Australian Berry Journal - SUMMER 2021 - Edition 9 by BerriesAustralia

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L A B O U R H I R E R I S KS

AG V I SA U P DAT E

P I C K PAC K W I N N E R S

LEVY CHANGES

Industry

Strawberry

Rubus

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Improves crop hygiene due to its self-contained nature Commercially proven to increase the quantity and quality of blueberries, raspberries and blackberries Saves water through the ability to accurately control moisture content during critical crop phases Available and made to order in 8L, 10L and 27L sizes in custom berry tailored blends *Easyfil PlanterBag and Easyfil Hydroponic Container System is protected by Patent No. 2003203772 in Australia. Galuku Group Ltd and its subsidiaries are the only licensed supplier and distributor of this product. Buying, selling or using copies of Easyfil Hydroponic Container System, infringes on Patent No. 2003203772.

galuku.com/easyfil

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WHAT CAN THE HORT MASTERCLASS DO FOR YOU?

BLUEBERRY RUST ORGANIC OPTIONS

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B L U E B E R R I E S

S T R A W B E R R I E S

R U B U S

GS1: Affordable Barcodes

Paying Your Fair Share

9th ISS: Breeding & Genetics

Levy Fund Changes

102

Breeding Update

Protected Cropping in Polytunnels

16 Sustainable Packaging

22 Parasitoids vs SWD

25 Reducing Labour Hire Risks

54 Latest Blueberry Marketing

55 IBO 2021 Summary

59 Breeding Winning Blueberries

Mapping Tree Crops

Vaccinium Conference Overview

Parasitoids vs Fruit Flies

Meet Tru Blu Berries

E D I TO R

C O N T R I B U TO R S

Jane Richter

Jane Richter Rachel Mackenzie Peter McPherson Simon Dornauf Jonathan Shaw Richard McGruddy Melinda Simpson Dr Angela Atkinson Suzette Argent

TERES Communication 0431 700 258 jane@teres.com.au

77 Pick Pack Winners

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Latest Rubus Marketing News

Climate Changes Sweetness

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Burlington Berries Wonder Women

QSGA Dinner & Awards

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ADVERTISING Mark Salter Helen Newman Jenny Van de Meeberg Jodi Neal Katie O’Connor Jen Rowling Marsha Aralar Sophie O’Neil Jay Anderson

Melanie Wishart Paul Cunningham Tony Clarke Michael Edwards Belinda Van Schaik Ann Robins Christopher Menzel

For all Advertising & Partnership Enquiries Wendy Morris 0491 751 123 | admin@berries.net.au All advertising and advertorial material is subject to review and approval prior to publication. DESIGN Sama Creative www.samacreative.com.au

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.

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 2021 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

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Executive Director's Report Rachel Mackenzie | 0408 796 199 | rachelmackenzie@berries.net.au There are some great resources on the fertiliser stewardship group webpage bit.ly/CCC-FSG and we will set up a series of webinars on fertiliser best practice.

Welcome to the Summer edition of the Australian Berry Journal. It has certainly been an action packed few months and not necessarily in a good way.

In terms of crop protection products, Berries Australia has set up a crop protection working group which will look at issues such as minor use permits, registration of new chemistry across the category and chemical resistance. We are also working with Hort Innovation to establish a whole of berries integrated pest management project to reduce reliance on chemicals. Please raise any chemical issues with your local IDO or direct with me and we will discuss them in this forum.

By the time you read this we may have some clarity on when the new piece rate provisions are coming in and what the Ag Visa might look like. There is a more detailed article on workforce issues on PAGE 41 but I just want to reaffirm that I understand that this decision will have significant impacts on many of you. I also want to reaffirm that if we thought there was any opportunity to meaningfully appeal this decision then we would have. We will work with you to assist in the transition to this new reality and explore every option to ensure the continuing viability of the sector.

I am also well aware that many of you have suffered from adverse weather events recently. I know the IDOs have been out and about talking to you about the different levels of support you can get from government and we will continue to push for appropriate support for any affected grower. An increase in extreme weather events is certainly one of the predicted consequences of climate change and if the predictions are correct then they will only increase. We have been engaged by a number of state governments who are looking to build greater resilience into the agriculture sector, and we are interested to hear your ideas as to what would make your enterprise better able to withstand such events.

In addition to the increased wages bill, we are aware that input costs particularly for fertiliser and crop protection products have also increased. Governments at all levels are aware of the issue and we have been advised by officers within the Federal Department of Agriculture that growers should be planning at least three months out in terms of their inputs and take a ‘just in case’ rather than ‘just in time’ approach. The fertiliser issue has been caused by a combination of factors. China has prioritised its domestic needs over export, world gas prices (the main fuel for fertiliser manufacture) have risen significantly, shipping costs have increased substantially and, due to good seasons, cropping farmers are planting more and so demand has risen. We would also suggest reviewing your fertiliser needs and making sure you are using it as efficiently as possible.

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Hort Innovation recently held its Strategic Industry Advisory Panel meetings for each of the commodities and I was able to attend them all. Whilst many of the discussions related to industry specific projects, there were some exciting discussions around leadership development opportunities for berry growers.

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For any of you with a strong interest in how your levy funds are invested I really encourage you to check out your industry fund page on the Hort Innovation website. In particular check out the new Strategic Investment Plan for Berries bit.ly/HIA-SIP as this is the guiding document as to how your levy funds will be invested. If you are a Rubus levy payer, then please read the information on PAGE 102 regarding changes to the levy.

We have now completed the AGMs for RABA, ABGA and Berries Australia and the Strawberries Australia AGM is scheduled for Tuesday 14 December. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the committee members past and present for the effort they put in and the support they provide to the Berries Australia team. I would also like to thank the Industry Development Officers who do such a great job working with you all and Jane Richter, our fantastic communications manager. Finally, a big thanks to Jen Rowling and Wendy Morris who are the core team at Berries Australia and punch well above their weight in terms of delivery.

In other news, FSANZ has released their proposal for Primary Production and Processing standards for leafy greens, melons and berries bit.ly/FS-Berry. I have been heavily involved in the consultations and I am pleased to say that FSANZ has moved away from putting any additional food safety obligations on the berry industry apart from the requirement to have an existing food safety scheme in place (e.g. Freshcare). This was not the case for melons or leafy greens. There is still a consultation period which goes until 9 February 2022 and Berries Australia will be making a submission. I have also been involved in the NFF Hort Council sub-committee which has been pushing for more transparency and better governance of HARPS.

I hope you will all sign up for BerryQuest International 2022 in July next year. I know when times are tough it is hard to justify things like conferences but remember that the professional and social interaction is even more important at times like this. We have been overwhelmed by the enthusiastic response from sponsors and I really encourage you to get off farm and get along. We deliberately chose a venue (Sea World on the Gold Coast) that would be appeal to the whole family and we look forward to seeing you there.

As this will be the last journal of 2021, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and productive and profitable New Year. 3

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Chairman's Report Peter McPherson | 0418 666 651 | peter.mcpherson@costagroup.com.au IDO project at a high level. Jen Rowling needs to be commended for her project management of this important project.

Berries Australia held its third AGM in October this year and it provided an opportunity to reflect on the achievements and the challenges of the year and for Berries Australia as a whole.

I remain disappointed that Berries Australia has not been able to tap into levy funds to become fully self-sufficient, but we are getting there. We have not had to request additional loans from the PIBs and if BerryQuest 2022 is able to meet its potential then we will be in a good position moving forward. I know that there is deep frustration around Hort Innovation, but I will say that by all commodities being part of the system we have been able to fund the IDO project and the market access project across the whole category, and that should not be diminished as an achievement. We now have a whole of Berries Strategic Investment Plan and I know the team is pushing Hort Innovation to get berry projects out the door.

Whilst obviously COVID-19 was the challenge no one predicted, that has left a long shadow over the last two years, having a combined Berry organisation with the capacity to engage with government, respond and communicate out to growers is a vindication of the benefits of the shared approach. I also think that just having the forum to discuss whole of berry issues has improved coordination across the sector at a grower-to-grower level. We currently have 2.5 full time staff within Berries Australia and management of the five IDOs as well as access to the knowledge and skills of Jenny Van de Meeberg and Jane Richter. The team has demonstrated their ability to work together to deliver effectively on the projects, but also to work together to manage new issues such as the emergence of blueberry rust in Victoria and of course the many challenges presented by the pandemic.

We were able to attract $35,000 in sponsorship this year which again is a credit to Jen and Wendy as we have not been able to offer many opportunities to interact with growers. We also made more than $40,000 in magazine advertising although much of this goes back into the journal to fund the non-Hort Innovation components.

From the Berries Australia perspective, our big win was finalising the export and market access project which means we have Jenny working with us for the next three years. This will enable us to have a more professional and consistent approach to achieving our export aspirations and the project has already delivered tangible benefits to growers by having a direct line of sight into government decision making processes.

In terms of challenges and opportunities for next year, I am hoping we will return to some sort of COVID-normal in terms of border restrictions and international arrivals. The disappointing piece rate decision is obviously going to cause a massive shift in industry and pain for many growers as we have to take a completely different approach to managing staff. The Berries Australia team will aim to have the best quality information out to you as soon as possible to assist you to make this transition.

At the project level we also finalised the strawberry crisis project and the strawberry leadership projects as well as continuing to deliver the communications and

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At an industry level I think we should all be proud of how far we have come in three years. We still have lots of duplication and too many committees, but I think we really are singing from the same song sheet and getting the attention we deserve as the largest fresh produce category.

Finally, thanks to all of the committee members across the PIBs for your commitment to Berries Australia and our shared vision. I know that it is not a small time commitment particularly for those who sit on multiple committees, but I hope it is a worthwhile investment and you continue to see value in Berries Australia and the work we do.

CURRENT

BERRIES AUSTRALIA BOARD MEMBERS

CHAIRMAN Peter McPherson Costa Group

DIRECTOR Richard McGruddy Queensland Berries

TREASURER Anthony Poiner Smart Berries

DIRECTOR Simon Dornauf Hillwood Berries

SECRETARY Andrew Bell Mountain Blue

DIRECTOR Christian Parsons Costa Group

DIRECTOR Jamie Michael Ti Produce Marketing

I N D U S T R Y

President's Report Jonathan Shaw | 0418 758 268 | president@abga.com.au Add to that a high level of professionalism by the committee members to the conduct of the Association’s business and what you get is a highly functional and effective committee which I believe is delivering excellent work for the Association. It also makes my role as President a breeze!

The ABGA recently held its Annual General Meeting, which was my third as President of the Association. AGMs are an important time to reflect on the year and this is an edited version of my full report which can be found on the Berries Australia website at bit.ly/AGM21-ABGA.

I would like to thank the outgoing committee and welcome our new committee members James Kellaway and Harold Erdlinger. James is the new CEO of OzGroup and brings a wealth of experience from various aspects of the fresh produce sector. Harold is a second generation Yarra Valley grower who brings the small grower perspective to the table.

This year, we see the retirement of Cedric Senn as a member of the committee. Cedric has been a member of the committee since 2015 and has made an enormous and valuable contribution as both a committee member and Chair of the marketing sub‐committee. Cedric is a grower in the Yarra Valley and with his wife Cathy runs a familyowned berry business. During his time on the committee, Cedric has devoted countless hours developing our marketing plans, reviewing different marketing options, budgets and marketing proposals and programs, plus interviewing and recommending the selection of our marketing consultants. On behalf of the committee and members, thank you Cedric for your wonderful contributions and collegiate presence on the committee.

I would also like to give particular thanks to Executive Director Rachel Mackenzie, who is capably supported by Wendy Morris, the Administration and Membership Officer. Rachel has achieved great successes for ABGA (as well as Berries Australia and the other berry industry bodies). The work of the committee progresses effortlessly as Rachel and Wendy keep the wheels moving, with a gentle nudge or push to help guide the direction of the committee’s various initiatives. It is said that you never notice how good things are operating until something goes wrong. Fortunately, there are no hiccups to report in the work of the committee and we are fortunate to have executive officers who are on top of their demanding workload.

A feature of the committee, and something I have heard many people comment on, is the excellence of the quality of the representation on our committee. It is a very talented group of industry experts who are professional, capable and committed to achieving the best for the whole of industry. It has been a pleasure to work with the committee over the past year where there is always access to well-informed and considered opinions based on solid evidence and data.

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Despite COVID-19, 2021 has been a year of quiet achievement and hopefully in the next year, we can make some good progress on our priority actions on market access. I hope to see many of you at BerryQuest in July next year.

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President's Report Richard McGruddy | 0408 763 804 | richard@berryq.com.au The other big decision related to the marketing levy. It was considered by the committee that the $200,000/ year raised by the marketing levy was not delivering value back to growers as this level of funding does not actually buy much marketing activity. The option was to either increase the levy or remove it altogether. At this point the committee is proposing to remove the levy altogether with the intention to potentially raise a voluntary levy in the future. The committee is proposing to set the marketing levy at 0c/kg which means it can be reactivated in the future if needs be.

We recently held the RABA AGM, and it was an important opportunity to reflect on the year that was. As a grower, it has been a tough year with ongoing issues around access to labour, changing COVID-19 rules and a decline in consumption due to reduced foot traffic in stores. We are also seeing an increase in input costs across the board especially fertiliser. That said, a silver lining for me has been how much progress we have made as a committee in the last 12 months.

Finally, as previously flagged, the industry had a debt to the Australian government for a number of biosecurity responses. It was considered responsible that RABA set up a mechanism to repay that debt and ensure that there were sufficient funds to manage any future obligations. These funds are managed by Plant Health Australia and can be invested directly in biosecurity activities or even put back into the R&D fund to be matched. This flexibility was appealing to the committee, and they have recommended a PHA levy of 2c/kg.

Obviously, the big-ticket item is the proposed amendment to the Rubus levy. The final proposal recommends a drop in total levy payments from 12c/kg to 4c/kg. Please refer to the article on PAGE 102 which provides more detail, but I wanted to give you my perspective as President on how we came to this recommendation.

A vote will be held in March 2022 and each Rubus levy payer will get to have their say. Please feel free to engage with any of the committee members or Rachel on this issue.

I feel that as a committee we have been very thorough and have met several times to go through multiple options in terms of the final levy amounts to make sure that we don’t leave the industry short. It is really important to us that we don’t sacrifice the long-term future of the industry for a short-term benefit to growers’ hip pockets. That said, with the $3million of unmatched funds already sitting in the account, we can drop the levy rate significantly without compromising future capacity. The committee is proposing to drop the R&D levy to 2c/kg.

I would also like to thank Rowan Francis who stepped down as RABA Treasurer at the AGM. Rowan did a great job as Treasurer, and I will especially miss his sense of humour. I would also like to thank Justin Hundle for his time on the committee and welcome Christy Poynton from Perfection Fresh as our new committee member.

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Chairman's Report Simon Dornauf | 0408 681 206 | simon@hillwoodberries.com.au Runner growers and fruit growers are entirely dependent on each other for their business success, so it makes sense for us to set up better communication pathways.

Welcome to another edition of the Australian Berry Journal. Unlike the other categories we have not held our AGM which is scheduled for December 14 to be held via Zoom. We certainly encourage all strawberry growers to participate in the AGM when it rolls around.

I know that there have been challenges in the past but the value of such a council is to provide an opportunity for engagement outside of individual business arrangements and to look at shared strategic issues. I am aware that there are some potential issues around runner availability for the next winter season. Whilst I don’t want to comment on the specifics, please do your own due diligence as to the risk to your business and engage with your customers about their expectations.

One of the main reasons for delaying our AGM was to provide enough consultation time for our proposed new constitution. The old constitution was more than 30 years old and no longer suited the organisation or met our governance obligations.

We have a robust runner accreditation system that protects growers so please be very cognisant that you will bear all risk should you purchase unaccredited runners. You can read more about the accreditation schemes in the Summer 2020 Edition of this journal.

The team at Berries Australia led by Miffy Gilbert from VSGA have worked hard to re-draft the constitution for the modern era. Rest assured, we are still maintaining the same structure with the members being each of the State bodies, but we have just sharpened up many clauses and of course made sure it is legally compliant.

The team at Berries Australia are keeping a close eye on this issue and you are welcome to contact them with any questions but bear in mind that we will have little certainty as to the impact on the sector as a whole until early 2022.

Each member body has been provided with a copy of the revised constitution but any grower who would like to read it is very welcome to request a copy from the Berries Australia team by contacting Wendy on admin@berries.net.au

On a happier note, we are excited to have started conversations with the marketing team at Hort Innovation on how to best invest the royalty funds into marketing activities. Actually being able to use these funds for something other than R&D is a big achievement so thanks to Rachel for keeping the pressure up.

Apart from the constitution, one of our big deliverables has been taking steps toward setting up a runner growers council to provide a communication mechanism between fruit growers and runner growers. We had our initial meeting face-to-face in May 2021 and we intend to hold another in the next few months.

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Finally, I'd like to wish you all a safe and happy festive period and I hope that we all get to spend this holiday season with our family and friends from interstate.

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Welcome Mark Salter Berry Industry Development Officer, Rubus & Tasmania, Fruit Growers’ Tasmania He was an early adopter of hydroponic systems and now has extensive experience in hydroponic berry crop production. Mark’s hydroponic strawberry business led him to carry out trials to develop hydroponic raspberry production. In 2005, he received a prestigious Churchill Fellowship to study hydroponic raspberry production overseas and many of the techniques developed from those trials and his research experiences are now the standard for protected raspberry production today. In more recent times, Mark has managed several large horticultural businesses, including Reid Fruits in the Derwent Valley and he was instrumental in managing the development of the Pinata Farms berry project at Orielton, about 30 minutes northeast of Hobart.

Mark has a long history in the Australian horticultural industry which started with humble beginnings on the family’s apple and pear orcharding business. The orchard was in the picturesque Huon Valley which starts just 30 minutes from Hobart and extends to the southernmost place in Australia. Mark was co-manager of the business until early 2005, so he certainly knows his apples from his pears.

Mark brings with him a wealth of experience in Tasmanian horticulture and berry production systems. His knowledge of raspberry production will be invaluable in his new role as Industry Development Officer for Tasmania and the rest of the IDO team at Berries Australia are excited to benefit from his extensive expertise. With his experience and passion for horticulture, Mark is looking forward to helping berry growers develop and grow. Berries Australia Executive Director Rachel Mackenzie said she was delighted to have Mark in the role as his longstanding practical involvement in the industry would be of benefit to the whole team.

Mark was very active in the wider apple and pear industry in Tasmania during this time and he sat on the executive of the Apple and Pear Growers Association (TAPGA) which is now known as Fruit Growers’ Tasmania (FGT). In fact, Mark served for two terms as President of the Association and gave lots of his time to numerous committees whilst a member of the TAPGA board.

“The Rubus industry has grown so rapidly in recent years so to find someone with on-ground experience to bring to the table is a real bonus for the project.” “Mark is based within Fruit Growers’ Tasmania which is part of our project philosophy to work with local delivery partners.”

In 2001, Mark and his wife Prudence began a new venture producing Japanese greenhouse grown strawberries for the Japanese export market.

Please feel free to reach out to Mark at: BerryIDO@fruitgrowerstas.org.au | 0400 100 593

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Blueberries New South Wales Melinda Simpson, Berry Industry Development Officer 0447 081 765 | melinda.simpson@dpi.nsw.gov.au

COVID-19 update

It has been just over two years since we commenced the national Berry IDO and communications project and unfortunately, we are still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the obstacles created by this pandemic some of the highlights from the past year for me are:

As the road map to opening up NSW continues, it is important that all of industry understands the requirements if one of your workers has contracted COVID-19 at work or was likely infectious at work. This information is available at: www.nsw.gov.au/ covid-19/business/linked-with-positive-worker-case Please take the time to visit the website and put in place a COVID-19 plan to cover your business into the future. Under WHS law, all employers or businesses are required to manage the risk of COVID-19 to workers and others in the work environment. SafeWork NSW considers vaccination a high order risk control measure. It is not a mandatory requirement for agriculture businesses, however all workplaces must assess the risk (in consultation with workers) and look for ways to minimise the risk.

