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E N J OY R E T I R E M E N T
FA L L A R MY W O R M
D U TC H M A N
LO N G L I F E
Aileen Reid
Marches south
Down under
Blueberries
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LOOK TO THE PACIFIC TO SOLVE YOUR LABOUR NEEDS
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RIGHTING THE ROTS
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I N D U S T R Y
R U B U S
S T R A W B E R R I E S
B L U E B E R R I E S
What’s happening in your Industry
Meet Richard Clark: Westerway Berries
RED Grant success story
Managing Botrytis
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Dutchman down under
A round up from the IDO Team
Native bees & berry crops
Long life better blueberries?
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Meet the Hendriksens
So long & farewell Aileen Reid
Spot & blotch diseases
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Breeding Program: Update
Boosting raspberry storage life
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Native bees & tunnels: a success?
13 Bigger picture: Trust & Sustainability
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26 Managing Spotted Wing Drosophila
29 E D I TO R Jane Richter
Meet the Crolla Family
81 Best practice bee management
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14 –19 Sniffing out pathogens
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NEED COVID-19 INFORMATION?
Spotlight on Charcoal Rot
Visit: bit.ly/BA-COVID
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Meet Tony O’Connell
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57 – 67 Cold plasma vs Fungus
COVID-19 at the workplace Outside Back Cover
Meet Anthony Yewers
70 C O N T R I B U TO R S Rachel Mackenzie Peter McPherson Simon Dornauf Jonathan Shaw Richard McGruddy Melinda Simpson
Dr Angela Atkinson Bron Ford Claire McCrory Dr Katie Dunne Aileen Reid Jessica Lye Dr Jenny Ekman
Deanna Lush Jane Trindall Dr Robin Adair Julian Brown Joshua Coates Saul A. Cunningham Jodi Neale
Onyeka Nzie Mark Hall Scott Mattner David Oag Farhana Momtaz Tony O’Connell
A DV E R T I S I N G For all Advertising & Partnership Enquiries Jen Rowling | 0448 322 389 | jenrowling@berries.net.au All advertising and advertorial material is subject to review and approval prior to publication. DESIGN Kern & Kraft Design | www.kernandkraftdesign.com.au
DISCLAIMER: 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. The advice and opinions in the articles published in Australian Berry Journal are essentially those of contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Berries Australia or the Editor. The advice is at the reader’s own risk, and no responsibility is accepted for the accuracy of the material presented. Inclusion of an advertisement in this publication does not necessarily imply endorsement of the product, company or service by Berries Australia or the Editor. Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited (Hort Innovation) makes no representations and expressly disclaims all warranties (to the extent permitted by law) about the accuracy, completeness, or currency of information in Australian Berry Journal. Reliance on any information provided by Hort Innovation is entirely at your own risk. Hort Innovation is not responsible for, and will not be liable for, any loss, damage, claim, expense, cost (including legal costs) or other liability arising in any way, including from any Hort Innovation or other person’s negligence or otherwise from your use or non-use of Australian Berry Journal or from reliance on information contained in the material or that Hort Innovation provides to you by any other means. Copyright © Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited 2019 Copyright subsists in Australian Berry Journal. Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited (Hort Innovation) owns the copyright, other than as permitted under the Copyright ACT 1968 (Cth). Australian Berry Journal (in part or as a whole) cannot be reproduced, published, communicated or adapted without the prior written consent of Hort Innovation. Any request or enquiry to use the Australian Berry Journal should be addressed to: Communications Manager, Hort Innovation, Level 7 | 141 Walker Street, North Sydney 2060, Australia | E: communications@horticulture.com.au | P: 02 8295 2300
Wherever you see this logo, the initiative is part of the Hort Innovation Blueberry, Strawberry and Raspberry and Blackberry Fund. Like this publication itself, it has been funded by Hort Innovation using the Blueberry, Strawberry and Raspberry and Blackberry R&D levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Some projects also involve funding from additional sources.
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Executive Director's Report Rachel Mackenzie | 0408 796 199 | rachelmackenzie@berries.net.au At the time of writing, the majority of blueberry growers have committed to increasing their voluntary levy to activate a marketing campaign and we are in discussions with the Hort Innovation marketing team as to how to align the Rubus and blueberry campaigns. We will continue to look at options for strawberries to participate both in the short and longer term.
Welcome to the winter edition of the Australian Berry Journal. I recently read somewhere that if you had bought 2020 from a shop you would have been back to demand a refund! It certainly has been a challenging start to the year and highlights again how important it is to be prepared for the crises you can plan for and the ones that you can’t predict.
Whilst it has certainly felt like the COVID-19 response has absorbed a lot of my time it feels like we are now entering a stable phase in terms of the response and the team can start returning to normal activities. That said, many face-to-face meetings will have to be changed to virtual meetings and you may be invited to some virtual farm walks (BYO drinks).
The learnings from the strawberry tampering crisis and the subsequent work we have done within the industry has enabled us to respond more quickly and effectively than in the past. I hope that having a national body in place along with clear communication channels has at least made you feel better informed and more supported. Please keep on letting us know of any issues and concerns as they arise.
I have been participating in a Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) working group around their proposal to regulate so-called high-risk horticulture which includes berries. Rest assured we are pushing back strongly against this approach as there is no evidence that Australian grown berries are a risk or that the current measures do not manage that risk.
Whilst I have said it many times in our online communications, I would once again like to thank the IDO team and our communications manager Jane Richter for their excellent efforts in pulling together the COVID-19 resources. Have no doubt that they were working for you at all hours behind the scenes.
I’m really pleased that prior to the borders closing I had the opportunity to visit farms in Tasmania and Victoria as well as attend local grower meetings. Meeting with industry members is one of the most rewarding parts of my role and I learn something new every time, which enables me to engage with government with a good understanding of your needs and how you operate.
In terms of the longer-term response, we are looking at how we can activate a whole-of-berries marketing campaign to manage changed consumer behaviour. This is not an easy task as the Rubus industry has a marketing levy managed by Hort Innovation, strawberries don’t have a marketing levy at all nd blueberries have a voluntary levy.
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I would like to welcome Wendy Morris to the team as our new administration and membership officer. And finally, I would like to wish Aileen Reid the very best in her retirement and thank her for her incredible contribution to the Australia berry industry.
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Chairman's Report Peter McPherson | 0418 666 651 | peter.mcpherson@costagroup.com.au
It is fair to say that things have changed markedly for everyone since the last journal. COVID-19 has presented the industry with significant challenges, especially those relating to the supply chain, most notably the sourcing of sufficient labour to harvest our crops.
The efforts of local councils to increase their jurisdiction over intensive horticulture is something we as an industry must be ever vigilant about. Recently we were successful in convincing Coffs Harbour Council to not require development applications for intensive horticulture. This was a major win for the industry, not just in Coffs but across the country, as such requirements tend to gain momentum if they are put in place.
The Berries Australia team, including our Executive Director Rachel Mackenzie, the Industry Development Officers and Jane Richter our communications specialist, have done great work in presenting timely, clear and professional resources which are tailored for our sector. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes engaging with government and re-working resources so they can be applied in a practical way for you on the ground.
The regulation of activities such as water and land use are more appropriately overseen by state government agencies who have expertise in these areas. That said, we need to keep ensuring that all growers understand and implement best-practice as there are no excuses for breaking the law. This also ensures we are less vulnerable to ill-considered and ill-informed attempts at regulation.
Berries Australia was also part of the push to get visa restrictions loosened to ensure that growers have access to workers and we will continue to work with government, the NFF and the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance to make sure the long-term impact on backpacker and seasonal worker numbers is managed.
For some interesting perspectives on the broader issues in agriculture consider the thoughts from Deanna Lush in her article about earning community trust in agriculture on PAGE 14 and Jane Trindall et al exploring the mixed messages of sustainability in agriculture on PAGE 17.
Obviously one of the ongoing concerns is the impact on demand and prices across the category and this crisis has highlighted the challenges of not being able to access marketing funds across the category. Multiple discussions have been occurring across the committees to look at ways to facilitate a whole-ofberries marketing campaign and there is some potential for aligned campaigns if not a shared campaign. As an industry we need to also look beyond the current situation and think about what we may want to have in place for the longer term.
Finally, it pleases me to hear that both the blueberry industry and the strawberry industry are investing in market access strategies. As we have seen from the China experience, opening up export markets is a long road, but we need to start the journey sometime and be prepared to devote the necessary time and resources to securing further access.
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Chairman's Report Simon Dornauf | 0408 681 206 | simon@hillwoodberries.com.au countries which have feasible access and would have the best economic return to growers. The Australian strawberry industry will then submit applications to the Trade Advisory Panel requesting the instigation of market access negotiations to these countries. This helps progress the work conducted through Hort Innovation on the strawberry export strategy.
Well hasn’t 2020 been a doozy so far?! Bushfires and now COVID-19…these last months have been some of the most trying times and have affected people around the world from all walks of life. From a strawberry industry perspective, we have been relatively fortunate as it has been somewhat business as usual, but with huge changes to the way farms manage their workers and hygiene standards under the government-imposed social distancing directions.
Strawberries Australia along with the ABGA and RABA have discussed a potential marketing campaign for all of berries to maintain demand and price for berries post lock-down. Strawberries are currently the only berry category with no national marketing levy, either statutory or voluntary.
The Federal and State Governments have done a fantastic job in making decisions that affect so many industries and individuals in such a short time. For the berry industry, the decisions around Visa extensions for both working-holidaymaker and Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) workers were a welcome relief. Allowing these stranded workers to stay longer and continue to work legally has given more certainty that our crops can be harvested, for at least the next year. However, there is growing concern that ongoing international border controls will affect new backpacker arrivals. With the likelihood of a New Zealand/Pacific ‘bubble’, growers should consider utilising SWP workers for future seasons, along with the available job-seeking locals.
The Board in their last meeting agreed to investigate how a marketing levy could be created so the industry can join these campaigns to ensure that berries are at the forefront of consumers’ minds. Discussions are at a very early stage and more information around the mechanics of a strawberry marketing levy will be provided back to state committees to discuss with their members. Finally, with everything going on in the current COVID-19 climate, the team at Berries Australia has been supporting growers with valuable information on how to implement processes into their businesses that ensure we meet all the social distancing requirements whilst also picking our crops. They have been instrumental in pivoting the format of communication via the IDO/ Comms project so that growers continue to receive the most up-to-date information.
We are now in the final stages of the Strawberry Industry Resilience and Recovery Project. One of the activities was to investigate potential export opportunities through a Market Access Strategy. Berries Australia has engaged Jenny Van de Meeberg to identify all potential export opportunities for Australian strawberries. The output from her findings will be to provide the Australian strawberry industry with a list of the
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Their efforts show how having a well organised and collaborative industry has really helped our industry to navigate these difficult times.
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President's Report Jonathan Shaw | 0418 758 268 | president@abga.com.au
As an industry association the ABGA can only support the industry as much as the industry supports us, but as President I am proud to say that we act in the best interests of our members and try to be responsive to your needs.
Any additional funds raised will either be used to expand the marketing campaign or refunded to growers depending on how the situation progresses.
As you may recall from my last column, I flagged that the ABGA had reduced the voluntary levy from 10c/kg to 5c/kg in response to profitability concerns raised by growers. The committee then had to cut costs and scaled back the blueberry marketing program for 2020.
As we are committing to the marketing expenditure before we have raised the funds and bearing in mind the need to move very quickly to get the marketing program under way, the committee asked the five major growers (OzGroup, Costa, Perfection Fresh, Mountain Blue and Smart Berries) to underwrite the cost of the program and I am very pleased to report that they all immediately agreed to do so. However, we strongly encourage all growers who will benefit from this marketing push to support these efforts and contribute to the levy. Please contact Wendy Dawe on 0491 751 123 if you need help in paying the marketing levy.
The focus will be on health benefits and versatility messaging to position blueberries as an everyday staple, not just a premium fruit option.
And then came COVID-19! Not only has there been an increase in the cost of doing business with the extra requirements to manage the virus, but consumer confidence has plummeted, and consumer shopping patterns have shifted markedly. Modelling undertaken on behalf of industry predicts that under a worst-case scenario the Australian blueberry industry is forecast to lose an estimated $30m in farm gate value compared to forecast prior to COVID-19. This would result in an overall drop in revenue of 10%, pushing many growers below the cost of production.
The ABGA have also recently invested in an updated export market access strategy and will be making four applications to the trade and market access panel of Hort Innovation (TAP) to progress negotiations for access to Vietnam, Taiwan, South Korea and New Zealand. This will diversify our export opportunities beyond our current priorities of Japan and China and buffer us against over-supply in the domestic market.
One of the benefits of having a voluntary levy means we can quickly respond to changing conditions, and therefore the ABGA committee has just voted to create a special marketing levy of 5c/kg from now until April 2021 to fund a highly focused marketing campaign aiming to maintain sales and profitability.
Like everyone else we have had to review our business practices in light of COVID-19 and make sure we are across our obligations and responsibilities in terms of protecting ourselves and our workers.
We have just approved an initial marketing spend of $400,000 with a strong social media focus and the goal of getting existing medium and heavy buyers to continue putting blueberries in their weekly basket.
Whilst it is almost impossible to predict how this season will turn out, I hope that Australia continues to turn the tide against COVID-19 and that none of our members are directly affected.
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President's Report Richard McGruddy | 0408 763 804 | richard@berryq.com.au In addition, the Hort Innovation marketing team will align their efforts with the blueberry marketing campaign to ensure consistency across berries.
It’s hard to believe that in early March I was meeting with Tasmanian growers down in Launceston. The whole world seems to have changed and it is uncertain when we will be able to travel so freely again.
All of these conversations led to discussions about the levy in general and whether it is still fit-for-purpose in terms of the split between marketing and R&D, as well as the need to raise a PHA levy to cover our biosecurity obligations.
Since that time, like everyone else, I have been putting in place policies and practices to protect my business as much as possible from COVID-19. I am aware that a number of Victorian Rubus producers were hit hard by the closure of the food services industry and I am hoping that things will turn a corner once restaurants re-open.
We intend to have these conversations more widely within the industry, but rest assured there is no intention to increase the total levy but rather look at how existing monies are allocated. Stay tuned for more information. I had hoped to visit more Rubus growing areas to gain a better understanding of the pressures within your business and the areas you would like us to focus on. Unfortunately, that may not be possible for a while so please pick up the phone to our Rubus IDO Claire McCrory on 0434 974 653 if there is anything you would like to discuss.
Despite some positive signs the ramifications of this virus will be felt for quite some time. Initial industry modeling shows the Australian raspberry industry is forecast to lose up to an estimated $16m in farm gate value vs forecast prior to COVID-19. As an association, we discussed marketing options to mitigate the impact and make best use of the almost $300,000 worth of marketing levy funds currently sitting with Hort Innovation.
One topic that has been raised is access to chemicals and I have been assured that the Berries Australia team and Claire will be focusing on that issue in the coming months.
We have looked into establishing a ‘whole of berries’ campaign, but as blueberries have a voluntary marketing levy, strawberries have no marketing levy and the Rubus levy is managed by Hort Innovation this was difficult to activate in a short timeframe, but is certainly something we want to consider for the longer term.
I am very excited about the marketing campaign and once we have more details from Hort Innovation we will let you know. In the meantime, take care and stay safe.
After reviewing all of the available options and liaising with the Hort Innovation marketing team we decided to leverage off their new whole of horticulture campaign and develop specific materials for Rubus.
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QLD: Perfect planting conditions Berry Industry Development Officer, Strawberries & Queensland Bron Ford | 0438 752 177 | office@qldstrawberries.com.au Autumn in Queensland has delivered beautiful warm days with cool nights which has been the perfect weather for planting and early fruit production. Berry production this year on the Granite Belt was significantly diminished due to ongoing severe drought conditions. Numerous hailstorms throughout the season made production even more challenging for open-field producers with production from some farms coming to an end in late April due to frost.
The whole Berries Australia team have worked hard to develop resources specific to our industries including tools that have been translated into a variety of languages for non-English speaking growers. At the time of writing this report, all businesses using seasonal workers are required to develop and submit a “Health Management Plan” to Queensland Health. Furthermore, to protect the health and safety of existing Queensland residents, all staff (seasonal or permanent) coming into Queensland are required to carry a “letter of employment” and to present a “Border Pass” to enter Queensland.
The winter planting season for strawberries has been going for about 8 weeks this year with a combination of plug (seedling) plants and early varieties planted in March and other varieties being planted over the subsequent weeks. Rubus and Strawberry fruit from south-east Queensland was starting to be picked in late April with Blueberries throughout Queensland expected to start in June. The largest impact over the last few months has obviously been the COVID-19 pandemic. Berry producers across Queensland were proactive and many attended an early workshop run by iComply on 9th March at Caboolture. Berry producers including representatives from Queensland Strawberry Growers’ Association (QSGA), Rachel Mackenzie from Berries Australia and myself have represented the berry industries on more than 40 industry or Queensland Government-led teleconferences to address COVID-19. On top of managing the health risk mitigation for family members, workers and their business, the greatest impact in Queensland for producers has been the closure of state borders. The arrangements surrounding the border closure have changed three times in a short period of time as the State Government has worked to safeguard Queensland citizens.
Berries Australia held a webinar for Queensland growers in April focusing on addressing the State Government policy and requirements for horticulture producers. The interactive “question and answer” format helped the 21 berry participants to address any queries they had regarding the new requirements. All planned group activities including farm walks and field days have been postponed until such time as health recommendations allow for events to take place again. In the meantime, we will be developing some short videos on key topic areas as a trial. The QSGA Annual Dinner and Awards has been postponed until Friday 30th October and will be held at the Novotel Twin Waters Resort. Finally, we have been collaborating with QDAF and the University of Queensland to progress the investigations into the cause of Red Leaf disease in strawberry plants. An open tender was put out by Hort Innovation in April for new research activities and QDAF are also currently gathering data on the disease.
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TAS: Mild weather delivers the goods Berry Industry Development Officer, Rubus & Tasmania Claire McCrory | 0434 974 653 | claire@fruitgrowerstas.org.au Tasmania’s mild spring and cool summer had lasting implications on the state’s autumn berry crop. Despite a slow start, strawberry yields and quality remained consistent throughout, reinforcing their position as a staple in the berry basket in the state. Blackberries enjoyed the weather this season and performed beyond expectations, with growers reporting higher volumes and well-developed fruit with excellent flavour. Raspberries were more adversely affected, resulting in lower than expected yields and reduced fruit size. The blueberry harvest was compressed, finishing two weeks earlier than anticipated, resulting in average harvest volumes and smaller than average fruit. Nonetheless, growers and consumers were happy with the fruit’s excellent eating quality. Berry wholesale and supermarket prices in the second half of the season have been less than expected for many growers, reflecting changes in purchasing behaviour and reduced consumer demand. Tasmanian farm gate sales and markets have taken a major hit from restrictions on travel and gatherings. A number of online and telephone delivery services are beginning to emerge across the state, providing producers with more outlets to move product.
this coincided with the pandemic being announced and many growers had to withdraw. Further details of Klaas’s tour to Tasmania are featured in this edition on PAGE 45. Following the workshop, Fruit Growers Tasmania (FGT) hosted a grower discussion forum which focussed on providing berry growers with the opportunity to have more strategic input into FGT’s work program. Tasmanian growers are now in the final stages of wrapping up their harvest season and laying the groundwork for next year’s crop. This is proving to be more challenging than previous years, as growers help employees to navigate interstate travel restrictions and follow the harvest trail north and west. CSIRO followed up their involvement in the Berry Day with researchers Susan Hani and Cathryn O’Sullivan meeting industry leaders Simon Dornauf and Richard McGruddy to discuss current and emerging industry needs including protected cropping, disease management, extending harvest windows, new variety breeding, and subsequent agronomic optimisation. The RABA Board Meeting following this visit identified research as a priority, so we look forward to further engagement with CSIRO and input from growers to pursue targeted R&D opportunities.
Our pre-COVID activities were vibrant and wide-ranging. In March, the Berry Information Day welcomed 50 commercial growers, home growers, Rachel Mackenzie Berries Australia Executive Director, agronomists and students to listen to Klaas Plas from the Netherlands and Michael Gangi from Victoria. Klaas also presented a follow-up webinar at UTAS and ran a tutorial for 4th year students. While some growers made use of the opportunity to have on-farm consults with Klaas,
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In light of the current Tasmanian Government restrictions on social gatherings, FGT will be working alongside Berries Australia to develop online information sessions. This will include Klaas Plas, walking growers through the essentials of strawberry flower mapping, as well as European approaches to hydroponic nutrition. Details for these webinar sessions will be released through The Burst and FGT’s regular e-newsletter.
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WA: A very wild welcome Berry Industry Development Officer, Strawberries & Western Australia Dr Katie Dunne | 0428 335 724 | WABerryIDO@berries.net.au The last few months have been an interesting ride for many across all sectors, but most of all for myself. I arrived in Western Australia just in time before the borders closed and just as the world was realising the full implications of COVID-19. It just happened to coincide with the start of the WA strawberry season where the growers were getting everything prepared for planting. The implementation of the regional border restrictions, social isolating and working from home led to a total hiatus of all grower visits. My first week, we managed to visit a few growers around the Wanneroo area before the lockdown measures were fully implemented.
colleagues within DPIRD and across other horticulture sectors getting up to speed on all their projects and identifying key resources that I hope to leverage for the wider berry industry. It has been interesting finding out about the various projects currently underway and identifying those with synergistic benefits for our industry. Most strawberry growers should have their plants by now. We did have some adverse weather hit the state recently in the form of damaging winds, rain and in some cases hail. Damage ranged from minor wind damage with a few tunnels lost to complete destruction of some infrastructure. Some were very lucky that they hadn’t quite planted everything, so some plants escaped the damage. As one grower put it ‘another day in the life of a farmer’ demonstrating how resilient you must be to survive long-term in farming.
