Option returned 12.90% p.a.* over the same period, ranking us well above the industry median of 9.22% p.a. and 9.92% p.a.1 respectively. Our balanced investment options also ranked in the top quartile and above the median on a rolling 10 year period1, with our MySuper (Balanced) Investment Option returning on average 7.01% p.a.* for the last 10 years to 30 June 2018, and our Pension Balanced Investment Option returning on average 7.78% p.a.* for the same period. If you or your employees would like more information on AustSafe Superâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investment options, your local Regional Manager is available to meet you at your worksite. Visit austsafe.com.au/regional-managers for more information.

Agronomic Management

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Nutrition Programs Soil & Plant Analysis

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This editorial is general information only and does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. You may also wish to seek the advice of a qualified financial planner. Please also read the relevant AustSafe Super Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before making a decision in relation to the product available at austsafe.com.au.

Intergrated Pest, Weed & Disease Management

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Contact Stuart Doyle for further details: e: stuart@agvista.com.au p: 0428 800 488 w: www.AgVista.com.au Australian Berry Grower

RESEARCH

Enhanced National Bee Pest Surveillance Program (MT16005) Jenny Shanks Plant Health Australia

Australia’s honey bee industry is fortunate enough to experience freedom from many overseas pests that can adversely impact on the production of honey, bee products, and the delivery of pollination services.

n estimated 65 per cent of agricultural production involves pollination from honey bees, including the berry industry, where fruit set is dependent on pollination. Plant Health Australia (PHA) has been coordinating surveillance activities across ports nationwide as part of the National Bee Pest Surveillance Program (NBPSP) since 2012. The NBPSP is an early warning system to detect new incursions of exotic pest bees (such as Asian honey bees) and bee pests (such as Varroa mites). The program also provides technical, evidence-based information to support Australia’s pest free status claims during export negotiations and assists exporters meet export certification requirements.

The Enhanced NBPSP came into effect December 2016 and uses a variety of activities to detect 16 exotic bee pests and pest bees, and two regionalised, but significant, bee pests. As at June 30th, 2018 there are 140 active European honey bee hives called sentinel hives deployed across 28 sea and air ports. These sentinel hives are inspected regularly to detect Varroa mites, Tropilaelaps mites, Braula cocea and Tracheal mite. At June 30th, 2018 no exotic bee pests were recorded in sentinel hive surveillance. New swarms of European honey bees that could be carrying mites, travelling on cargo and vessels are a high risk. To target these swarms, empty catchboxes are strategically positioned in suitable locations around the riskiest of ports. At June 30th, 2018 109 catchboxes have been deployed nationally by biosecurity apiary officers. In addition, all biosecurity officers are active on port grounds ready to respond to any new swarms on the ports. All swarms are captured, destroyed and inspected for pests that could be hitchhiking into Australia. Between January 1st and May 31st, 2018 25 swarms were captured of which; 15 were Asian honey bee and 10 were European honey bee (across Melbourne, Cairns, Tasmania, and Brisbane ports). The NBPSP also undertakes biannual testing of 140 sentinel hives for five exotic viruses that could significantly impact the health of our European honey bee population. Through this scientific evidence-based data, Australia can report absence of deformed wing virus, acute bee paralysis virus and slow paralysis virus.

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SENTINEL HIVE INSPECTIONS IN VIC BY APIARY OFFICERS (JENNY SHANKS, PLANT HEALTH AUSTRALIA)

SENTINEL HIVE INSPECTIONS IN WA BY APIARY OFFICERS AND VOLUNTEER BEEKEEPERS (JENNY SHANKS, PLANT HEALTH AUSTRALIA)

There are further ongoing enhancements and activities planned for roll-out over the next 12 months including improvements to techniques and updating of methodologies for floral sweep netting to capture foraging exotic pest bees (Asian honey bee, bumble bee, red dwarf honey bee, giant honey bee and European honey bee), sensitivity and attractiveness of catchboxes and data collection and national and international reporting. These ongoing improvements add significant value to an already world leading bee pest surveillance program and continues to improve the ability to detect exotic bee pests. These efforts protect the honey bee industry, which in turn supports pollination services that underpin the Australian berry industries.

The Enhanced National Bee Pest Surveillance Program 2016-2021 (MT16005) is funded by $2.5 million from Hort Innovation’s Hort Frontiers Pollination Fund, part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative. This consists of research and development levies from nine pollination dependent industries, $500,000 from the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council, $100,000 from Grain Producers Australia, and matched contributions from the Australian Government.

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Through the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, the Australian Government has provided a further $587,000 to enhance the program. In-kind contributions for the implementation of the program are also provided through each state and territory’s Department of Agriculture and volunteer beekeepers. At a national level, Plant Health Australia coordinates and administers the program.