• w orking with OzGroup Co-op to hold the first Berry Plant Protection Fair, just fitting it in between lockdowns; • w orking with the growers involved in the Clean Coastal Catchments program to improve water quality of the NSW Marine Park; • p roducing the new 2021-22 edition of the Berry Plant Protection Guide and most importantly, • w orking with all the great growers and companies in the berry industry to ensure a stronger, more profitable and sustainable industry.

Agriculture development and policy For the past year, NSW Agriculture Commissioner Daryl Quinlivan has been working on the ‘Improving the Prospects for Agriculture and Regional Australia in the NSW Planning System’ report, which aims to improve the state's planning systems and prospects of the ag sector. The report covers a variety of issues including land-use conflict between the agriculture sector and other land users, minimising red tape for agricultural development and identifying specific production areas to promote agricultural investment and growth.

Thank you for all for always welcoming me onto your farm and taking the time to discuss issues and develop solutions with me. As the southern highbush season comes to an end and we see the beginning of the Rabbiteye season in NSW, the shortage of labour is still an issue. A bumper Rabbiteye crop was predicted in NSW, a welcome bit of news after the poor season experienced the past year due to untimely rainfall. Unfortunately, nature had a different plan, from 20 - 28 October three severe hailstorms devastated the berry growers of Coffs Harbour LGA particularly Coffs, Bonville, Valery and Bucca areas. Some growers lost up to 90% of their summer crop and many had damage to netting and tunnel infrastructure. My deepest sympathies go out to all the growers that were affected, and as always, I’m here to help in any way I can.

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The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment Water Group reviewed harvestable rights for coastaldraining catchments to assess the potential to increase the present limits while ensuring sufficient water is available for downstream water users and the environment. Whilst the review concluded that some landholders in coastaldraining catchments of NSW will be able to capture up to 30% of the average regional rainwater runoff from their property in harvestable right dams, this does not include intensive agriculture including berries.

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Strawberries Victoria & South Australia Victorian Strawberry Industry Development Committee

Dr Angela Atkinson, Berry Industry Development Officer 0408 416 538 | ido@vicstrawberry.com.au

At the time of writing this update, Melbourne has come out of lockdown #6, and life is slowly getting back to normal, with non-essential retail and hospitality open, social events allowed and sporting and entertainment venues opening, all still with some COVID Safe settings in place.

All were well attended, and the recordings of the microwave and irrigation webinars are available on the Berries Australia YouTube channel: Microwave Innovations in the Berry Industry youtu.be/3sVE3uYbgjM Advances in automated irrigation & irrigation efficiency youtu.be/-tcRNxvib4I Finally, as expected, growers are finding that labour is an ongoing challenge this season. For those in the Yarra Valley in Victoria, the Agribusiness YV Seasonal Employment Hub is a resource that is linking jobseekers with employment opportunities, and has been successful in filling a number of positions on farms www.yarravalleyseasonalwork.com.au. Hopefully the opening of borders, and international travel resuming will help to ease labour shortages.

Workplaces still need to have a COVID Safe plan in place, as well as the new requirement in Victoria for all those working on site to be fully vaccinated. While this has contributed to more administration for employers, and has caused disruption in some workplaces, many have welcomed the assurance that they can provide a safe working environment for their workers. While vaccination rates in Victoria are high, there are still around a thousand new cases each day, so it is important that growers know what to do if there is a positive case in the workplace. Information can be found at www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/confirmed-case-workplace. Spring has been cool and very wet in both Victoria and South Australia, and both regions have had major storm events during October/November. South Australian growers, particularly in the Adelaide Hills region, were impacted by a severe hailstorm which damaged fruit and plants, and in Victoria another storm with gale force winds caused damage to tunnels and greenhouses. Again. In both cases damage has been reported to the state Agriculture departments, and please, as always, get in touch if there is anything I can do to help.

As restrictions ease, and borders open, I’m looking forward to getting back to organising face-to-face events and meetings again, and more farm visits and farm walks. Platforms such as Zoom for meetings and webinars will still have a place going forward, particularly as online webinars can have a much broader reach, and we can invite international and interstate speakers.

Since the last update, we have run several webinars for growers, including the use of microwave technologies in the berry industry, advances in automated irrigation, and a further piecework agreement webinar.

Take care everyone, and please reach out if you need anything.

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Strawberries Queensland Suzette Argent, Berry Industry Development Officer 0438 752 177 | berryido@qldstrawberries.com.au

It has been less than a year since I started in the role of Queensland Berry Industry Development Officer and what a year it has been. The year kicked off with the fear of extreme labour shortages, COVID-19 continuing to keep borders closed and continuous changes to regulations making the life of a farmer very difficult.

issues and encourage more people to work and eat strawberries. See PAGE 85 for more information. The QSGA annual dinner and awards night was held on 30 October in Caloundra. The event was a great opportunity for everyone to celebrate another season completed and network with other growers and the broader industry involved. Jump to PAGE 95 for more about the awards winners and the event. With the borders re-opening in mid-December, it is important for growers to review their COVID-19 plans and ensure you are up-to-date with all current requirements and that you have a concrete strategy in place for what you will do if a positive case is detected on your property.

I have visited most growing areas across the state now and have been very grateful for how welcoming everyone has been. This summer I plan to get out and learn more about blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. So far, the season is looking good with a bumper Rubus crop on the way.

2022 Event plans

The Sandstone Point Strawberry & Dessert Festival was one of a few events allowed to go ahead and was held on 17 September in southeast Queensland. The event showcased locally grown strawberries featured in all kids of delicious desserts and cocktails.

Planning is underway for some exciting events for next year. A ‘Prep & Party’ event is being proposed for early in the new year. The focus will be on getting HR ready and updating COVID-19 plans followed by a BBQ & pool side networking opportunity.

Growers donated fruit to support two local good causes; the Chevallum State School who didn’t get to undertake their yearly fundraiser ‘Strawbfest’ again due to COVID-19 and medical research charity The Common Good who lost vital funds due to the Brisbane Royal Agricultural Show, the EKKA, being cancelled for the second year running.

We are also looking into a field trip to Far North Queensland to look at other innovations happening in other industries including agritourism, biosecurity and soil health. Watch this space for more information.

The QSGA innovative ‘Pick Pack Win’ campaign to attract labour concluded with ‘the Games’ held on 21 October 2021 at the Sandstone Point Hotel in southeast Queensland where ten lucky contestants each won $1,000.00. The event was a great celebration to end the season. The campaign was very successful in attracting labour with over 5,500 people registering. The added success was the media attention which helped to promote industry

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I N D U S T R Y

Rubus Tasmania Mark Salter, Berry Industry Development Officer 0400 100 593 | berryido@fruitgrowerstas.org.au

This is my first report since taking the Tasmanian Berry Industry Development Officer role in early October. I have now commenced grower visits and am looking forward to getting out and touching base with all Tasmanian berry growers in the coming weeks.

The winter period saw slightly warmer temperatures, but spring has been cooler. There has been well above average rainfall from several intense low-pressure systems crossing the state, resulting in multiple heavy rain events making it a challenging time for growers. Some southern growers I have spoken to are saying the season is running between seven to ten days later than average.

COVID-19 is still having a real impact on most growers with labour shortages the main concern as they approach harvest. At the time of writing, some states are lifting restrictions. On the home front restrictions in Tasmania are due to be lifted on 15 December when the borders re-open. Considering the uncertainty around what will happen once restrictions are lifted, Fruit Growers Tasmania is planning a series of COVID-19 workshops for growers to develop or update their COVID-19 business continuity plans. Unfortunately, nobody really knows how things will play out as restrictions are eased making it a very challenging time for growers.

With summer just around the corner, most berry growers are now entering their busiest period. During this transition, one of the many important issues facing berry growers is the limited number of chemicals registered for use across the various berry categories, and this is particularly evident in Rubus. Unfortunately, growers are increasingly reliant on the need to apply for minor use registrations for chemicals. This also highlights the importance for growers to incorporate IPM into their pest and disease program in order to reduce the dependency on chemicals going forward. I am pleased to say that Berries Australia is taking a more active role in chemical access and I participated in a very informative workshop with key agronomists, the IDO team and Jodie Pedrana from Hort Innovation. As an ex-grower myself I know how important this issue is and I look forward to ensuring that the Rubus industry gets the support it needs in this space.

The Tasmanian Government’s COVID-19 Safe Workplaces Framework supports workplaces as they operate during the pandemic, while ensuring the health and safety of all Tasmanians. To comply with the Framework’s minimum standards and reduce the risk associated with COVID-19 transmission in your workplace, you should either:

Hopefully in the coming months, when COVID-19 settles down, I will get an opportunity to visit other states and meet with Rubus growers in other parts of Australia. In the meantime, I am only a phone call or email away so please get in touch.

• Complete a NEW COVID-19 Safety Plan or • Review & update your EXISTING COVID-19 Safety Plan. For more information: Visit bit.ly/TAS-COVID

I N D U S T R Y

Strawberries Western Australia Aileen Reid & Helen Newman, Industry Development Team, Agricultural Produce Commission

Climate After a very wet start to winter in WA, August provided some relief, with below average rainfall recorded in most growing regions except for the great southern which received slightly above average rainfall. The same pattern continued into September with average to below average rainfall in the Perth district and above average falls in the Great Southern. Maximum temperatures were average to above average in August and September, but nights were cooler in September and there were consecutive days of morning frost. Winter seemed to return in October, with 60% above average rainfall throughout the southwest, the wettest October since 1977; and below average temperatures, the lowest since 2003.

Harvest labour availability tightened in spring which, along with poor market prices for fruit, saw some strawberry growers finish their seasons early. Labour was also tight in the other berry categories which are increasingly reliant on the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme. Some crop manipulation was used by growers trying to balance labour across growing regions.

Industry events WA growers have taken up the opportunity to participate in a range of nationally delivered industry webinars over the last quarter including: an introduction to DIY research on farm; Microwave technology for weed and soil pathogen control; blueberry rust information session; and Farming under solar, wind and transmission lines (delivered by Farmers for Climate Action and the National Renewables in Agriculture Conference).

The crop The continuing wintery weather has extended the strawberry season in the Perth growing region and delayed the crop in parts of the southwest. Strawberry growers in Albany are approximately one month behind, with peak production expected in late December despite the season starting in early September as it normally does. Most Perth region growers finished up or cut back on harvest in late October-early November, with peak production in late September early November, two weeks later than usual. The strawberry crop is following its normal schedule in the Manjimup growing district.

On August 6, strawberry growers interested in tabletop substrate growing participated in a webinar to look at the Plantlogic Hi-Grow system. Israel Holby (founder of Plantlogic) took growers on a live virtual tour of a farm in Xi’an, China to look at the new pot system currently under development. The new system will do away with the single use plastics used in traditional growbags. The Strawberry Growers Association of WA held their AGM on 22 October, and this was combined with an industry event open to all berry growers. Growers and service providers at the event were able to taste, see, and provide feedback on varieties under evaluation as part of the National Strawberry Varietal Improvement Program at Ti Produce Marketing in Bullsbrook. The group then travelled five minutes down the road to Berry Sweet where they saw infield packing in action in a tabletop production system and robotics under development for the application of UV-C for fungal control. It was an event enjoyed by all who attended.

Blueberries grown to the north of Perth are about two weeks later than usual, with their peak experienced in October. The crop appears to be tracking normally in the Manjimup growing district where harvest commenced at one day per week in July and is expected to peak in November/December. The Rubus crop is tracking normally in both Perth and Manjimup districts. Harvest started in the Perth region in April/May and peaked in August/September. The first raspberry pick is expected in mid-November in Manjimup, and blackberries are expected to start in December.

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Norm Handasyde (Amuri Creek Fruit) and Michael O’Brien (Grower Connect) viewing the strawberry selections harvested from the National Strawberry Varietal Improvement Program trial at Ti Produce Marketing in Bullsbrook. Photo credit: Helen Newman

Outback Robotics displayed their autonomous UV-C application prototype as part of the field event at Berry Sweet in Bullsbrook. Attendees also got a sneak peek at a robotic harvesting arm also under development. Photo credit: Helen Newman

Growers had the opportunity to see and taste some of the most promising selections harvested from the National Strawberry Varietal Improvement Program trial at Ti Produce Marketing in Bullsbrook. Photo credit: Helen Newman

Workers at Berry Sweet use these carts to pick and pack tabletop-grown strawberries in the field. Punnets are placed, without their lids on, in a single layer in the red and green trays pictured. They are taken to the packing shed for cooling and a final quality check before being lidded. This ‘one touch’ method of packing aims to minimise fruit handling and bruising Photo credit: Anne Thompson, DPIRD

I N D U S T R Y

Affordable protection for Australia’s berry brands Melanie Wishart, GS1 Australia

GS1 authorised barcode numbers are crucial for members of the Australian berry industries to use to protect their brand. A new low-cost pricing model has just been released for small growers. Secure your future

Keeping your products and your brand safe is mission critical for berry growers. Increased risks of food fraud, counterfeiting and recalls have become more rampant within Australia and across the globe than ever before.

Barcode numbers issued by GS1 Australia are unique, authentic, accurate and based on current global standards, opening the door for possibilities including future expansion and growth to other markets without the need for new packaging.

Australia’s fresh fruit industry produces over 1.47 million tonnes of fruit, valued at over $4.7 billion*. To protect their investment, berry growers are looking for ways to achieve greater business security with minimal cost and disruption.

Product sales are seamless, anywhere in the world. GS1 barcodes reduce the need to have separate barcodes and labels for other markets. Providing growers with one, consistent, global identification number that can be tracked, sold, queried and scanned anywhere across the globe. The fact that it can be verified as belonging to the grower/packer/brand owner delivers greater confidence and brand protection.

GS1 Australia, the barcoding company, has introduced an affordable option for small to medium companies, delivering economical brand protection through trusted and unique-to-farm barcode numbers at only $39 each. These not only provide product identification but also deliver strong brand awareness, sales data and supply chain visibility, amounting to greater brand protection for the individual farms’ brand.

A recent example of this is by GS1 Australia member, Perfection Fresh, that have launched a consumerfocused traceability and provenance tool using a unique QR code. Consumers can scan the QR code and ‘virtually’ visit the raspberry farm where the fruit was grown and rate the product, before and after eating.

Combat risk with trust Generic barcode numbers, i.e. those that are also used by other companies in the same industry for the same sized pack of fruit or purchased from an unauthorised source, are no longer effective for safeguarding brands in the modern supply chain. Financial loss can be experienced due to rejections by retailers actioned using just the ‘industry’ barcode number, products removed from retail shelves due to a recall (even if your product is not affected) unnecessary re-labelling and re-packaging.

Luke Gibson, Head of Marketing at Perfection Fresh said he is excited consumers can now access greater information about where their food comes from.

Unauthorised barcode numbers can also create confusion in the market and disrupt the functioning of supply chains, both locally and overseas.

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Added value Along with superior brand protection and future opportunities, GS1 barcodes come with a certificate of authenticity and access to a wide range of GS1 services, including product photography and digital content creation.

Consumers are telling us that they want more than just the product, they are looking for an experience that connects them to the produce and growers, and to learn more about our world class produce. Changes in consumer behaviour like universal QR code usage enables us to link our physical packs with digital environments, providing a unique opportunity to engage our consumers in a new way, in real time, sharing real insights with them by simply scanning a unique QR code using any smartphone.

High resolution images can be produced by GS1 professional product photographers for the purposes of marketing, web promotions, thumbnails, planograms and more. Content can be generated for on-pack information and automatically shared with trading partners and retail customers. GS1 Australia has been providing Australian companies with trusted and unique barcode numbers for more than 40 years, delivering security and protection for brands and products throughout the world. The $39 GS1 barcodes are ready to use in less than 1 hour. To take advantage of this service, visit the GS1 Australia website: https://bit.ly/GS1-ABJ

*Source: Hort Innovation Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbooks 2019/20

I N D U S T R Y

Masterclass in Horticultural Business: Built for success “I’m involved in everything from making decisions around planting and crop manipulations, identifying pest and disease concerns, and creating and assessing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies, canopy management and all things crop management from pre-planting to ensuring the best fruit possible for our harvest team,” Kirsty explained.

As Kirsty Dickenson reflects on her recent studies, it soon becomes apparent her decision to undertake a Masterclass in Horticultural Business in 2020 was a good one. Offered through the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) and developed in partnership with some of the world’s leading names in horticulture, including New Zealand’s Lincoln University, the Wageningen Research Academy in the Netherlands, and Hort Innovation, the course equips current and future farm managers, owners and employers with the agribusiness skills and capabilities required to run profitable and sustainable farm businesses.

“I’m actively involved in our research activities and have begun to move into the development of planning and capital expenditure proposals associated with them.” With so much of Costa business in her remit, Kirsty recognised the Masterclass in Horticultural Business could be a wise next step in her career development. “I wanted to expand my skillset and be ready to be involved in business management in my future,” Kirsty said. “And to increase my understanding of the many elements of running a business, particularly to be more aware of the business I work in, the context it operates in and what it takes to be a successful business.”

A horticulturalist with Costa, Kirsty works in the berry category with a focus on raspberries and an avocado trial in Tasmania’s north-west. And it’s a role that is so broad and diverse, that the Bachelor of Agriculture graduate said she would find it hard to define an average day.

Kirsty said the Masterclass helped her understand risk and decision-making; the process of identifying where Costa fits in the market; identifying new opportunities and attaining skills in understanding the feasibility of potential opportunities; as well as building the skills required to create a business plan - for either a new business or a new opportunity within an existing business. Kirsty Dickenson, Costa Photo credit: Costa

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She also discovered surprising characteristics of her own. “Learning about my attitude to risk was interesting and eye opening,” Kirsty said. “As a traveller and someone who enjoys getting out of my comfort zone and learning new things, I intrinsically thought I would have a higher tolerance for risk, however the resources offered within the class indicated I am risk averse. “I was surprised at first. However, when I really thought about it, it made sense. “Understanding my attitude to risk and being able to identify the level of risk of other decision makers in the business I work in, allows me to make conscious decisions that are suitable for the business and may be slightly riskier than what perhaps I may have been comfortable with in the past.” With the Masterclass’s blend of innovation, skill building, fun, and flexibility, Kirsty said she learned a lot and

believes her studies have helped her grow in her current role and will assist her as she moves forward in her career. “I enjoyed undertaking the Masterclass and the flexibility of the course,” Kirsty said. “Although there is a set structure the facilitators are really understanding of the nature of balancing study with busy work periods. I was able to work at my own pace, which really helped me to keep a balanced life.” The Masterclass in Horticultural Business will provide current and future horticultural managers around the country with the knowledge and skills to maximise farm performance and lead successful teams. The units are typically delivered over an 18-month period with individual flexible study plans allowing participants to study during periods of seasonal workload and around personal circumstances.

Find out more at www.utas.edu.au/tia/study/masterclass-in-horticultural-business

Contact your MADEC Harvest Trail Oﬃce or Contact the Harvest Trail Information Services on 1800 062 332

Need a hand finding workers? We can help.