Finally, we are starting to emerge from the quarantine measures with some travel restrictions still in place, but mainly imposed on those trying to enter the state. It’s great to finally get clarification that a vehicle is no longer a public space, which means that carpooling to get to and from work on farms is allowed. There were even instances where farmers were warned about having passengers in their dual and single cab utes at the height of the restrictions.
By the time this article goes to print, I will hopefully have been out visiting and meeting growers across all the berry groups. In some instances, I may be accompanied by PhD student Farhana Momtaz from Murdoch University who is investigating the application of Cold Plasma technology as a tool to prevent postharvest rots. You can find out more about her research on PAGE 68.
I may not have been able to get out to growers, but everything else has been kept running in the background. This has included being involved in State-wide meetings on COVID-19 for WA’s agriculture industry chaired by Rohan Prince (Director of Horticulture DPIRD) and other meetings addressing concerns with export and labour issues.
I look forward to meeting everyone in the coming months and I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to share with me your feedback and ideas as to where you would like me to grow my expertise as I design the coming extension plan for the WA berry industry.
The maintenance of WA’s export channels is a key issue for our industry given that 40% of WA’s strawberries are exported. This challenge and the labour issues continue to be closely monitored by all, and I would like to thank all those who have been working hard in the background. I have also been meeting with key
I wish everyone luck with their crops and I especially hope that it will be an uneventful season.
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NSW: Drought, Fires, Floods & now viral plague Berry Industry Development Officer, Blueberries & New South Wales Melinda Simpson | 0447 081 765 | melinda.simpson@dpi.nsw.gov.au Wow, what a year 2020 has proven to be already… drought, bushfires, floods, the deletion of the action to ‘amend Coffs Harbour LEP 2013 to require consent for intensive plant agriculture within Zone RU2 Rural Landscape’ and now COVID-19. At the time of writing, the NSW Government has just released seasonal worker guidelines to ensure horticultural businesses can continue to safely operate and protect workers from COVID-19. These new measures require temporary visa holders travelling from a metropolitan area in any state to regional NSW, to undertake 14 days of self-isolation at point of origin or to have been tested for COVID-19 and returned a negative result prior to travel. Visa holders travelling between regional areas, whether within NSW or from another state, will have no additional requirements other than the existing social distancing measures in place.
Beekeepers, industry experts and growers gathered to network, learn and appreciate all things pollination. Lots of discussion was had on the night and so I have combined the key messages that came out of these conversations into an article on PAGE 84 so keep reading to learn more. I’m sure you have all heard that the Natural Resources Access Regulator (NRAR) found that 18 of the 21 horticulture properties inspected were allegedly non-compliant with water regulations. I know that government rules and regulations are not the easiest to understand so if you are ever unsure of what is regulation and what is not, feel free to contact me; if I don’t know the answer I will find the right people who do. Earlier in the year, I was able to help out with irrigation assessments in the Coffs Harbour region. The main issues that were identified through these assessments were poor pressure settings due to slope, pump selection and block size, drainage issues that were mainly occurring from sub-mains draining into the lower dripper lines, and lack of dripper cleaning and flushing. Given the water regulation issues and the impact of drought at that time, it is crucial that irrigation is set up correctly to prevent inefficient water use. I have just released a Primefact titled ‘Water use efficiency in blueberries’ which helps deal with some of these issues. You can find this on our Berries Australia website under RESOURCES/Blueberry Industry
Under the NSW workplace health and safety law, all employers or businesses have an obligation to protect workers to a level that is deemed as ‘reasonably practicable’ for workplace diseases including COVID-19. Thus, it is important that you ensure that you have completed and documented all that you practically can do to minimise the risk of an employee spreading COVID-19 throughout the workplace and to protect you if such a circumstance were to occur. The Berries Australia COVID-19 checklist available on the website is a great place to start. Find it here https://bit.ly/BA-BFC
Once the COVID-19 restrictions ease, we will be looking at running workshops and field days again and as always, I’m keen to hear your thoughts and suggestions on what topics you would like to hear about and how we could make these events worthwhile for all. I hope that you are all keeping well and looking after yourselves.
Just before COVID-19 restrictions ramped up, I was able to co-host a Bee Pollination Expo in Woolgoolga with OzGroup Co-Op; a big thanks to Anika Miller, Gabby Taylor, Vanessa McTyer as well as all of the panel members for their help and participation.
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VIC & SA: A very different end to the strawberry season in 2020 Berry Industry Development Officer, Strawberries – Victoria & South Australia Dr Angela Atkinson | 0408 414 538 | ido@vicstrawberry.com.au Growers have been pro-active and innovative in implementing physical distancing and new hygiene procedures in their pack houses and in the field, to comply with government guidelines, and protect their businesses. Many of these processes will still be required going into the next season, as COVID-19 will likely remain in the community for some time. Travel restrictions, particularly international travel, may still be in place at the start of next season, affecting the availability of labour, particularly working holiday visa holders and seasonal workers.
At the time of writing this, we are still working with many restrictions in place to slow the spread of COVID-19. The workshops and field days planned for the end of the season have been postponed or cancelled until such time that face-to-face activities can take place again, as has the annual Victorian Strawberry Ball. Conferences such as the International Strawberry Symposium in Italy have also been postponed until next year.
As COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns came into force, the demand for and pricing of perishable produce such as berries softened as a result of changes in the purchasing behaviour of consumers and the closure of hospitality and catering businesses. The closure of these industries had a huge effect on the market for the berry category, as well as other high-end fresh produce. Growers who supply directly into those industries lost their markets overnight. Restrictions on non-essential activities have also affected pick your own farms, although some farm gate shops remained open.
COVID-19 has been the foremost concern for everyone during this time, and as part of this project we have all been working to keep on top of the ever-changing advice from governments and other agencies, and communicate the most up-to-date information to growers. Berries Australia and the IDOs have also put together industry specific resources to help support growers through these challenging times. In Victoria and South Australia, we can be thankful to some extent that the COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent restrictions, occurred late in the season, although it meant growers had to implement processes very quickly to ensure the safety of their workers and themselves, while still in full production. This was challenging in the face of panic buying and stockpiling of essentials such as PPE and hand sanitiser, and constantly evolving information.
A webinar for Victorian, South Australian and Tasmanian growers was held on May 5, with Rachel Mackenzie from Berries Australia updating growers on the State and Federal Governments COVID-19 responses. It was also an opportunity for growers to ask questions, and raise concerns that could be passed on to the relevant departments. The recording of the webinar can be found at our website at https://bit.ly/BA-COVID
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Events
Aside from COVID-19, autumn has been cooler on average, and certainly wetter, with many areas receiving double their average April rainfall. The increased humidity and warm nights in March saw perfect conditions for Queensland Fruit Fly activity, and flies were detected in Yarra Glen and Silvan in the Yarra Valley during this period. After action was taken, including deploying extra traps, no further flies have been detected.
The field day planned for June in the Yarra Valley has been postponed, but hopefully will be able to go ahead before the next season begins. At this stage it is unclear whether the VSIDC Women in Industry Dinner, which was to be held in September, will be able to proceed this year. An information forum on strategies to increase native bees as pollinators in Rubus crops, organised in conjunction with Port Phillip and Westernport Catchment Management Authority, and scheduled for April, has been postponed to November. Details will be confirmed closer to the date.
South Australia has seen several outbreaks of Mediterranean Fruit Fly during autumn, in several suburbs in the north and west of Adelaide, including Poorooka on May 7, which also affects the South Australian Produce Market. Restrictions will be in force until at least 19 December 2020. Special conditions have been put in place for market traders, and more information can be found at https://bit.ly/SA-MFF
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Meanwhile, webinars and other online resources are being planned in place of face to face events and will be advertised through The Burst e-newsletter and regional email communications. You can subscribe to receive The Burst here https://bit.ly/BA-The-Burst
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Farewell Aileen Reid In 2015, Aileen decided to take a redundancy herself, however, it was only a matter of weeks before WA experienced an incursion of Qld fruit fly, and her dreams of a good holiday and some quality down time came to a grinding halt. As a result, she took up a position as Industry Development Officer for the Strawberry Growers Association of WA on a part time basis. Thankfully for the WA strawberry industry, she was on board and involved in the effective management of a range of crisis situations including Qfly, green snail, tomato potato psyllid, needles in strawberries and of course COVID-19.
It’s the end of an era in WA this month, with the resignation of Strawberry Industry Development Officer, Aileen Reid. Aileen has had a long and varied career in horticulture in WA, since arriving in Australia in late 1982 from New Zealand with an Honours Degree in Horticultural Science. Aileen started work at the Department of Agriculture in 1983 as a contract Technical Officer on an amenity horticulture project and was soon promoted to Floriculture Development Officer. In 1997, she took on the role of Horticulture Development Officer, working on a mix of projects across vegetables and strawberries. Her work with strawberries included agronomic research on strawberry production encompassing the assessment of new varieties, production under high tunnels and development of improved fertiliser and irrigation programs.
Aileen is now looking forward to a real break, but her passion for horticulture continues. Aileen’s personal interests include hoyas and WA native plants. She volunteers at the WA Wildflower Society’s nursery, writes a blog - Gardening WA Style, hosts a Facebook page - Horticulture of Western Australian native plants, and moderates the Wildflower Society’s Facebook page. Add this to living on acreage with 3 dogs, a cat, chooks and roosters, running and weight training, and her hobbies of crochet, knitting and sewing and life is not going to be dull for Aileen anytime soon.
Then, after a roll out of redundancies and a reshuffle of the department, Aileen become the Activity Manager responsible for strawberry industry development. This included becoming the project manager for the WA strawberry improvement program for three years and the representative for WA on the National Strawberry Varietal Improvement Steering Committee (NSVISC), not to mention continuing to work on vegetable projects and maintaining numerous positions on panels and working groups involved with the development of horticulture and environmental initiatives in WA.
The Australian Strawberry Industry would like to acknowledge and extend its appreciation for the incredible work that Aileen has done for the industry in Western Australia and nationally. We wish her all the very best in everything that she does!
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Earning community trust in agriculture Deanna Lush, Managing Director, AgCommunicators, Sheep and grain farmer, South Australia 2016 Churchill Fellow and 2018 Winner - Australian Farm Institute John Ralph Essay Competition People who use products – be they apps or food – have questions, it is just a part of life. Questions or scepticism are not necessarily bad. We need to embrace them, not take it personally and seek to understand where the question is coming from. Most questions are driven by an underlying value; our job is to find out what that value is and address it.
When we consider who or what we trust and why, we most likely immediately think of the things we ourselves do not trust. Let’s take a current example… downloading the COVIDSafe app… there has been much discussion around whether to trust it and its developers, and in particular what might happen to the information once collected.
The US Center for Food Integrity (CFI) is a global leader in building trust in agriculture and I have had the privilege of being mentored by its CEO and founder Charlie Arnot for the past two years. The CFI’s peer-reviewed model, originally published in 2009 (Figure 1), has found that an individual’s level of trust is determined by three things:
Regardless of your personal view, what if you had the opportunity to meet with the developers, to sit down with them and ask questions, to understand the security precautions put in place? Would you feel better if they answered your questions and were completely transparent with you? If there was an alternative between having your questions ignored or being listened to, most people would feel much better for being heard. But when it comes to people not trusting us as farmers, the idea seems foreign – why would people not trust us as farmers? We are doing our absolute best to carry out important work – feeding and clothing the world – sometimes with Mother Nature not working in our favour. Why would people not trust us when we are doing the right thing?
• I nfluential others, meaning the opinions of those in two circles – family, friends and social circles as well as credentialled others like doctors, dietitians or veterinarians • Competence, which relates to science and technical capacity • Confidence, or the perception of shared values After surveying 6000 US consumers over three years, the CFI found shared values are three-to-five times more important to building trust than sharing facts and science or demonstrating technical skills or expertise.
Figure 1. The research-based ‘Trust Model’ developed by the US Center for Food Integrity and Iowa State University.
Traditionally, Australian agriculture’s approach to building trust has been embedded in science and data; that is, ‘give people more science and data and they will come to our side of the argument’. But if they do not, we give them more research, more science and the cycle repeats. The equation of ‘science and data’ as the priority has been backwards for years because what consumers really want to know is ‘can I still count on you to do what is right’. CFI research has found that to build trust, the industry needs to lead with shared values. Many consumer questions are based on whether practices are ethically grounded and so based on values such as compassion, responsibility, respect, fairness and truth (Arnot, 2018).
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• Motivations: acting ethically
Traditional approaches to building trust have given people information about science and economics to increase their knowledge but have done little to influence how they feel and what they believe. The CFI believes that is where a better connection needs to be made. The debate is not focused on knowledge but rather “whether we should be doing what we’re doing”, which is a conversation about values and ethics.
• Disclosure: openly sharing good information & bad • Stakeholder participation: engaging & being responsive • R elevance: providing information that stakeholders care about • Clarity: providing information that is easy to understand
The US experience is that the ‘shared values’ approach helps farmers respond in a strategic way, rather than visceral. The key lies in giving farmers the tools for that values-based communication and then supporting them in that journey, building their skills and confidence. The CFI observes that the community likes farmers, but they are not sure they like farming or industry. Farmers who become engaged in leading with shared values feel empowered because they are able to be a part of the dialogue.
• Credibility: a record of operating with integrity • Accuracy: be truthful, reliable and complete. Farmers and industry must be prepared for one of two things to happen with increased transparency (Arnot 2018). The non-agricultural community will either have a greater appreciation that practices are consistent with their values and expectations, which reinforces trust, or they will discover practices that are inconsistent with their values and demand change. In either case, transparency drives alignment of community expectations and farming practice.
In 2019, I travelled to the US to bring the CFI’s shared values communication training back to Australia and pre-COVID, commenced rolling out workshops across Australia. The shared values approach teaches people in agriculture to focus on the silent majority, more often called the ‘moveable middle’ – the 65% of people who have genuine questions about food and agriculture, rather than targeting the activist fringe which does not share our values. This training provides a template approach when we are faced with questions about how we produce food which encourages embracing the questions and sharing a perspective using a valuesbased approach. The values we may share with our non-agriculture audiences are many and varied; some examples may include how we produce a nutritious food source, environmental sustainability, food safety, family heritage and community support.
Building trust vs defending an interest Following publication of my Churchill Fellowship report in 2018, and considering the issues since, it is clear that the Australian agricultural industry needs to consider where it engages in building trust. There are three distinct activities – defending an interest or a practice, general outreach / awareness and proactive trustbuilding strategies – the first two of which I have found are often confused for building trust (Figure 2). Defending an interest or practice is very different to building trust. Defending an interest is lobbying on behalf of members and advocating to politicians. Members of lobbying organisations have an expectation that those organisations will protect their interests against those who would seek to erode them. Recent examples of these issues include live export, genetically modified biotechnology, agricultural chemical use and a raft of animal husbandry practices.
It’s about transparency Transparency is no longer optional, it’s now a basic consumer expectation and essential in building trust with those who are sceptical of the motives and practices of the food sector. The current era of radical transparency means everyone with a mobile phone can publish video on social media. Transparency is the best way for farmers, food companies, restaurants and retailers to demonstrate they share consumer values on important issues like food safety, the impact of diet on health, animal care and protecting the environment. Trust generated by transparency will provide the social licence needed to succeed in times of both calm and crisis. According to the US CFI (2017), a commitment to greater transparency includes considering:
Outreach and awareness programs represent the middle ground, communicating positive messages or providing positive experiences. This is being achieved through tactical areas such as social and digital media, presence at public events, training of farmers to engage, use of earned media and influencing those who are driving conversations about food, identified through consumer sentiment research. These first two areas are where much of the work in Australia is being undertaken. Australia has an extensive lobbying system which advocates to government and other decision-makers when right-to-farm issues are raised.
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Figure 2. A model which outlines the difference between defending an interest or practice and a long-term commitment to build trust.
In addition, Australia has a network of well-funded rural research and development corporations, many of which have outreach programs which promote the sustainable and ethical production of their commodity. These campaigns are separate to the marketing functions of these organisations, which seek to increase consumption of their commodity.
There is so much work to do in building trust that it is a case of ‘every shoulder to the wheel’. The agriculture industry can spend a lot of time rebutting claims of the anti-ag lobby, or it can work together to develop a collaborative strategy that is not ‘us’ versus ‘them’ and seeks to target the ‘moveable middle’, or the 65% of people who just have genuine questions. We do need to realise however that each approach is different and generates a different result.
In terms of the third area, building trust is proactive and engaging, it requires a genuine desire to engage with consumers and become aligned with their values. Importantly, it is about doing the right thing, measuring it and communicating it, underpinned by transparency and continuous improvement.
Shared values training Primary production as a whole must upskill producers in engagement and leading with shared values to build trust rather than providing more science and data which, while important, will not win the hearts and minds of the general public.
In Australia, many industries are developing Sustainability Frameworks – and this is the territory many of these occupy as they reach out to consumer and community groups to become engaged with them in an ongoing dialogue. Regardless of the role an organisation might take, it is important to note there is no ‘either/or’ when it comes to defending an interest, outreach or building trust. All are needed and are valuable.
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For more information on this training, contact Deanna Lush 0419 783 436 | deanna@agcommunicators.com.au * This column features excerpts from Deanna’s winning AFI John Ralph Essay, read the full version at http://www.farminstitute.org. au/news-and-events/FPJ_Summer2018_JRC_Winner2.pdf
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Unravelling the mixed messages of sustainability in agriculture Jane Trindall (Innovation Consultant), Associate Professor Richi Nayak (QUT), Dr Alan Woodley (QUT) & PhD candidate Zoe Mellick (QUT) While the Global Reporting Initiative and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) provide guidance to establish targets and disclose targets, it’s not as simple as this and there are thousands of bespoke green initiatives and standards developed for various products, supply chains, jurisdictions and sectors. It’s often difficult to decide which standard to follow.
As part of the 2019 round of On Prime, CSIRO’s research entrepreneurship program, we interviewed people working in sustainability to find out if there is customer value in automated sustainability reporting software. What we learnt about the value of sustainability data and reporting in agriculture today was refreshingly clarifying.
Sustainability reporting is now commonplace. Multi-national food and clothing companies (brands, retailers, chemical and seed companies) have set ambitious targets, mobilised teams to get there and report their progress annually. For Australian producers, sustainability frameworks and programs are largely developed by industry bodies. As an example, in the wool industry where there is lots of competition for fibres a strong sustainability framework is important to the market, but a key challenge is ever changing policy along the supply chain.
Insights in summary: • The complexity of sustainability can be paralysing. • S ustainability is important but it competes with other priorities. • C onsumers will pay a premium for a story. Consumers cannot deal with and are not interested in detailed data. • T hird party audits are a trusted way to manage risk for market access.
Insight 2: Sustainability is important, but it competes with other priorities.
• D ata on top sustainability priorities can increase buying power for producers along their supply chain.
Global multi-national agribusinesses can have different teams with different internal drivers focused on sustainability or procurement and operations. A sustainability team may be responsible for longer term sustainability priorities including carbon and water footprint of their supply chain while procurement team is driven by saving money for the company. Often for companies and executives, sustainability was overshadowed by more urgent or important issues or risks for the business — like keeping factories running, managing risk and human safety.
• It is hard to collect good quality sustainability data. • T he use of an automatic data-driven software for sustainability reporting is not a reality now. Collaboration is more important.
Insights in detail: Insight 1: The complexity of sustainability can be paralysing Sustainability is a vast and ever evolving topic, covering a range of issues from modern slavery, natural capital, climate risk, carbon and water footprints and animal welfare. The reasons for undertaking or investing in sustainability initiatives are equally broad and range from market access, premiums, risk management and maintaining social licence.
Procurement is only one way to improve sustainability and longer-term contracts to include quality competitiveness and innovation can be used to increase the sustainability and resilience of supply chains.
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Insight 3: Consumers will pay a premium for a story. Consumers cannot deal with and are not interested in data.
If a buyer needed to meet their own sustainability targets and a particular supplier could make a significant contribution to that, then this gives a supplier more negotiating power.
Agri-businesses use marketing instead of data to rebuild trust and brand loyalty. Earlier this year, Australian dairy farmers were hit hard by low milk prices. Under immense industry and public pressure, the retailers lifted the price of their generic brand milks. Consumers paid extra because it made them feel good about helping dairy farmers who they love.
For example, grains producers using variable rate fertiliser were compared to a blanket rate of nitrogen baseline and the retailer calculated the carbon savings and claim the reduced carbon footprint as part of their sustainability reporting. Measuring the baseline and progress makes sense for high priority issues like energy, carbon and water.
The Australian egg industry is under immense pressure from consumers to be transparent about hen welfare and living conditions. Egg companies are responding with marketing — pictures and videos of chickens and the grass living free range life to improve brand loyalty. And consumers will pay for a story as long as it makes them feel something.
Transparency on product quality can be equally or more important and difficult to obtain. Most buyers want a quality product and good value for money. Avocado consumers are interested in ‘what’s under the skin’ they want to buy a ripe avocado with a nice colour and eating texture, and while the Better Cotton Initiative provides some guarantee that cotton has been sustainably grown, it doesn’t guarantee the quality of cotton.
To maintain trust and social licence, telling a story that can be backed by evidence and managing opportunistic behaviour are important. Very few consumers are interested in knowing the details or going into the depth of the data. What they see, they believe.
Insight 6: It is hard to collect good quality sustainability data. Organisations are keen to report and benchmark sustainability for their businesses. However, they find it difficult to articulate what indicators they want to report and where can they obtain the information on those indicators.
Insight 4: Third party audits are a trusted way to manage risk for market access. Universally, food supply chains use ‘tick the box’ auditing to check tier one suppliers meet minimum compliance thresholds. Audits are used to manage risks such as food safety and biosecurity. Audits rarely attract a premium but are critical for market access. Third party audits are a trusted measure where selfassessments are not. Audits have commonly been used to maintain social licence, for example, the Forests Stewardship Certification Scheme was set up in response to concerns about native forests and has been pivotal for Australian foresters to maintain market access over a number of decades.