RESEARCH

Global Health Research News

CHINA Acrylamide (AA) is a well-known toxicant that has attracted increasing attention after an announcement by Swedish National Food Authority and the University of Stockholm, who jointly claimed the discovery of AA in a variety of carbohydrate-rich foods subjected to high heat during food processing. It has been confirmed that two major ingredients: amino acid asparagine and reducing sugars from Maillard reaction are predominantly precursors to AA. AA was classified as ‘probably carcinogenic to humans’ by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 1994.

USA OBJECTIVE

RESULTS

hrough dynamic means, etiological factors, including chronic inflammation and insulin resistance have the potential to perpetuate metabolic incidences such as type 2 diabetes and obesity. Abatement of such syndromes can be achieved by complex mechanisms initiated through bioactive compounds such as polyphenols derived from fruits. Using a whole-fruit approach, the effects of dietary red raspberry, which is rich in polyphenols, on inflammatory responses and insulin resistance in the skeletal muscles of Mus musculus were studied along with the potential role of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) to act as a key mediator.

Dietary raspberry reduced ectopic lipid storage, alleviated inflammation responses, improved wholebody insulin sensitivity, and promoted mitochondrial biogenesis in the skeletal muscle of WT mice, but not AMPKɑ1−/− mice.

SUBJECTS Wild-type (WT) mice and mice deficient in the catalytic subunit (ɑ1) of AMPK (AMPKɑ1−/−) were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) or HFD supplemented with raspberry (5% dry weight) for 10 weeks. Factors involved in inflammatory responses, insulin signalling transduction, and mitochondrial biogenesis were evaluated.

CONCLUSIONS AMPKɑ1 is an important mediator for the beneficial effects of raspberry through alleviating inflammatory responses and sensitising insulin signalling in skeletal muscle of HFD-fed mice. Abstract from “Raspberry alleviates obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance in skeletal muscle through activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) ɑ 1”, Nutrition & Diabetes volume 8, Article number: 39 (2018), Liang Zhao, Tiande Zou, Noe Alberto Gomez, Bo Wang, Mei-Jun Zhu & Min Du

Australian Berry Grower

The study was therefore undertaken to investigate the protective effect of blackberry digests produced after (BBD) in vitro gastrointestinal (GI) digestion against AA-induced oxidative damage. The results indicated that the BBD (0.5 mg/mL) pre-treatment significantly suppressed AA-induced intracellular ROS generation (56.6 ± 2.9% of AA treatment), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) decrease (297 ± 18% of AA treatment) and glutathione (GSH) depletion (307 ± 23% of AA treatment), thereby ameliorating cytotoxicity. Furthermore, LC/MS/ MS analysis identified eight phenolic compounds with high contents in BBD, including ellagic acid, ellagic acid pentoside, ellagic acid glucuronoside, methyl-ellagic acid pentoside, methyl-ellagic acid glucuronoside, cyanidin glucoside, gallic acid and galloyl esters, as primary active compounds responsible for antioxidant action. Collectively, the study uncovered that the protective effect of blackberry was reserved after gastrointestinal digestion in combating exogenous pollutant-induced oxidative stress.

PORTUGAL High-fat (HF) diets are thought to disrupt the profile of the gut microbiota in a manner that may contribute to the neuroinflammation and neurobehavioral changes observed in obesity. Accordingly, we hypothesise that by preventing HF-diet induced dysbiosis it is possible to prevent neuroinflammation and the consequent neurological disorders. Anthocyanins are flavonoids found in berries that exhibit anti-neuroinflammatory properties in the context of obesity. Here, we demonstrate that the blackberry anthocyaninrich extract (BE) can modulate gut microbiota composition and counteract some of the features of HF-diet induced dysbiosis. In addition, we show that the modifications in gut microbial environment are partially linked with the anti-neuroinflammatory properties of BE. Through fecal metabolome analysis, we unravel the mechanism by which BE participates in the bilateral communication between the gut and the brain. BE alters host tryptophan metabolism, increasing the production of the neuroprotective metabolite kynurenic acid. These findings strongly suggest that dietary manipulation of the gut microbiota with anthocyanins can attenuate the neurologic complications of obesity, thus expanding the classification of psychobiotics to anthocyanins. Abstract from “Gut microbiota modulation accounts for the neuroprotective properties of anthocyanins”, Scientific Reports volume 8, Article number: 11341 (2018), Cláudia Marques, Iva Fernandes, Manuela Meireles, Ana Faria, Jeremy P. E. Spencer, Nuno Mateus & Conceição Calhau

Abstract from “In vitro gastrointestinal digestion promotes the protective effect of blackberry extract against acrylamide-induced oxidative stress”, Scientific Reports volume 7, Article number: 40514 (2017) Wei Chen, Hongming Su, Yang Xu & Chao Jin

Australian Berry Grower

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