MILDURA 126-130 Deakin Avenue, Mildura VIC 3500 03 5022 1797 harvestmildura@madec.edu.au

GRIFFITH Shop 3, 104 Yambil Street, Griﬃth NSW 2680 02 6963 2200 harvestgriﬃth@madec.edu.au

ROBINVALE 68-72 Herbert Street, Robinvale VIC 3549 03 5051 8080 harvestrobinvale@madec.edu.au

BUNDABERG 35 Electra Street, Bundaberg Central, QLD 4670 07 4339 3100 harvestbundaberg@madec.edu.au

SALE 2/424 Raymond Street, Sale VIC 3850 03 5169 7300 harvestsale@madec.edu.au

CABOOLTURE 2/77 King Street, Caboolture QLD 4510 07 5294 7000 harvestcaboolture@madec.edu.au

SHEPPARTON Suites 1 & 4 461 Wyndham Street, Shepparton VIC 3630 03 5829 3600 (Select Option 2) harvestshepparton@madec.edu.au

NURIOOTPA 45 Murray Street, Nuriootpa, SA, 5355 08 8565 8708 harvestnuriootpa@madec.edu.au

SWAN HILL 186-188 Beveridge Street, Swan Hill VIC 3585 03 5033 0025 harvestswanhill@madec.edu.au

RENMARK 8 Ral Ral Avenue, Renmark SA 5341 08 8586 1900 (Select Option 2) harvestrenmark@madec.edu.au

COFFS HARBOUR 103-105, 24 Moonee Street, Coﬀs Harbour NSW 2450 02 6648 2300 harvestcoﬀsharbour@madec.edu.au

DEVONPORT 3/59 Best Street, Devonport TAS 7310 03 6420 3900 harvestdevonport@madec.edu.au

Harvest Trail is a no-cost service funded through the Australian Government and managed by MADEC, a not-for-proﬁt organisation. 1800 062 332

*1800 numbers are free to call in Australia from landlines and mobiles.

www.madec.edu.au/harvest-services/harvest-trail-services

facebook.com/MADECHTS

Barcode pricing for small business

Authentic GS1 barcodes at an economical price Businesses with annual turnover of less than $1 million can now secure their own authentic, Australian GS1 barcodes cheaper than ever before. Each GS1 barcode includes registration to the GS1 database used for validation by all major Australian grocery retailers, as well as telephone and online support.

Single numbers 10 Packs

$39 $189

This promotional pricing is set to expire on 30 June, 2022.

www.gs1au.org/special-offer Services to help suppliers get their product to market We have a range of services to help you efficiently manage and share product content and pricing.

Numbering and barcodes

Maintain accurate product master data

Share digital images and assets

High quality photography

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT GS1 SERVICES www.gs1au.org/product-to-market

I N D U S T R Y

Play a part in trade reforms to improve Australia’s export services Jenny Van de Meeberg, Export Manager, Berries Australia

Have you ever wanted to provide the government with feedback on their forms and processes? This is your chance to influence the refresh of the trade platforms that support export operations … The Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment (DAWE) have announced that they are working through a multi-million dollar trade reform program which aims to improve the agricultural export services provided by DAWE.

The first stage of the reforms requires an understanding of what the exporting process is like right now. DAWE are currently working on developing a list of exporters to participate in research activities conducted throughout the reform. These activities will take place over the course of a two-year period, however participants can opt out of the research at any time.

The outcome of this reform aims to make it easier for producers and exporters to send goods to market, whilst at the same time safeguarding Australia’s reputation as a reliable, high-quality exporter. New and improved export systems will directly benefit exporters and improvements in the design and delivery of all export commodities will create a more streamlined export experience.

To be involved as part of the research panel which will help ensure that the outcomes of the reform produce useful solutions that meet your needs, please go to bit.ly/EXP-TRRP or scan this QR code and register your expression of interest.

Berries Australia strongly encourages exporters to consider registering for the panel because the systems will not improve without relevant feedback from actual users!

The trade reforms are focused on three broad areas: • Efficient regulation – a critical factor in helping get goods to market quickly and efficiently, meeting trading partners requirements lawfully based on accurate data and taking risk into account. • New technology – ensuring the export process is faster, easier, cost effective and on time with the introduction of modern and connected digital services for exporters.

For more information, please contact Jenny Van de Meeberg 0410 536 269 | export@berries.net.au

• I mproved market access - supporting safe, high-quality products to consumers across the globe faster, with a reduction in unnecessary administrative burden.

Apply to join the Berries Australia Export Group at bit.ly/BA-Export

I N D U S T R Y

Moondarra Blueberries lead the way in sustainable packaging Sophie O’Neil

Moondarra Blueberries have taken out the National 2021 Eat Easy Award in the Grown category for their outstanding tasting fruit and ground breaking, environmentally friendly packaging. As organic growers for over 30 years, packing blueberries into petroleum based plastic punnets never sat comfortably with Mal Deveson, his son Joel, daughter Kate and son-in-law Rob. The Gippsland farmers had been hunting for sustainable alternatives to single use plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) punnets but struggled to find a solution despite increasing demand from their wholesale and retail customers.

Innovation Lead, Tunde Lovestyan, understood exactly what the Devesons required and together they successfully developed a fully home compostable packaging solution for their organic 125g fresh punnet. Moondarra’s new punnets are made from bagasse, the waste generated from sugarcane plants after sugar has been extracted, and wheat straw. When combined it provides a strong environmentally friendly fibre. Punnets are enclosed with a heat-sealed cellulose film produced from sustainably sourced eucalyptus fibre plantations and converted in Australia to a biodegradable film. Bio-polymer used in the film is derived from natural resources such as sugarcane, cassava and corn from non-GMO crops.

In their quest, the Moondarra team discovered many packaging companies talked the talk, but when they delved into the details, they were less convinced with the offerings. They learnt that packaging marketed as “environmentally friendly” and “compostable” was often required to be recycled or composted to the European Standard EU13432 or Australian Standard AS4736, which meant it actually could only be industrially composted, and such industrial systems are not widely available in Australia as yet.

Moondarra have also implemented an in-house printing process to add a barcode and information panel directly to the base of each fibre punnet before they are graded and weighed. The ink used is non-toxic and compostable. This step reduces the need to apply a label to the base which affects the compostability and reduces the use of non-renewable resources.

“Dad believed we needed to find a home compostable packaging solution, not some half-baked idea,” explains Kate Prezioso. “We didn’t want to green wash our customers with promises of ethical packaging, which didn’t actually fully deliver.”

Importantly, Moondarra’s packaging can decompose under specific composting conditions back into water, carbon dioxide and biomass within 26 weeks at ambient temperature (20 - 30°C) and is non-toxic to the environment. It meets the Home Compostable Australian Standard AS 5810-2010, verified by the Australasian Bioplastics Association.

Fortunately, in 2019 Mal and Kate attended an expo, where they viewed a demonstration of the heatsealing process by Proseal Australia, which led to an introduction to an award winning New Zealand based company who are considered pioneers of sustainable packaging solutions. Punchbowl Packaging’s then

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When introducing their new packaging, the Moondarra team were worried customers would reject the new packaging as they were accustomed to turning punnets over to inspect the bottom for berry quality before purchasing, however after two harvest seasons, concerns about a non-transparent base have been unfounded. Some doubt was cast over the fact that once the punnets are opened they cannot be sealed again, but according to Kate customers say after opening punnets, fruit is either eaten straight away or transferred into their own reusable plastic containers.

Punnets are robust enough to be packed into double layer 12 punnet trays. Photo credit: Moondarra Berries.

“Shelf-life tests in our new fibre and film punnets have shown brilliant results with some varieties stored for eight weeks still eating well. The packaging is also tamper-proof and has proved extremely robust which complies with our quality control standards post farm,” says Kate. Currently the cost of the new packaging is estimated at an additional 50 cents per punnet over the old PET version, however Moondarra’s wholesale customers have taken on the price increase as they believe the sustainable packaging significantly helps market the fruit, and customers are willing to pay extra for this. Broader industry adoption of this style of packaging would, of course, bring costs down.

Punnet film breaking down in compost system. Photo credit: Moondarra Berries.

Before the change to sustainable packaging, our annual plastic use within a single harvest season was close to 2,000 kilograms. Given Moondarra Blueberries accounts for only about 0.1% of Australia’s annual blueberry production, that’s an alarming figure, explains Mal.

Punnet fibre base and film breaking down in compost system. Photo credit: Moondarra Berries.

Without a doubt, our home compostable packaging has strengthened our brand because shoppers are looking for products that align with their personal values, especially given the world’s climate crisis. Our recent success in the 2021 Eat Easy Award confirms to us we are absolutely on the right path, and we urge the rest of the industry to join us.

Punnets being capped on the Proseal Australia GTR heat seal machine – semi-automatic with rotary table. Capable of capping 45 punnets per minute. Photo credit: Moondarra Berries.

I N D U S T R Y

Collecting an inventory of parasitoid wasps for potential biocontrol of SWD in South Eastern Australia Michael Edwards

• The exotic pest Spotted Wing

The female uses a distinctive serrated ovipositor to lay eggs inside unripe fruits (up to 400 eggs in a lifetime), where her larvae devour the fruit from the inside and emerge as adult flies.

• SWD is difficult to control with chemicals

SWD has an optimal range of 10-25°C, but has also survived short intervals of temperatures below zero and as high as 43°C.

• An initial study has found endemic parasitoid wasps that may have potential in the future biocontrol of SWD

This means SWD can adapt and establish, using refuge shelters with microclimates. Spread and establishment prediction modelling has recently been applied to D. suzukii in a series of simulated incursions (Hort Innovation project MT17005).

Drosophila (SWD) is a major threat to the Australian berry industry

Most of the eastern seaboard and some parts of southwestern WA are likely to be suitable for establishment, and it is predicted that the fly would fill its ecological niche in these areas within 6 years.

Drosophila ‘vinegar flies’ are a common sight for any gardener, commercial grower, and wine maker. Whilst these flies are not ideal for wine makers, they are important for helping with ecosystem composting [Seehausen et al., 2020; Ridland & Lye, 2021]. However, there is one species, Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) (Drosophila suzukii), that has resulted in significant damage to soft-skin crops in large parts of Asia, Europe, and North America, and it would be expected to be a big problem for the Australian berry industry should it ever establish and spread here.

There are multiple SWD control techniques such as strategic pruning, exclusion netting, weed matting to prevent larvae from pupating, surveillance (including various traps), reducing harvest intervals, post-harvest quality control via staff training and application of floatation tests, and strict waste disposal. A recent preparedness study by Cesar Australia and the University of Melbourne involved taking an inventory of parasitoid wasp species that exist in Melbourne and the Yarra Ranges, and which may have potential to be used against SWD in future IPM biocontrol programs.

Typically, SWD has resulted in production losses of between 20-40%, with crop specific losses averaging 35% in raspberries, 29% in blackberries, 20% in cherries, 12% in blueberries, 9% in strawberries, and 6% in table grapes. In real terms, SWD has caused damages of greater than $AUD 500m per year in North America.

SWD is a threat because the fly is difficult to control with chemical applications, and it is known to shield itself within fruits. Excessive insecticide spraying against SWD overseas caused increased chemical resistance and resulted in secondary pests (such as Scale) becoming a problem.

D. suzukii closely resembles the common non-risk endemic species D. melanogaster, although a distinguishing feature of SWD is the spots that appear on the wings of the male flies.

TRAPPING AND REARING PROCESS

Bottle trap (banana bait) or fruit specimen collections

Rearing on cardboard

Adult fly/ wasp emergence

Transfer into vials

Preservation with ethanol (80%)

Figure 1. Photo credit: Michael Edwards Controlling SWD this way can also be expensive, ranging from $AUD 450 to $1100 per hectare (overseas) (De Ros et al., 2015; Mazzi et al., 2017). Furthermore, restrictions and permits are required, and whilst it may be possible to initiate a ‘minor use and emergency permit system’ for chemical controls, they must be appropriately timed to target the adult flies.

Once the parasitoids came out of the deceased flies, the wasps were preserved and identified by experts at the Cesar Australia labs in Melbourne. See Figure 1 above. The results show that at least one parasitoid wasp was present – Asobara persimilis (an endemic species that is known to be found further north in tropical environments). The Asobara genus is potentially important for further investigation as researchers in the Czech Republic have previously collected this species and found that it can parasitise SWD in preliminary experiments (J Hrcek, pers comms).

Australian biosecurity has importation restrictions in place for live insects, and although there are several identified exotic parasitoids of SWD, importing a biocontrol can be a lengthy and costly activity. Potential parasitoids already exist in Australian berry growing regions, but there is very little information about these species (some of the last studies were done in the 1970s), or how they interact with standard Drosophila on a landscape-scale, which would be useful for IPM programs. Once the endemic parasitoids are known, it may be possible to rear them on-site in preparation for an incursion by SWD, and then enable the wasps to establish populations in optimal habitat, e.g. sheltered areas, near water sources, and with mixed native vegetation. Throughout 2021, sites in both metropolitan Melbourne and the Yarra Ranges were selected for trapping of endemic wasp species (specifically four urban community gardens, three commercial production farms, two vineyards, and one fruit and vegetable store were chosen). At each site, there were three trap installations with homemade bottle traps (using fermented banana and yeast as a bait), which were visited every two weeks (from April 8 – June 24, 2021) until enough samples were gathered. Decomposing fruit was also gathered and taken back to a lab, where all the samples were kept between 6°C – 24°C to allow adult flies and wasps to emerge.

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Figure 2. Asobara persimilis Photo credit: Michael Edwards

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Extra data will be required to test for variability amongst sites, but the common factors of parasitoid presence are associated with shelter from winds and excessive heat/cold, which allows the flies to inhabit the space, and allows the wasps to easily find hosts.

Two of the ten sites had high numbers of A. persimilus wasps, a vineyard and a commercial orchard, which were both in the Yarra Ranges. Although both sites were organic, there were applications of agricultural chemicals between 20 – 50 metres away. In both cases, the wasps had nearby shelter (between 5m 80m) caused by shade, mixed vegetation, reduced wind gusts, and influenced by water from dams. Interestingly, wasps were found in only 1 out of 3 trapping locations at each property and away from processing/winemaking sheds, even though there was an abundance of endemic Drosophila flies around these buildings. A third site, an organic commercial orchard between metropolitan Melbourne and the Yarra Ranges, also had wasps although at lower levels than the sites in the Yarra Ranges.

This small-scale survey represents the first targeted monitoring study to be conducted for potential SWD biocontrols in Australia and sets the scene for more substantial investigations. Additional surveys should be conducted to investigate seasonal differences in wasp populations, wasp diversity in other locations – especially in stone fruit growing regions, and the effects of landscape and vegetation types on wasp abundance.

Sightings of exotic species should be reported via the EXOTIC PLANT PEST HOTLINE ON 1800 084 881 The author acknowledges contributions from Dr Sam Ward, Cesar Australia, Dr Peter Ridland, University of Melbourne, and Dr Jessica Lye, formally of Cesar Australia. References: Bolda, Goodhue, R. E., & Zalom, F. G. (2010). Spotted wing drosophila: potential economic impact of a newly established pest. Agricultural and Resource Economics Update, 13(3), 5-8.

www.horticulture.com.au/growers/help-your-business-grow/researchreports-publications-fact-sheets-and-more/mt17005

Da Silva, C. S. B., Price, B. E., & Walton, V. M. (2019). Water-deprived parasitic wasps (Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae) kill more pupae of a pest (Drosophila suzukii) as a water-intake strategy. Scientific reports, 9(1), 1-8.

Maino, J. (2020a). The impact potential of spotted-wing drosophila in Australia (MT17005). Retrieved from HortInnovation: www.horticulture.com.au/growers/help-your-business-grow/researchreports-publications-fact-sheets-and-more/mt17005

De Ros, G., Conci, S., Pantezzi, T., & Savini, G. (2015). The economic impact of invasive pest Drosophila suzukii on berry production in the Province of Trento, Italy. Journal of Berry Research, 5(2), 89-96.

Maino, J. (2020b). The spread and establishment potential of spotted-wing drosophila in Australia (1805CR1). Retrieved from HortInnovation: www. horticulture.com.au/growers/help-your-business-grow/research-reportspublications-fact-sheets-and-more/mt17005

Farnsworth, D., Hamby, K. A., Bolda, M., Goodhue, R. E., Williams, J. C., & Zalom, F. G. (2017). Economic analysis of revenue losses and control costs associated with the spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), in the California raspberry industry. Pest management science, 73(6), 10831090.

Mazzi, D., Bravin, E., Meraner, M., Finger, R., & Kuske, S. (2017). Economic impact of the introduction and establishment of Drosophila suzukii on sweet cherry production in Switzerland. Insects, 8(1), 18. Noakes, F., & Lye, J. C. (2019). Spotted wing drosophila: where will this world citizen make its next travel destination?

Goodhue, R. E., Bolda, M., Farnsworth, D., Williams, J. C., & Zalom, F. G. (2011). Spotted wing drosophila infestation of California strawberries and raspberries: economic analysis of potential revenue losses and control costs. Pest management science, 67(11), 1396-1402.

Prince, G. J. (1976). Laboratory Biology of Phaenocarpa Persimilis Papp (Braconidae: Alysiinae), a Parasitoid of Drosophila. Australian Journal of Zoology, 24(2), 249-264.

Kriesner, P. A. (2017). Wolbachia fitness benefits and symbiont interactions in Drosophila.

Ridland, P. M., & Lye, J. C. (2021). Parasitoids of Drosophilidae in Australia preparing for Drosophila suzukii (A literature review prepared under project MT18010). Retrieved from Cesar Australia

Leach, H., Moses, J., Hanson, E., Fanning, P., & Isaacs, R. (2018). Rapid harvest schedules and fruit removal as non-chemical approaches for managing spotted wing Drosophila. Journal of Pest Science, 91(1), 219-226.

Rossi Stacconi, M. V., Grassi, A., Ioriatti, C., & Anfora, G. (2019). Augmentative releases of Trichopria drosophilae for the suppression of early season Drosophila suzukii populations. BioControl.

Lye, J. (2020a). Spotted wing drosophila: what is being done to prepare? Australian Berry Journal, 36-37.

Walsh, D. B., Bolda, M. P., Goodhue, R. E., Dreves, A. J., Lee, J., Bruck, D. J., Zalom, F. G. (2011). Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae): invasive pest of ripening soft fruit expanding its geographic range and damage potential. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 2(1), G1-G7.

Lye, J. (2020b). Spotted wing drosophila: What would management look like? Australian Berry Journal, 32-34. Maino, J. (2018). Improving the biosecurity preparedness of Australian horticulture for the exotic Spotted Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) (MT17005). Retrieved from Hort Innovation:

BERRIES AUSTRALIA

BerryQuest International

25–28 July 2022 Sea World Resort & Conference Centre Gold Coast, Queensland

REGISTRATIONS ARE NOW OPEN AT berries.net.au/bqi22 Queensland’s stunning Gold Coast will welcome an influx of berry growers, associated businesses, and industry experts from Australia and abroad in July 2022 when the much-anticipated national conference for the Australian berry industry is held again for the first time in over 4 years. BerryQuest International will run from 25 to 28 July 2022 at Sea World Resort and Conference Centre, with two days of speaker presentations and a trade exhibition, followed by a day of farm tours and plenty of other activities including networking and social functions.