There exist no standalone tools or databases that can be used in data collection and reporting. Data exists hidden amongst complex programs and reports or doesn’t exist at all. Organisations need to have customised programs and dedicated staff to run those reports. This is both time consuming and cost ineffective.
Insight 7: The use of an automatic data-driven software for sustainability reporting is not a reality now. Collaboration is more important.
The disadvantages of auditing are that they are time consuming and labour intensive, farmers often resist auditing and verification can be difficult. Audits don’t keep pace with changes in regulations and trends and not a lot of data is collected or stored. Beyond compliance, companies can find it hard to get data on the sustainability of suppliers.
With the advancements in machine learning and artificial intelligence, it is possible to automate the process of collecting sustainability related data appearing on websites and reports. We explored a prototype based on these techniques that scrapes and processes publicly available data (such as websites and reports) for measuring and reporting the state and trend of agreed sustainability indicators.
Insight 5: Data on top sustainability priorities can increase buying power for producers along their supply chain.
We found that sustainability reports are developed infrequently (annual or less) and the software may not save enough time or money to warrant investment. Sustainability reporting is also difficult to automate.
Where data can show evidence of on-farm practice which is better than the average this could attract a premium depending on the acuteness of the risk/issue for a buyer.
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There isn’t a lot of data available and when it is, it can be hidden behind closed websites requiring permissions or requires manipulation to be comparable over time. Significant information tailoring is required to both influence change and provide value to the company and stakeholders (internal and external) who are more or less interested in sustainability. Commonly a Sustainability Manager or consultant is employed/engaged to do this complex task. The software will add value if it can be used regularly to report and benchmark sustainability performance. The other issue raised was concern relating to the sharing of any data collected on environmental sustainability. Privacy and commercial sensitivity and an unclear value proposition were common reservations to sharing data. Right now, supply chain collaboration could create value by aligning rewards for practice change, identifying information needs and data gaps and building trust for data sharing.
In conclusion There are good reasons for Australian agricultural value chains to work together to improve sustainability. The National Farmers Federation in their 2030 vision estimate that there is $5 billion worth of value in premium markets for sustainable produce for Australian farmers. Although we did not find customer value in an automated sustainability reporting system, we were able to explore assumptions and gain new insights into the value of sustainability for producers not always clearly articulated. We found supply chain collaboration to be more important right now. If a technical solution were to create value, our interviews revealed it would need to focus on collecting data for the select things that matter, be trusted by farmers and reduce the burden of data collection. The On Prime process has highlighted the value of staying in touch with what’s happening in the industry and we would like to thank everyone who participated.
Acknowledgment to the Cotton Research and Development Corporation who provided funding for this project.
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Fall Armyworm: Identifying & treating this new exotic pest In January 2020, Fall Armyworm was first detected in Australia on two Torres Strait islands, followed by a mainland detection at Bamaga in February 2020. It has since been detected at numerous sites in Queensland including Croydon, South Johnstone, Tolga, Lakeland, Bowen, the Burdekin region, Bundaberg, Emerald, Richmond, Clermont, Biloela, Dysart and Mackay, as well as Katherine in the Northern Territory and as far south as Carnarvon in Western Australia.
The Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests has determined that it is not technically feasible to eradicate fall armyworm from Australia. It has never been eradicated anywhere else in the world. Fall Armyworm moves and reproduces fast, and feeds on a very wide range of plants. It is well established in our nearest neighbours and could be continually reintroduced. Fall Armyworm is most likely found in warm, moist regions with little forest cover.
Identification EGGS
• Pale yellow and clustered together in a mass • Egg measures about 0.4 mm in diameter and 0.3 mm in height • An egg mass can contain 100 to 200 eggs • Egg masses are usually attached to foliage in a mound, with a silk-like furry substance • Duration of the egg stage is only two to three days during the summer months
2 – 3 days
LARVAE
• There usually are six instars in fall armyworm • Larvae range from 1.7 mm in 1st instar to 34.2 mm in final instar • As they develop, they become a darker greyish-brown with white lengthwise stripes and dark spots with spines on their upper surface, with a pale underside • Older larvae have a distinctive pattern of 4 spots on the second to last body segment & an inverted 'Y' shape pattern on their heads
14 – 22 days
PUPAE
• Pupation normally takes place in the soil, at a depth 2 to 8 cm • The larva constructs a loose cocoon, oval in shape and 20 to 30 mm in length, by tying together particles of soil with silk • If the soil is too hard, larvae may web together leaf debris and other material to form a cocoon on the soil surface • The pupa is reddish brown in colour, and measures 14 to 18 mm in length and about 4.5 mm in width
7 – 13 days
ADULTS
• Moth, 15 to 20mm with a 32 to 40mm wingspan • Brown or grey forewing and a white hind wing • Male fall armyworm moths have more patterns and a distinct white spot on each forewing
10 – 21 days
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Table1. Management and Control
Permit ID
Description
Date Issued
Expiry Date
Permit holder
PER89353
Chlorantraniliprole (Coragen, Altacor Hort Insecticide) /Rubus spp., Tree nuts (except almonds). Strawberries, Parsley, Root and tuber vegetables (except potatoes) / Fall Armyworm
5 May 2020
31 May 2023
Hort Innovation
PER89293
Methomyl / Various Fruit, Nuts, Vegetables, Turf and Non-bearing Ornamentals / Fall Armyworm
10 April 2020
30 April 2023
Hort Innovation
Damage
• F all armyworm is known to rapidly develop pesticide resistance.
• l arvae initially feed on leaves, creating pinholes and windows in leaf tissue, and giving leaf margins a tattered appearance
• T he APVMA has issued a number of permits for the use of certain chemicals for the control of Fall Armyworm (Table 1).
• larvae can also eat buds & tunnel into & feed on fruit • larger larvae can cut plants off at the base
All efforts have been made to provide the most current, complete and accurate information on these permits, however we recommend that you confirm the details of these permits at the following APVMA website: https://portal.apvma.gov.au/permits
• w hen they are found in large numbers, they can defoliate preferred host plants and acquire an 'armyworm' habit and disperse in large numbers • F or photos, webinars and further information about this pest visit: https://bit.ly/FAWQld or https://bit.ly/FAW-WA
Users are advised that while the pesticide can be applied legally under the APVMA minor use permit there can be a significant delay until the MRL gazetted by the APVMA is adopted in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
Biosecurity and reporting • G rowers should have in place on-farm biosecurity measures to protect their crops from pests and diseases. More information is available at farmbiosecurity.com.au
Until this occurs the MRL may not be recognised and a zero tolerance may be imposed for residues of the pesticide resulting from its use according to the APVMA permit. Please be aware that in the absence of an MRL in the Food Standards Code, the use of the pesticide according to the permit may result in the suspension of the produce in the marketplace.
• Q ueensland - Industry and agronomists are encouraged to report any unexpected symptoms in the field by phoning DAF on 13 25 23 or visit https://bit.ly/FAWQld for more information
Please check the FSANZ website or the Australian Government ComLaw website: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/ F2015L00468 to confirm if there are MRL established by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.
• W estern Australia - to report suspected armyworm damage to DPIRD’s Pest and Disease Information Service on 08 9368 3080 or email padis@dpird.wa.gov.au or visit https://bit.ly/FAW-WA for more information
Photo credits: Eggs - James Castner, University of Florida Larvae - Lyle Buss, University of Florida Pupae - Matt Edmonds (BUGGUIDE, 2009) Adults - Lyle Buss, University of Florida
Management and control • E arly detection is essential. Regularly check all your crops for unusual insect activities. • I t is essential with any pesticide use for Fall Armyworm control that the implications for chemical resistance development in other pests that may be exposed are considered (e.g. Helicoperva), and the potential impact on natural enemies.
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Seasonal Worker Program: a winning formula for industry Bronwyn Ford, Berry Industry Development Officer, Queensland Strawberry Growers Association and Claire McCrory, Berry Industry Development Officer, Fruit Growers Tasmania
The Australian Government’s Seasonal Worker Program assists employers in the agriculture and accommodation sectors to fill employment gaps unable to be met by the Australian workforce. It also contributes to the economic development of seasonal workers from nine participating Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste including Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. What is required of an approved employer in this program?
The program offers a win-win for both parties. Employers get access to seasonal workers for up to nine months and those workers can return to the same roles in following seasons providing employers with a reliable, returning workforce. For the workers, the program provides access to work opportunities in Australia whilst contributing to the economic development of the eligible Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste.
As the employer of seasonal workers, approved employers are responsible for organising flights, transport and accommodation for workers, pastoral care, ensuring seasonal workers have access to a minimum average of 30 hours of work per week and monitoring the seasonal workers’ wellbeing. Approved employers also have reporting obligations to the Australian Government, such as providing evidence that workers have been employed and paid in accordance with the program and Australian workplace entitlements.
Is there a labour market test requirement for this program? Yes. Before seeking access to workers under the Seasonal Worker Program, approved employers must first try to recruit local job seekers by undertaking labour market testing. The Seasonal Worker Program has an ‘Australian job seeker first’ approach, and employers must advertise vacancies and give first preference to any suitable Australian job seekers before filling the vacancies with overseas seasonal workers.
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The process to become an approved employer usually takes between three to four months to complete. An employer cannot recruit or commence recruitment under the Seasonal Worker Program until they have met all of the above conditions and submitted a recruitment plan that has been approved by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.
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D I R E C T E M P L O Y M E N T – H I L L W O O D B E R R I E S, T A S Creating jobs for locals
Simon Dornauf from Hillwood Berries in Tasmania’s north is a strong advocate for the Seasonal Worker Program. His business has been participating in the program since it began in 2012. Having a reliable workforce has allowed the Dornauf family to make expansion decisions within the business as they know that there is a reliable workforce available to pick the crop. Before being involved with the program, securing reliable labour had been very difficult for the business due to lack of local interest in farm work and a yearly turnover of working holiday visa holders.
Today, Hillwood Berries employs 282 seasonal workers from a variety of nations, with many workers coming from Timor-Leste and Tonga. For every five seasonal workers, Hillwood Berries employs another one local full-time person; whether it be providing cooked meals to the workforce, farm agronomists and harvest co-ordinators to now employing a full-time mechanic to service the bus fleet. Hillwood Berries provides approved Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) accommodation and transport to and from the farm. Dinner and breakfast are cooked daily by an on-farm chef, and in the current COVID-climate the business also supplies lunch to minimise travel of employees off-site.
“The Seasonal Worker Program is a real asset to the Tasmanian berry industry. Being tucked away on an island with limited winter work opportunities, it is often difficult to get a long-term workforce to cater for a seven-month berry season.”
“Over the last five years with the Seasonal Worker Program we have expanded our business and staff. It’s required a little more planning each year to smooth out labour requirements, which means diversifying into other berry types, varietal selection and optimising long cane production. But the employees supporting me are reliable, skilled and willing; so, it’s really no compromise at all.”
“It is such a good fit for Tasmanian berry growers. Under the program, employers are obliged to provide a minimum of 6 months’ work to a seasonal worker employee so it is a win-win for job security and the investment in training by the business.”
Recruiting the right seasonal workers Representatives from Hillwood Berries make the trip overseas each year to carry out the recruitment process in person; Simon himself has now been to Tonga three times. “The first year we decided to recruit from the program, we travelled to Tonga to meet each employee and their families. I think taking the time to travel over to their home countries, meet their families and appreciate their way of life helped initiate a friendly and respectful relationship.” “The Seasonal Worker Program has strengthened the business and provided opportunities to families overseas. Of the original employees we brought in at the start of this journey, seven are still with us. Some of those employees have returned with their brother, sister, wife or close friend which has allowed us to expand our recruitment with some reassurance of who is coming to work on our farm. These return employees require little training in subsequent years and are fully-skilled competent workers.” “It’s rewarding to see where the money is spent. It might be a family car, educating their children, feeding their extended family or building a house and seeing the foundation one year and the walls and roof up the next.”
Seasonal Worker Program participants working at Hillwood Berries. Photo credit: Melanie Kate Photography
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EMPLOYMENT THROUGH LABOUR HIRE – PARADISE FRUIT, QLD Helping growers access the program
Most of the seasonal workers are housed locally in Caboolture; however, it can be difficult to find suitable accommodation that meets the required standards. Sourcing short term lease agreements for non-Australian residents can prove a challenge.
MADEC is a nationally registered training organisation (RTO), manages the National Harvest Labour Information Service (NHLIS), harvest labour services (sourcing and placing more 15,000 jobs in horticulture across Australia), provides jobactive services under a commonwealth government contract and is an approved employer under the Seasonal Worker Program. MADEC Australia is a successful not-for-profit and charitable organisation, with a 50-year history of providing relief to people experiencing poverty or distress.
MADEC and Paradise Fruits have worked together to source appropriate options which has required modifications to be made to existing accommodation to meet the appropriate standards. “It’s not all roses though” said Paul," accommodation requirements are required to be finalised 8 weeks prior to the arrival of the workers, which means paying rent for no purpose for up to three months.”
MADEC Australia is able to assist in many ways including:
Michael Wallis, MADEC Account Manager SEQ, said “the value that MADEC offers is in the administrative and management aspects of the partnership. The initial recruitment we conducted with Paradise Fruit over three years ago has been successful for both the seasonal workers themselves and Paradise Fruit, and it is great to see the same employees returning to the farm each period. If we can continue to access suitable accommodation, this will definitely be a viable solution in meeting labour and workforce requirements in the berry industries in the future”.
• conducting labour market testing, • recruiting seasonal workers, ready to start work at a pre-determined date, • covering upfront costs including the workers international travel and visas, • sourcing suitable accommodation for the duration of the workers stay in Australia, • arranging transportation to the workplace, • paying workers the award rate, • managing superannuation, tax and workover obligations, • c onducting an on-arrival briefing for the workers, • providing 24/7 phone contact and support, • assisting with worker performance management and behavioural issues should they arise, • undertaking a post-season review, and • commencing arrangements for workers to return in the following season. Paradise Fruit at Elimbah in south-east Queensland produces raspberries and blueberries and was established in 1996. They have partnered with MADEC over the last three years to employ more than 50 staff members under the Seasonal Worker Program. The partnership with MADEC provides 50% of their labour requirements with the remaining workforce made up of locals and Working Holiday Visa holders (backpackers). “We have mostly married men working with us and the MADEC process of recruitment means they have a really good work ethic. The workers are paid through an appropriate piece rate agreement and many work hard to ensure that their families back home are well supported” said Paul Dydula, Managing Director of Paradise Fruit.
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Seasonal Worker Program participants with Brett O'Neill Farm Manager at Paradise Fruit and Michael Wallis MADEC Account Manager for SE Queensland. Photo credit: Bron Ford For further information on the Seasonal Workers Program contact Michael Wallis – Mwallis@madec. com.au or visit www.madec.edu.au
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SAVE THE DATE
BerryQuest International 2021 26 – 29 July Gold Coast, QLD For more info: berries.net.au/Bqi2021
I N D U S T R Y
Digital farming technologies for disease surveillance, pathogen detecting & forecasting Aileen Reid, Berry Industry Development Officer, Strawberry Growers Association of Western Australia A seminar presented by Professor Jean Ristaino from the Ristaino Lab, North Carolina State University on 26 February 2020 at the Department of Primary Industries, Research and Development the website for other growers. Genotype specific strains are identified as well as susceptibility to fungicides. Growers are thus made aware of the extent of the current threat. The platform also contains best management practices for the disease including a decision support system.
The Ristaino Lab works on emerging plant diseases that threaten global food security. Pathogens constantly change and evolve. Emerging new races of wheat rust are a global concern and capable of causing 100% losses in susceptible crops. New technology being explored in wheat may have direct transferability to other crops like berries.
One deficiency of the current platform is that growers must physically go out and collect samples for diagnosis and then submit them. A time-consuming process in terms of sampling and mailing off specimens and the time lag for testing, diagnosis and results. The other problem is that growers are deciding to spray according to the information generated by the decision support tool which is based on weather data - not knowing whether the pathogen is actually present.
For example, a new strain of wheat stem rust (the Ug99 pathotype of Puccinia graminis) is acknowledged as a major threat to Australia’s grain industries. UG99 has overcome many wheat resistance genes and can attack all above ground plant parts. Since it was first recognised in Uganda in 1999, it has evolved into six different races. Other emerging strains of wheat rust include TTTTF, first found in Sicily in 2016 and AF2012 which started in Ethiopia and Uzbekistan, also in 2016. A major focus of Ristaino Lab is to understand the factors that contribute to disease emergence. This includes the epidemiology and population genetics of Oomycete plant pathogens in the genus Phytophthora. Late blight of potatoes (Phytophthora infestans) has been around for well over 150 years, having been famously responsible for the Irish potato famine. But it is re-emerging in new locations such as Guam with surprising intensity and in 2009 a new strain of late blight (now called US-22), that is highly pathogenic to tomatoes, was found on tomato seedlings in the US.
Rapid DNA extraction from plant tissues using microneedles (LAMP method) This new technique uses microneedle patches to collect DNA from plant tissues in one minute, rather than the hours needed for conventional techniques. Previously, microneedle patch technology was developed and used in the delivery of drugs in human medicine. This is a new application of the technology. Typically, DNA is extracted from a plant sample using a method called CTAB (cetyl trimethylammonium bromide) extraction, which must be done in a lab, requires a lot of equipment, and takes at least 3 to 4 hours. CTAB extraction is a multi-step process involving everything from tissue grinding to organic solvents and centrifuges. This new DNA extraction technique involves only a microneedle patch and an aqueous buffer solution. The patch is about the size of a postage stamp and is made of an inexpensive polymer (2-3 cents each). The surface on one side of the patch is made up of hundreds of needles that are only 0.8 millimeters long.
Evolution of technologies Jean Ristaino and her team first developed the platform USAblight.org to help growers manage late blight of potatoes. Growers send in disease samples which are diagnosed and mapped. That information is available on
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The farmer or researcher applies the microneedle patch to a leaf of the suspect plant, holds the patch in place for a few seconds, then peels it off. The patch is then rinsed with a buffer solution, washing genetic material off the microneedles and into a sterile container. The entire process takes about a minute.
In the work published in Nature, ten different compounds were each able to be identified within one minute. Compounds were also able to be detected only two days after inoculation – well before visible symptoms. The environment-induced signal drift of the VOC strips is much better than that of commercial e-nose sensors (<5% versus <30%). In addition, the cost of the chemical sensor array is estimated to be about 15 cents per test and the smartphone attachment is about US$20 (excluding the smartphone), which is orders of magnitude less expensive than commercial e-nose sensors.
This plant DNA extraction approach doesn’t rely on the usual concept of DNA isolation through tissue and cell lysis. Instead, it uses puncturing with a microneedle (MN) patch into leaf tissue to extract intracellular DNA and other molecules without the need for cell lysis. Since the DNA is extracted without using any chemicals, it is directly amplifiable without purification and therefore able to be used ‘as is’, for subsequent molecular analysis, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
Although this work used leaves placed in glass vials for an hour to collect VOCs it is possible to reduce this time to about 15 minutes. However, the future is to eliminate this step entirely and use sensor patches attached directly to the plant leaves which emit signals to be continuously received by remote monitoring devices for long-term monitoring of symptomless plants and deployment of larger numbers of sensors over a large scale to more efficiently detect early infections in fields.
The MN patches are made from a poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) material. It is a cost-effective water-absorbing polymer that can rapidly absorb 10−30 % of its own weight in water within minutes. It is that swellingdriven capillary flow which is one of the main forces to concentrate intracellular DNA molecules around the microneedle tips. While this technique is new, and much quicker than previous methods, it still requires physically collecting samples in the field and it still requires the use of a laboratory.
It has been observed that undetached leaves produce 10–15% less volatile emissions than those from detached leaves, but better sensor and gas sampling design in future may help compensate for that deficiency. The current smartphone-based VOC pathogen sensors can potentially be integrated into a disease forecasting system for late blight and used by field extension officers for farmers to trigger a spray event, whereas current late blight forecast systems are mostly weather-based. To that end, earlier this year, the Ristaino Lab was one of four recipients of the next phase of the Game-Changing Research Incentive Program (GRIP).
Non-invasive diagnosis of plant disease by volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis This pathogen sniffer work based on volatile sensor strips was published in the journal Nature last summer. The project at Ristaino Lab developed a smartphoneintegrated plant VOC profiling platform using a paperbased colourimetric sensor array with functionalised gold nanomaterials and chemo-responsive organic dyes for accurate and early detection of late blight in tomato leaves. The system is calibrated to detect specific VOCs emitted by plants infected with specific pathogens. It will also differentiate between healthy and diseased plants. The process involves placing a leaf in a 20mL vial for an hour. Fine tubing attached to the vial connects with a VOC sensor attached to an Android smartphone. The sensor is scanned in real time by the smartphone reader. The readings generated by the sample can be compared with those from previously calibrated samples of VOCs emitted by healthy and unhealthy plants infected with a specific pathogen.
The project proposal, entitled: Plant-Aid: A Data-Driven and Sensor-Integrated Platform for Monitoring Emerging Plant Diseases aims to develop a platform to monitor crops for signs of early plant disease, enabling farmers to make real-time, data-driven decisions. Flexible, cost-effective (2-3 cents each) sensors will be attached to tomato plants, checking for physical, chemical, environmental and biomolecular markers of disease or plant stress. The data, collected wirelessly on smartphones, will be integrated with a bioinformatics and geospatial database, which will be able to alert growers of new outbreaks nearby via SMS and model their spread for a more effective, rapid response.
Trials to date have shown a detection accuracy of ≥95% in diagnosis of P. infestans in both laboratoryinoculated and field-collected tomato leaves in blind pilot tests. The sensor platform has also been tested for detection of P. infestans in symptomless tomato plants in the greenhouse setting.
While this current project is focussed on late blight in tomato it is hoped that if this model proves successful, it can be extended to other crops and pathogens. Find out more about the Ristaino Lab at ristainolab.cals.ncsu.edu
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VOLUNTARY LEVIES
SUPPORT YOUR INDUSTRY TO SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS!