WHAT TO EXPECT – CONFERENCE PROGRAM MONDAY 25

TUESDAY 26

WEDNESDAY 27

Exhibition Set Up

Registration Opens

EVENING

Welcome Reception

Conference Opening Plenary Sessions

Lunch & Networking in Exhibition Hall Plenary & Breakout Sessions

EVENING

Boatshed Bar & Grill BBQ

at a glance

Shark Bay Tour & Breakfast Plenary Sessions

Lunch & Networking in Exhibition Hall Plenary & Breakout Sessions

EVENING

Sea World Plaza Conference Dinner

THURSDAY 28 AM Farm Tours / Activities

PM Farm Tours / Activities

The event was last held in 2018 in Launceston, Tasmania and feedback received from delegates and sponsors/exhibitors was overwhelmingly positive. Over 400 delegates attended the Conference, and a post-conference survey indicated a preference for the event to be held every two years with Queensland as the next location. Unfortunately, COVID-19 got in the way, hence scheduled dates in both 2020 and 2021 were postponed. But we’ve locked in the venue and date for BQI22 and are now in full planning mode. The choice of Sea World Resort and Conference Centre as the venue for BQI22 provides an opportunity for delegates to bring their families for a winter escape on the beautiful Gold Coast. Boasting a stunning Broadwater location, with 400 rooms and suites at discounted BQI22 rates starting from just $149 per night for a room that can accommodate a family of up to 5, plus easy access to Australia’s best theme parks, worldrenowned beaches, and everything that the Gold Coast has to offer, Sea World Resort will be your home away from home during BQI22. There are four restaurants and two bar areas, as well as free Wi-Fi access throughout the Resort and complimentary broadband to all guest rooms. The Gold Coast also provides an ideal base for delegates to visit berry farms in the nearby key growing regions of Northern NSW and the Sunshine Coast. The conference program is currently in development in collaboration with growers and other industry experts. It will focus on the issues that will be pertinent to the berry industry as it expands over the next 5 - 10 years. With borders gradually re-opening we are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to welcome international delegates and speakers in person, but plans are being developed to incorporate a live stream component to conference proceedings for international participation should this prove difficult. Provisions are also in place to ensure the safety of all should circumstances associated with COVID-19 change.

Networking events will provide numerous opportunities for everyone to socialise, relax, and re-engage with the broader berry community. With a Welcome Reception in the Exhibition Hall, a gourmet BBQ with Broadwater and Southport skyline views at the Boatshed Bar & Grill, and a unique Conference Dinner in the Sea World Plaza including pre-dinner drinks and exclusive dolphin show at Dolphin Beach (you can’t go to Sea World without seeing a dolphin!), our aim is to ensure that delegates have a fantastic conference experience. Conference Chair, Peter McPherson said, “BerryQuest International 2022 will be an opportunity for our berry community to come together to support one another and to share recent learnings, as well as showcase the latest innovations including growing techniques, research, packaging, export development, biosecurity, labour and marketing.” Tickets to BerryQuest International 2022 are now on sale at berries.net.au/bqi2022 with a range of ticket options available, including full conference registration, single-day options, farm tours and individual social events. An early bird discount for full-conference packages is available from 1t December 2021 to 28 February 2022, with the first 150 full-conference delegates to register receiving a free breakfast and tour of Sea World’s Shark Bay. Sponsorship and exhibitor packages have also been released and are selling fast. If you’re interested in participating in BQI2022 as a sponsor or exhibitor, please visit berries.net.au/bqi2022 or contact Jen Rowling on 0448 322 389 jenrowling@berries.net.au Further information including ticket prices, Sea World Resort accommodation packages and the conference program as it develops can be found at berries.net.au/bqi2022.

If you have any additional queries about the conference, contact a member of the BQI22 Conference Management team: JEN ROWLING

0448 322 389

jenrowling@berries.net.au

WENDY MORRIS

0491 751 123

admin@berries.net.au

DANI WESTPORT 0431 293 583

events@berries.net.au

I N D U S T R Y

Labour Hire Risks Marsha Aralar, Fair Farms National Program Manager, Growcom

For some farmers engaging a Labour Hire Provider (LHP) is an unavoidable necessity, particularly at harvest time. It’s vital to understand the processes in engaging a LHP to ensure fair and ethical practices for workers. How to identify a responsible company

Engaging a Labour Hire Provider (LHP) may take some of the stress away from sourcing staff, but it does not mean that labour laws do not apply to your business. Farmers need to exercise care when engaging a LHP and then monitor the LHP to ensure they're doing the right thing by their employees.

A responsible LHP will: • H ave Workplace Health and Safety policies and procedures, and a process for induction and supervision of employees • H ave a system in place for checking that employees have the right to work in Australia • M aintain good time and wage records and provide payslips to employees • H ave written employment agreements and only employ people through their TFN (not personal ABN’s) • T he LHP is registered (ABN or ASIC) and has been in business for a while

Some “red flags” to consider when vetting a LHP include:

Due Diligence: your business should apply a process of due diligence before engaging a LHP

• T he inability to provide a Certificate of Currency for insurance such as workers compensation and public liability

One consideration for users of LHP’s is to not engage LHP’s that are unlicensed. Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia now have laws that require the licensing of LHPs.

• T he LHP has been prosecuted for breaches of WHS, Fair Work or Migration Laws • T he LHP can’t identify the correct industrial instrument (Award) and pay rates

Some questions to ask of your LHP before engaging them include:

• T he LHP won’t rule out subcontracting to another LHP without consent

• Will you subcontract any of my work? • How many employees do you plan to use for my work?

• T he LHP has quoted rates that may not enable obligations to employees to be met

• Do you pay your employees the correct wages? • W hat Award or Enterprise Agreement will you be applying? • Do you keep employee records and provide payslips? • H ave you been investigated by the Fair Work Ombudsman? What was the outcome?

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Get it in writing

Fair Farms

The cost of labour is likely to be one of the most significant expenses farmers will bear. With so much at stake, it’s good business practice to have a written and legally enforceable agreement.

To stay up-to-date on important news like Labour Hire Provider risks, join Fair Farms today to access an Australian-centric training and certification program including online training modules, one-on-one training and over-the-phone support that helps your business showcase ethical employment practices to the supply chain.

A good agreement will require the LHP to provide evidence that it is meeting its legal obligations and should ensure that there is no sub-contracting without consent.

Ongoing Monitoring Managing the risks associated with outsourcing labour requires that farmers should check that the LHP is doing the right thing.

For more information visit: fairfarms.com.au/news

Farmers should ask for evidence that workers are being paid correctly and should not ignore any complaints made by employees of the LHP.

GOT EXCESS BERRIES?

We would love to purchase your Australian berries for our Aussie Frozen Fruit packs.

TO FIND OUT MORE, PLEASE GET IN TOUCH growers@aussiefrozenfruit.com.au 03 5964 8101 aussiefrozenfruit.com.au

I N D U S T R Y

New! Live trade data to drive industry export growth now available in the Export Hub MT20004: Joint Berry Export Trade Development is an investment under the Hort Innovation Blueberry Fund, Raspberry and Blackberry Fund, and Strawberry Fund. Jenny Van de Meeberg, Export Manager, Berries Australia Berries Australia is very excited to offer berry growers an industry-leading data visualisation tool, but we also welcome your feedback on how it could be modified, expanded or improved to meet your needs.

Growers and exporters are encouraged to learn more about international trade opportunities with Berries Australia’s new data visualisation tools. The data visualisation tools can be found in the Export Hub on the Berries Australia website.

Growers and exporters are encouraged to provide feedback on the trade data dashboards to export@berries.net.au

There is a dashboard for each berry crop; blueberries, strawberries and Rubus. Each dashboard can display trade data by country, at a monthly level, including volumes and price per unit. It also shows competitors in the market, their market share, volume and price per unit. The data stretches back over a thirty-year period, so it is also possible to see how markets have changed over time.

The data that drives the trade dashboards has been made available using funds from the Hort Innovation strawberry, raspberry & blackberry, and blueberry funds with contributions from the Australian Government. Whilst we are excited to present this tool to industry, we also recognise that data is just one part of the trade research that growers and exporters need to make informed decisions. Data is always limited to being historical and does not necessarily predict the potential of a market, especially where the industry might be able to offer a unique or differentiated product. Berries Australia is currently working on a suite on market insight reports with Austrade.

All prices in the dashboard are in Australian dollars and FOB (free-on-board) which does not include shipping, insurance or importation costs. The data is provided by Global Trade Atlas (GTA) and it uses a dynamic feed so it provides live updates as the data becomes available. For example, when looking at 2021 (current year) data, the dashboard displays each month up to August and it will load September as soon as the data is available. GTA is a market-leader in providing comprehensive global trade data in every commodity at the most detailed level of harmonised system code (HS code). GTA sources dependable monthly bilateral trade data from official imports and exports statistics supplied by nations around the world.

These reports will analyse, from a qualitative perspective, the market opportunity. The reports will focus on market structure and dynamics, packaging and promotions, competitor unique selling points, the customer base and consumer preferences. We hope to release these in 2022 and they will complement the data we are making available through the online dashboards.

Providing the industry with high quality trade data is one way to empower growers and exporters to engage with opportunities in trade and make informed decisions about participation in the marketplace.

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DASHBOARD EXAMPLES

This dashboard shows that for the year 2020, South Korea was the largest exporter of fresh strawberries into the Singapore market providing 41.5% of the volume suppled and mostly concentrated in their seasonal window of December-April.

Image credit: Berries Australia Export Hub – Trade Hub data

This dashboard shows that for the year 2020, Peru was by far the largest exporter of fresh blueberries into the Hong Kong market providing 83.9% of the volume suppled and mostly concentrated in their seasonal window of July-December.

Image credit: Berries Australia Export Hub – Trade Hub data

To be supplied with these reports, please contact export@berries.net.au

In addition to the new dashboards, Berries Australia have also been working with the Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment to access weekly commodity reports which detail, at an aggregate level, information about berry exports leaving Australia. This includes information on volume, port of departure, number of RFP’s and destination. It also offers a week-on-week and year-on-year comparison so growers and exporters can see how the industry is changing over time.

Given the sensitive nature of this information, it can only be supplied to berry levy payers, under strict conditions of confidentiality.

ACCESS TO THE EXPORT GROUP IS OPEN TO ALL BERRY GROWERS AND EXPORTERS IN AUSTRALIA When you join the group you will receive access to the Export Hub which will include useful sections including Export Help Desk, Market Access Strategies, Annual Export Plans, MRL data (coming soon) as well as an export education training course and other exclusive trade-related materials for the berry industry as these are developed. You will also receive timely and relevant alerts as an e-newsletter keeping you in touch with everything you need to know to be a successful berry exporter from Australia across the world. NOT A MEMBER OF THE EXPORT GROUP? SIGN UP NOW! bit.ly/BA-Export

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation using research and development levies from the Blueberry Fund, Raspberry and Blackberry Fund and Strawberry Fund and funds from the Australian Government. For more information on the funds and strategic levy investment visit horticulture.com.au

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C O N T E N T

Are you ready for stapling? As part of the federal Budget in October last year, the government announced the Your Future, Your Super package including a new super reform known as ‘stapling’. We asked Bruce Waltisbuhl, Sunsuper’s Regional Manager based in Brisbane for the low-down on how employers can be prepared for stapling. Q. Bruce, there were a number of legislative Q. What is the ‘tiebreaker rule’ I’ve heard about? changes that were introduced as a part of A: “Where a member has more than one existing super fund, the Your Future, Your Super package and the ATO will apply tiebreaker rules to identify the stapled ‘stapling’ was something that was a new concept fund. The ATO will focus on considerations such as which for employers. What do employers need to super account has the largest account balance, received know to be prepared for stapling? the most recent contribution and when the employee became a member, for example.” A. “Stapling came into effect on 1 November and is a single default account which is ‘stapled’ to the Q. How do you find details of a new employee’s individual employee whenever they change jobs. stapled fund? From that date onwards, employers can no longer automatically create a new super account in their A. “From 1 November you will need to use the default fund for new employees who haven’t chosen ATO Request Stapled Fund Online Service a super fund. Generally, they will be required to search to obtain each new employee’s fund details.” for an employee’s ‘stapled’ fund by contacting the ATO and will need to pay the employees’ super contributions Q. Where can we find out more? into that super fund. However, this doesn’t apply to A. “We have plenty of great information available at employees who have actively chosen their preferred super sunsuper.com.au/stapling and it’s also good to check fund and have filled out the standard choice form; and for updates at ato.gov.au as more information on stapling there are no changes required for existing employees.“ becomes available. If you’re an employer and have any concerns, it’s always a good idea to talk to your Q. Can employees still choose their own Regional Managers or call our Contact Centre super fund? on 13 11 84 and they’ll be able to assist.” A. “Yes, absolutely. That hasn’t changed. Employees can still choose their own super fund or the employer’s company Not currently with Sunsuper? default fund by completing the standard choice form.” If you’re an employer, register with Employer Online in only 5 to 10 minutes via our secure employer portal or become Q. What happens if there is no ‘stapled fund’ — a member by joining through Member Join Online both what does an employer do then? available through sunsuper.com.au A. “Where there is no stapled fund recorded by the Prefer to speak to a member of our team? ATO and no other super fund has been nominated, Call our Contact Centre on 13 11 84 between super contributions can be made into the employer’s 8.00am to 6.30pm (AEST) Monday to Friday. default fund.” Disclaimer This article has been prepared and issued by Sunsuper Pty Ltd, (ABN 88 010 720 840, AFSL No. 228975) the trustee and issuer of the Sunsuper Superannuation Fund (ABN 98 503 137 921, USI 98 503 137 921 001). It contains general advice and does not take into account the investment objectives, financial situation or needs of any particular individual. You should consider if the advice is appropriate to your own circumstances before acting on it. Consider the Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) before deciding and Target Market Determinations (TMDs). Visit sunsuper.com.au or call 13 11 84 for a copy of the PDS and TMDs.

I N D U S T R Y

New mapping tool to help safeguard protected cropping industries Compiled by Helen Newman, Berry Industry Development Officer, WA with information provided by Hort Innovation

Australian horticulture growers are being urged to contribute to the creation of a hightech mapping tool to improve biosecurity preparedness and natural disaster response efforts. The avocado, citrus, macadamia, mango, banana, and olive industries have adopted the mapping tool to help better understand industry extent, develop crop forecasts and production plans, and support decision making around labour, supply chains, and resource requirements.

Having an accurate measure of production by crop type, types of structures and growing systems utilised under protected cropping will greatly assist the development of our industry,” he said. Identifying the location of specific farming systems also provides essential information around valuechains, traceability, transport and market accessibility.

The National Protected Cropping Map, an initiative being delivered through Hort Innovation and led by the University of New England’s Applied Agricultural Remote Sensing Centre (AARSC), will capture the location of commercial polytunnels, shadehouses, glasshouses and permanent nets across Australia. Hort Innovation Head of Research and Development Byron De Kock said no comprehensive national protected cropping map currently exists, and this new initiative will significantly help industries.

University of New England project developer Professor Andrew Robson said a similar tool that was created by AARSC with Hort Innovation is already being used by many tree crop industries (Figure 1), providing a useful foundation for this Protected Cropping Area Map.

“Knowing where crops are located supports improved response to biosecurity incursions including the establishment of exclusion zones and the coordination of on-ground surveillance, and for quantifying the area of crops affected following a natural disaster.”

“This map is built via the integration of industry data, image analytics, ground validation and citizen science. It meets Australian mapping standards, is freely available and respects growers’ privacy by not including any personal grower or crop information,” he said.

The map – which is being developed with the support of Protected Cropping Australia, Future Food Systems CRC and Greater Sydney and North Coast Local Land Services – will also help growers with production planning.

“This exciting output and collaboration will again raise Australian horticulture as international leaders of the adoption of emerging technologies.”

Protected Cropping Australia Deputy Chair Matthew Plunkett said the industry body is excited about the national initiative.

I N D U S T R Y

Figure 1. The Australian Tree Crop Map interactively summarises the extent of commercial horticulture tree crops in Australia. Participating industries are using the mapping tool to help better understand industry extent, develop crop forecasts and production plans, and support decision making around labour, supply chains, and resource requirements.

Figure 2. The Protected Cropping Survey takes about two minutes to complete, and you can do it on your mobile phone or computer. Photo credit: Georgia Pearlman, University of New England.

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How to get involved

Severe Weather App

There are two ways you can contribute information to the mapping tool.

The AARSC have developed other theme-based mapping applications that overlay cropping information. Their severe weather app overlays live and historic weather information with the location of commercial horticulture tree crops in Australia.

The first is an online survey that takes about two minutes to complete, and you can do it on your mobile phone or computer (Figure 2).

Growers and their industries can use this information to understand the potential impact of severe weather events to their tree crops. Potential impact areas are summarised in pop-ups for historic thunderstorm cells and tropical cyclones (Figure 4).

Follow these steps: 1. Open the survey bit.ly/PCS-Survey 2. Add the location of the protected crop using the map or by searching the address

Current weather layers:

3. Select system type (polytunnel, glasshouse, netting, shade, other)

when weather events are active, near-real time data from the Bureau of Meteorology can be shown, including:

4. List the crops grown under the structure (strawberries, blueberries, Rubus etc.)

• • • •

5. There is also an option for adding additional comments and a photo 6. Click submit to complete your survey! If you would like to add more detailed information you can use the Industry Engagement Web App on your computer which allows you to draw polygons around your structures and provide more detailed information using the “Add a comment” tool (Figure 3).

Thunderstorms Hazardous winds Rain (radar) Severe weather warnings

Recorded thunderstorm cells: when severe thunderstorm cells are detected they are recorded and updated in this app daily. Cells can be viewed by toggling on/off using the filter for events that occurred: yesterday, last week or this year. Clicking within a cell will present the area of potential impact to tree crops, in a pop-up.

Access the Industry Engagement Web App at bit.ly/ABJ-IEWA

Recorded tropical cyclone events: the fix position, track, threat area and wind area are recorded and updated in this app every three hours. Events can be viewed individually by selecting the event name from the drop-down list. Clicking within the wind area polygon will present the area of potential impact to tree crops, in a pop-up.

The contribution of growers and stakeholders is so valuable for building an accurate map, especially so for new crops which cannot be mapped using satellite imagery aone. All the feedback received is interpreted by the research team and then actioned in updating the map.

“This information offers significant benefit to the industry by allowing re-estimates of production and, at the farm level, growers can use these outputs to support insurance claims. It's a practical example of how the AARSC, in collaboration with industry, is using satellite imagery, industry engagement and field validation to support Australia's multibillion dollar tree crop industries. With many of our most lucrative tree crops concentrated in small geographical regions, the impact of a single severe weather event can be significant." says AARSC founder and director Professor Andrew Robson.

Professor Andrew Robson

Access the Severe Weather App at bit.ly/ATCM-SWA

Figure 3. More detailed crop information can be entered using the AARSC Industry Engagement Web App.

Figure 4. The AARSC severe weather app overlays live & historic weather information with the location of commercial horticulture tree crops in Australia.

All the maps developed by the AARSC can be accessed on the University of New England website at www.une.edu.au/webapps For more information contact: Craig Shephard, University of New England | Email: cshepha2@une.edu.au

I N D U S T R Y

Labour Updates: Piece rates & the new AgVisa Rachel Mackenzie, Executive Director, Berries Australia

At the time of writing, industry was still reeling from the shock of the piece rates decision to set a floor in the piece rate. This outcome went further than anyone predicted and will have significant implications for the profitability of many growers as well as cause a major shift in how workers are managed across the sector. Unfortunately, there is little public sympathy for the sector and no reasonable likelihood of appeal so as industry associations we must turn our minds to looking at ways that growers can be paid the true cost of production and reduce input costs in other ways. This is new territory for us all. Berries Australia will be initiating conversations with all parts of the supply chain to discuss the potential implications.

employer through the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) Scheme or become accredited through an industry accreditation scheme such as Fair Farms or SEDEX or through a new DFAT accreditation process. • All recruitment will require labour market testing. • Initially, source countries will be ASEAN nations. It should be remembered that the PALM scheme is still a viable option for many growers and returning workers bring a significant productivity dividend to growers. The Prime Minister has committed to double the number of Pacific workers in Australia by March 2022, to at least 25,000 workers. With many Pacific nations recording no community transmission of COVID-19, Pacific labour mobility remains the most significant source of temporary migrant labour in the short-term. According to the Foreign Minister, more than 25,000 work-ready participants have received their full COVID-19 vaccination so growers should consider starting the process of becoming an Approved Employer. Find out more bit.ly/FAQ-SWP.

Berries Australia will also be strongly pushing for increased enforcement around the new rules. The Fair Work Ombudsman must enforce these new rules otherwise the gap between those who do the right thing and those who don’t will only increase. In terms of managing the workforce, growers will no longer be able to carry unproductive workers. One of the small silver linings is that growers may be able to employ workers under the new Ag visa by mid-2022 and these workers will become a productive, returning workforce on a dedicated work visa. Many of the details around the visa are yet to be finalised but we do know the following has been proposed:

The industry has had some very tough years in the workforce space and the new piece rate rules are certainly going to cause significant pain across the sector. But people will always need fresh fruit and vegetables, so there will be a strong incentive for the supply chain to work together to manage these issues. It should also be noted that if there were fewer examples of underpayment within the sector then the decision may have gone another way, but those who applied piece rates correctly have ultimately been let down by those who used it as a way to underpay.

• T here will be two lengths of visa: A long term (four-year) multi-entry ‘skilled’ visa; and a shortterm (at least 9 months) seasonal visa for semi and low-skilled workers. • A ll workers will need to be sponsored to enter the country and the initial employer will need to be a “Temporary Activity Sponsor”. Initial employers will need to provide at least 3 months’ work. • A ll employers must demonstrate they are fit and proper either through becoming an approved

I N D U S T R Y

Using biocontrol to tackle fruit fly populations in orchards and urban areas Paul Cunningham, Agriculture Victoria and Tony Clarke, Queensland University of Technology

A national research project led by Agriculture Victoria and co-sponsored by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) and Hort Innovation aims to develop a biocontrol strategy for managing Queensland fruit fly populations in Australia. The project is exploring the use of Australian parasitoid wasps that specifically target Queensland fruit fly eggs and larvae, and the potential for developing biopesticides as alternatives to chemical insecticides.

Parasitoid wasps: Our friends and the fruit fly’s enemy Parasitoid wasps (parasitoids) are renowned for their ability to hunt down their prey — other insects. The adult parasitoid uses its acute sense of smell like a sniffer dog, locating its ‘host’ and then laying an egg in or onto it. The parasitoid larva then feeds on its host insect and eventually kills it. Parasitoids are used throughout the world as safe and effective biological control (biocontrol) agents for managing many agricultural pests. The best known and most widely used parasitoids in biocontrol programs against fruit flies belong to an insect family called Braconidae (braconids). Fruit fly infesting braconids lay their eggs into eggs or larvae concealed within the fruit, where the immature wasp then grows before emerging as a next-generation adult from the pupal case of the now dead fly. Parasitised fruit fly maggots continue feeding, so these wasps are not a pesticide replacement for immediate fruit fly control. However, with field surveys showing that parasitoids can cause more than 30 per cent mortality of fruit fly populations, they should be regarded as a critical component of a fruit fly area-wide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system.

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A newly released parasitoid, Fopius arisanus, hunting for fruit fly eggs on an infested guava. Photo credit: David Madge, Agriculture Victoria

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Collaborative research currently underway by Agriculture Victoria and the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is looking to increase the impact of fruit fly parasitoids on fruit fly populations through two major activities: liberation (“augmentation”) and conservation.

Both species only attack Queensland fruit fly and other fruit flies of the same family (tephritids). Trial liberations of in total 34,000 F. arisanus were made into organic orchards and urban areas in summer and early autumn 2021, with recoveries during late autumn showing that the wasps had established and were breeding.

Liberating parasitoids in Victoria

Work this season involves surveys to see if wasps have survived the winter, as well as several more liberations over larger areas. The eventual aim is to have parasitoids available for fruit fly control in temperate Australia, either through permanent establishment or annual commercial release.

In Victoria, the fruit fly parasitoids are almost entirely absent, either because they have not kept up with the southwards spread of Qfly, or because they cannot survive winter. In the first part of the project two parasitoid species, Fopius arisanus and Diachasmimorpha kraussii, have been collected from the field in South-East Queensland and transported to Victoria.

Release cages in an apple orchard in the Goulburn Valley. Around 3,000 wasps were released at this site. Photo credit: Agriculture Victoria

Controlling fruit flies in urban areas The recent increase in fruit fly populations in regional towns and cities in Victoria is of concern to fruit and vegetable growers across the state. High fruit fly numbers are a nuisance to home gardeners, but the major concern to industry is that these ‘source populations’ of flies then disperse out into the orchards, where they cause serious damage to crops and threaten sales on domestic and international markets. Tackling fruit fly populations in towns and cities could be a major step towards reducing the fruit fly problem in the southern states (Victoria, NSW, and South Australia). Mass releases of parasitoids could also be used together with other strategies such as sterile insect technique (SIT) to help manage fruit fly incursions.

Associate Professor Paul Cunningham, project leader for the national fruit fly biocontrol project, holding a papaya covered with parasitoids, at Agriculture Victoria’s mass rearing centre, Tatura SmartFarm, Victoria. Photo credit: Agriculture Victoria

The mass rearing facility at the Agriculture Victoria Tatura SmartFarm. Photo credit: Agriculture Victoria

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Conservation biocontrol

Additional parasitoid conservation research is looking at the ability of wild tobacco, a woody-weed that grows along creek lines and paddock edges, to act as a reservoir of F. arisanus. The fruit of wild tobacco supports maggots of a non-pest fruit fly, which QUT research has shown also hosts year-round populations of F. arisanus.

From central NSW north the fruit fly parasitoids are already established in the field. Therefore conservation, rather than liberation, is the key research area. Crop hygiene, the collection and destruction of fallen fruit, is an important fruit fly management tool but it also destroys parasitoids.

QUT are currently investigating the distance the wasp will migrate from wild tobacco to a crop, but evidence so far suggests that leaving some self-seeded wild tobacco growing in a gully, or on a farm edge, is an excellent way to conserve the parasitoids between crop cycles.

Augmentoria, containers in which infested fruit can be placed and only parasitoids (i.e. not fruit flies) can escape, are a tool which overcomes this problem. QUT research has shown that mesh with a 2.00 mm hole size releases >90 per cent of wasps while retaining nearly 100 per cent of fruit flies.

Acknowledgements

Fifty-percent shade cloth has this hole size, so if used to cover the opening of a rubbish bin, for example, fallen fruit loaded into the bin will release wasps but not flies; thus, crop hygiene is achieved while conserving the parasitoids. Augmentoria can be of any volume, making the technology scalable.

The national fruit fly biocontrol project is enabled through co-investment with Agriculture Victoria; Queensland University of Technology; Western Sydney University; the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI); the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment Project 4-EKSH327 (A National Biocontrol Program to Manage Pest Fruit Flies in Australia, as part of the Strengthening Australia’s Fruit Fly System Research Program); and Hort Innovation Project MT19003 (Parasitoids for the Management of Fruit Flies in Australia), a multi-industry strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Apple and Pear, Citrus, Raspberry and Blackberry, Strawberry, Summerfruit, Table Grape and Vegetable Funds.

To find out more please contact Associate Professor Paul Cunningham at paul.cunningham@agriculture.vic.gov.au

Colin Harris, the researcher leading the QUT component of the natural enemies project, beside an augmentoria at a field demonstration. In this case the augmentoria is a garden compost bin, with a hole cut in the lid and fitted with 50 per cent shade cloth. If loaded with windfall fruit this device will capture emergent fruit flies while releasing the beneficial wasps. Photo credit: Linda Clarke QUT

A D V E R T O R I A L

C O N T E N T

B E R R I E S

A U S T R A L I A

THANK YOU Berries Australia wishes to acknowledge the continued support of our Corporate Partners & Associate Members throughout this difficult time – find out more about the businesses that support our industry here.

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SILVER PARTNER HAYGROVE Our versatile Advantage range has been specifically engineered with tomorrow in mind. Strength, ease of management and a superior agronomic environment allow growers to reduce labour requirements, extend cropping seasons and optimise yield and quality. The Advantage series features three premium field scale tunnels, designed and used by us in our farms around the world: EZvent for automated venting • Double Skin for dual layer insulation • Fixed Top Vent for continual air exchange

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SILVER PARTNER GARDEN CITY PLASTICS Garden City Plastics are dedicated to providing excellent service, quality products and the latest in new technology. Garden City Plastics supply a comprehensive range of containers, accessories and other plastic products wholesale, throughout Australia and overseas. Garden City Plastics is one of Australia’s largest pot manufacturers, with sales offices in 5 states: Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia with distributors in Tasmania.

To learn more: www.gardencityplastics.com | 1300 695 098 | info@gardencityplastics.com

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A & D Australasia

Australian Growing Solutions

A&D is a world leader in analog to digital conversion technology and it's this core competency that forms the heart of A&D’s precise and reliable weighing, automation and inspection products. A&D's most popular products include checkweighers, food grade metal detectors, x-rays, industrial scales, precision balances, and moisture analysis instruments.

Australian Growing Solutions are one of the largest potting mix manufacturers in the country. We have sites in Victoria and NSW and currently supply to all corners of Australia. Our newest product, GrowFibre sustainable growing substrate, is set to take the hydroponic market by storm. Contact us for more information.

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W www.agsolutions.net.au 1800 709 588 | sales@agsolutions.net.au

ABC Software

Cleared Security

ABC Software provides solutions for growers and packers. Our on-farm application, ABCgrower, makes managing your worker and picker activities easy. This reduces costs, raises efficiencies, and improves the access and quality of real-time information. Our packhouse application, ABCpacker, manages all aspects of packing, inventory, selling and grower payments.

Cleared Security is a 100% Australian owned IT security company that delivers bespoke security services to a wide variety of customers, ranging from large Federal Government organisations through to small private businesses requiring value for money solutions. At Cleared Security, our core principles of integrity, excellence, and professionalism ensure our customers receive the highest level of service and our technical security advice remains uncompromised.

W www.abcsoftware.co.nz +64 6 845 0068 | info@abcsoftware.co.nz

W www.cleared.io 02 6108 3674 | info@cleared.io

Approach Refrigeration Approach Refrigeration has over 40 years’ experience in the Fresh Produce Industry starting as a project manager at CTS Thermfresh. As the founding Director and operator of Cool Dynamics Refrigeration for a further 20 years, Approach Refrigeration can now offer its vast knowledge in the cooling methods and storage requirements of fresh produce to ensure maximum shelf life and product quality. At Approach Refrigeration we offer a variety of Cold Chain solutions which can be specifically designed for your business needs.

Eco Berry ECO BERRY has a simple to install and use ECO FLAT WING trellis system specifically designed for growing Raspberry, Blackberry and Blueberry crops – with on‐going labour savings ‐ from the ECO TRELLIS range of horticultural trellising products.

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GP Graders

Elite Tunnels Elite Tunnels are manufacturers and suppliers of field scale polytunnels, substrate growing systems and ancillary parts. Our polytunnel range suit a variety of climates. We can design, deliver and build projects of any scale. We believe the quality and longevity of our products along with the professional and personal customer service is significantly superior to that offered by our competitors. We hold a large stock of all ancillary parts including C-clips, hinge clamps, and sheeting rope. We also hold a wide range of plastic film in stock allowing the grower to get plastic at short notice.

GP Graders is a multi‐award winning world leader in fruit grading & sorting technology. We emphasise building and designing products that are fast, accurate, and gentle with your produce. Combining the very latest advances in technology with precision engineering, our machinery increases competitiveness and profitability for our customers.

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This cutting‐edge technology is revolutionising how blueberries are packed and sold across the globe. The range of AirJet® graders with gpVision™ can sort blueberries according to size, colour, quality and softness/firmness. It also separates blueberries with defects such as shrivel, scar and other various damage.

Netafim Netafim is the leading global provider of end‐to‐end smart irrigation solutions. We ensure you achieve success and profitability through a fully sustainable, precision operation. We can help you maximise efficiency and drive profitability through the precise application of water and nutrients to increase yields and reduce inputs.

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TriCal TriCal specialises in the supply of Strike soil fumigants and application equipment. Our fumigants are the most effective way to help growers control a wide range of soil pests and disease. Additionally, Strike promotes native beneficial soil micro‐organisms; supports growth of a healthy root system; improves water and nutrient‐ use efficiency.

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I N D U S T R Y

Approved Employers of Australia: Who are they? Jane Richter

Founded in 2019, the Approved Employers of Australia (AEA) is an association formed to represent the businesses who participate in the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) and the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS). The AEA has a Code of Conduct which outlines its values and the standards which members are obliged to uphold:

The association exists to provide support to its members to inform and educate, and to advocate on their behalf at all levels of government. The sharing of information and experience amongst its members is one of the Associations key strengths.

CORE VALUES

The Board is comprised of a group of skilled and experienced professionals who are committed to ensuring the best outcomes for all parties that are involved in the current schemes: Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) and Pacific Labour Scheme PLS).

INTEGRITY ACCO U N TA B I L I T Y CO M M I TM E N T

Led by Executive Officer Steve Burdette, the AEA Board are passionate about providing a united voice to discuss operational and policy issues with stakeholders including key industry groups in Australia and offshore in the participating Pacific Islands.

STANDARDS Lead by example by doing what we say we do Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to benefit the program

They are also a very active voice in lobbying the Commonwealth Government to implement changes and improvements to the schemes.

Commitment to worker Health, Welfare & Wellbeing as agreed by the Association

The AEA is also a member of the PALM and AG Visa Advisory Group as well as the PALM Agricultural Committee, which meets quarterly and provides guidance on the merger and operational governance of the SWP and PLS.

emuneration in accordance with relevant Industrial Relations Instrument Compliance with minimum accommodation and transport standards agreed to by the Association AEA members agree to be held accountable to meet or exceed the standards set by the Association and to notify the Executive Officer of any AEA member not adhering to our standards

The AEA also has an active role in encouraging members to participate in assurance and compliance schemes that are recognised in the various industry sectors to ensure all members apply the highest ethical employment standards possible.

THE AEA WELCOMES NEW APPROVED EMPLOYERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING THE ASSOCIATION.

Examples of these accreditation schemes are:

Approved Employers of Australia Ltd P.O. Box 9190, Burnett Heads QLD 4670 ACN 631 725 043

FAIR FARMS: the industry-led initiative aimed at fostering fair and responsible employment practices in Australian horticulture

Steve Burdette Executive Officer +61 427 861 251

Visit fairfarms.com.au

Sue Williams Communication & Administration Co-Ordinator +61 484 256 002 E: enquiries@approvedemployers.com.au www.approvedemployersofaustralia.com.au

SEDEX: an international standard to support companies

twitter-square @AEofAustralia

to manage responsible sourcing throughout their supply chain and combat modern slavery

Visit sedex.com

Since the restart of the SWP & PLS program in September 2020, the AEA and its members have taken a leading role to get the program underway under extremely challenging circumstances. Each state and territory introduced its own quarantine pathway and systems and processes to bring workers into the country, causing significant confusion and delays. The AEA entered into a contractual agreement with Agriculture Victoria to assist with labour mobility in 2021/2022. To date 9,000 workers have been brought into Australia since the restart with the majority being SWP workers compared to PLS workers. The Association has over 50 members, representing most of the large horticultural businesses that have already embraced the benefits of securing workers through either the PLS or SWP. Members enjoy a range of benefits, but the key resource provided is a weekly e-newsletter that provides a real-time, comprehensive update on both programs.

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To learn more about how our machinery and technologies can increase competitiveness and profitability in your business, visit gpgraders.com or email gpvision@gpgraders.com

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:

• Maintaining a a dedicated marketing campaign • R esearch & development into registered chemicals + IPM + Integrated Disease Management programs • F unding legal advice to support appropriate planning conditions • P rogressing applications for market access to key markets such as New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam • Developing export protocols into Japan • Funding our Industry Development Officer • Funding our Executive Director and support staff • C ommunication and engagement with members – industry journal, e-news, website, conference • P romoting positive industry stories and addressing negative media • 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? For this year standard levies are $0.07/kg fruit sold. This will cover both R&D and Marketing investments.

When do I pay the voluntary levy? Levies are payable once every financial quarter:

1. Prepare a statement with the following information • 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) 2. Email the statement to the Membership Officer Email statement to: admin@berries.net.au The Membership Officer will send you an Invoice for payment 3. Pay your levy to the ABGA account Account name: Bank: BSB: Account: Reference:

Australian Blueberry Growers’ Association Westpac 033 10 7 181 4 71 GROWER NAME + Financial Quarter (e.g. “Joe Bloggs Q2 levy”)

y agent deducts levies — M what do I need to do? 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

Period Covered

Payable by

What about confidentiality of the information provided?

1 July – 30 September

31 October

Any information provided will be kept confidential.

1 October – 31 December

31 January

I need help, who do I contact?

1 January – 31 March

30 April

1 April – 30 June

31 July

Quarter

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Wendy Morris Email: admin@berries.net.au | Phone: 0491 751 123

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Australian Blueberries Marketing Update Jane Richter & Magnum & Co

The Australian Blueberry marketing campaign is funded solely by the ABGA voluntary levy. If you are a blueberry grower and are not currently paying any levy, please SEE PAGE 54 to find out how you can contribute to the growth drivers of your industry. Let’s take a look at how the season is tracking based on the overview given in the last edition of the Australian Berry Journal. Firstly, here’s a quick reminder of the timing of activity between July & March:

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

JAN

FEB

MAR

Social Media activity & Paid Digital Advertising across 5 platforms (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok & Pinterest) Leah Itsines Influencer & Recipe book collaboration 8 –10 influencers generating & sharing content across all Australian Blueberry channels Public Relations (Earned) media activity Monthly e-newsletters to our 10,000+ Blueberry fans Promotion of the Recipe Book through all channels to attract new Blueberry fans

SOCIAL MEDIA

To the end of October, we have achieved over 14,000,000 impressions across our social media channels, with reach of 5,450,510 and active engagements by our target audience of 1,067,978. Over 41,000 interactions have ended up in a click through to our website.

D I G I TA L A M B ASS A D O R S

Our season ambassador, Leah Itsines, is the author of The Nourishing Cook and is an expert in eating well and enjoying food. Leah has created a series of recipe videos and still images for us to use across our social media and press campaigns throughout the season. —— We have also engaged a further 10 social media influencers to produce and share incredible blueberry content, backed up with key health and seasonal messaging curated by us to deliver a varied but integrated campaign. —— To date, we have 28 live pieces of social content created by our influencer group that have delivered 458,000 OTS.

EARNED MEDIA

As part of our partnership with Leah, she has provided us with a series of quotes that we can use in pitching stories to the more traditional media channels like magazines, health & lifestyle platforms or websites. To the end of October, we had already achieved 32 pieces of media coverage with a combined OTS of 34.2 million.

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D I G I TA L M E D I A

In partnership with Leah, we have created and shared a digital Australian Blueberries recipe book which can be downloaded from our website in return for joining our monthly e-newsletter subscription list. To the end of October, the recipe book has been downloaded over 3,000 times and generated over 3,200 new subscribers taking our total e-newsletter audience to over 13,500. We also have a very high open rate for our e-newsletters, averaging 36.7% compared with the food industry average of just 21.3% demonstrating that our fans are highly engaged with the material we include in our e-newsletters.