The ABGA is funding a major marketing program – please contribute your share Why should I pay the voluntary levy?
How do I pay the levy?
The voluntary levies fund all of the essential activities that contribute to the growth of our blueberry industry. Activities include, but are not limited to:
Follow the steps below:
1. Prepare a statement with the following information
• Maintaining consumption and price after COVID-19 through a dedicated marketing campaign
• Grower Name • Quarter + Dates (e.g. Q2 1st Oct - 31st Dec 2019) • Number of kg fruit sold in that quarter • Amount of levy being paid • Indicate if your agent deducts your levies (if so, include agent name)
• R esearch & development into registered chemicals + IPM + Integrated Disease Management programs • A chieving export protocols into Japan and other Asian markets • P rogressing applications for market access to China and other countries
2. Email the statement to the Membership Officer
• Funding our Industry Development Officer
Email statement to: admin@berries.net.au The Membership Officer will send you an Invoice for payment
• Funding our Executive Director and support staff • C ommunication and engagement with members – industry journal, e-news, website, conference
3. Pay your levy to the ABGA account
• P romoting positive industry stories and addressing negative media
Account name: Bank: BSB: Account: Reference:
• P roviding our contribution to Hort Innovation under the Collective Industry Fund which is matched with equal funding used for various industry projects as determined by the Blueberry Strategic Industry Advisory Panel
How much levy do I have to pay?
y agent deducts levies — M what do I need to do?
Standard levies are $0.05/kg fruit sold. This year there is an additional levy of $0.05/kg fruit sold for the COVID-19 marketing campaign. Total levy is $0.10/kg
Send the Membership Officer a statement as per Step 1 above. She will then check that the agent has paid the levy. Email the statement to admin@berries.net.au
When do I pay the voluntary levy? Levies are payable once every financial quarter:
Quarter
Australian Blueberry Growers’ Association Westpac 033 10 7 181 4 71 GROWER NAME + Financial Quarter (e.g. “Joe Bloggs Q2 levy”)
What about confidentiality of the information provided?
Period Covered
Payable by
Q1
1 July – 30 September
31 October
Q2
1 October – 31 December
31 January
I need help, who do I contact?
Q3
1 January – 31 March
30 April
Wendy Morris
Q4
1 April – 30 June
31 July
Email: admin@berries.net.au | Phone: 0491 751 123
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Any information provided will be kept confidential.
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Spotted Wing Drosophila management: what changes would you need to make? Dr Jessica Lye, cesar Project update for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Improving the biosecurity preparedness of Australian horticulture for the exotic spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii)â&#x20AC;&#x2122; MT17005
The spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is not found in Australia, although it now has a large distribution around the globe. In this article we discuss what practices growers overseas are using to manage this fly and highlight what Australian growers should consider if management of this fly is ever required. During this project we have collected reports of yield loss resulting from SWD infestation in a range of crops. Reported losses vary from no loss to 100% loss, with the majority yield loss reports arising from raspberry farms. Losses of 20-40% are most commonly reported.
At least some of the reported yield loss variability can be explained if factoring in the amount of time passed since the initial incursion. When analysing data from US farms, we found that there is a negative trend between time passing and yield loss (Figure 1), likely due to improved management practices over time.
Figure 1. Reported yield losses in host crops overseas over time. Source: Dr James Maino, cesar
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Management overseas follows an integrated approach, with a heavy focus on cultural controls. In Australia, like overseas, management would involve introducing a range of practices to maintain crop quality and minimise losses. Table 1 highlights key considerations for management, based on current practices and findings overseas.
• O verseas, regular use of a limited number of chemicals has increased risk of resistance. • F lare-ups of secondary pests, such as scale, has also been an issue.
6. Natural enemies • H ort Innovation funded research project reviewing Australian natural enemy options is underway (MT18010).
1. Generation time and fecundity • A female fly lays 1-3 eggs per site and can lay up to 400 eggs throughout her lifetime.
• G round dwelling generalists, such as carabid beetles and earwigs are likely to have the greatest suppressive effect.
• P opulation growth throughout a season is highly dependent on environmental conditions.
7. Reducing harvest intervals
• S WD will rapidly increase its population size under mild conditions (approx. 22oC). See Table 2.
• Reducing harvest intervals will: – reduce olfactory attractants from over ripe fruit
2. Host preferences
– reduce number of preferred egg laying sites
• R aspberries bear the brunt of egg laying compared to strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
– r educe number of larvae that develop into adults, limiting population growth
• This may be due to the thin skin of the raspberry.
• P ast studies on raspberry indicate harvesting every two days gives good protection from egg lay and does not significantly impact yield.
• Research into what drives preferences is ongoing. • U se of the SWD Host Preference Index (Bellamy et al. 2013) indicates the following hierarchy: raspberry > strawberry > blackberry > cherry > peach > blueberry > grape
• H arvesting every three days resulted in a noticeable difference, with more eggs and larvae detected.
3. Microclimate manipulation • A humid environment is important for SWD viability. • S trategic pruning and plant spacing will allow for greater airflow, better chemical coverage and reduce shading. • R esearch into optimised pruning methods is ongoing overseas.
4. Exclusion and mulches • Exclusion netting must be at least 80 grams. • N etting must be in place before SWD adults are detected in the area. • P lastic weed barriers will stop larvae from burrowing into soil to pupate and will reduce presence of standing water, thus reducing humidity.
Figure 2. Effect of harvest frequencies on egg and larval presence. Source: Leach et al. (2017)
8. Quality control
5. Chemical control
• T he floatation test is often used as a batch test for infected fruit.
• I f detected in Australia, the minor use and emergency permit system (and registrations) would support access to appropriate chemistry.
• T raining packing line workers to remove fruit with feeding symptoms (sunken blemishes on fruit are an indicator) adds another layer of quality control.
• Chemical control must be timed to target the adult.
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Table 1. An integrated approach to SWD management, drawing from learnings overseas
Chemical
Cultural
Biological
Several products registered overseas
Netting
Applications must be timed to kill adults (aided by precision monitoring)
Shorter harvest intervals
No single parasitoid has been found to offer good suppression overseas
Overusing of actives has led to resistance risks
Careful canopy pruning Row mowing Laying plastic mulch
Ground dwelling generalist natural enemies are known to help ‘mop up’ larvae and pupae Australian native parasitoid wasps of drosophila species may offer ecosystem services (research is ongoing)
Mass trapping / precision monitoring Waste disposal measures Quality control procedures (e.g. floatation tests)
Table 2. The fastest scenario for population increase, based on work by Tochen et al. (2014)
Generation Time
Reproductive Rate
Temperature (oC)
Cherry
Blueberry
Cherry
Blueberry
14
43 days
39 days
Low
Low
22
24 days
25 days
High
High
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12 days
12 days
Very low
Very low
9. Waste disposal
References: Bellamy, D et al. (2013) PLOS ONE, 8(4), 1–10. Leach, H. et al. (2017) Journal of Pest Science, doi.org/10.1007/ s10340-017-0873-9 Sial, A. et al. (2017) SWD in Organic Berry Crops. Management Guide. Tochen, S. et al. (2014) Environmental Entomology, 43(2), 501–510
• F ruit waste is removed during and after harvest. This includes fruit that has already dropped. • W aste is sealed in pallet bins or drums. Fermenting of waste for 2-4 days at 18oC, creates an anaerobic environment that will kill larvae.
Attribution: Plant Health Australia, cesar, and Plant & Food Research NZ, with support from Hort NZ, are working together on MT17005: Improving the biosecurity preparedness of Australian horticulture for the exotic spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii).
• I n Australia, the wide climatic zones spanned by host fruit growing regions will necessitate unique regional management recommendations. If there is an incursion, it is possible that efficiencies could be made by aligning certain practices with those used to manage Queensland fruit fly or Mediterranean fruit fly depending on location. In the next article we discuss how monitoring may be used for best advantage for early detection and management of SWD.
This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the strawberry, raspberry and blackberry, cherry and summerfruit research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.
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Profile: The Clark Family – Both Growers & Processors Claire McCrory, Berry Industry Development Officer, Fruit Growers Tasmania
Richard Clark is a second-generation berry farmer. He was raised on the family farm, Lanoma Estate, in Westerway approximately an hours’ drive from Hobart. After secondary college he went to The University of Tasmania and studied Economics. He is 36 years old and lives with his wife Claudia and son Louis between the farm in Tasmania and Sydney, New South Wales in the off-season. The Clark family are one of the few Australian commercial producers who also process both raspberries and blackcurrants. Richard’s parents first bought 50 acres of land on the fertile river flats along the Tyenna River in 1977. Today the business operates four mechanical harvesters (imported from the US and NZ) to harvest more than 200 tonnes of berries annually and has facilities onsite to freeze whole or puree fruit with the seed either retained or removed.
The Clarks planted an acre of raspberries in 1998. Richard has fond memories of spending summer days as a 12-year-old riding on the mechanical harvester sorting bugs and sticks from the currants. Richard recalls their first raspberry harvest was highly memorable, as the old mechanical harvester wasn’t operational and ripe fruit was just falling onto the ground instead. His father Robert, working full-time at the School of Agriculture at the University of Tasmania, put the challenge to Richard, “See if you can do anything with all this ripe fruit to make some money”.
Fruit from Westerway are found in a variety of premium Tasmanian products including jams, juices, ice-cream, liquors, sauces, vinegars, teas and dried fruits. They offer an amazing family friendly pick-your-own experience on farm at Westerway with onsite licenced café and picnic area.
Richard’s father sourced some punnets and his mum drove 15-year-old Richard around Hobart consulting the yellow pages to find fruit and veggie stores in the hope that someone wanted to buy his raspberries. Eddy Chu, from the A-One Fruit Market, gave Richard his first go and agreed to buy his fruit. By the second year, Richard had three customers thanks to Eddy’s support. By the third year, his business had grown again through recommendations.
Growing up in the berry patch The Westerway Raspberry farm was established in 1995 and the business still has strong links to the whole family. Richard's aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings are employed at the farm gate sales and café, delivering fruit into Hobart daily during peak season, growing the fruit and managing the business and social media.
Richard reflects on a childhood Christmas where an order for 200 punnets came through on Christmas Eve… an unachievable feat for a single boy, so his family stepped in and spent Christmas Eve helping to pick fruit to fill the orders.
Richard’s parents planted their first small block of blackcurrants in 1995 (and raspberries in 1998) to supply fruit for the production of Ultra-C fruit syrup by Cascade Brewery in South Hobart. The increasing popularity of the drink meant in 1997 his family decided to expand into raspberries to provide fruit for the diversifying Cascade syrup range.
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Westerway offers a pick-your-our berry harvesting experience. Photo credit: FGT
Westerway has onsite farmgate sales, licenced cafĂŠ & picnic area. Photo credit: FGT
Westerway Farm blackcurrant syrup Photo credit: Amy Clark
Autumn raspberries Photo credit: Amy Clark
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Producing berries for processing
Coca-Cola Amatil returned to using the original recipe, but declining category sales and supply chain challenges left the company contemplating discontinuing the product. The Clark family approached Coca-Cola Amatil to consider returning the brand to Tasmania. An announcement was made earlier this year, after Westerway reached an agreement with Coca-Cola Amatil for the recipe and rights to their blackcurrant and raspberry syrup range.
Today, only 10% of Westerway’s fruit crop are picked and sold as fresh fruit; at the farm gate, pick-yourown or fresh deliveries into Hobart to be eaten and enjoyed immediately. The remaining 90% is machine harvested for processing and freezing. The lower prices for processed and frozen fruit mean the business uses a production system involving low inputs to keep overheads low.
“These fruit syrups were adored by Tasmanians and a popular childhood staple. We have received countless requests and questions from passionate Tasmanian consumers over many years and we are now delighted to confirm the return of their favourite syrups.”
Once frozen, berries are not limited by shelf-life. They are then traded as a commodity which involves competing with berry products grown in other countries with much lower costs of production.
Thoughts on fruit waste Reducing waste is a contemporary topic of discussion across the industry. We asked Richard for advice for those berry growers thinking of processing their own waste after two decades producing fruit for processing.
There are markets for Australian grown frozen berries, but they tend to be niche and involve lower volumes while there is large demand for fresh berries. This is the main reason we are the only mechanical harvesters in Australia. We wouldn’t be doing processed berries if we didn’t have reliable and long-established customers and contracts to sell our fruit products.
“It’s putting the cart before the horse; you often don’t know if there’s a market for processed berries before you process berries. Everyone hates seeing waste, but it’s often wise to secure a market for the processed fruit before you make the investment.” To put this into context, whole frozen topped Chinese strawberries can cost $2/kg landed in Sydney; whereas it can cost $2/kg just for a Tasmanian worker to sit down with a knife and cut the tops off. “All farm businesses have a fixed amount of resources to produce fruit and vegetables and remain profitable. You might need to ask yourself: Am I better using farm resources to increase pack-out from 90 to 91% to supply high value markets for instant returns or do I muck around with 10% of fruit that we would normally throw away, pay for its frozen storage before it may eventually be sold on a commodity market at a price possibly below the cost of production and processing?” Food for thought.
A new chapter for a beloved product Westerway originally supplied processing fruit to Cascade Brewery to produce their blackcurrant and raspberry syrups. After the sale of the Brewery in 2012, ownership of the rights and recipes for these syrups was transferred to Coca-Cola Amatil, who continued the brand. A change in the recipe in 2013 meant the product was no longer a favourite for Tasmanian consumers.
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Native bees and berry crops Julian Brown, Joshua Coates & Saul A. Cunningham, Australian National University
In our research, we investigated native bees in berry farms in and around the Yarra Valley, Victoria. We identified several native bee species visiting the flowers of raspberry, blackberry, and blueberry. The native bees most frequently detected visiting these flowers, and carrying large amounts of their pollen, were reed bees (Exoneura sp.) and white-banded bees (Lasioglossum sp.). We performed experiments to determine whether blackberry fruit quality was enhanced by visits from native bees and honeybees. We found that one visit from a native bee (reed bees or white-banded bees) was just as effective as one visit by a honeybee when it comes to pollinating a blackberry flower and increasing the number of drupelets in a fruit. Actions to increase the abundance of these native bees will support better fruit production and reduce the risk of relying on one pollinator species. We also investigated the habitat requirements of these native bees. White-banded bees, which nest in the soil, were more abundant when there were grassy areas in the landscape. Reed bees, which build their nests inside pithy stems of plants such tree ferns, were more abundant when there was native vegetation in the landscape. Importantly, though, we found that reed bees can nest inside old canes within raspberry and blackberry rows. Reed bees forage for most of the year, so require floral resources outside of crop flowering times. We found reed bees foraging on native plants such as Acacia and Hakea before crops were flowering, and Kunzea and Pultenaea after crops finished flowering.
Native Reed bee (Exoneura sp.) on Rubus Photo credit: Alison Hoelzer Photography
To learn more about this research, and our plans for further investigating techniques for managing native bees as crop pollinators, please come along to our information session on 13 November 2020 at Chappies U-pick, 21 Parker Road in Silvan, VIC.
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Spot and blotch diseases of Rubus in Australia Dr Robin Adair, Director, Australis Biological
In early 2020, the Victorian Blackberry Task Force, in conjunction with Berries Australia and Australian Rubus growers, participated in a survey to better understand the spot and blotch diseases of Australian commercial Rubus crops. Surveys were undertaken to sample spot and blotch disease symptoms which will be used for a DNA testing protocol designed for key diseases and related species.
The sampling protocol involves removing a 5mm x 5mm piece of leaf or stem tissue with a sterile scalpel blade. The tissue is stored with silica gel until it is ground and digested in preparation for analysis using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) techniques. All material is destroyed in the process. Organic farms were of particular interest for sampling due to their higher disease biodiversity, but larger commercial operations that deploy intensive pest control programs were also of importance due to their production capacity.
Most spot and blotch diseases of Blackberry and Raspberry in Australia are difficult to distinguish based on visual symptoms. Molecular sampling is required to confirm the identification of most known diseases. The Victorian Blackberry Task Force in conjunction with RMIT University has developed a molecular diagnostic tool for key pathogens of Rubus.
Figure 1. Example of a Rubus leaf spot disease Photo credit: Dr Robin Adair
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Figure 2. Example of Rubus stem lesions Photo credit: Dr Robin Adair
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The results will confirm the absence or presence of described spot and blotch diseases with DNA signatures available from international gene bank libraries.
The Victorian Blackberry Task Force sincerely thanks all Rubus growers who participated in the survey, your interest and hospitality were very much appreciated.
The field surveys were completed in February 2020 with 30 commercial establishments in Victoria and Tasmania participating. Properties in NSW were not sampled due to the severe bushfire situation in the State at the time of sampling. The outbreak of COVID-19 and restrictions on movement led to the temporary closure of RMIT University and all samples remain in deep storage until the laboratory becomes accessible again. This may occur in July 2020.
The Victorian Blackberry Task Force is an independent community-based organisation committed to protecting the resource base of commercial Rubus industries in its endeavours to develop effective biological control of weedy blackberry in Australia.
The results of the survey will be provided to all survey participants as soon as we have completed the analysis. The Victorian Blackberry Task Force is focussed on sustainable management of naturalised European Blackberry and is evaluating potential for biological control of weedy European species. Understanding the disease complex in Australian Rubus crops will help expand our knowledge of diseases present in Australia and help develop effective and sustainable control of weedy blackberry.
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R U B U S
Boosting raspberry storage life Dr Jenny Ekman, Research Scientist, Applied Horticultural Research
Despite their name and presence in this journal, raspberries are not actually berries. Rather, they are an aggregate fruit – a cluster of 75 to 85 ripened ovaries (drupelets) produced on the receptacle by a single flower. The drupelets ‘stick’ together with the aid of tiny, interlocking surface hairs. If the number of developing drupelets is reduced by poor pollination, pests or disease, then it is like leaving a few Lego bricks out of a wall. Even a gentle touch from a picker results in the complex structure crumbling into an unmarketable mess.
Cooling fruit
So begins the postharvest life of the supremely delicate raspberry. Few fruits are as fragile and short lived. Yet, somehow, raspberries must be transported thousands of kilometres while remaining fresh, unsquashed and rot-free. They must survive wholesale, distribution and retail to reach the fridge of a consumer, where they still need to be good to eat for several days. Maintaining postharvest quality of raspberries is, therefore, a major challenge. However, there are a range of postharvest technologies that can help.
Vacuum cooling
Raspberries are often room cooled. That is, packed punnets are put in a cold room. This is cheap to do and easy, saving on labour costs. However, room cooling is also slow, energy inefficient and likely to result in condensation on the product. Moreover, as raspberries stay warm longer, weight loss is increased – even if relative humidity (RH) inside the room is high. Forced air systems are a major improvement over room cooling. Actively pulling cold air through the punnets can cool fruit up to ten times faster than if the same product was simply stacked in the corner of a cold room. Because the cold air warms as it moves through the packed product, condensation is avoided – vital for stopping development of rots.
The gold standard in cooling is the vacuum cooler. Vacuum coolers work by pumping the air out of a sealed container. This causes water in the product to ‘boil’ i.e. turn from liquid to gas. This absorbs energy, effectively cooling the product extremely quickly. While this does mean there is some water loss from the product (about 1% for every 6oC drop in temperature), this is similar to or less than forced air cooling, and definitely a lot less than the weight loss experienced during room cooling.
Temperature is the number one factor determining storage life of all fresh products.
For vacuum cooling to work, products need to lose water easily. This method is therefore highly suitable for mushrooms, leafy vegetables, broccoli and herbs. While there does not seem to be any information on vacuum cooling of raspberries, in theory it should be ideal.
Temperature affects metabolic activity within the fruit, as well as the growth of fungi and bacteria that are present inside and out. If temperature management is poor, then no amount of fancy packaging or hightech coatings is going to compensate. The faster products are cooled after harvest, the less moisture they will lose and the longer their storage life will be.
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A vacuum cooler should be able to reduce the temperature of packed raspberries from 18oC to 2oC in around 15 minutes.
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Atmosphere
Other potential advantages of vacuum cooling include: • R educed venting on punnets – as vents are only needed for air to escape, not for air to flow over the raspberries, punnets can have fewer vents, thereby reducing weight loss during storage and transport
Ethylene Many fruits, including bananas, tomatoes and avocadoes, are ripened after harvest. In these ‘climacteric’ fruit, changes in sweetness, texture and flavour are stimulated by a burst of ethylene production and increased respiration.
• E nergy efficiency – almost all of the energy used goes to cooling the product; vacuum cooling is 80-90% energy efficient, compared to energy efficiencies of approximately 70% and 30% for forced air and room cooling respectively
In contrast, there is little change in respiration rates of non-climacteric fruit during development, and once they are picked no further ripening occurs.
• M ore efficient spacing of pallets – cool rooms are used to maintain temperature, not cool the product, thereby reducing load on existing plant
Raspberries are classified as non-climacteric as they ripen slowly while attached to the plant. Despite this, ethylene production increases considerably as ripening progresses, especially in faster developing varieties 1. However, ethylene is produced mainly by the receptacle, not the edible drupelets.
• S hort pre-cooling times – this reduces time from pick to send, allowing more efficient logistics and cold chain management Vacuum coolers are not cheap. Buying a two-pallet system is likely to cost at least $100,000. However, units can be leased, which could be an attractive option for growers with relatively short harvest seasons. As the units are portable, they can be trucked in as needed. An indicative price for a small (single pallet) vacuum cooler would be around $600 to $800/week, at least some of which could be recovered through reduced energy costs.
Raspberries do not produce significant ethylene after harvest. While they appear to be relatively unresponsive to ethylene in the storage environment, effects are unclear. While there are some reports suggesting that ethylene can stimulate growth of grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) and increase darkening, other researchers have found little or no effect 2. Removing ethylene from storage rooms using potassium permanganate-based scrubbers may well improve storage life of other fruit, but benefits for raspberries are unclear. For what is an increasingly significant crop, there is a disappointing lack of information regarding the effects of ethylene on Australian raspberries.
Firmness (mN)
Ethylene (mg/g/h)
CHANGES DURING RASPBERRY RIPENING
green
white
slow ethylene
pink fast ethylene
red firmness
Figure 2. Increases in ethylene production by fast (•) and slower (•) developing raspberry varieties and changes in firmness during pre-harvest ripening. Derived from Iannetta et al., 2008. Figure 1. Forced air (top) and vacuum cooling systems (bottom). Photo credit: AHR, Quik-Cool
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Ozone Another way to remove ethylene from the storage atmosphere is to react it with ozone. Ozone can also destroy mould spores, helping to reduce spread of disease. Unfortunately, ozone not only reacts with spores and ethylene, but also with packaging, door seals and – most importantly – people. Fortunately, new systems are available which either retain the ozone inside the treatment system or maintain it at low and safe levels within the room. There is some evidence from Italy that low levels of ozone can increase raspberry storage life, although higher concentrations may damage fruit 3. It is unclear whether this effect is due to mould suppression or inhibition of ethylene. Again, these technologies have yet to be tested under Australian conditions.
Modified atmospheres Development of mould, usually Botrytis, is a frequent cause of disappointment in consumers and rejection by retailers. Although infection occurs in the field, the fugus stays dormant until after harvest.
Figure 3. All too often, storage life of raspberries is ended by grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) Photo credit: AHR
Growth of Botrytis can be reduced using a modified atmosphere (MA). Modified atmosphere systems use the respiration of the product to increase carbon dioxide (CO2) and reduce oxygen (O2) inside a gaspermeable package. To significantly inhibit Botrytis, the atmosphere needs to contain around 10% CO2 or more. However, films that achieve this level of CO2 often result in O2 falling dangerously low; low (<5%) O2 concentrations not only have no effect on decay but can cause off flavours and aromas.
Key conclusions There is no doubt that good temperature management can increase storage life of raspberries. The faster fruit are cooled to 2oC, the longer they will last. Forced air cooling systems are effective, but vacuum coolers, potentially, could provide even better results – although this has yet to be tested.
One of the other issues with using modified atmospheres is that raspberries are hard to cool once inside the bag or pallet wrap. They must, therefore, be cooled first. But at 0oC the respiration rate of cold raspberries is only ~12ml CO2/kg/h (UC Davis Produce Facts). This limits development of a beneficial atmosphere inside the package.
The effect of ethylene on raspberries is poorly understood. Exposure may increase development of rots and reduce storage life, but even this is unclear. While some benefits have been reported using ozone, this has not been tested under Australian conditions. Nevertheless, reducing development of rots is key to increasing storage life of raspberries. Temperature fluctuations during storage and transport allow condensation, which inevitably increases mould growth.
A recent review of postharvest technologies for berries 4 found mixed results for MA of raspberries. Several studies found that although mould growth was reduced by high CO2, berry softening, and development of off odours meant they were no longer acceptable. In other cases, perforated films did not generate high enough levels of CO2 to reduce rots. The best results were reported when a tray liner was combined with a CO2 emitter (BioFresh®, Multisorb Technologies). This raised CO2 to over 10% while maintaining O2 at 5-10%, increasing storage life by at least one-third 5.
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Although development of Botrytis can also be reduced by high CO2, this may be difficult to achieve under commercial conditions without negatively affecting flavour and texture. However, there are evolving technologies which could make this, and other options, viable in the future.
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Gas concentrations
GAS CONCENTRATIONS
Days
Firmness (Nmm)
FIRMNESS
Days Figure 4. Changes in gas concentrations inside MA packages containing raspberries plus a BioFresh CO2 emitter (top) and changes in firmness inside these MA packages compared to air (bottom). Red line indicates limit of consumer acceptability (23 Nmm firmness). Derived from Adobati et al., 2015. References:
Giuggioli NR et al. 2015. Quality effect of ozone treatment for the red raspberries storage. Chem. Eng. Trans. 44:25-30.
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Ianetta PPM et al., 2008. The role of ethylene and cell wall modifying enzymes in raspberry (Rubus idaeus) fruit ripening. Physiologia Plantarum https://doi.org/10.1034/j.1399-3054. 1999.105220.x
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Palonen P, Weber C. 2019. Fruit color stability, anthocyanin content, and shelf life were not correlated with ethylene production rate in five primocane raspberry genotypes. Sci Hortic. 247:9-16.
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Dr Jenny Ekman Research Scientist BHortSci (Hons), PhD in postharvest physiology jenny@ahr.com.au | 0407 384 285
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Huynh NK et al. 2019. Recent advances in postharvest technologies to extend the shelf life of blueberries (Vaccinium sp.), raspberries (Rubus idaeus L.) and blackberries (Rubus sp.). J. Berry Res. 9:687-707.
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Adobati A. et al. 2015. Shelf life extension of raspberry: Passive and active modified atmosphere inside master bag solutions. Chem. Eng. Trans. 44:337-342.
Jenny is a postharvest physiologist and communicator who works to maximise produce freshaness and value while minimising supply chain losses. She is passionate about applying science to improve commercial and consumer outcomes.
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Red leaf disorder Red leaf is a disorder that affects strawberry plants. Signs of the disorder include a reddening of leaves and a decline in plant health. Understanding red leaf disorder
We need your help!
Red leaf disorder is affecting strawberry plants and a number of the major cultivars grown in Queensland, including Red Rhapsody, Fortuna, Festival and Aussiegem. It has also been seen on Camarosa and other varieties. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is conducting research to better understand the disorder and its effects. The cause of red leaf is currently unknown.
If you notice any of your strawberry plants are showing red leaf symptoms, please contact us. We want to hear about: •
changes in growth, yield declines and any abnormalities
•
reddish/maroon interveinal discolouration in mature leaves, while younger leaves remain green or sometimes stunted
•
changes to normal farming practices such as fertilising, fumigation, plastic use and watering
•
which varieties are affected, when and to what extent (i.e. % of total plants affected)
•
whether or not the health of affected plants has improved or continues to decline.
Report details of affected plants to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on 13 25 23. info@daf.qld.gov.au
daf@qld.gov.au
@QldAgriculture
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Funding plugs big future for Australia’s strawberry industry A commercial nursery in the Southern Downs is paving the way for Australia’s strawberry industry after developing a new way to grow strawberries. Spring Creek Seedlings have commercialised an innovative, extremely water efficient and soilless plug plant system that is cost competitive against field grown plant material – a project expected to create up to 20 regional jobs.
Mr Burnell says the expansion of their production facility will create an opportunity for the strawberry industry to explore international markets. “The expansion of the strawberry plug plant facility will be a game changer for the strawberry industry in Queensland,” he said. “It has the potential to assist with the future expansion of export markets through improved efficiencies in plant establishment and greater returns per plant through the production cycle.”
Owners Peter and Lesley Burnell spent the past 15 years developing the plug plant production system and adapting the process to suit Australia’s conditions. “I travelled through Europe in 2006 to research the strawberry industry and the development of the plug plant process further, with the aim of developing the system for production of commercial plant material in Australia,” Mr Burnell said. Spring Creek Seedlings is one of 14 businesses to receive a Rural Economic Development (RED) Grant of up to $250,000 which will be used to fast track their production facility to keep up with industry demand for strawberry plug plants. “We currently produce 2.5 million plug plants per season, are the only commercial producers based in Queensland and are one of the larger producers of plug plants in Australia,” Mr Burnell said. “The RED Grant will enable Spring Creek Seedlings to fast track the expansion of our production facility and scale up production to a 7.5 million plant facility.”
“Horticulture plays a significant role in the local economy of the Southern Downs, through direct employment, supporting local businesses and ongoing community benefit through driving economic growth in the region,” he said. “The strawberry industry is well known for the significant labour requirements across the supply chain from the nursery, to planting, managing plants through to production and of course picking of fruit,” Mr Burnell said. The Rural Economic Development (RED) Grants program offers emerging projects up to $250,000 in co-contributions to build industry and grow employment opportunities across the agricultural sector. The $10 million grants program provides for three funding rounds over a three-year period ending 2021.
Strawberry plug plants are grown on a tabletop structure, fed through an innovative and highly efficient hydroponic system. “A curtain of ‘daughter’ plants develops during the growing season which are harvested for processing, with material used for propagation into individual cells,” Mr Burnell said “The resulting product is a healthy strawberry plant with its own strong root system in an individual cell.” Despite being more expensive, Mr Burnell says growers are seeing greater returns through fruit production.
A total of 14 businesses have received $3.34 million under the second round of funding for the RED Grants program. Overall, these 14 projects are expected to create more than 600 jobs across the agricultural sector in regional Queensland. The Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA) administer the RED Grant scheme on behalf of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.For more information about the RED Grant scheme visit www.qrida.qld.gov.au
“Plug plants are more expensive to buy, compared to bare rooted runner plants, although from producers’ feedback are now seeing the benefit in plug plants with greater returns provided through initiating earlier fruit production, greater productivity through the season and for some varieties, larger fruit,” he said.
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ecocarb
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PRINT-PP Priva Half Page Berry Ad.pdf
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Klaas Plas: the Dutchman down under Claire McCrory, Berry Industry Development Officer, Fruit Growers Tasmania
Back in pre-COVID March, Fruit Growers Tasmania (FGT) held the first instalment in a series of Berry Information Days, in Launceston. To launch the series, Dutch strawberry expert Klaas Plas was invited to come to Australia to share his 30+ years of strawberry knowledge with Tasmanian growers.
Sharing new information and skills
His experience ranges from working at the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Delphy Netherlands to working in agricultural aid in Hungary and Ukraine, before starting his own company, BerryKonsult. Supporting Klaas and providing up-to-date Australian information was Michael Gangi, National Lead Berry Agronomist from E.E. Muir and Sons, based in Victoria.
Klaasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; lecture topics covered Integrated Pest and Disease Management (IPDM) and flower mapping techniques for predicting and managing strawberry vegetative-generative balance. Flower mapping involves dissecting a strawberry plant and examining with a microscope to determine how many flower trusses each crown will produce. This information is used by strawberry growers in Europe to forecast the size and volume of fruit.
Klaas presented a short follow-up series of livestreamed guest lectures to horticulture students and staff at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture. Commercial growers from across Australia were also able to take part in the lecture series, joining online through a live-stream hosted by the University of Tasmania. The recorded version can be viewed at https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=KhxHOXjsIps
Throughout the day Klaas shared insights on spotted wing drosophila (SWD) and the lessons learned from its invasion of Europe. He also shared insights on how to adopt and maximise benefits from integrated pest management (IPM) and the importance of the vegetative-generative balance between fruit, leafy vegetative growth, and other reproductive growth.
This lecture series provided an excellent opportunity for growers, researchers and horticultural students to ask questions and learn about some of latest industry practices being adopted in Europe. At the conclusion of the lectures, Klaas lead final-year students through a practical session on strawberry runner anatomy and flower mapping. This was a great opportunity for students to practically learn a unique set of new skills that are not commonly practiced in Australian strawberry production.
Michael complemented this with updates and learnings from other Australian states, including advances in Australian berry production, detailing propagation, tunnel systems and substrates. He gave an update on Australian varieties and management tools available for field and substrate systems. He also addressed the management of botrytis, powdery mildew and two spotted mite; the main disease burdens in south-eastern Australia.
Climate right for IPDM, organics Klaas visited growers around the state for private onfarm consulting sessions, meeting with them to discuss their challenges and provide a different perspective on farm management. During these visits, Klaas was amazed at how perfect the temperate climate was for growing strawberries, particularly the moderate coastal areas.
The event was well attended, with more than 50 people taking part including commercial producers, agronomists, horticulture students and home growers.
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Klaas Plas consulting with Roly McKinnon from Mountford Berries Photo credit: FGT
Klaas Plas with his magnifying lens observing raspberry leaves at Hillwood Berries. Photo credit: FGT
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Klaas Plas presenting first instalment in a series of Berry Information Days, in Launceston. Photo credit: FGT
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Michele Buntain from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture assisting a flower mapping tutorial by Klaas Plas attended by 4th year students Jessica Bell, Anna Mackintosh and Nik Saunders. Photo credit: FGT
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These regions have higher humidity, lower summer temperatures and higher winter temperatures as their air temperature is affected by the nearby coastal water which warms up and cools down more slowly, buffering climate extremes. In these areas, Klaas firmly believes it should be possible for interested growers to develop successful systems for control of pests or diseases with littleto-no agrichemical use in commercial strawberry production. The relative pest freedom made the region perfect for exploring IPDM and organic production systems that rely on populations of beneficial predatory insect species. With such a strong domestic population of beneficial predators to manage pest species, it becomes easier to grow strawberries without insecticides. Given the rising trend of zero/low residue limits in European strawberries, he sees a great opportunity for Tasmania to enter this market. Klaas also identified strong populations of mites, feltiella-like spp. (predatory gall midge), and aphidiuslike spp. (aphid parasitoids), predatory thrips, lacewings and damsel bugs residing in the long grass near wild blackberry species. Berry growers can harness these and other beneficial species to manage insect pests by supporting these species in the growing environment, providing them with refuges of long grass and/or legumes beneath strawberry production tables and establishing flowers and bushy vegetation close to production areas. By encouraging this mixed-species environment, Klaas notes that berry growers can expect beneficial species to flourish in the Tasmanian climate, keeping insect pest species under control and reducing growerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reliance and expenditure on agrichemicals.
Looking to the future Joining Klaas on his consult visits offered an invaluable opportunity to meet growers, understand their growing systems and be part of forming strategies to improve production. Given how much Klaas enjoyed the people, culture, climate and country, we hope to see him back in Tasmania again in the near future and will touch base with him regularly for online tutorials and webinars as the European strawberry season unfolds. Until then, we look forward to following the progress of the growers he visited and watching how their systems continue to progress and evolve.
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It’s a family affair growing strawberries in SEQ Bron Ford, Berry Industry Development Officer, Queensland Strawberry Growers Association Preparation is also currently underway for the winter strawberry production season at the Park Ridge and Chambers Flat farms. Plastic and fertiliser have been laid in readiness for planting strawberry varieties which have been specifically bred for the winter production season – Red Rhapsody and Petaluma.
Laura and Pieter Hendriksen started growing strawberries in 1985 along with an assortment of vegetables including cherry tomatoes, zucchini and button squash. It all began at Richlands, south-west of Brisbane, on land belonging to Laura’s Grandmother. After a while, they moved slightly further south to Park Ridge and their focus has evolved to producing fresh strawberries all year round across three locations - Park Ridge, Chambers Flat and Applethorpe on the Granite Belt.
“We will be planting in the order of 650,000 plants in March to supply the Brisbane Markets with fruit from June until October. Our “Sunrise Strawberries” brand is available from a number of agents at the Brisbane Markets and a variety of fruit and vegetable retail outlets in Queensland,” said Laura Hendriksen. The Hendriksen family also operate a direct sale business from the Chambers Flat farm. From June until November the farm has a retail shop selling farm fresh strawberries and strawberry ice cream direct to visitors. Once the fruit is in high supply, the farm opens up for pick your own (PYO), normally from August to October.
Laura, Pieter, Rick, Josh and daughters Carla and Nicole are all involved in various aspects of the business including farming operations, payroll, staff management, pack-shed management and quality assurance. And of course, as small business owners they share out the various administrative and compliance tasks that underpin any horticultural business today.
Opening your farm to the public brings a whole new set of challenges, but a well set up PYO arrangement can lift your per kilo price at a point where the broader market becomes quite depressed due to high supply.
Rick Hendriksen manages the Applethorpe farm and is currently producing fruit under the “Berry Blush” label. The Hendriksen’s normally grow about 650,000 plants over summer from October to May, however because of the severe drought on the Granite Belt they reduced their plant numbers to 300,000 this season. The climate on the Granite Belt is unpredictable over summer and the area is prone to significant weather events.
Despite the climatic challenges the business faces with production on the Granite Belt, the Hendriksen family still believe it is important to supply good quality, sweet tasting strawberries all year round to the Brisbane Markets for Queensland consumers to enjoy.
“Unfortunately, our farm was hit by a severe hailstorm in December and we lost about 70% of our crop. We are back picking good quality strawberries now which should continue until May,” said Rick.
We love working as a family and producing wonderful strawberries for Aussies to enjoy every day of the year.
For those that know their strawberry varieties, the Applethorpe farm produces Albion and San Andreas which are both known to produce large, uniformed shaped, sweet tasting berries.
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Laura, Pieter & Rick Hendriksen with some of their freshly picked berries Photo credit: Glenda Riley
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Australian Strawberry Breeding Program Update Temperate end of season report, and subtropical and Mediterranean trial update BS17000: National Strawberry Varietal Improvement Program (2017-2022) Katie O’Connor, Plant Breeder, Jodi Neal, Senior Plant Breeder, Australian Strawberry Breeding Program Team
The Australian Strawberry Breeding Program (ASBP) is a national breeding program, with a focus on Australia’s three major production climates: temperate, subtropical, and Mediterranean. The program’s aim is to breed new strawberry varieties that are specially adapted to each region, and to release superior selections to industry that meet consumer preferences and are highly profitable for growers with lower production costs. The ASBP has now completed the 2019/20 summer trial for the temperate production region, and planting of new subtropical and Mediterranean trials has recently been completed. As such, now is a good time for an update on these regions and how we are achieving our goal of developing new varieties.
Plants in the early-stage trials are evaluated every week for a large number of traits, and the best performing plants are selected at the end of the season for further evaluation in ‘advanced-stage’ trials. Detailed assessments are again conducted weekly on the advanced clones, and the best plants are again selected and distributed to fruit growers for their feedback on varieties when grown in an ‘on-farm’ environment.
Each of our trials is comprised of four stages: seedling trials, early-stage clonal trials, advanced-stage clonal trials, and on-farm trials. Every year we perform controlled cross-pollinations to create thousands of genetically unique seedlings. These seedlings are then assessed in field trials in their production region for one season.
This grower input is very valuable and helps to identify selections for future commercialisation as new varieties. These four stages of trials run simultaneously each year for each production region. Following is a summary of recent progress in each region.
The most promising seedlings (those with desirable fruit and plant architecture characteristics) are then clonally propagated via runners and planted into randomised and replicated ‘early-stage’ clonal trials.
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Figure 1. Fruit of new temperate ASBP varieties: (A) ‘Scarlet-silk’; (B) ‘Summer Song’ Photo Credit: Jodi Neal
Temperate breeding trials
Subtropical breeding trials
Evaluation of material in the temperate breeding trial was conducted from October 2019 to February 2020 in Wandin, Victoria. The trial at Applethorpe, Queensland unfortunately had to be concluded prematurely due to drought and is unable to be run in 2020 for the same reason.
The ASBP subtropical trials are conducted at Maroochy Research Facility (Nambour) and Bundaberg Research Facility, Queensland. The subtropical 2020 trials were planted in early-to mid-March and include 6,300 seedlings at Nambour and 5,000 at Bundaberg (Figure 2).
The main trial at Wandin, comprising 95% of the total temperate seedlings, is still going ahead as per usual in 2020.
We will also be evaluating 63 early-stage and 33 advanced-stage selections. Six selections will be assessed in on-farm trials on growers’ properties across south-east Queensland, prior to commercialisation decisions being made.
Over 12,000 seedlings were assessed at Wandin this season, with 112 of these selected to progress to early stage trials this year. There were also 66 early- and 29 advanced-stage selections included in the trial, of which 19 and eight were selected for further evaluation, respectively.
Mediterranean breeding trials The Australian Mediterranean strawberry production region is centred around Perth, WA, however due to travel restrictions imposed by COVID-19 this trial will be conducted at Nambour in 2020.
Eleven advanced temperate selections were trialled on farms across Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Queensland and Western Australia.
A total of 2,350 Mediterranean seedlings will be assessed, which is a large increase in numbers compared to last year’s trial (Figure 3). There will also be nine early- and three advanced-stage Mediterranean selections trialled.
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Figure 2. 2020 subtropical breeding trials in Queensland: (A) seedling trial at Maroochy Research Facility, Nambour; (B) seedling trial at Bundaberg Research Facility. Photo Credit: Dale McKenna (2A) Justin Davies (2B)
Disease resistance trials
A new plant breeder joins the team!
Routine disease resistance experiments continue throughout the year for advanced selections from all production regions. These experiments inform which varieties are best for release to industry and also help to guide cross-pollinations for production of seedlings to increase disease resistance levels in our breeding population. Current experiments are screening 23 selections for resistance to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae, and 18 selections for Macrophomina phaseolina (charcoal rot). Over the autumn season, we aim to screen a further 28 selections for resistance to Fusarium, 22 for resistance to Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, and 21 selections for resistance to charcoal rot. We also have a powdery mildew resistance screening trial at Nambour in 2020, which is conducted on substrate (hydroponics), and is comprised of 212 seedlings, and 30 commercial- and advanced-stage clones from all three major production regions (Figure 4).
Finally, we are pleased to welcome Dr Katie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor to the team as a plant breeder to assist Dr Jodi Neal. Katie has recently completed her PhD research in DNAinformed breeding in macadamia trees. Our breeding program currently employs DNA analyses to help select elite varieties with certain flavour profiles. With Katieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knowledge, we will be expanding our genomic work in other traits to more efficiently identify the best candidate varieties in a shorter time frame.
New tissue culture laboratory At our headquarters at Maroochy Research Facility we have a brand-new tissue culture laboratory for the ASBP. Plant tissue culture is the method of growing and multiplying plants in gel media in a sterile environment. This allows us to maintain a collection of our varieties and allows us to propagate clean material, in addition to using runner-based propagation. Our new laboratory means that we can increase the size of our collection, and we are trialling a new media which may be better for plant transition from the lab to the glasshouse.