LAMINGTON AVOCADO CHO BLUEBERRY PRO COLATE TEISSE N MOU BALLS FILLED VANILLA CHI& WITH FRESH A BLUEBERRY WITH PUDDING JAM BLUEBERRIES

Australian Blueberries & Leah Itsines

RECIPE BOOK

Serves 12

Prep 15 mins 9

Serves Cook

3-4 30 mins

Prep 3 mins

Serves Cook 2 0 mins

Prep 5 mins

Cook

To set – 3+ hrs

I M P R E SS I O N S Impressions are the number of times your content is displayed, no matter if it was clicked on or not.

Back in 2019, we spent a few days in the Coffs Harbour area creating a series of videos that we used in both the 2019 and 2020 marketing seasons.

R E AC H Reach is the total number of people who see your content.

This year we spent a long day filming at two additional farms, and the material that was captured will form part of our Earned media pitching and be used in our social channels.

E N GAG E M E N T S Engagements is any interaction a fan has with your social media content that shows they are interested in your post, for example a ‘like’, ‘comment’ or ‘share’.

A big thank you to Kellie Potts from Sandy Beach and Brad Hocking at Costa for giving up their time to assist us – grower stories are really popular with blueberry lovers and form an important part of our overall strategy.

OPPORTUNITIES TO SEE (OTS) OTS is a measure in media which indicates the number of times the viewer is most likely to see the piece of content or advert. So it is basically a measure of the frequency of media exposure.

If you have any questions about the current season or if you’d like to be a part of the grower content, please contact: blueberries@magnumandco.com.au www.australianblueberries.com.au FACEBOOK-SQUARE instagram australianblueberries

5426C

HEALTHY FIELDS. HEALTHY YIELDS.

From greenhouses to orchards to field crops … TriCal partners with you to improve soil health. Our customers consistently achieve increased crop value and reduced pest and disease issues. Get in touch for details on our demonstration offer.

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trical.com.au

Our substrate performs precisely how our customers expect it to. That’s because they are an integral part of fine-tuning the mixture. Another reason we’re successful is that we thoroughly wash and buffer the coco which is part of many mixtures. Moreover, we produce to order and our own laboratory analyses the quality of the raw materials and the finished product. Call me or one of my colleagues and tell us what you expect from your ideal substrate.

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B L U E B E R R I E S

International Blueberry Organization’s (IBO) 2021 Summit: A Summary Melinda Simpson, Berry Industry Development Officer, NSW DPI

This summary has been compiled from the report entitled ‘Consistent Quality is the new Blue – A Look into the Future of the Blueberry Market’ presented by Rabobank The International Blueberry Organization’s (IBO) 2021 Summit, was held virtually from 23-25 August 2021. The symposium was originally set to take place in Trujillo, Peru between August 10 and 12, 2020, but was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. Below is a summary of the conference using information sourced from Rabobank’s “A look into the Future of the Blueberry Market”.

One of the key destinations that Peru is planning to extend its export presence is to China, starting by doubling its exports to China in 2021/22. China's blueberry production is also rapidly increasing with volumes in 2020 reaching 347,000 tonnes, with 67% of those being fresh blueberries. The local supply of Chinese fresh blueberries will continue to increase and to move from the summer period to start filling the gaps at the shoulders of the season, putting pressure on the imported supply, mainly from Peru and Chile.

Global production and exports Global highbush blueberry planted area surpassed 205,000 hectares in 2020 with production expected to continue to grow firmly in the next few years. The majority of the area planted is still concentrated in the Americas however the Asia – Pacific is rapidly expanding. South America is growing fast, and new regions are being developed in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Chile is the second largest global exporter of blueberries but shows signs of maturity, with its growth stabilising in the last 5 years. The area under blueberries in Chile has marginally increased in the last few years with a focus on changing varieties to improve productivity and quality of the Chilean supply. Peru and Chile have excellent market access with tariff-free access to China, Europe and the United States. South Africa, Mexico and other northern Hemisphere countries have high tariffs into China. This coupled with the current elevation of logistics costs will limit market diversification from some growing regions in the short-term.

The top five ranking countries that produce fresh blueberries include Peru, US, Chile, China and Mexico. The rankings for export on the other hand are slightly different. It is estimated that by 2025/26, 90,000 tonnes will be exported with over 70% coming from Peru, Chile, Canada, Spain and Morocco (Figure 1).

Industry wide thoughts from Rabobank

Plantings in Peru may grow at a slower rate over the next few years due to political uncertainties and supply challenges, but Peru will reaffirm its place as the largest fresh blueberry exporter in the world. Since the 19/20 season Peru has been the largest global fresh blueberry exporter. Its peak shipments are from September to November, but Peru is extending its growing season

As the market becomes more competitive and as consumers demand more consistent supply, good quality is important to seize growth opportunities. Breeding programs are developing cultivars for different chill requirements, focusing on flavour, firmness and shelf life. The blueberry industry as a whole requires strong and efficient growers, packers, and shippers in every growing region and reliable partners to create an effective marketing circle (Figure 2).

and in the future hopes to produce all year round.

Figure 1. Fresh blueberry exports by country of origin, season 2010/11 to 2025/26.

Note: Marketing season for southern hemisphere countries and Mexico is the period between July of the first year and June of the second year. For other countries, it is the first year of the season. Source: Trade Map, Customs Chile, Customs Peru, Customs Mexico, Rabobank estimates 2021

Figure 2. Growth opportunities for the blueberry industry.

Source: Rabobank 2021

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Some of the winning strategies that Rabobank highlight for the future of the blueberry industry include: Marketing opportunities:

establishing partnerships, joint ventures and acquisitions along the supply chain.

Diversification:

grow the portfolio of fruits and potentially offer other complementary berry products.

Consistency and quality:

consistent supply in terms of flavour, texture and size is required.

Blueberry products:

opportunities may appear for the processed sector. Some segments such as concentrated and ready to drink juices, pulps, and dehydrated blueberries remain underdeveloped.

Mechanical harvesting:

given the labour costs/ challenges, investing in technologies and genetics that allow mechanical harvesting in the blueberry space will provide a competitive advantage.

New marketing channels:

online grocery shopping and delivery are here to stay, make sure that marketing campaigns are linked to these platforms.

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Organics:

organic production is set to grow to reach 20% or 30% of the market in some regions with room for growth in this segment.

Innovation in packaging:

environmental sustainability aspects will continue pushing toward innovation in packaging for berries.

Ian Mason Call us now 1800 797 629 or +61 448 111 384 E info@aussiefrostfans.com.au or visit aussiefrostfans.com.au

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B L U E B E R R I E S

Organic crop protectants for controlling blueberry rust Melinda Simpson, NSW DPI & Jay Anderson, Centre for Organics Research, Southern Cross University

The field trial

• N SW Department of Primary Industries with the help of Southern Cross University have recently conducted a field trial to evaluate a range of organic crop protectants to manage blueberry rust disease (caused by Thekopsora minima).

The trial evaluated eight products for control of blueberry rust (Table 1). Products were applied as foliar sprays every 2 weeks from April through to June. Mancozeb and copper were included as reference treatments in the trial, in addition to the products being evaluated. Trials were set up in a complete randomised block design with five replicate blocks per treatment and three plants assessed in each treatment block. Each block had a 2-plant internal buffer and each row was separated by a buffer row.

• T his trial is part of a larger project led by Kara Barry from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture and funded via the Tasmanian Government through the Agricultural Innovation Fund.

Table 1. Fungicides and application rates evaluated for their efficacy against blueberry rust.

Active Constituent Mancozeb Copper present as hydroxide Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain QST 713 Crustacean and wild fish waste fortified with trace minerals and vitamins Emulsifiable botanical oil Polyoxin D zinc salt Potassium bicarbonate + potassium silicate Emulsifiable botanical oil Electrolysed oxidised water Emulsifiable botanical oil

Trade Name

Rate of Application (g/100L)

Mancozeb DF 750

200 g /100 L

Blue Shield DF 500g/kg

105 g /100 L

Serenade® Opti

250 g /100 L

Aminogro® +

Synertrol® Horti Oil 850 EC

250 mL

Intervene®

40 g /100 L

Ecocarb® Plus 945 SP +

400 g /100 L

Synertrol Horti Oil 850EC

250 mL/100 L

Anolyte

20 L/100L

Eco-oil® 850 SL

500 mL/100 L

Figure 1. Rust levels on experimental plants in the trial. Photo credit: Jay Anderson, SCU.

Measuring rust severity We assessed disease severity on 20 leaves per plant by visually rating the leaf area affected by blueberry rust every two weeks (Figure 2). The cumulative disease severity for the whole season can be visualised by looking at the area under the disease progress curve (Figure 3).

Figure 2. Disease severity following application of treatments against blueberry rust. Data presented are the average disease score over time, where a score of 0 indicates leaves with no blueberry rust and 4 indicates leaves with 15–25% leaf area affected by blueberry rust. Vertical bars span 95% confidence limits for the best and worst performing treatments. Upward arrows represent spray dates. Figure 2 provided by: Steve Morris, NSW DPI

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100

Mean (AUDPC)

80 70 60

Eco-Oil

Copper

abc

50 40 30 20 10 0 Aminogra Mancozeb + Synertol Horti Oil

Intervene

Anolyte

Serenade Opti

EcoCarb + Synertol Horti Oil

Figure 3. Disease severity of blueberry rust expressed as the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) following fortnightly application of selected chemicals from April through to June 2021. Different letters at each column indicate significant differences between treatments (P<0.05).

Key Findings Disease severity increased over the season (Figure 2). Blueberry rust is favoured by high relative humidity, rainfall and -warm temperatures (18–25°C). These conditions were experienced throughout the trial which most likely contributed to the high disease levels experienced. Best performing products included Eco-oil, Copper, Aminogro + Synertrol Horti Oil, Mancozeb and Intervene with no significant differences found between these treatments. (Figure 3).

What's next This trial will be repeated over the next 6 months to verify the results. The key project output will be a minor use permit for the product that demonstrates effective control of rust in blueberries and is safe for the crop. This will provide growers with additional options to reduce biosecurity risk and maintain crop productivity and market access.

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Breeding Passion — A look into blueberry breeding operations at Mountain Blue in Tabulam, Northern NSW Helen Newman, WA Berry Industry Development Officer, Agricultural Produce Commission

Australia is home to some of the world’s best blueberry breeders. We spoke to renowned breeder and founder of Mountain Blue, Ridley Bell, and his team about the complexities, challenges, and future of blueberry breeding. How it all started The Mountain Blue breeding program started in the early 2000’s. Ridley Bell’s involvement in blueberry breeding started much earlier than that though, spanning more than four decades (46 years to be precise) from when he imported seed from North America in 1975 for the first commercially-grown blueberry variety in Australia ‘Brigitta’.

I needed the genetic material, and the Spanish company needed a breeder. Neither of us had any money so it was a win-win situation for us both. It was a stressful time financially [with no income for 6 years] but a cross I made in Spain resulted in the creation of the well-known Eureka variety.

Ridley spent time in the United States in the 1980’s where he visited breeding areas and developed relationships with other breeders. He started importing selections into Australia during this time and went on to make his own selections in the early 1990’s. Ridley worked full-time as a horticultural consultant in these early years, running breeding trials after work and on weekends. He soon saw the need for better genetics and took a leap of faith in 2001, offering his services (for free) to head up the breeding program at the Atlantic Blueberry Company in Spain in exchange for genetic material.

How does the breeding program work? The Mountain Blue breeding program operates 365 days per year and employs 4-5 full-time staff breeding both Northern and Southern Highbush blueberry varieties. The breeding process starts by selecting good parents with desirable attributes. These parents are crossed, and seedlings are planted-out for evaluation. Each year, between 7,000 and 9,000 seedlings are planted, and these are evaluated over 2-3 years. There are around 20,000-25,000 seedlings under evaluation in any given year.

The Spanish company were struggling financially so it was a win-win situation in Ridley’s eyes. It wasn’t without its risks though, and Ridley is very thankful to his family who bailed him out financially on more than one occasion.

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What pays for the breeding program?

Seedlings that show merit are ‘selected’ and go through further evaluation at trial sites in NSW, VIC, and QLD, to assess their agronomic, yield and quality traits under different commercial growing conditions. It can take several years of trials to gather enough data to determine if a selection (cultivar) is worth progressing through the breeding program and into varietal development and commercialisation.

Now that the breeding program is up and running it pays for itself. Breeding is a continual cycle, there are always new varieties under development and ones that are already commercialised. Commercial varieties generate royalties that are fed back into the breeding program to help support its continuation. Mountain Blue is also a multifaceted business with three other income streams that support the breeding program: a nursery plant supply business, a commercial fruitproducing farm, and a marketing service.

When selections reach the commercialisation stage, they are grown at larger scale sites throughout Australia and the world to assess their performance under commercial pressures. Data is collected for 5-6 years from these sites and is used to create a ‘recipe’ for growing aimed at getting the best possible yield and quality out of the variety.

What’s the main aim of your breeding program? To provide customers with an excellent eating experience. Fruit must have excellent flavour first and foremost, if a seedling doesn’t produce good tasting fruit it won’t make it through the selection process. Crunch or firmness is the second most important factor we breed for, no one wants to eat a soft blueberry. Consumers also prefer large berries, so berry size rounds off the top three parameters we select for.

Ridley and his team describe the highs and lows of blueberry breeding: “At any point along the way you can have heartbreak. We just recently had a very promising variety under development that we had to let go. It had large berries with the greatest crunch we have ever seen, but all the fruit split in a big rain event.” Ridley Bell

There are many other traits we also consider when making selections including: machine harvestability/ ease of picking, shelf life, yield, disease resistance, and performance in different climates and under different growing methods. We are also aiming to develop varieties that will allow us to supply blueberries to the consumer for 52 weeks of the year.

“You must have a passion for blueberries to be a breeder – you’ve got to eat thousands of them every week. It’s very satisfying to do taste panels and see other people’s pleasant surprise when they experience the size, crunch and flavour of our blueberries that they could never have imagined.” Tom Gunther

What are the challenges? Trying to meet different growing styles, climate variability and consumer preferences. We are breeding for the future so must be on top of market trends. What type of product will the consumer want in 5-10 years? Can fruit be too large? Can it be too crunchy? What type of systems will growers be using in 5-10 years? Breeding is a long-term game, and you are breeding for an unknown future. We work closely with growers around the world to make sure we are keeping up with the everchanging industry. We need to be adaptable.

How long does it take to get a variety ready for release?

In practical terms, the time and space required to maintain a successful breeding program is another challenge. Research and development plots for our breeding program cover almost 10ha at our commercial farm in Tabulam, and we don’t sell fruit out of the trial. “To get a good blueberry takes a lot of work through bad ones, so you need a lot of space.” Ridley Bell

It takes between 7-10 years to create a commercial variety. We are currently in process of commercialising a variety that was selected 7 years ago from a cross that was made 10 years ago. We have released nine varieties over the last 10 years.

Ridley Bell & Pollination team at work in the 10ha variety trial site in Tabulam, NSW. Photo credit: Mountain Blue.

Plants are carefully pollinated by hand to cross parent plants with desirable traits. Photo credit: Mountain Blue.

What’s the future of blueberry breeding?

Plant Breeders’ Rights Huge investments of time, resources and expertise go into breeding new varieties of any plant and there is a legal protection mechanism available to protect new varieties so that they cannot be stolen and used by others outside of licensing arrangements.

There are three viewpoints on this: • F rom a consumer viewpoint, it’s continually improving flavour, crunch, and size. • F rom a grower viewpoint, the biggest focus at present is on harvestability and machine harvesting, this is in addition to producing hardy plants with high yields and fruit that stores well for future export markets.

Plant breeders’ rights (PBR), also known as plant variety rights (PVR), are rights granted to the breeder of a new variety of plant that give the breeder exclusive control over the propagating material (including seed, cuttings, divisions, tissue culture) and harvested material (cut flowers, fruit, foliage) of a new variety for a number of years.

• C limate change is the third viewpoint that must be considered, we need to be more adaptable in the decades ahead and breed for climatic extremes.

How do growers access your varieties?

PBR is a complex process, but the important take away is that any material over which PBR has been granted is fully protected by the laws of Australia and severe penalties can be applied to anyone who infringes that legal protection.

Growers can get in touch with the Mountain Blue team to discuss options for varieties in their region. Along with getting access to the genetics, growers are provided with agronomic support and marketing to help ensure the best possible outcome.

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Overview: th 12 International Vaccinium Symposium Melinda Simpson, Berry Industry Development Officer, NSW DPI

The International Society for Horticultural Sciences 12th International Vaccinium Symposium was held virtually from the 30 August to 1 September 2021. The Symposium was originally scheduled to be held in September 2020, in Nova Scotia, Canada but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There were many technical sessions including sessions on plant physiology and nutrition, breeding genetics and phenomics, pest management, pollination, production systems and sustainability, berry composition and post-harvest.

Rather than reschedule again, the Symposium was held as a completely online event, including virtual presentations, poster sessions, trade show, and field tour (Figure 1).

I was lucky enough to register and present at the conference and it has been fantastic to be able to listen to all the amazing research and work that is happening in the blueberry industry world-wide.

The sessions and events were accessed via a virtual lobby where anyone who registered could log into the session live and ask questions of the presenters. Registration also included access to recordings of all sessions and tours for 12 months so that participants could listen to all presentations at leisure.

There has been so much information covered over the course of the Vaccinium Symposium, it is not possible to summarise things into one journal article.

Figure 1. 12th International Vaccinium Symposium virtual lobby. Photo credit: ISHS

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Instead, I will be putting out short articles in the upcoming editions which will cover each of the themes of the conference. These articles will also be made available on the berries.net.au website for those who are interested in learning more about the latest research in all things blueberry.

The key focus they have when choosing and keeping varieties is choosing those that are machine harvestable. The operation has recently purchased a custom-built on-target spray unit from Oregon which can spray five rows at one time (Figure 3). It uses electrostatic nozzles which means that they can keep their spray volume low whilst still achieving thorough coverage.

As part of the conference, they had several pre-recorded field tours that you could log on to watch. In the highbush blueberry session, they went to Blueberry Acres one of the larger producers in the Nova Scotia area where Bobby Kidston gave an overview of the operation (Figure 2). They currently have over 210 acres with over 30 different varieties.

They have found that the surface leaf coverage from this spray unit is 10 times what they were achieving from their traditional tractor and pull behind spray unit and can cover much more ground with a single spray tank.

Figure 2. Bobby Kidston (Nova Agri) & Sonny Murray (Perennia) at Blueberry Acres in Nova Scotia, Canada. Photo credit: ISHS

Figure 3. Custom built spray unit demonstrated on the virtual field tour. Photo credit: ISHS

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Profile: Tru Blu Berries, Tasmania Mark Salter, Berry Industry Development Officer, Fruit Growers Tasmania

A growing business

I recently travelled down to Lymington to catch up with Damian Clark and his sister Sharon to talk about the Clark family’s experience growing blueberries. Situated in the Huon Valley, the Clarks have been growing blueberries for over 40 years, making them one of the early pioneers of the Tasmanian blueberry industry. Damian has taken over the management of his family’s blueberry farm “Tru Blu Berries”.

Damian went straight from school onto the farm about 25 years ago to work with his father, and in 2000 they purchased the next-door property with the view to expanding their operation. When managing the new plantings, Damian says he prefers to let the blueberry bushes become established before cropping them, generally letting them grow for around 4-5 years before allowing them to crop. By doing so, Damian believes he achieves a larger bush which is more productive in the long term, generally achieving yields of around 12-14 tonnes per ha depending on variety.

Production Tru Blu Berries have planted Northern Highbush varieties including ‘Blue Rose’ and ‘Blue Crop’, with ‘Brigitta’ making up most of the plantings. Damian’s view is that he will stick with ‘Brigitta’ as he finds it easy to grow and the variety produces consistent high-quality fruit. The property now has over 12 hectares under protective net, with around 75% in full production. With an average rainfall of 600mm per annum, the Clarks rely on a 20 megalitre dam for water storage for irrigation. With limited water storage available, careful water use is critical and is managed by drip irrigation.

Labour Generally, the harvest season commences mid-December and runs through to early March, competing for labour with several other fruit growers in that same harvest window. Tru Blu Berries have put a lot of emphasis on looking after their staff and, as a result, many of the pickers return each year, making the recruitment process easier. Also, to help retain staff the business provides on-farm accommodation for up to 25 people.

Damian and sister Sharon at Tru Blu Berries. Photo credit: Mark Salter

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Tru Blu Berries has 12 hectares of blueberries under protective netting. Photo credit: Mark Salter With the varietal mix and blueberries flowering and fruiting over an extended period, the season can last for 3-4 months offering the opportunity for pickers to work over a longer period.

Completed three years ago, the expansion allows the business to vertically integrate production and sales. Shed door sales also play a significant role in the sales mix, with the farm situated on the “Huon Trail” tourism and travel route.

Obviously, COVID-19 has had a big impact over the last 18 months, but Damian remains optimistic that they will find the 80 or so pickers to harvest this season’s crop.

The future Despite the many challenges facing growers, Damian is positive about the future. His focus now is on consolidation, but he always has his eye out for new varieties and new advances in technology.

Marketing Tru Blu Berries have long standing contacts in the wholesale markets in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth where most of the fruit is sold. They also supply several specialty fruit shops locally. Second and third grade fruit is frozen and then sold throughout the year through their specialty fruit shop network.

Of the many challenges in modern horticulture, he cites labour security and the continued uncertainty that COVID-19 brings, particularly relating to the re-opening of domestic and international borders.

To cater to growing demand for their fruit, the business recently expanded their packing facilities to include a new shed and cool store complex, and a new grader from BBC Technologies, as well as a 42Kw solar panel system added to help reduce the energy costs.

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9th International Strawberry Symposium: Breeding and Genetics Dr Angela Atkinson, Berry Industry Development Officer, Victoria & SA

The 9th International Strawberry Symposium was held in Rimini, Italy, in May this year, as a virtual conference, including virtual field tours, technical days and berry school. There were several streams of presentations, including breeding and genetic resources, cultivation systems, world production, pest and disease management, plant nutrition, sustainable systems, soil fumigation and fruit quality. This article will focus on the breeding and genetics presentations from the symposium. Genetics

incorporate into breeding programs, in particular in adaptation to a changing climate.

Updates on new variety releases were given by researchers from breeding programs around the world, including NIAB-EMR in the UK, the breeding programs in Spain and Italy, and UC Davis (5 varieties of which will be available in Australia in coming seasons). The new varieties from UC Davis were covered on PAGE 72 in the Spring 2021 edition of the Australian Berry Journal. If anyone would like details about varieties from the other breeding programs, please contact me.

Continuing this theme, Jia Jun Lei from Shenyang Agricultural University in China, described the classification of 5 wild tetraploid Fragaria species in China with potential for use in breeding, that were not previously investigated. China has more wild strawberry species than any other country, with 14 out of the 25 recognised species. These species may be a useful source of disease, pest or stress resistance genes, now that they have been identified and described.

Several presentations focused on the potential of wild strawberry species as sources of new traits to introduce into cultivated strawberry, particularly disease resistance traits.

Bruno Mazzetti from Ancona in Italy presented work on backcrossing the cultivated strawberry, F. x ananassa, with the wild species F. virginiana subsp. glauca, to broaden the gene pool to obtain new pre-breeding material with improved plant and fruit characteristics. They are particularly interested in disease resistance, fruit quality and bioactive compounds, and aimed to determine how many backcross generations were needed to incorporate novel traits into F. x ananassa without compromising the characteristics expected in commercial production such as yield, high sugar content and high fruit firmness. It was determined that four backcross generations were needed to reach the production and fruit quality levels of commercial varieties, when backcrossing with wild species to introduce new traits.

Aaron Liston, from Oregon State University, gave a Plenary talk on the origin of the cultivated octaploid strawberry, Fragaria x ananassa. Fragaria x ananassa is a hybrid between the North American F. virginiana and the South American F. chiloensis which occurred around 300 years ago, and as an octaploid it potentially has four separate ancestral genomes. He described his studies to determine the original diploid ancestors of the cultivated strawberry, and their practical applications in plant breeding. Knowing the ancestral species of a polyploid plant such as F. x ananassa, and the conditions to which those species are adapted, can help identify potentially useful genetic traits to

Another body of work looking at the genetic potential of wild strawberry species was presented by Klaus Obricht, from Germany. After more than 300 years of breeding and cultivation, negative domestication effects can be seen in the loss of aroma from volatile compounds and disease and stress resistance in commercial cultivars. While the parents of F. x ananassa, F. chiloensis and F. virginiana, are more resistant to pathogens than F. x ananassa and have rich aroma profiles, this group in Germany is looking at the potential of other wild species of strawberry, which also have important properties that could be utilised in breeding, particularly Asian and Eurasian species. These wild species are generally not octaploid like F. x ananassa (that is they have different numbers of chromosomes), so using them in crosses is more complicated involving artificial ways of doubling chromosome numbers and tissue culture. They have successfully used these species in crosses, opening up a more diverse range of breeding possibilities for the future.

These markers are then used on a population of individual plants where the resistance to powdery mildew and the genetic makeup of the plants is known, in order to ‘train’ a prediction model. This prediction model can then be used on an unknown population of plants to screen for resistance. They have shown that this approach can be a cost effective and efficient way to screen seedling populations in a breeding program for complex traits, such as powdery mildew resistance. In his presentation on the NIAB-EMR breeding program in the UK, Adam Whitehouse spoke about their work in selecting for disease resistance utilising a multidisciplinary approach. They are using molecular methods to identify markers associated with resistance to a number of diseases such as Phytophthora crown rot, Verticillium wilt and powdery mildew, as well as developing screening methods using drone-based imaging systems in the field. They are also investigating gene editing technology, although this can only be used in research for validation of candidate genes at present, as it is considered genetic modification in Europe.

Breeding for disease resistance

F1 hybrid strawberry breeding

Many of the presentations focused on breeding for increased pest and disease resistance, with groups utilising a range of technologies for screening for disease resistance. It was mentioned by several speakers that the genetic diversity is low in cultivated strawberries, particularly in public breeding programs as pointed out by Steve Knapp from UC Davis, and many breeding programs have had to go back to ancestral species to bring in more diversity. The frequency of disease resistance alleles is also generally low in these populations. Researchers are looking for genes that confer resistance to particular diseases, or genetic markers that can be used to screen seedling populations.

ABZ Seeds in the Netherlands have been producing F1 hybrid strawberry seeds since 1976. F1 hybrid seed is produced from two inbred lines, resulting in seeds that are genetically identical, as opposed to seed from regular crosses that show genetic variation. While many of the cultivars produced by ABZ Seeds are for the home garden market, they also breed for commercial production, and several of their lines are available in Australia. Previously released cultivars from ABZ Seeds were bred specifically for protected cropping, however, they are now producing cultivars for open field production as well. All of their cultivars are day neutral.

Ronald Tapia, from the University of Florida, presented work on predicting powdery mildew resistance in strawberry. The use of genetic markers for specific traits has the potential to accelerate variety selection in breeding programs, however, powdery mildew resistance is complex, and influenced by more than one gene, so cannot be predicted by a single genetic marker. The Florida group are using a method called Genome Wide Prediction (GWP) to screen for resistance, which utilises a number of genetic markers, spread across the whole genome.

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If you would like more information about any of the presentations please contact me on 0408 416 538 or ido@vicstrawberry.com.au

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Update from the Australian Strawberry Breeding Program End of Subtropical and Mediterranean seasons, and an update on the Temperate season BS17000: National Strawberry Varietal Improvement Program (2017-2022) Katie O’Connor – Plant Breeder, Jodi Neal – Principal Plant Breeder, Australian Strawberry Breeding Program Team, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

The aim of the Australian Strawberry Breeding Program (ASBP) is to breed varieties that are specially adapted to Australia’s major production climates: temperate, subtropical, and Mediterranean. These varieties must be highly profitable for growers and have superior quality to meet consumer preferences.

At the end of the season, the ASBP breeding team analyse the data and select the best performing plants for trialling a second year in advanced-stage clonal trials. After advanced clonal testing, the best plants are again selected for trialling by a small number of growers in an ‘on-farm’ environment. Feedback and yield data from the growers are used to select the best plants for trialling a second year. Then, the decision is made for whether any varieties have the characteristics to be commercially released to industry.

This article provides an update on the 2021 subtropical and Mediterranean season which has recently come to an end, and an overview of the start of the 2021-22 temperate summer season.

Subtropical breeding trials Subtropical breeding trials are conducted at the Maroochy Research Facility in Nambour and Bundaberg Research Facility. This year, over 8,000 seedlings were planted at Nambour (Figure 1) and around 5,800 at Bundaberg (Figure 2). Based on visual assessments, a total of 228 seedlings have been selected for clonal trialling next year. We also evaluated 163 early-stage accessions, and 32 advanced-stage accessions at Nambour (Figure 3), with 33 and 11 being selected for trialling again in 2022, respectively.

The ASBP conducts four stages of breeding trials concurrently every year in the three production regions. Firstly, a seedling population is produced from controlled cross-pollinations between specifically chosen parents for targeted traits. The seeds from these crosses are germinated, with each seed producing a genetically distinct seedling. These seedlings are visually assessed monthly throughout the season for key traits including plant architecture and fruit characteristics. Seedlings that show good performance throughout the season are clonally propagated via runners for trialling the following year in early-stage clonal trials. Plants in the replicated clonal trials are harvested and assessed weekly for a host of production and consumer traits.

Five farms across south-east Queensland trialled nine advanced-stage accessions, with four of them looking promising as potential commercial varieties. Recently released subtropical variety Susie-ASBP will be available for purchase from runner growers this year or next. More information on this variety is available on PAGE 75 in the Spring 2021 edition of the Australia Berry Journal.

Figure 1. Katie O’Connor assessing seedlings in the 2021 subtropical seedling trial at Nambour. Photo credit: Jodi Neal

Figure 2. Jodi Neal making final seedling accessions in the 2021 subtropical seedling trial at Bundaberg. Photo credit: Katie O’Connor

Figure 3. Katie O’Connor and Jodi Neal in the 2021 subtropical clonal trial at Nambour. Photo credit: Suzette Argent

Mediterranean breeding trials The Australian Mediterranean product region is concentrated around Perth, WA. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, ASBP breeders were unable to travel from Queensland to WA to assess the trials this year. Instead, industry development officers and contractor staff were trained to visually assess seedlings and collect data from the clonal trial. Additionally, photos were taken which allowed staff based in Queensland to assess some traits from afar.

The Strawberry Growers Association of Western Australia AGM and Field Event was held on 22 October. Jodi Neal and Katie O’Connor gave a presentation about the Mediterranean node of the breeding program and fruit from the best performing accessions were available for industry members to see and taste. Eighteen growers and industry representatives participated in the event. Datasheets were distributed to growers in both English and Vietnamese, and valuable feedback on the individual accessions was received.

Around 1,200 seedlings were assessed on a grower’s farm in Bullsbrook. These seedlings all had a clonal copy stored in tissue culture at Nambour, to avoid the need to transport accessions back to Queensland and risk plant deaths. Two advanced stage clones and 41 earlystage clones were evaluated at a grower’s property (Figure 4), and the two advanced accessions were also assessed at a second on-farm trial in Bullsbrook.

Four accessions were particularly liked by growers, including one advanced accession which could be released to growers next year. A field walk of the advanced on-farm accessions was also undertaken.

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Figure 4. Mediterranean clonal trial (left) and seedling trial (middle and right) at a grower’s property in Bullsbrook, WA just after planting. Photo credit: Dale McKenna

Temperate breeding trials

Disease resistance trials

The temperate breeding trials are conducted at Wandin North, Victoria (Figure 5) and Applethorpe Research Facility, Queensland (Figure 6). Last season, drought conditions meant that no trial was conducted at Applethorpe. However, rainfall in the Granite Belt over summer has topped up the dams and allowed the trial to go ahead at Applethorpe this season. Around 1,500 seedlings were planted at Applethorpe, and 12,500 at Wandin in April and May, respectively. The clonal trial at Wandin consists of 71 early-stage and 38 advanced-stage accessions. Harvesting of fruit in the clonal trial commenced in late October, and visual seedling assessments will begin soon. Seven accessions are being trialled across ten temperate on-farm trials over the 2021/22 summer season. Plants of two newly released temperate varieties Tahli-ASBP and TamaraASBP will be available from propagators this year or next. Detailed information on these can be found on PAGE 75 in the Spring 2021 edition of the Australian Berry Journal.

Routine screening for resistance to fusarium wilt, anthracnose (colletotrichum) wilt, charcoal rot, and powdery mildew continued this year. New subtropical variety Susie-ASBP has shown especially high tolerance to fusarium wilt, and so may also perform well in the Mediterranean region near Perth where this disease is especially problematic. Tahli-ASBP and Tamara-ASBP have moderate tolerance to charcoal rot, significantly higher than either Monterey or Albion. Genetic sources of resistance/tolerance to these diseases have been identified in other subtropical and temperate accessions.

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Screening for resistance to powdery mildew was conducted under protected cropping at Nambour by allowing natural inoculation to spread throughout the trial. Eight families (produced from crosses between resistant accessions and commercial varieties), and advanced accessions and varieties from subtropical, temperate and Mediterranean nodes were assessed. Analyses for this trial are ongoing.

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Figure 5. Team member Alan Noon in the temperate breeding trial at the Wandin Strawberry Research Centre. Photo credit: Karen Spencer

Figure 6. Temperate seedling trial at Applethorpe Research Facility, Queensland. Photo credit: Alan McWaters

The Australian Strawberry Breeding Program team members include:

Results from these disease screening trials help to guide cross-pollinations to produce seedlings with increased disease resistance. Studies regarding the genetic component of disease resistance are currently being conducted for powdery mildew and will soon commence for the other diseases. These studies may allow disease tolerances to be detected from the genetic fingerprint of strawberry plants, negating the need for costly and time-consuming glasshouse screening trials.

Jodi Neal (project lead) Maddy Betts (laboratory technical assistant) Clinton Buck (Nambour field assistant) Apollo Gomez (pathologist) Sue Hibbit (Wandin field assistant) Lien Ko (virus indexing and pathology) Joanna Kristoffersen (genetics and virusindexing)

Acknowledgements

Hui-Chen Lai (WA technical officer)

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.

Dale McKenna (Nambour field technical officer and hydroponics) Alan McWaters (Applethorpe technical officer) Alan Noon (Wandin field assistant) Katie O’Connor (breeding and genomics) Michelle Paynter (virus indexing, tissue culture, and pathology)

We thank the contributions by the Temperate and Subtropical Reference Groups and Mediterranean industry members who have helped guide the program, the Industry Development Officers, and all other industry members who provide feedback, advice, and support.

Karen Spencer (Wandin operations manager) Matthew Webb (genomics) Louella Woolcock (Nambour field and glasshouse operations manager)

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 accessions. This has helped us make more informed and better commercial judgments.

Disclaimer The above information is sourced from trials conducted on temperate and subtropical sites in Australia. This is the best available information on variety performance under local conditions at these sites. The information provided here may not be suitable for all sites or regions and varieties may perform differently in different locations. The Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Horticulture Innovation Australia provide the above information as a guide only and take no responsibility for the performance of the varieties on individual farms.

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S T R A W B E R R I E S

Queensland Strawberries’ winter season-saving gamble pays off Jane Richter, Marketing Manager, Queensland Strawberry Growers’ Association The promotion was structured to give bonus entry points to reward worker behaviour that would assist the growers with planning and managing their workforce across the season. People who registered and applied for work before the end of May received early sign-on bonuses, but the biggest bonus points were applied to encourage loyalty to a single farm.

As the dust settled on the end of this years’ winter strawberry season, Queensland Strawberry Growers’ Association (QSGA) President, Adrian Schultz reflected on the success of the innovative labour attraction program – PickPackWin.

“The largest concern for growers after attracting workers was how to retain them across the season,” says Jane Richter, Marketing Manager for QSGA. “So, we included really large bonus entry points for staying with a single farm – in fact, of the 9,950 total entry points that could be earned, 8,150 of them came from bonuses!”

“There was a great feeling of concern in the industry back in March this year when it became clear that borders were not going to open, and our usual peak workforce of working holiday makers were continuing to leave the country in droves. We knew we needed to do something radical and that’s where the PickPackWin idea came from,” said Adrian.

“People may think that picking and packing strawberries is super simple, but actually there is a considerable amount of skill involved in picking only the berries that are ripe and ready that day and packing the right weight of berries into each punnet without damaging the delicate fruit. We think it takes about 7-10 working days for someone to build up the skills and required speed to make a great picker or packer. So having invested that time in skilling up your workers, each farm was understandably keen to retain them for the length of the season”, says Adrian.

Using a promotional technique usually only found in the world of consumer products or services, a ‘chance to play to win up to $100,000’ promotion was developed and launched to attract workers. The promotional registration portal opened in early April and almost immediately had hundreds of people registering their details, with the system automatically sending job applications directly to the participating farms that the worker had selected. By the end of the promotion in early October, over 5,500 people had registered to take part and over 2,500 had gone on to work on the 31 participating farms across the Queensland winter strawberry growing regions. Every week that they worked at one of the farms earned them entry points into the draw.

Feedback from many of the farms that took part indicated that they were able to manage their labour this season in a way that no one thought possible back in March. Several farms have also reported that the promotion has attracted some really talented local people to give farm work a go that would never have considered it in the past.

Surprisingly, over 40% of all people registering were Aussies, many from interstate who were attracted by the idea of spending a winter working in the Queensland sun with the added benefit of the chance to play to win up to $100,000 tax free.

“This promotion will leave a lasting impact for some of our growers with new team members coming forward because the promotion grabbed their attention and enabled them to think ‘why don’t I just give this a go?’ said Adrian.

Strawberry patch created for The Game. Photo credit: Tim Pasquelone, AONE Media.

The 10 Contestants represented the full cross section of workers in the Queensland Strawberry industry. Photo credit: Tim Pasquelone, AONE Media.

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At the end of the promotional period in early October, all the points earned were converted into draw entries and a computer randomiser performed the unenviable task of selecting 10 lucky contestants from the huge pool of entries. With so many workers staying at their chosen farm all season and earning big loyalty bonuses, the total draw entries from 2,500 people was 8,294,300! The finale for the promotion was ‘the Games’ held on 21 October 2021 at the Sandstone Point Hotel in southeast Queensland. As an ‘Insured Prize Promotion’, an official from the Insurance Underwriter brought the sets of 100 envelopes for each game with the whereabouts of the $100,000 prize in each game a closely guarded secret. Each contestant got the chance to select their number from 1 to 100, either by picking a favourite number or by wandering the strawberry patch that had been created for the games and selecting a numbered flag at random. The envelope corresponding to their chosen number was then opened for all to see. When the envelope contained the second prize of $1,000 (found in 99 of the 100 envelopes) the official then opened the envelope containing the $100,000 to ensure complete fairness. The 10 contestants each had very different stories. Two were here in Australia as part of the Seasonal Worker Program from Tonga and Timor-Leste. Three were permanent workers who have been part of the industry for several years. Four were working holiday makers that were back doing their second or third strawberry season. And one was an Aussie from NSW who came to Queensland and worked in strawberries as a direct result of the promotion. At the Games, every contestant walked away a winner with $1,000 in their pocket, but it is the wider Queensland strawberry industry that has truly won this year. If we hadn’t taken the leap of faith and invested in this activity, we absolutely would have experienced a very different outcome,’ confirms Adrian.