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Dr Katie O'Connor. Photo Credit: DAF One of the guiding principles of the breeding work is to foster the exchange of ideas, so please contact Dr Jodi Neal (jodi.neal@daf.qld.gov.au or 07 5381 1352) if you would like more information. We value your thoughts and appreciate your feedback for the project team.
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Figure 3. Planting the Mediterranean seedling trial. Photo Credit: Dale McKenna
Figure 4. 2020 powdery mildew resistance screening experiment. Photo Credit: Dale McKenna
THE AUSTRALIAN STRAWBERRY BREEDING PROGRAM TEAM MEMBERS
Lâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;R: The Australian Strawberry Breeding Program Team Members include: Dr Jodi Neal (Project Lead), Clinton Buck (Nambour Field Assistant), Janine Conway (Laboratory Technical Officer), Apollo Gomez (Pathology), Sue Hibbit (Wandin Field Assistant), Lien Ko (Virus Indexing & Pathology), Dale Mckenna (Nambour Field Technical Officer & Hydroponics), Allan Mcwaters (Applethorpe Technical Officer), Alan Noon (Wandin Field Assistant), Dr Katie Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor (Breeding and Genomics), Michelle Paynter (Virus Indexing, Tissue Culture & Pathology), Karen Spencer (Wandin Operations Manager), Matthew Webb (Genomics) & Louella Woolcock (Nambour Field & Glasshouse Operations Manager). The Australian Strawberry Breeding Program has been funded by Hort Innovation using the strawberry research and development levy, with co-contributions from the Queensland Government through its Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and funds from the Australian Government. We thank the contributions by the Temperate and Subtropical Reference Groups and Mediterranean industry members who have help guide the program, the Industry Development Officers, and all other industry members who provide feedback, advice, and support. We are also extremely grateful to all the fruit producers in all states who have trialled, collected data on, and given feedback on our on-farm selections. This has helped us make more informed and better commercial judgments.
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Glasshouse strawberry pollination using native stingless bees Project update from ‘Stingless bees as effective managed pollinators for Australian horticulture’ PH16000 Onyeka Nzie, Mark Hall, Robert Spooner-Hart, James Cook and Markus Riegler, Western Sydney University
Meeting the high demand for strawberries entails measures to ensure year-round production, including in protected cropping environments. Most varieties require insect pollination to increase yield and fruit quality, which is achievable in a field setting, but more challenging in polytunnels and glasshouses that exclude wild pollinators, and therefore suffer from a pollination shortfall. Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are not well adapted to use in protected cropping environments and the use of managed bumblebees (Bombus spp.) is not available to Australian growers because they are not native to Australia. In addition, both honeybees and bumblebees often pose a health risk to workers in such environments, and honeybees themselves may suffer if the mite Varroa destructor ever establishes in Australia.
However, we know less about the effectiveness of Australian stingless bee species in improving the yield and marketability of strawberry fruits, nor whether this can be achieved under protected cropping. One strawberry variety commercially grown in Australia is ‘Red Rhapsody’, a cross between the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) breeding line ‘2005-063’ and ‘Suncoast Delight’. This variety has superior taste and vigour and is resistant to pests and fruit bruising. In the open field, it produces early season crops (May-August) and in a protected environment can also produce a late season crop (September-December).
Australia has 11 species of stingless bees, so named due to their lack of a stinger, commonly also known as sugarbag bees. At least 3 species can be managed in man-made hives and have proved effective in pollinating multiple fruit, vegetable and nut crops (including raspberry and blueberry).
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We are investigating how two species of native stingless bee, Tetragonula carbonaria and Tetragonula hockingsi, perform in a glasshouse facility on the Western Sydney University Hawkesbury campus in Richmond, NSW, where we are growing ‘Red Rhapsody’ strawberries. We tested whether visitation by either of these species can improve yield and fruit quality, and the number of visits required to produce the highest quality fruits. We grew crops in two experimental glasshouse chambers (88 m2; 8 m x 13 m x 6 m) with 480 strawberry plants in each chamber. We introduced hives of T. carbonaria into both chambers. After sufficient trials were conducted, we removed these and introduced T. hockingsi. Here, we present some preliminary results from our glasshouse experiment.
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First, 400 primary flowers were bagged, prior to opening, with organza bags, which still allow airflow and light to the flowers. Bags were removed from 100 flowers once they opened to allow unlimited access to bees during the receptive period (open pollination, OP).
pollination. Bags were again removed ten days later when flowers were no longer receptive to pollination. Fruits were harvested when ripe (i.e. when more than 90% of the fruit surface was red). Physical fruit characteristics were then recorded in a number of ways. Fresh weight, basal circumference and length were taken to determine fruit size.
As a negative control (BP), another 100 flowers remained bagged to exclude all foragers from accessing the flowers. As a positive control, an additional 200 flowers were hand pollinated, 100 with pollen from the same variety (HP), and 100 crossed with a different variety (‘Valor’, CP). This polliniser variety was developed in California, USA. Fruits are conical shaped and reasonably large, with firm texture, attractive red colouration and prominent seeds. Red Rhapsody flowers that were used for hand pollination were re-bagged immediately after treatment to prevent the bees from pollinating these flowers. All bags were removed from flowers ten days later, when flowers were no longer receptive to pollination, to reduce any bag effects on fruit development.
Fruits were also graded by their uniformity of shape, based on industry standards: Grade Extra, Grade A, Grade B, Grade C and Grade D. Grade Extra and Grade A constitute highly marketable fruits, while Grade C were of lowest marketable quality and Grade D were non-marketable (Figure 1). Early signs indicate that stingless bee visitation to glasshouse strawberry crops clearly improves fruit quality. For both stingless bee species, the open pollination treatment (OP) had a higher percentage of high-quality fruits than negative controls (BP, Figures 2 & 3). Hand pollination (positive control), both with the same variety (self-pollination, HP) and crossed with the polliniser variety ‘Valor’ (CP), produced the highest quality fruits from these trials. Fruit quality also increased with a greater number of bee visits, with 15 visits yielding 84% high quality fruits (Grade ‘Extra class’ and Grade ‘A’) from T. carbonaria (Figure 2) and 96% high quality fruits from T. hockingsi (Figure 3). The percentages were similar for both hand pollination treatments.
Second, we wanted to test how many visits were needed to ensure most flowers produced high quality, marketable fruits. We allowed both stingless bee species (T. carbonaria and T. hockingsi) different numbers of visits to strawberry flowers: 1, 2, 5, 10 and 15 visits. A total of 500 flowers (100 for each number of visits) were used for this. Flower buds were again bagged. When the flowers opened, bees were then allowed to land on a flower for the required number of visits and then we re-bagged immediately to prevent further
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Figure 1. Examples of strawberry fruit classified under each quality grading Photo credit: Onyeka Nzie
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Figures 2 & 3: The percentage of fruit of different quality grades for each treatment type: bagged pollination (BP), 1, 2, 5, 10 and 15 bee visits, open pollination (OP), hand pollination treatments with the same strawberry variety (HP) and cross-pollinated with variety “ Valor’ (CP). Records presented for visits by Tetragonula carbonaria (Figure 2) and Tetragonula hockingsi (Figure 3). Photo credit: Onyeka Nzie This research was conducted under the project “Stingless bees as effective managed pollinators for Australian horticulture”, which is funded by the Hort Frontiers Pollination Fund, part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from Western Sydney University and the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Syngenta Asia-Pacific, OLAM, Griffith University and contributions from the Australian Government.
Our results also indicated that the quality of fruit from open pollination (unlimited bee visits) was lower than the quality of fruit from 10 and 15 visits (Figures 2 & 3). We believe this is a result of excessive bee visitation causing flower damage. We will repeat surveys this year with fewer hives to test optimal hive stocking rates in such environments. We are also unsure what the optimal number of visits is, so will increase the number of visits allowed in the next trial, to determine if fruit quality continues to improve, or we reach a saturation or even a tipping point. Finally, our results also indicate that the sugar content of strawberry fruits is higher with bee visitation compared with no bee visits. We will continue to investigate this and other chemical properties of strawberry fruits under glasshouse pollination conditions.
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Mark Hall is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Robert Spooner-Hart & Markus Riegler are Associate Professors, James Cook is a Professor and Onyeka (Peter) Nzie is a PhD student; the glasshouse experiments form part of his PhD project supervised by the other authors.
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New practices for Improved control of Charcoal Rot Project update for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Improved Management of Charcoal Rot in Strawberryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BS15005 David Oag & Apollo Gomez, DAF (Department of Agriculture and Fisheries) and Dylan McFarlane & Scott Mattner, VSICA (Victorian Strawberry Industry Certification Authority)
Over the past three years, the research team of the national charcoal rot project (BS15005) have made many significant advances that enable strawberry growers to more effectively manage this serious disease. Charcoal rot affects strawberries in all Australian states, and can cause plant losses on farms of up to 50%.
Figure 1. Plant death caused by charcoal rot of strawberry at a site in Coldstream, Victoria. Photo credit: VSICA
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The current research work has shown:
Pathogen survival
• T otally impermeable film (TIF) is a superior plastic mulch for soil fumigation
The M. phaseolina fungus can survive in crowns retained in the paddock, for at least six months in a warm environment (Sunshine Coast, Qld) and 10 months in a temperate environment (Granite Belt, Qld). The field study in the Granite Belt will continue for a full year.
• Tri-Form® 80 and EDN Sterigas™ are equally effective in reducing the severity of disease • S hank application of fumigants is more effective than drip irrigation application for control of charcoal rot
Cutting crowns into pieces, as would occur during soil cultivation, made little difference to how long the pathogen was able to survive (Figure 2).
• The pathogen that causes charcoal rot (Macrophomina phaseolina) can survive in strawberry crowns in the soil for at least 10 months
Transmission of disease from crop residue to new plants
• T he pathogen surviving in crowns infects plants in the next crop
M. phaseolina surviving in infected crowns from the previous crop infect strawberry plants in the new season. Infection was shown to occur within weeks of planting and up to 50% of plants were dead after 8 weeks.
Totally Impermeable Film TIF reduced charcoal rot of strawberry by 90%, by retaining chemical fumigants in the soil at higher concentrations for a longer period, compared with standard low-density polyethylene (LDPE) plastic mulch.
This makes infected strawberry crowns from the previous crop a major source of inoculum leading to outbreaks of charcoal rot in the following season.
Income from the additional fruit harvested exceeds the additional cost of TIF, resulting in an increase in gross income ($6.91/m) over the season.
Increasing the ability to manage charcoal rot
TIF is a superior plastic mulch for use with chemical soil fumigants and has been quickly adopted throughout the strawberry industry.
The progress to date still leaves several gaps in our knowledge of the biology of M. phaseolina and how best to manage charcoal rot. Once addressed, growers would have a comprehensive package of tools to manage charcoal rot very effectively across a range of farm situations.
Fumigants Tri-Form® 80 and EDN Sterigas™ reduced charcoal rot by up to 80% compared with untreated soil.
The major areas of greatest benefit to growers include:
Crop termination was trialled for the first time in Australia. This practice involves killing strawberry plants at the end of the season with the fumigant metham sodium applied through drip irrigation. The practice is useful because it can also kill M. phaseolina in crowns and result in an additional 10% increase in fruit yield above the use of pre-plant fumigation alone.
• A reliable diagnostic tool for predicting the disease risk on farm, and informing the most cost-effective choice of treatments • N on-chemical soil treatments for reducing the amount of the pathogen before planting • N ew treatments with the potential for managing charcoal rot outbreaks during the growing season
Application of fumigants
• Q uantifying the soil and environmental conditions that trigger the disease
Shank fumigation (when fumigant directly injected into the soil at depth) reduces charcoal rot by up to 60% more than drip fumigation (when fumigant applied through drip irrigation).
• I ntegrating the use of tolerant varieties with other treatments for more effective management of charcoal rot
Fumigation of the entire paddock (broad-acre fumigation) increases control of charcoal rot by 35% over strip fumigation of just the plant bed.
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Figure 1. Plant death caused by charcoal rot of strawberry at a site in Coldstream, Victoria. Photo credit: VSICA
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Figure 2. Microsclerotes of M. phaseolina in a strawberry crown. Photo credit: DAF
Several diagnostic tests have been developed in Australia and overseas for monitoring the level of M. phaseolina in soil. Currently, however, it is not possible to predict the risk of disease using these tests. This is because results of M.phaseolina concentration in soil have not been correlated with the amount of disease to develop in a crop.
However, chemical fumigants do not provide complete control of the disease, and are under constant threat of registration review and withdrawal due to concerns over detrimental effects on human and environmental health. Studies overseas have indicated several alternative treatments that reduce the pathogen in the soil to varying degrees, including: biofumigation with brassica crops, anaerobic soil disinfestation, high soil temperature by microwave or steam treatment, repeated removal of plant debris for the depletion of pathogen inoculum over the medium to long term, and crop rotation.
The ability to predict the level of disease risk would add precision and flexibility in managing charcoal rot. For example, in situations of low disease risk, the potential arises to reduce costs when high rates of chemical fumigants may not be necessary or by applying fewer control treatments.
The suitability and effectiveness of these techniques in local strawberry production systems has yet to be proven.
The Australian strawberry industry is heavily reliant upon chemical fumigants for the control of charcoal rot.
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Non-chemical treatments give industry the opportunity to reduce chemical usage and provide control options for organic growers. Non-chemical treatments may complement, offset or replace the need for chemical fumigants for controlling charcoal rot.
Such information is vital for developing strategic treatments and technologies for managing the disease during the season. Although immunity in strawberry to charcoal rot has not been found, research indicates varieties differ in their tolerance of the disease. Quantifying the performance of tolerant varieties when grown in the field with the best practices for controlling charcoal rot, would confirm the effectiveness of such a multi-faceted strategy. This project is funded by Hort Innovation using the research and development strawberry levy, and funds from the Australian Government. The Queensland Government, through the Department of Primary Industries (DAF), and the Victorian Strawberry Industry Certification Authority Inc. have co-funded the research. We also acknowledge the strawberry fruit growers who provided the field sites for the experimental trials.
A healthy strawberry plant next to a plant killed by M. phaseolina is a common sight, but we currently lack the knowledge to explain why the fungus did not infect the nearby plants. Outbreaks of charcoal rot disease often occur after periods of extreme weather, however exactly what conditions (soil, environmental, plant health) trigger infection is not well understood.
The project team is David Oag, Dylan McFarlane, Apollo Gomez, Scott Mattner and Frank Greenhalgh. Please contact your local member of the project team for more information.
High available Calcium Organic certified Low level of Nitrogen Improve fruit firmness and shelf life Seaweed Extract Synergist added
High concentration (1.0-1.5)x1010cfu/g of Biologically Enhanced Biologically Enhanced
Bacillus Subtilis Enhance root development and produce quality Increase nutrient availabilities Improve soil health Extend shelf life
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Black TIF mulch reduces Charcoal Rot of strawberry more effectively than silver TIF Project update for â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Improved Management of Charcoal Rot in Strawberryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; BS15005 Dylan McFarlane & Scott Mattner, VSICA (Victorian Strawberry Industry Certification Authority) and David Oag & Apollo Gomez, DAF (Department of Agriculture and Fisheries)
Charcoal rot, caused by the soil-borne fungus Macrophomina phaseolina, is a crown disease of strawberry that kills plants. Charcoal rot has become a major problem in the strawberry fruit industry in Australia since the phase-out of the soil fumigant methyl bromide. For the last three years, scientists from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) and the Victorian Strawberry Industry Certification Authority (VSICA) have conducted a national research project to identify better ways of managing charcoal rot.
Figure 1. Plant death caused by charcoal rot of strawberry (right). The use of TIF mulch with fumigants (left) drastically increases control of the disease compared with standard LDPE mulch (right). Photo credit: VSICA
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Results and Discussion
One of the key findings from the research is that totally impermeable films (TIFs) retain fumigant treatments at greater concentrations and for longer periods in soil than standard films made from low density polyethylene (LDPE). Results from the project showed that the use of TIF with fumigants increased the control of M. phaseolina in soil and charcoal rot in strawberry plants by 90% compared with LDPE (Figure 1).
The use of black TIF significantly reduced the incidence and severity of charcoal rot in strawberry plants compared with silver TIF (Figure 3). Yet there was no significant difference in the concentration of M. phaseolina in the soil under black or silver TIF. Average soil temperatures under black and silver TIF over the season were almost identical (17.8˚C and 18.0˚C, respectively), while the average air temperature was lower (16.0˚C). However, the daily minimum temperatures were lower and the maximum temperatures higher in the soil under silver TIF (Figure 4). The daily minimum temperatures were lower and the maximum temperatures higher in the air compared with soil.
Black vs. Silver TIF Most Australian strawberry growers produce their plants in raised beds covered in black plastic mulch, such as TIF. Plastic manufacturers can produce TIF in different colours, including silver. Previous research shows that high temperatures (>30˚C) increase the virulence of M. phaseolina and the severity of charcoal rot in strawberry plants. A field trial on a strawberry farm at Coldstream, Victoria was conducted to determine if silver TIF would reduce soil temperatures and charcoal rot of strawberry compared with black TIF (Figure 2).
These results demonstrated that black TIF reduced the variation in soil temperature much more effectively than silver TIF. In fact, soil temperatures never reached above 30˚C under black TIF for the entire summer. In contrast, soil temperatures under silver TIF were above 30˚C on 10 days in summer. It is likely that these high temperatures contributed to greater levels of charcoal rot in plants grown in silver TIF.
All beds were fumigated with Tri-Form 80 (20% 1, 3-dichloropropene/ 80% chloropicrin) at a rate of 400 kg/ha, prior to planting strawberry runners (cv. Albion). Temperature probes were placed into each bed (10 cm depth) and one above the ground for the entire season. ®
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Figure 2. A field trial at Coldstream, Victoria investigating the effect of black and silver TIF on soil temperature and charcoal rot of strawberry (cv. Albion). Photo credit: VSICA
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Figure 3. C harcoal rot index of strawberry (disease incidence and severity) in a trial at Coldstream, Victoria. Strawberry plants were grown in soils covered with either black or silver TIF. The bar is the least significant difference (p = 0.05) at the final sampling date.
Figure 4. The air and soil (10 cm depth) temperatures recorded in a trial at Coldstream, Victoria. Temperature readings were recorded every 4 hours.
Conclusions
The project is funded by Hort Innovation using the research and development strawberry levy, and funds from the Australian Government. The Queensland Government, through the Department of Primary Industries (DAF), and the Victorian Strawberry Industry Certification Authority Inc. have co-funded the research. We also acknowledge the strawberry fruit growers who provided the field sites for the experimental trials.
Fumigation under black TIF controlled charcoal rot in a strawberry crop at Coldstream, Victoria more effectively than silver TIF. Other coloured TIFs (e.g. red, blue, brown) may be more effective in reducing the variation in soil temperature or the response of strawberry plants to charcoal rot than black TIF, and warrant further investigation.
If you would like to learn more about the project activities, contact Dr Dylan McFarlane 0408 374 233 or your local member of the project team.
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Profile: Portland Strawberries â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Charcoal Rot success story Bolwarra, Victoria Dr Angela Atkinson, Berry Industry Development Officer, VSIDC
In 2017, the Victorian Strawberry Industry Development Committee (VSIDC) funded a project to survey all strawberry farms in Victoria for the soil borne disease Charcoal Rot, caused by the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina. The research was carried out by Dr Scott Mattner and his team at the Victorian Strawberry Industry Certification Authority (VSICA). Soil and plant samples were taken from the best and worst blocks on each property and analysed for the presence of Macrophomina. The incidence and severity of disease symptoms in the blocks was also recorded. The study found that around 80% of strawberry farms had Macrophomina in the soil, and the losses due to Charcoal Rot were costing the Victorian strawberry industry around $20 million per year.
Peter and Pat Cutler have been growing strawberries on their property since 1991, and market their strawberries, and other products such as homemade strawberry icecream, through their Farm Shop, and from their vans which visit Mount Gambier, Hamilton, Port Fairy and Warrnambool on a regular basis during the season. They also have a small area of pick your own strawberries. During the off-season strawberries are grown under covers and sold through the Farm Shop. They have developed a loyal following among their customers, as according to Pat, they are picked one day and sold to the consumer the next day, ensuring they can be picked when perfectly ripe.
Fast forward to 2020, and VSIDC has again funded VSICA to conduct a follow-up survey to determine if recommendations put into place after the project in 2017 have had an effect on the incidence of Charcoal Rot on Victorian farms. The survey is still in progress, but preliminary results have shown that some growers have improved their management of Charcoal Rot by adopting the recommended practices.
In 2017, results from the Charcoal Rot survey showed that there were relatively high levels of Macrophomina in the soil at Portland Strawberries, similar to the state average, and a relatively high incidence of Charcoal Rot disease in plants.
One enterprise that has had a positive impact on the levels of disease in their strawberry crop is Portland Strawberries in Bolwarra, just north of Portland in Victoria, not far from the South Australian border.
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Pat and Pete Cutler. Photo credit: Portland Strawberries
One of Portland Strawberriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; vans that service towns in Western Victoria and South Australia Photo credit: Portland Strawberries
Macrophomina is present in soils and can be moved between or within properties by machinery, vehicles, and on peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s footwear. The fungus also remains inside old crowns of strawberry plants remaining in the soil. Strawberry plants become infected with the fungus when they are under stress, such as heat or water stress, and the disease often becomes more severe when plants are trimmed heavily in summer.
Peter and Pat have implemented these recommendations and have come up with innovative ways to improve their disease management. This has resulted in a 30% decrease in the level of Macrophomina in the soil, and a 20% decrease in the incidence of Charcoal Rot in the crop since 2017. They have increased their emphasis on farm biosecurity, implementing processes such as paddock zoning, where workers and machinery move from areas of low disease to areas of higher disease, to reduce the risk of moving the fungus to clean areas. They have also placed more emphasis on crop rotation, aiming to rest paddocks for six months, although they are restricted by available land, and planting a green manure crop of barley, peas, vetch and ryegrass between crops. Peter also uses a lot of compost, manures, and fish emulsion, as well as beneficial micro-organisms, to increase the biological health of his soils.
Several recommendations were made for managing Charcoal Rot as part of the Victorian project, including increasing on farm hygiene and biosecurity, removing diseased plants & old crowns from paddocks, and reducing stress, particularly in hot weather, by ensuring plants are well irrigated.
The national Charcoal Rot project has shown that infected strawberry crowns left in the soil are a source of inoculum to infect new crops. In order to reduce the amount of the Macrophomina fungus in the soil, Peter has modified a garlic digger to lift the whole bed, plants and plastic, from the soil, which are then rolled up together for disposal. Peterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aim is to incorporate the roller onto the harvester so the whole process can be done in one
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Modified garlic digger lifting plastic and plants, including the crowns. Photo credit: Portland Strawberries
Plastic mulch containing entire strawberry plants Photo credit: Portland Strawberries
Strawberries in 2017, showing plant deaths caused by Macrophomina Photo credit: VSICA
The same site in early 2020, showing healthy plants and inter row plantings of barley and ryegrass Photo credit: VSICA
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pass with the tractor. The drop of 30% in the level of the fungus in the soil since 2017 suggests that this has been a worthwhile process. Peter says this method has also helped clean up the soil, removing fragments of old plastic left behind using previous methods.
The vast majority of Victorian growers fumigate their soil prior to planting, but current fumigants have not been as successful as Methyl Bromide in controlling Charcoal Rot. The 2017 survey showed that most farms in Victoria had Macrophomina in the soil and were affected by Charcoal Rot. The national Charcoal Rot project has shown that the use of TIF (totally impermeable film) with soil fumigants is more effective at controlling Charcoal Rot than the standard LDPE films.
In order to reduce stress, plants are not trimmed heavily in summer, only dead and mature leaves around the base are removed. Peter also uses foliar sprays, including biostimulants, to reduce stress. Management of the inter rows has also been modified, with barley and ryegrass seed put out together after the plastic is laid and before the holes are punched for planting. The barley grows taller and allows the ryegrass to establish, then the barley goes down like a mulch while the ryegrass continues to grow.
However, the changes Peter and Pat have made on their property, where the soil has never been fumigated prior to planting, show that practices that decrease the risk of spreading the disease, decrease the level of inoculum in the soil and reduce plant stress over summer can lead to major improvements in the management and incidence of Charcoal Rot.
Peter uses Victorian ryegrass as it is not as tall as other varieties and it is left to grow. Having a well-established planting of ryegrass in the inter rows helps to reduce the soil temperature, reducing stress on the plants. Peter says the pickers get used to the longer grass in the inter rows and have also noticed that it is cooler in the field and they can pick longer into the day. He has also noticed that he is using less water. Research by VSICA has shown that the use of ryegrass in the inter rows is associated with lower disease, which may be due to reduced soil temperature, reduced soil splash, and the fact that ryegrass is not a host of Macrophomina.
Victorian Strawberry Industry Development Committee
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Cold plasma to manage postharvest fungal pathogens of strawberries An innovative PhD project from Murdoch University investigating the use of cold plasma technology to manage postharvest diseases in strawberries. Agricultural Produce Commission (APC P1922 126) - Murdoch University Postgraduate Research Scholarship
Strawberries are very susceptible to microbial damage. Nearly half of all strawberries produced are lost between harvesting and consumption, with 30% of these losses attributed to fungal pathogens (Petrasch et al., 2019). In Australia, four fungi, Botrytis cinerea (grey mould), Phytophthora cactorum (leather rot), Podosphaera macularis (powdery mildew) and Rhizopus stolonifer (Rhizopus rot or â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;leakâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) have been reported as postharvest pathogens of strawberries (Ullio, 2009; Anonymous, 2018). Among these, B. cinerea is associated with severe damage, and control of this pathogen is extremely difficult. At Murdoch University, a PhD project is testing an alternative method to manage B. cinerea and other postharvest pathogens, using cold plasma. Cold plasma is an ionised gas that has antimicrobial properties, and has been demonstrated to control bacteria, viruses and fungal pathogens of fruits and vegetables, and extend shelf life (Siddique et al. 2018; Pan et al. 2019). For example, in the laboratory at Murdoch, we have shown we can reduce anthracnose in avocado and consequently double the shelf life. We have also conducted trials on blueberries, raspberries, truffles and cereal grain, with very promising results. In the first stage of the strawberry project, we have isolated and identified fungi from strawberries exhibiting signs and symptoms of disease. These have included Mucor spp., Rhizopus spp., Cladosporium spp., and Alternaria spp. (Figure 1 and Figure 2).
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Our aim is to conduct isolations throughout the coming strawberry growing season, investigating the variation in the pathogen population over time. We also hope to determine if there is variation in pathogens found on field grown vs hydroponically grown fruit. Commonly occurring fungi will be selected for DNA sequencing to confirm their identities.
The comparative trial will include assessment of the antimicrobial ability of the two plasma treatments, based on the growth or inhibition of postharvest fungi on the treated fruit. We will also assess quality parameters of the fruit including colour, size and weight and shelf life. The overarching aim of this study is to confirm cold plasma as an effective treatment for the control of postharvest pathogens of strawberries. We are also planning further work on other berries, and largerscale commercial application trials. For further information, please contact Dr Kirsty Bayliss, K.Bayliss@murdoch.edu.au
Authors Ms Farhana Momtaz - PhD student at Murdoch University Dr Kirsty Bayliss - Academic Chair, Biosecurity & Food Security, Murdoch University Professor Giles Hardy - Director of the Centre for Phytophthora Science and Management, Murdoch University Dr Katie Dunne – Berry Industry Development Officer, WA Agriculture Produce Commission
Figure 1. Postharvest strawberries infected by fungal pathogens.
Acknowledgement We would like to thank the Western Australian Strawberry Growers Association for their financial support of this project via the Agriculture Produce Commission (Grant number APC P1922 126). The PhD student, Ms Farhana Momtaz is funded by a Commonwealthsupported Research Training Program Scholarship.
References Anonymous (2018) Postharvest disease and disorders of strawberries. Strawberry Innovation Factsheet. http://strawberryinnovation.com/ markets/2018/11/16/postharvest-dieseases-and-disorders-ofstrawberries?rq=postharvest Pan, Y., Cheng, J. H. and Sun, D. W. (2019) Cold plasma-mediated treatments for shelf life extension of fresh produce: A review of recent research developments. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 18(5), pp. 1312–1326. doi: 10.1111/ 1541-4337.12474.
Figure 2: Cultures of different postharvest strawberry pathogens (fungi). Pathogens include A) Alternaria spp., B) Geotrichum spp., C) Penicillium spp., D) Rhizopus spp., E) Cladosporium spp., F) Mucor spp
Petrasch, S., Knapp, S. J., van Kan, J. A. L., and Blanco-Ulate, B. (2019) Grey mould of strawberry, a devastating disease caused by the ubiquitous necrotrophic fungal pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Molecular Plant Pathology, 20(6), pp. 877–892. doi: 10.1111/mpp.12794.
To control the commonly occurring fungi, we will test both cold plasma and plasma activated water (PAW) as treatments for harvested fruit. PAW is created by treating water with cold plasma, generating a liquid that can be used to mist or wash fruit. At present, we are optimising plasma treatment conditions in preparation for a comparative trial once the new season strawberry harvest commences.
Siddique, S. S., Hardy, G. E. J. and Bayliss, K. L. (2018) Cold plasma: a potential new method to manage postharvest diseases caused by fungal plant pathogens. Plant Pathology, 67(5), pp. 1011–1021. doi: 10.1111/ijlh.12426. Ullio, L. (2009) Common diseases of strawberries. Industry and Investment Primefact, 892(9), pp. 1–5.
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Profile: Anthony Yewers, Berry Sweet Katie Dunne, Berry Industry Development Officer, Agricultural Produce Commission Aileen Reid, WA Strawberry Industry Development Officer
Anthony Yewers grows strawberries as well as other berries at multiple sites in WA. His parents were strawberry growers and initially, after finishing school, Anthony had no interest in continuing the farm. During his gap year his mother fell ill and Anthony returned to the family farm to help out. He has now finished his 36th planting season. We established Berry Sweet in the early 1990s in Bullsbrook, WA with the purpose of supplying the local market in Western Australia with Strawberries. We now supply all of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major supermarkets and grow for the Driscolls brand as well.
Figure 1: Substrate production in tunnels at one of the farm sites
Is there a focus on something particular?
We have diversified into growing other berries including raspberries, blackberries and blueberries. We have a farm store and cafĂŠ where the public can visit.
We focus on meeting market demand, with the philosophy that every berry grown has a consumer. Our goal of maintaining our reputation for reliability, high quality standards, communication and integrity has given us the ability to diversify into other berry crops with support from our business partners. We are currently focusing on growing our blueberry production where we are looking to trial some of the new blueberry varieties that are being developed. Our goal is to be able to supply berries all year round. We are constantly looking at other areas of the business that require further investment including the farms, new technology (robotics), production and packing facilities, production protocols and our staff.
You can see more about the farm at www.berrysweet.com.au Describe your production systems We started off growing strawberries in the ground but have since converted the majority of our production at Muchea and Bullsbrook to tabletop in substrate production with all of our farm at Pemberton converted to tabletops (See Figure 1). By next year, all production will be tabletop substrate production. We chose to convert after seeing firsthand the benefits of this system overseas.
Where do you source your water from? All of our sources contain high quality water; we have access to creeks on the properties or dams (southern properties) and a backup bore. When we expanded we ensured that the property had access to high quality water. Water quality is important in ensuring that we produce the highest quality fruit that we can.
The benefits include better quality, less weather impacts, greater efficiency and happier workers. All crops are grown under tunnels as well. This has enabled us to have control of when the plants are exposed to the weather.
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Where do you source your labour from?
Advice for those seeking to begin growing berries?
We rely on the Seasonal Worker Program (SEE PAGE 22) to fulfil our labour requirements across the farms as there is often not enough local, reliable labour to meet seasonal demand. The program has enabled us to have a supply of reliable workers of whom the majority return each season. We rely on employment agencies to organise and manage the work crews and all their requirements including their pastoral care while in Australia. Their welfare is paramount to the success of our business. It has led to increased productivity, less wastage and better quality control. We have four or five local workers that mainly oversee the maintenance of the farms.
Gain as much hands-on experience as you can with a leading strawberry producer for at least 12 months. Learn as much as you can across all facets of the business. Ask as many questions as possible. Try to be the best in the industry, always look to learn and apply new technology. Understand what is needed to meet HARPS and FreshCare obligations and try to stay ahead of those requirements as demand certification and testing increases.
What are you looking forward to in the future?
Industry wise • The application of technology in farming practices such as the use of robots for disease management and harvesting.
What’s new in your business? How is your business unique?
• T he development of new varieties across all berry sectors that suit our growing conditions.
We are always trying to think ahead in this game - the minute you are standing still you are going backwards. We are always trying to identify where we can make changes, something many do not think to do. We strive to be leaders in the industry in every facet of the industry. Feedback from our auditors says we keep the best business, staff and OH&S records in horticulture. We have an ‘open book’ policy with our staff where they can access their records any time. This includes what they picked, their picking rate, hours of work and hourly work rate. In some other workplaces they do not see any records until payday. We rely on piece work as the payment method, with the idea that hard work is rewarded. We are currently experimenting with robotics as a tool in our integrated pest management program. Where possible we are always looking for areas where we can use technology as an aid.
• N ew or novel packaging focusing on quality control and minimising our environmental footprint. • I ndustry trends in research, its application in farms overseas and what may be applicable here. • T he development of new production systems that can be used to grow all berry crops whilst minimising labour costs.
The family business perspective • Eventually I would like my children to take over the business. They will first have to gain experience outside of the family business, I would like that to be overseas. The experience will allow them to bring new ideas back and adopt them here when the time comes.
What areas would you like to see R&D focus on? • There needs to be a focus on implementing fruit quality standards.
What is your favourite part of growing berries? My favourite part of the season is during the planting and when the plants start to flower. I enjoy watching the plants thrive and produce fruit. But once picking starts, I tend to lose interest. I can be slightly obsessive watching the plants during establishment. This all feeds into my desire to trial new varieties and see how they go.
• A focus on MRL testing and the implementation and enforcement of standards where there are breaches, ensuring industry are aware of their obligations. • N ew approaches in managing pest and diseases that are more sustainable. • T he development of new varieties across all berry categories, suited to our growing conditions without compromising fruit quality.
What challenges are you seeing in the industry? The key challenges, like most agricultural sectors, is there are not enough young people wanting to take up farming. The limited knowledge of hydroponics for growing berries is a key issue. Many take on the technology but fail in the process due to the challenges in converting and maintaining plant health. There needs to be more recognition of the importance of horticultural education and training by employers and it should be reflected in pay rates. We, as an industry, need to be the drivers in this because at the end of the day it benefits everyone. This is important in the case of substrate farming. A lot can go wrong quickly and there is a greater financial risk involved as opposed to field growing.
• A focus on educating the younger generation so they are aware of the development of new growing practices. • A ddressing language barriers in industry given the high number of language other than English (LOTE) growers. This would benefit the whole industry and aid knowledge transfer. • M ore minor use permits registered for different chemicals so we have more options available to control pests and diseases. • G reater understanding of the intricacies of fertiliser application and the substrate production system for the determining best practice.
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Tips & tricks on managing Botrytis in blueberries Melinda Simpson, Berry Industry Development Officer, NSW Department of Primary Industries
Signs and symptoms
Botrytis causes blossom blight during the flowering period, & fruit rot during postharvest handling and storage. Infections occur in the field during flowering, so the most effective time to implement controls is during flowering. The fungus survives as dormant mycelium or sclerotia (fruiting body) in fruit and other plant debris. Spores are spread by wind or water-splash.
Infected flowers become brown. During wet conditions, the fungus may grow from the infected flowers into the main stem causing twig blight and killing all the flowers and berries above the infected stem. Young leaves are often infected through contact with infected flowers. Yellow lesions develop on infected young leaves and twigs, becoming brown, then grey as the disease progresses. Under high relative humidity or moisture, grey mycelium and spores form on infected leaves and flowers. Developing berries may also become infected, but the fungus usually lies dormant until after harvest. Post-harvest decay is the most severe expression of this disease. Infected berries shrivel and become covered in grey mycelium and spores.
Disease cycle Botrytis survives in blueberry plants or plant debris. Spores are produced in the presence of moisture and carried by air currents and water-splash. Flowers, leaves, twigs and mature berries are all susceptible (Figure 1).
Management Cultural and physical
Flowers are most susceptible shortly after they open, although infection is possible earlier. Slow pollination and ageing flowers can favour infection. Non-pollinated ovaries from which petals have shed are also highly susceptible to infection. They can remain attached for 10 days and become a source of secondary inoculum. The fungus can grow from these ovaries into the stalk to infect other flowers and fruit in the cluster. It can also grow into the stem causing twig blight.
Prune plants annually to keep the canopy open and improve air circulation. This will help with drying when the plant has become wet from dew or rain. Avoid excessive use of nitrogen fertiliser in the spring because the Botrytis fungus will readily infect succulent green growth. Cool berries rapidly after harvest and use sulphur pads in stacked trays.
Biological BotectorÂŽ is a new biological fungicide that can be used on blueberries. It contains a naturally occurring fungus, Aureobasidium pullulans, that is commonly found in the environment. Botector works through competitive exclusion. It creates a physical barrier at potential infection sites, such as micro-scratches, excluding Botrytis from access to space and nutrients, where it could create an infection and start to impact on blueberry health and development.
Botrytis is present all the time, but causes serious losses when weather is wet and cool for several consecutive days. Infection is favoured by high relative humidity, fog and long wet periods. Studies have found at 20oC, 6 hours of leaf wetness is required for infection. Green berries are not susceptible. Fruit infected during flowering, can rot during post-harvest storage and handling. Botrytis cinerea can grow at very low temperatures, making it difficult to control.
Chemical Apply fungicides as soon as flowers open, particularly if conditions are wet. Sprays during the non-production period can reduce the incidence of fruit rot by targeting the dormant fungus. Alternate and rotate chemical fungicides as resistance to fungicides is known to develop in Botrytis. The chemical treatment options for Botrytis in blueberries are outlined in Table 1.
Botrytis is favoured by cool, wet conditions for several consecutive days. Flowering is the most critical time for infection.
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Germination (15˚– 25˚C)
Dispersal Plant debris & sclerotia Spores
Infection
Botrytis Disease Cycle Credit: Rosalie Daniel
Sporulating Infections Table 1. Chemical treatment options for Botrytis in blueberries
Treatment
Fungicide Group
WHP Days
Remarks
Boscalid + Pyroclostrobin (Pristine®) PER82986
7, 11
3
Botector®
NA
Not required when used as directed
Apply at early bloom or before flowers open. Additional sprays might be necessary if conditions favour the disease.
Captan PER13958
M4
1
Chlorothalonil PER14309
M5
28
Do not spray more than two consecutive sprays from the same chemical group.
Cyprodinil + Fludioxonil (Switch®) PER84891
9, 12
7
Apply every 10–14 days from flowering in rotation with products from other chemical groups.
Fenhexamid PER86489
17
1
Iprodione
B
1
Pyrimethanil (Scala®) PER13958
9
1
Sulphur dioxide pads PER13955
M
1
Scala at full strength will burn flowers and needs to be used before the early pink bud stage. Sulphur pads are used in packed trays to reduce the incidence of Botrytis.
The information contained in this article is based on knowledge and understanding at time of writing. All efforts have been made to provide the most current, complete and accurate information on these permits, however we recommend that you confirm the details of these permits at the following APVMA website: https://portal.apvma.gov.au/permits
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Better blueberries Dr Jenny Ekman, Research Scientist, Applied Horticultural Research
Who doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t love blueberries? This is the fruit with everything â&#x20AC;&#x201C; tastes great, superfood nutrition, useful in dishes from cakes to salads and all in a convenient, non-messy package that children adore. Bigger and better tasting varieties have seen the category explode in the last few years. As a result, both production and consumption have risen dramatically. According to the Australian Horticultural Statistics Handbook 1, we are each now consuming nearly 3/4 kg annually, more than double the consumption of only 4 years ago. Despite this surge in demand, prices have tended to decline. While the graph below indicates an average price of $18/kg, during peak production prices can be much lower than this.
As more large plantings come online, it seems probable this trend will continue. Good news for those who love eating blueberries, but not so good for growers. In contrast, prices can rise to $8.00 per punnet during short supply periods, at which point many people (me included) simply stop buying.
Figure 1. Changes in production volume (tonnes) and average price ($/kg) of blueberries since 2013. Data from the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2018/19.
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Our trials
Finding new markets is the best way to stabilise prices. New markets could be either in time (storing at peak times to flatten the supply curve) or in place (export destinations). Certainly, exports have increased, rising from 62 tonnes in 2013 to a high point of 356 tonnes in 2017, followed by a slight decline to 201 tonnes last year.
We have conducted preliminary trials examining the effect of BerrisysÂŽ SO2 sheets (Berrisys is a registered trademark of Tessara Pty Ltd) on storage and shelf life of packed blueberries. Sheets were added to the top layer of punnets or both the top and bottom layers. In the first trial, sheets were added immediately after harvest at the farm, while in trial 2 berries were simply sourced from wholesale for treatment.
Getting blueberries to new markets in good condition means finding ways to optimise storage life. One option to achieve this is through the use of sulphur dioxide (SO2) release sheets. These are commonly used to control grey mould (Botrytis cinerea) on stored table grapes. As it happens, Botrytis is also the key disease affecting blueberries.
Trial 1: Sheets added at the farm Method Berrisys sheets were added to either the top layer or both layers of punnets inside each tray as they arrived at the packhouse. The trays were forced air cooled and stacked, then cling-wrapped. The cling wrap was designed to replicate a wrapped pallet; wrapping treated pallets has been demonstrated to be an effective way to improve SO2 effectiveness during extended storage.
The technique is not particularly new â&#x20AC;&#x201C; researchers from California 2 first promoted the benefits of SO2 fumigation on blueberries in 2012. Combinations of SO2 with modified atmosphere packaging 3 have proven particularly effective. More recently, USDA researchers investigated the use of lightly vented (0.1% to 0.9% surface area) SO2 release liners on blueberry storage life. The best results were gained when SO2 was combined with a modified atmosphere bag accumulating approximately 5% CO2 inside the package. In this trial, an SO2 sheet with no liner was ineffective 4.
The blueberries were transported and stored at 1-2oC for either 4 or 7 weeks. At each removal time the Berrisys sheets and wrapping were removed, and half of the punnets were assessed. The remainder were transferred to domestic refrigerators set at 4oC; to replicate how consumers would store them after purchase. These punnets were then assessed after 7 days (first removal) or 3 days (second removal).
One negative of SO2 treatment is that it can cause berry bleaching (Figure 2). As with grapes, this develops as a pale, sunken or flattened area around the detachment scar. Finding the right treatment is therefore a balance between mould and bleaching.
To evaluate quality, berries were examined individually for mould, bleaching or softening. The weight of affected berries was used to calculate percentage defects per punnet.
Results The blueberries used were excellent quality to start with and stored in a well-managed supply chain. As a result, the fruit still had no rots and minimal softening even after 4 weeks of storage at 1oC plus 7 days in the domestic fridge. Figure 2. Slight (top) and severe (bottom) bleaching of blueberries.
However, extending the storage time to 7 weeks exposed differences between the treatments. At this time, up to half of the berries in untreated (control) punnets were already rotten on removal. Similar levels of decay were observed after an additional 3 days in a refrigerator.
Chile, which exports over 110,000 tonnes of blueberries annually, already uses SO2 release sheets extensively, as does Peru. There is clearly potential for Australia to increase exports and extend current domestic supply using these same techniques. But, how many sheets, and how do we make this work?
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Figure 3. Development of rots (left) and softening (right) in wrapped trays of blueberries left untreated (control) or stored with 1 or 2 Berrisys SO2 release sheets. Berries were assessed after either 4 or 7 weeks commercial storage followed by 7 days or 3 days in a domestic refrigerator respectively.
Figure 4. Condition of blueberries after 7 weeks commercial storage. Berries were left untreated (left) or a Berrisys SO2 release sheet was added to the top layer only (centre) or to both layers of punnets inside the tray (right)
Conclusions
In contrast, both of the SO2 treatments virtually eliminated rots. However, an increase in soft fruit was observed where SO2 sheets had been placed on both layers of punnets, particularly after 3 days in the domestic fridge. This was due to an increased percentage of bleached berries in both layers; on average, 37% of berries had some evidence of bleaching.
In this trial, a single SO2 sheet placed on top of each tray at packing greatly extended storage life. This treatment almost completely prevented rots without causing unacceptable bleaching. Amazingly, fruit was still in acceptable condition after 7 weeks storage. This is long enough to allow sea freight to Asian markets, or could be used to improve marketing flexibility for domestic supply.
While bleaching affected 23% of berries directly under a single sheet, the damage was much less severe. Moreover, less than 5% of fruit in the bottom layers of punnets had any bleaching in this treatment.
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Trial 2: Sheets added at wholesale Method Blueberries which had been packed two days earlier were purchased at Sydney Markets. As previously, the trays were left untreated, a single Berrisys sheet was placed on top of each tray, or Berrisys sheets were placed on top of both layers of punnets inside the tray. Half of the trays were wrapped as previously, the remainder remaining unwrapped. Figure 5. Development of rots in trays of blueberries left untreated (control) or stored with 1 or 2 Berrisys SO2 release sheets. Trays were left as normal or wrapped with clingfilm to simulate pallet wrapping. Berries were assessed after 2 or 4 weeks cold storage + 1 day at 20oC.
The trays were then stored at 4oC in a general-purpose cold room. After two weeks, half of the punnets were removed and placed at 20oC for 24 hours before assessment. The remaining punnets were cold stored for an additional 2 weeks, then again assessed after a day at 20oC. Assessments included rots, bleaching and softening as previously described.
Conclusions Wrapping trays of blueberries before storage reduced moisture loss, but rots were increased. However, adding either one or two Berrisys sheets before the trays were wrapped reduced rots and extended storage life. If trays were not wrapped, then two Berrisys sheets were needed to extend storage life, as a single sheet did not control rots on the bottom layer of the tray.
Results Leaving trays unwrapped during the 4 weeks cold storage significantly increased weight loss. The effect was greatest in the untreated trays, as punnets in these had no protection against the relatively dry cold room air. Despite reducing weight loss, wrapping increased the percentage of soft fruit in untreated control punnets. This was due to an increase in rots. However, the opposite effect was found when trays were topped with a single Berrisys sheet. In these trays, rots were consistently lower in the top layer of punnets, these being closest to the SO2 sheet. There were more rots in the bottom layer of punnets, but still less than in the untreated controls; after 4 weeks, 5% in wrapped and 8% of fruit in unwrapped trays had visible rots, compared to nearly 15% of fruit in the untreated controls.
Summary These trials have demonstrated that a single Berrisys SO2 release sheet on top of trays can reduce rots in blueberries, increasing storage life. The best results were gained when the sheets were added at the farm and trays were wrapped in cling film â&#x20AC;&#x201C; simulating pallet wrapping. If the sheets are not added at packing, then one sheet per layer may be needed to provide similar control. It was interesting to observe that the benefits of SO2 treatment continued after the sheets were removed â&#x20AC;&#x201C; as would occur once the trays are put on retail display. This would help ensure that consumers taking these blueberries home have a positive experience, not the disappointment of grey fluff at breakfast.
On average, both the single and double Berrisys treatments reduced decay compared to the untreated controls, with the best results when trays were wrapped. Unlike the previous trial, bleaching remained relatively low, affecting less than 6% of fruit in all treatments. It is possible that this is because the sheets were added when fruit were already cold, rather than still warm from the field, slowing release of SO2.
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On the negative side, application of SO2 sheets did cause some bleaching. An effective dose is a balance between being high enough to control Botrytis but not so much as to cause obvious damage. While difficult to integrate with normal practices, it may be possible to minimise bleaching by cooling fruit before adding the sheets.
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Limited (although happily conducted) taste testing by the project team could not detect any off flavours in the SO2 treated fruit. In contrast, a rotten berry is very definitely an unpleasant experience!
While SO2 sheets are registered for application on blueberries, the use patterns tested here are not yet approved. Residue testing and confirmation of efficacy are still required. Nevertheless, these positive results hopefully bring this tool a step closer for Australian blueberry growers.
Contact ContactJoel Joelatatplants@moonblue.com.au plants@moonblue.com.au ororonon0427 0427578 578813 813totodiscuss discuss your yourrequirements. requirements. Download Downloadananorder orderform formfrom fromour our website websiteforforquick quickand andeasy easyordering. ordering. Our Ourwebsite websitehas hasfull fullvariety varietydescriptions descriptions
moonblue.com.au moonblue.com.au
Dr Jenny Ekman Research Scientist BHortSci (Hons), PhD in postharvest physiology
having having supplied supplied the the industry industry with with blueberry blueberry plants plants
jenny@ahr.com.au | 0407 384 285
for for over over thirty thirty years, years, wewe can can offer offer a large a large number number
Jenny is a postharvest physiologist and communicator who works to maximise produce freshaness and value while minimising supply chain losses. She is passionate about applying science to improve commercial and consumer outcomes.
ofof varieties varieties both both new new and and old old including including Southern Southern and and Northern NorthernHighbush Highbushand and Rabbiteye Rabbiteyetypes. types.
References 1
Freshlogic. 2019. Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2018/19. Hort Innovation HA18002.
2
Cantin C.M. et al., 2012. Sulfur dioxide fumigation alone or in combination with CO2-enriched atmosphere extends the market life of highbush blueberry fruit. Postharvest Biology and Technology. 67:84-91.
3
Saito S., Ziao C.L. 2017. Evaluation of sulfur dioxide generating pads and modified atmosphere packaging for control of postharvest diseases in blueberries. Acta Horticulturae. 1180:123-128.
4
Saito S., Obenland D., Xiao C-L. 2020. Influence of sulfur dioxide emitting polyethylene packaging on blueberry decay and quality during extended storage. Postharvest Biology and Technology. 160:111045.
Moondarra MoondarraBlueberries Blueberriesâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Victoria, Victoria,Australia Australia
Please note: this research has been funded by Tessara Pty Ltd
(03) (03)5165 51653498 3498 plants@moonblue.com.au plants@moonblue.com.au
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Profile: The Crolla Family – A chance meeting changes the whole family’s lives Melinda Simpson, Berry Industry Development Officer, NSW Department of Primary Industries
The Crolla family are English-Italian immigrants who migrated to Australia after World War Two and settled in Adelaide, South Australia. Having worked for 3 generations in the building and construction industry, in 2015 the whole family decided to have a change; a total tree change as it turned out. Robert Crolla has the fairly unusual claim of being one third of the first identical triplets born in Australia for over one hundred years. It was such a rare occurrence that the Adelaide Advertiser revisited the family every few years to take photos of the growing boys. Starting his career as a chef, Robert chopped his way through his days until a casual job helping a friend’s father with some tiling gave him his first career right turn into construction.
In February 2015, just six weeks after Robert had visited Coffs Harbour, he returned with his two sons. They both found the experience refreshingly different from anything they had seen or done before. Within just two days of being in Coffs Harbour the boys were sold on the idea and agreed to a 10-year lease on some land adjacent to an existing berry farm… and as they say, the rest is history. After an enormous amount of hard work installing infrastructure, the farm is five years on and they now have around 7,000 plants. They grow several blueberry varieties including Splash, Dazzle, Snowchaser, R11-11, OB1 and Rabbiteye’s. The farm set up is much like other farms in the Coffs Harbour area including an irrigated fertigation system, in-ground plants with weed matted mounds and black netting.
Fast forward to age 60 and Robert went to visit some family and friends in Sydney then Coffs Harbour during the 2014/15 Christmas period. After a chance meeting at a New Years’ Eve party with a couple of berry growers, who just so happen to be neighbours of the family friends, Robert became inspired to take his second right turn and become a blueberry farmer. When Robert and his wife Deidre returned to Adelaide, they both had fallen in love with the idea of becoming blueberry famers on the Coffs coast and could not stop talking about it. Sons Aaron and Dane thought they were just plain crazy at the time. But after weeks of talking about a subtropical climate change for lifestyle, Robert convinced the two boys to go and check it out for themselves.
The family are members of the OzGroup Co-Op and all of their fruit goes to the central sorting and packing facility in Coffs Harbour. Being a member of a bigger organisation like OzGroup has given them access to expert help with everything from farm set-up to nutrition and pest and disease advice.
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Honey bee pollinating blueberry flower. Photo credit: Jane Richter
Blueberry bush laden with berries. Photo credit: Jane Richter
Crolla family farm. Photo credit: Jane Richter
L-R: Dane, Robert and Aaron Crolla. Photo credit: Magnum & Co
What have been the main challenges you've experienced growing blueberries in NSW and how have you resolved these?
If you could choose, where would you like to invest money into blueberry research and development? Better development in all areas. One area in particular would be genetics, so new strains of varieties are stronger at resisting pest and disease problems. We’d like to see less chemicals applied throughout the life of the plant. More research into organic farming would also be nice, so the industry has the knowledge of what practices are the best and safest and so we don’t have any problems down the track like we are seeing now with Glyphosate or DDT in the past.
Having no farming experience at the beginning of the journey has definitely been the most challenging thing for us. It has been baby steps all the way and we feel like it was one step forward and two steps back in the early days. We now have a good understanding of blueberry farming and are very confident of what we are doing and are definitely achieving our goals. Each year we have different challenges, as farming is very much affected by unknown circumstances such as extreme weather events and natural disasters (e.g. floods, drought and bush fire). For us and a lot of other farms, looking for good workers also hasn’t been easy.
What do you like best about being a blueberry grower? Every day is different and challenging, you will never run out of work to do on the farm. The best thing must be the satisfaction and sense of achievement when you see the blueberry plants loaded with flowers and fruits. The other thing we love is to meet workers from all around the world. We always sit down to have our lunch break with them and have a chat. One day we are learning French, next day Chinese and Japanese the day after. Blueberry farms are a good melting pot of cultures.
What we have learnt is building good relationships with people and businesses is very important, being honest and genuine is the key.
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Best practice bee management for blueberries Melinda Simpson, Berry Industry Development Officer, NSW Department of Primary Industries
Bees (Honey and Native bees) and other insects play a pivotal role in pollinating berry crops. Inadequate pollination can result in smaller or imperfect fruit as not all the seeds and drupelets are formed. Therefore, it is important to protect bees and other insect pollinators during flowering to ensure successful pollination. Strategies to consider for protecting bees
Hive placement and bee care • Hives should be placed:
Communication
— W here they are accessible and convenient at all hours for servicing and removal — W ith northern and eastern exposures for hive openings to encourage bee flight
• C ommunication between beekeeper, grower, spray operator and neighbours are vital especially as honeybees can easily fly two kilometres from their hive to forage on flowers.
— Away from areas prone to shade or flooding
• T he BeeConnected app is a great digital tool for growers who would like to be informed of, and connected with, beekeepers near their farm, and beekeepers who want to be informed of crop protection activities near their beehives.
• T o maximise pollination and guard the bees from drinking pesticide-contaminated water, beekeepers and growers should ensure clean water is always available. Covering or removing water sources for bees before a pest control treatment or emptying and refilling water after a treatment is made is good practice. Water supplies will need to be cleaned and refreshed regularly.
Visit www.croplife.org.au/resources/programs/ beeconnected to download the BeeConnected app • W hen engaging in commercial pollination services growers and beekeepers should agree upon each other’s responsibilities in the following areas:
• P roviding alternative pollen sources for good colony strength and bee health should be considered. This could include flowering boundary plants.
— Pesticide applications
• H ive quality and strength should be assessed upon arrival, either by the beekeeper or a third-party auditor. This inspection should be observed by a grower. Hives should be inspected for colony strength and the other parameters agreed upon between the grower and the beekeeper.
— Number of frames/health of hives — Date and location for placement — Payment terms — Accessibility of colonies to beekeepers — Date of hive removal from the orchard
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• P lace hives evenly throughout the orchard for better pollination.
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Photo Credit: Jane Richter
Photo Credit: Steve Fuller, Bee Services
Spray Management
DO NOT SPRAY
• A lways warn nearby beekeepers of your intention to spray in time for steps to be taken to protect the bees. Give at least two days’ notice and advise nearby farmers and neighbours.
WHEN BEES ARE ACTIVE
• S praying should occur late in the afternoon or evening (be aware of inversion layer conditions), when bees are not foraging, and pollen is not present. • Turn off nozzles when near beehives, even if at night. • A void directly spraying bees in flight or beehives. Bees that come in contact with agricultural sprays will not be able to fly because of the weight of the spray droplets on their wings.
ChemClear is the national program for the collection & disposal of unwanted agvet. chemicals. The objective of the program is to minimise the accumulation of unwanted agvet chemicals held in storage which may create potential risks to the environment, public health and trade.
• A lways avoid spray drift. Always monitor wind speed and direction prior to spraying and avoid spraying in conditions where spray might drift onto adjacent areas which could be supporting foraging bees.
Visit www.chemclear.org.au or 1800 008 182 to register your unwanted chemicals
• M ow all flowering weed growth before spraying orchards.
Chemical choice • A lways choose the short acting chemical option. Application should finish at least 6 hours prior to bee activity. • Follow the warnings on pesticide container labels.
drumMUSTER is the National program that has been set up for the collection and recycling of cleaned eligible non returnable crop production and on-farm animal health chemical containers and provides chemical users with a defined route to safely dispose of used chemical containers.
• D ispose of waste chemicals or used containers correctly via ChemClear or drumMUSTER. • S urfactants are used to improve the effectiveness of chemicals, to decrease the droplet size or to increase the penetration of chemicals on a plant or insect. Surfactants allow the water to penetrate the body hairs, which will kill bees.
Visit www.drummuster.org.au or 1800 008 707 to find a drumMUSTER siteicals
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Berry Journal Autumn 2020 V1.indd 1
3/02/2020 4:30:43 PM
WINTER 2020
AUSTRALIAN
B E RRY
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B L U E B E R R I E S
Profile: Tony O’Connell Something from the Ground Blueberries Grove, TAS
Blueberry grower Tony O’Connell reflects on his lessons learned during the establishment of the family farm and adopting organic and biological growing principles.
My wife, three children and I have been growing a six-hectare organic and biological grown blueberry orchard here in the Huon Valley for eight years now. It’s a family-run business with the orchard being planted over a four- year period from 2010. The land was originally an old apple orchard, changing to horses and hay production over the following decades.
When I reflect on the progress of the farm, I think of the benefits of connecting with the Tasmanian fruit growing community. It is important to share new ideas, the mistakes we have made and what we have learned from them. I would say asking advice of those who have been in the industry for a long time has been beneficial.
We decided to take an organic and biological direction for the farm in 2013 and were pleased with the retailer support and consumer demand for using these production methods. We aim to maintain soil heath whilst harnessing soil productivity using microbes to develop a highly productive soil-food web. This is where the name ‘Something from the Ground’ represents where it all starts!
My background has always been in agriculture, growing up on a cattle and sheep station in the snowy mountain region in southern New South Wales and then in Northern Tasmania with cropping, beef cattle and blueberries. I have always had an interest in horticulture and returned to the land after pursuing a meteorological career.
We mainly grow northern highbush varieties of Brigitta for fresh market produce, Bluerose for our frozen and pick-your-own, and Southern Highbush Legacy for fresh market and lower chill needs.
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The Antarctic Climate and Ecosystem report for Tasmania is showing more extreme unseasonal variations in temperature. Combined with the tendency for frost in our area, we needed to look at technology to buffer for extremes in climate.
Experience has taught us to grow new plants in our nursery before planting out. This not only aids in our control of any biosecurity issues, but also acclimates our nursery stock before planting out with almost no loss!
After much research and talking to people in the frost protection field, we have installed sprinklers to protect from both frost and heat extremes. While there are two types of frost development, one being radiation and the other advection (which isn’t very common), this method protects from both. The sprinklers form an ice cover, to insulate the flowers and fruit to protect from frost damage. At harvest, we know that extreme heat can cause softening fruit and sunburn. Our overhead sprinklers have mitigated against this through our picking period and flower bud initiation at the end of summer.
With my interest and background in meteorology, we have made some very important capital investments to mitigate the risk to our crop of climatic conditions. Improving the efficiency of our irrigation management has been achieved through installing moisture and temperature sensors and on-farm weather station monitoring. Even with the Grove Bureau of Meteorology weather station just 1km away, we see variation between the farm location and the reported data.
Blueberries are attracting new consumers with their ‘rockstar-superfood’ status with consumption rates rising. I think this emphasises more critically that we need to make sure that we, as growers, produce a premium and exceptional product in this industry for consumers all the time! I want consumers to have a positive eating experience knowing they are nourishing themselves and their family, and to keep coming back for more again and again.
Over time, we have noticed that any issues with yields or fruit quality here in our upper-Huon Valley location stem from its characteristic microclimate: From the start of our season in January to the end of our season in April it ranges from high 30’s-40°C temperatures, low (12%) humidity and late frosts.
WINTER 2020
AUSTRALIAN
It’s hard to believe pruning is just around the corner!
B E RRY 88
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rg ce an r t ic a ifi ll ed y
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swa.gov.au/coronavirus swa.gov.au/coronavirus
updated: updated: 29 April 29 2020 April 2020
COVID-19 COVID-19atat the theworkplace workplace
You You are not are expected, not expected, and and should should not try, not to try,diagnose to diagnose people. people. However, However, you you havehave a work a work health health and and safety safety dutyduty to minimise to minimise the risk the risk of workers of workers and and others others in the in workplace the workplace being being exposed exposed If you If you reasonably reasonably suspect suspect someone someone could could havehave the virus, the virus, or or has been has been exposed, exposed, this this creates creates a health a health risk risk at your at your workplace, workplace, and and you you will need will need to follow to follow the steps the steps below. below.
The The person person you you areare concerned concerned about about is at is the at the workplace workplace 1. ISOLATE 1. ISOLATE
2. SEEK 2. SEEK ADVICE ADVICE
3. TRANSPORT 3. TRANSPORT
Prevent Prevent the spread. the spread. Isolate Isolate the person the person fromfrom others others and and provide provide a disposable a disposable surgical surgical mask, mask, if available, if available, for the for the person person to wear. to wear.
Call your Call your statestate or territory or territory helpline. helpline. Follow Follow advice advice of of
Ensure Ensure the person the person has has transport transport to their to their home home or toor to a medical a medical facility. facility.
4. CLEAN 4. CLEAN
5. IDENTIFY 5. IDENTIFY & INFORM & INFORM
6. REVIEW 6. REVIEW
Clean Clean and disinfect and disinfect the areas the areas where where the person the person and close and close contacts contacts havehave been. been. Do not Do not use those use those areasareas untiluntil this this process process is complete. is complete. Use PPE Use PPE
Consider Consider who who the person the person has had has close had close contact contact with.with. If instructed If instructed by public by public health health
Review Review risk management risk management controls controls relating relating to COVID-19 to COVID-19 and review and review whether whether workwork may may needneed to change. to change. Consult Consult workers workers on WHS on WHS issues. issues.
theythey may may havehave beenbeen exposed exposed and follow and follow advice advice on on quarantine quarantine requirements. requirements.
The The person person you you areare concerned concerned about about was was recently recently at the at the workplace workplace 1. SEEK 1. SEEK ADVICE ADVICE
2. IDENTIFY 2. IDENTIFY & INFORM & INFORM
Call your Call your statestate or territory or territory helpline. helpline. Follow Follow advice advice of of
Identify Identify who who at the at workplace the workplace had close had close contact contact
may may havehave beenbeen exposed exposed and follow and follow advice advice on on
3. CLEAN 3. CLEAN
4. REVIEW 4. REVIEW
Clean Clean and disinfect and disinfect the areas the areas where where the person the person and their and their closeclose contacts contacts havehave been. been. Do not Do use not use those those areasareas untiluntil this process this process is complete. is complete. Use PPE Use PPE
Review Review risk management risk management controls controls relating relating to to COVID-19 COVID-19 and review and review whether whether workwork may may needneed to to change. change. Consult Consult workers workers on WHS on WHS issues. issues.
If anything If anything is unclear, is unclear, seesee detailed detailed guidance guidance on on www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au Remember: Remember:
State State andand territory territory health health
> There > There is not is an notautomatic an automatic WHS WHS requirement requirement to close to close down down department department helplines: helplines: an entire an entire workplace, workplace, particularly particularly if the if person the person infected, infected, or or suspected suspected to be toinfected, be infected, has only has only visited visited partsparts of the of workplace. the workplace. Western Australia Australia NewNew South South Wales Wales Western > Workers > Workers assisting assisting a potentially a potentially infectious infectious person person should should havehave (08)(08) 63736373 22222222 13001300 066066 055 055 appropriate appropriate PPEPPE and and follow follow handhand hygiene hygiene procedures. procedures. Tasmania Tasmania Queensland Queensland > Consult > Consult withwith workers workers and and allow allow them them to raise to raise concerns. concerns. 18001800 671 738 671 738 13 432 13 432 584 584 > Be > aware Be aware of privacy of privacy obligations obligations to your to your workers. workers. Australian Australian Capital Capital Territory Territory Victoria Victoria > Follow > Follow the advice the advice of health of health officials officials at allattimes. all times.
18001800 675 675 398 398
(02)(02) 51245124 92139213
South South Australia Australia 13001300 232 232 272 272
Northern Northern Territory Territory (08)(08) 89228922 8044 8044
www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/covid-19-information-workplaces www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/covid-19-information-workplaces