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“Of course, the promotion didn’t solve everything – we still all experienced the issue of some workers not making it past the first week, but at least we attracted a pipeline of interested people that would not have occurred otherwise.”

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For more information, please contact: Jane Richter | jane@teres.com.au | 0431 700 258 Watch the season wrap-up video: Facebook/Qldstrawberries or youtube.com/watch?v=x0wRfQqX6EQ

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Not so sweet berries under global warming Christopher Menzel, Principal Horticulturist, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries

• Sugars are a major component of flavour and taste in strawberries • Higher temperatures under global warming are likely to decrease levels of sugar and eating quality • Efforts need to be made to develop heat-tolerant cultivars with high and stable concentrations of sugar Global warming will decrease the yields and quality of many crops. Eating quality in strawberry is related to the concentrations of several components in the fruit, including the sugars, organic acids and volatiles.

Earlier research in Queensland demonstrated that average fruit weight decreased as temperatures increased. This suggests that the fruit will be smaller and less sweet under global warming.

Higher temperatures under global warming could lead to lower concentrations of the main sugars in strawberry in south-east Queensland. This will the affect the eating quality of the berries in the marketplace. Efforts need to be made to develop heat-tolerant cultivars with high and stable concentrations of sugar.

Main sugars in strawberry There are different sugars in strawberry. The main sugars in ripe fruit include sucrose, glucose and fructose, and these account for about 99% of all the sugars. Among these major sugars, the concentration of sucrose is associated with fruit development, whereas the concentrations of glucose and fructose are less associated with fruit development. The three main sugars have different levels of sweetness. Fructose and sucrose are 2.30 and 1.35 times sweeter than glucose.

Introduction The main scenarios for global climate change include an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) and an increase in average temperatures.

The concentration of the sugars is usually reported on a fresh weight basis (mg/g FW). More than 15 other sugars have been detected in ripe fruit, including galactose, ribose, maltose, inositol and sorbitol. The concentrations of these minor sugars are lower than 0.1 mg/g FW, whereas the concentrations of each of the major sugars are higher than 20 mg/g FW.

Higher temperatures will affect many aspects of growth and development in strawberry plants. Overall yields and quality will be lower under higher temperatures than under current conditions.

Akšić et al. (2019) provided information on the concentration of sugars in three strawberry cultivars growing under conventional and organic production in Europe. The concentration of glucose ranged from 25 to 61 mg/g FW, the concentration of fructose ranged from 46 to 66 mg/g FW and the concentration of sucrose ranged from 16 to 68 mg/g FW. These authors noted 14 other minor sugars with concentrations below 3.0 mg/g FW.

This article explores the relationship between fruit sugars and temperature. A review of the available evidence suggests that higher temperatures under global warming will decrease the concentrations of the main sugars.

Some studies report data on soluble solids content (SSC) rather than on the concentrations of the sugars. There is a strong relationship between the two measures of sweetness. Soluble solids content increases with an increase in the concentrations of sugars. Soluble sugars account for 80 to 90% of the soluble solids. Values of SSC typically range from 6 to 12%.

They found that narrow-sense heritability (h ) 2 and broad-sense heritability (H ) were relatively low (0.21 or 0.30). In contrast, the heritability for some of the other traits such as average fruit weight was high (0.52 or 0.53). Hasing et al. (2013) indicated that heritability for a stable SSC across the season in a population of strawberry in the same area was low 2 (h = 0.06). However, the stability of SSC and mean SSC were independent, with some cultivars having both stable and high levels of SSC.

Variations in the concentrations of sugars The concentrations of sugars in ripe fruit vary with the cultivar, production system and growing season. The concentrations of sugars also vary across different fruit on the same plant and across different fruit on the same fruit cluster. Sugars are usually lower in plants with heavy yields than plants with low yields. Sugars also decrease as fruit size increases. These variations in sugar content make it difficult to compare fruit quality across studies. The sugars in ripe berries are not distributed evenly throughout the fruit. The concentrations of sugar are higher in the apex of the fruit than near the peduncle. In contrast, the concentrations of organic acids are similar throughout the fruit. This imbalance in the distribution of the sugars and acids can influence the perception of sweetness and flavour.

Relationship between soluble solids content and temperature A few reports provide data on the relationship between soluble solids content (SSC) and temperature in strawberry. Overall, the studies indicate that SSC decreases as the temperature increases. Osatuke and Pritts (2021) examined the performance of plants across 16 fields in New York. They found that SSC decreased from 8.5% to 6.2% as the lowest temperature recorded between first flower and green fruit increased from about 1ºC to 10ºC. However, the data were highly variable with a value of r in the correlation of – 0.42. Values of r range from zero (no correlation) to one (strong correlation). Overall, the correlation between sugars and temperature was weak.

Liu et al. (2020) examined the concentrations of sugars across 154 cultivars and breeding lines in China. The mean concentration of the main sugars ranged from 0.67 to 136 mg/g FW for sucrose, from 11 to 84 mg/g FW for fructose and from 7 to 71 mg/g FW for glucose. The mean concentration for all the sugars ranged from 21 to 254 mg/g FW.

Hoppula and Karhu (2006) investigated the quality of three cultivars growing under plastic tunnels or in the open field in Korea. They found that SSC was negatively correlated with average daily mean temperature in the two weeks before harvest (r = -0.63). In contrast, SSC was positively correlated with total solar radiation received over the same period (r = 0.59). These results suggested that both temperature and solar radiation affected the accumulation of sugars.

There is some information on the heritability of sugar content in strawberry. These studies can indicate how readily a trait can be passed on from parents to progeny in a breeding population. Values of heritability typically range from zero (poor heritability) to one (high heritability). High values of heritability indicate that the trait is readily passed on from parents to their progeny. The heritability of mean sugar content is moderately high. Ohtsuka et al. (2004) indicated that heritability was 0.568 for a population of strawberry in Japan.

Mackenzie et al. (2011) conducted a similar experiment in Florida to those conducted in New York and Korea, with data on SSC and temperature collected over several seasons. These authors found a strong negative linear relationship between SSC and average daily mean 2 temperature in the eight days before harvest (R = 0.73). Soluble solids content decreased from 9.5% to 6.0% as the temperature increased from about 10ºC to 21ºC. 2 Values of R in linear regressions range from zero (no relationship) to one (strong relationship).

Whitaker et al. (2012) investigated the heritability of soluble solids content (SSC) in a population of strawberry at two sites in Florida.

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High sugars levels contribute to aroma and flavour in strawberry. Photo credit: Chris Menzel

Sugar levels vary over the growing season and with the weather. Photo credit: Chris Menzel

Krüger et al. (2012) investigated the performance of two cultivars across five locations from Norway to Italy in Europe. Average daily mean temperatures over the two growing seasons ranged from 14.6ºC to 16.6ºC across the sites. Mean SSCs ranged from 6.6% to 10.3% in ‘Elsanta’ and from 7.1% to 10.2% in ‘Korona’. '

This analysis suggests that eating quality in southeast Queensland could decline under global warming. Experiments are currently underway on the Sunshine Coast to confirm the results reported from overseas. Efforts need to be made to develop heat-tolerant cultivars with high and stable concentrations of sugars.

There were strong negative correlations between SSC and average daily mean temperature in the three weeks before harvest (r = -0.78 or -0.70). Soluble solids content decreased as the temperature increased.

Acknowledgements

Conclusions Eating quality in strawberry is related to the concentrations of several components in the fruit, including the sugars, organic acids and volatiles. There are large variations in concentrations of sugars, depending on the cultivar, growing system and weather. Research in north America, Asia and Europe has shown that high temperatures decrease the concentration of soluble sugars.

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The Queensland Government has funded the research through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Many thanks to the Florida Strawberry Growers’ Association (FSGA) for financial support, and Dr Penny Measham (DAF) for reading an earlier version of this article.

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Queensland Strawberries Annual Dinner & Awards '21 Suzette Argent, Berry Industry Development Officer, Queensland

The Events Centre in Caloundra was where it was all happening on Saturday 30 October for the 2021 Queensland Strawberry Growers’ Association (QSGA) Dinner and Awards night. It was a more intimate affair this year with 120 guests attending the evening. Spirits were high and the crowd enjoyed a night off to celebrate in style. The night started with pre-dinner drinks and canapes sponsored by MADEC. Formalities commenced with MC Mark McConville – an accomplished Stand-Up Comedian also known for his mental health work using his laughter clinic for suicide prevention - opening the evening. A speech from Adrian Schultz, QSGA President, highlighted the challenges the industry faced this year; extreme labour shortages, unexpected early season price drops, dramatically reduced demand from the two largest markets stuck in extended lockdowns due to COVID-19 and the continued lack of domestic or international people movement. The innovation and resourcefulness of growers was celebrated having survived another unprecedented season.

When people took their seats for the formalities of the evening, wines were available on the table thanks to irrigation business Rivulis. Back for the second-year running were acoustic duo Heidi & Scott kindly sponsored by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Tables were sponsored by Elders, Fullyarn and E.E. Muir & Sons and VIP tables supported by Multisteps and Perfection Fresh allowed more growers to attend and celebrate the 2021 winter strawberry season. The award ceremony saw seven awards handed out and the night closed with a lucky door prize kindly donated by Multisteps.

Entertainment duo Heidi & Scott.

Exceptional Employee Awards presented by Fernland and Nufarm Two exceptional employee awards were given to reflect and celebrate the valuable employees that support our growers through the season.

“He is just a legend” everyone would agree It seems like it is always about the dollar but customer service is the key, going the extra mile & being personable is he

This was especially important this year with the available labour supply being limited adding pressure for both employees and employers.

When you needed product by the Monday & Friday you gave the call, you can guarantee a YES because he doesn’t know ‘NO’ at all.

Excellence in Service Delivery to the Strawberry Industry presented by Taste ‘n’See

More warmly kindness was his way, a request for something unusual he’d still answer OK No problem this superhero couldn’t solve, he made things happen, so I’m told

Errol Graham has been providing service to the industry for many years within different roles primarily selling fertiliser and other products.

He would go out of this way to give you a ring, you could rely on his deliveries for countless & endless things.

Since 2015, Errol has worked for E.E. Muir & Sons as the manager in the Caboolture region and in October

He became part of the family for many I hear, someone to be thanked for many trusted years.

this year, he announced his retirement.

A real gentleman he is, a reliable part of the extended family that will be dearly missed.

Errol was a good friend and became a key member of the farming family for many growers he serviced. Customer service was his speciality, always going the extra mile and being personable with everyone.

Thank you, Errol Graham for your excellent service delivery to the industry.

Exceptional Employee Award winner Annie with Anthony Challenger from award sponsor Fernland and Adrian Schultz, QSGA President.

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Errol Graham & his wife

L-R: Jane Stothart and Tahlia Stothart

Representatives from four of the generous farms receiving their awards

Exceptional Women in the Strawberry Industry presented by Opal

As Strawbfest was cancelled due to COVID-19 for the second year running, QSGA invited the Chevallum team to be a part of the Strawberry & Dessert Festival held at the Sandstone Point Hotel in September where they were able to raise vital funds for the school and its community on the Sunshine Coast.

Tahlia Stothart came back to the family farm about 10 years ago and trained in wages and auditing. As the family business has grown, so too has she. She continues to adapt and improve systems that hold the business and the people within it together.

Seven farms stepped forward this year to provide fresh fruit – completely free of charge – to assist these two really worthwhile causes. All seven farms were acknowledged and thanked for their generosity.

110% effort and passion has always been shown. Her talents in graphic design have also been showcased on the businesses websites.

Pinata Farms, TSL Family Farms, A E Coco & Sons, Stothart Family Farms, GG Group, Hermes Strawberries and Ashbern Farms.

Tahlia is known as a friend, kind, quiet, thoughtful, selfless and humble. She is meticulous, patient and a perfectionist at everything she does. She always has time for people. The calmness and kindness she brings to work makes it a stressless and joyful environment for all.

Outstanding grower contribution to the strawberry industry presented by Sunsuper

Generous Giver awards presented by MADEC

The outstanding grower’s contribution to the strawberry industry award this year went to Adrian Schultz. He not only coped with the responsibilities for their own business, Luvaberry, but has held the weight of the whole industry on his shoulders. He has done countless interviews on radio, TV and for print media and been available on the phone 24/7 this year to make sure that Queensland strawberries received every possible piece of positive media attention to help recruit the workforce needed by everyone.

The Queensland Strawberry Industry has a long history of supporting good causes and this year has been no different. With COVID-19 again affecting the ability of charities to run events, we were able to support The Common Good and Chevallum Strawbfest. “The Common Good is about all of us working together to give precious time to medical researchers, so they can help people, and those they love, live happier, healthier, longer lives. Using the power of us all, we can sustainably fund innovative medical discoveries that will profoundly improve and save lives,” explains Michael Hornby, CEO of The Common Good.

When the winter strawberry growers were blind-sided by the lack of demand just as peak production hit, he stepped up again and was relentless in his efforts to help the SOS message get out.

“All of the research that is carried out at Caboolture Hospital – saving the lives of locals across this major growing area – is funded by The Common Good. A dollar raised for them is a dollar that goes towards life-saving research that may one day benefit you or someone you love.”

Thank you, Adrian, and thank you Mandy for supporting Adrian so brilliantly whilst being so busy with the business of your own family and farm activities.

Chevallum State School has been fundraising for its school community for 34 years and for the first 31 of those, they were supported by the strawberry farm that surrounded the school – Twist Brothers. With the closure of that strawberry business, QSGA has stepped forward to continue the support by facilitating connections to other farms to help with the provision of jam berries & strawberries for sale by the school at its events. Mandy & Adrian Schultz, Luvaberry

All photos provided by QSGA.

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A D V E R T O R I A L

C O N T E N T

Levity CropScience now helping Australian Berries British scientists believe they’ve finally come up with a solution to strawberries’ infuriatingly short shelf-life and rapid tendency to mould. More than 3 tonnes of soft fruit – worth around £180 million – is needlessly thrown away by British consumers each year. Strawberries, the classic British summer fruit, enjoy a particularly poor reputation - yet a small team of dedicated crop scientists has found that by making a small change to the way they’re grown, farmers may soon be able to offer berries with a longer shelf-life. “Everyone will be familiar with the frustration of buying a punnet of ripe, silky red, luscious-looking supermarket strawberries, only to see them turning soft and mouldy within hours of purchase,” says Dr David Marks, managing director of Levity Crop Science, a British ‘agritech’ company based in Lancashire. “That mould has all to do with how the strawberry plant uses a key nutrient, calcium,” he explains. “The plant needs calcium to build strong cell walls. It’s the premature breakdown of these cell membranes that makes fruit go soft, at which point it rapidly succumbs to mould.” While fruit farmers have known about calcium’s role for many years, researchers have struggled with a conundrum. Topping-up levels of calcium in the strawberry plant close to harvest doesn’t result in corresponding improvements in fruit firmness, or any decrease in mould and other diseases.

“So we decided to look a little closer at the way strawberries ripen,” says Dr Marks. “Strawberries are often called out for not being a ‘true’ fruit, because they have seeds on the outside – and this nonconformance carries through in the way it ripens, too.“ “Unlike other fruits – bananas and apples, for example – strawberries don’t ripen in response to a gas, ethylene, produced by the plant. Instead, they have a gene that responds to a drop in levels of another plant hormone, called auxin. But as auxin is also involved in moving calcium around the plant, it seems that once the fruit starts to ripen, calcium can’t be properly absorbed.” Undeterred, Dr Marks led his team to look at a group of naturally occurring compounds called calcium transport stimulants. These emulate auxins and had already been used successfully to prevent bitter pit, a disease of apples that’s also related to calcium deficiency. By developing their own specific calcium transport stimulant, the team was able to mix it with the standard calcium fertiliser already used by strawberry growers. The new product was put through its paces in a series of trials in 2016, tests which proved beyond doubt the effectiveness of the technology. STRAWBERRY DATA: ALBINA 3

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Research by the non-profit group WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) in 2017 found that strawberry crops worth £24 million were discarded without ever entering the food chain, predominantly because they failed to meet specification or quality requirements.

Of the fruit from plants treated with the new stimulant, which we call LoCal, nearly two-thirds was of marketable quality, compared to less than half of the fruit from the plants treated with standard calcium. The quality of fruit in the field has a direct bearing on how long the berries last after picking, and thus how quickly they will mould, Dr Marks explains.

Dr Marks says farmers will also benefit from being able to apply lower rates of calcium. “Because Albina improves the plant’s calcium efficiency, growers can reduce rate and frequency of application but get better results. “We’re looking to develop more technologies like this – decreasing food waste for consumers, increasing farmers’ profitability, and reducing on-farm resource use.”

Our product, Albina is now used extensively around the world by soft fruit farmers, who are able to sell a greater proportion of their crop if it’s been treated with Albina.

Levity has now joined forces with Prodoz International in 2021, after years of Australian trials, to bring the Levity range to Australian growers.

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R U B U S

Important information for Raspberry & Blackberry levy payers Rachel Mackenzie, Executive Director, Berries Australia

After significant deliberation, the RABA committee is proposing to industry to significantly cut the Rubus R&D levy to 2c/ kg, set the marketing levy to 0 and raise a 2c/kg Plant Health Australia levy. This will mean the total levy paid by growers is proposed to be 4c/kg instead of 12c/kg. This may seem like a drastic cut, but due to the $3 million worth of unmatched funds currently sitting in the Hort Innovation Research and Development account this will still mean there are more than enough funds to pay for the industries’ R&D needs even if the tonnage does not increase. To put this in perspective, in the first year of the levy (2006) it raised $90,000 and in the 20/21 financial year the levy income was more than $1 million. We have done forward estimates using conservative tonnage numbers and an increased R&D investment and after 10 years there will still be more than $1.5 million of unmatched funds in the Rubus fund. The RABA committee considers that setting the levy at 2c/kg will put more dollars in growers’ pockets whilst still enabling industry to invest in R&D. Hort Innovation supports the move to cut the R&D levy. In terms of the marketing levy, the current year income was $207,225. Advice from marketing experts was that for a marketing program to have impact it should have a budget of at least $500,000/year.

The two options the committee considered were to raise the marketing levy to 5c/kg or set it at 0 and potentially explore a voluntary levy to be spent alongside the voluntary blueberry marketing levy. The committee opted to propose to set the levy at 0 as they considered that the marketing program had not delivered much value to the industry and that a voluntary berry basket approach would give more bang for buck. Finally, the committee reviewed the industry’s biosecurity commitments to the Australian government and determined that a levy rate of 2c/kg would enable the industry to pay off their existing debt and raise funds to directly fund suitable biosecurity activities. In addition, any funds raised through the PHA levy can be transferred to Hort Innovation where they can be matched and used for R&D. This article represents the first step in the formal consultation process. We will send out an individual information pack to every Rubus levy payer we can track down and host webinars to give you a chance to ask any questions. According to the levy guidelines, we need to be able to demonstrate that a majority of levy payers support the proposal so in early February 2022 we will hold a secure online ballot. If the proposal is accepted, then we will lodge with government and there will be a 6-week objection period taking us to late March. We are then subject to the timelines of government, but it is our hope that the new levy will come into place for the 2022/23 financial year.

It is really important that all Rubus levy payers engage in this process It is your money & your levy so please contact Rachel Mackenzie at rachelmackenzie@berries.net.au if you have any questions.

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Protected Cropping in Polytunnels Mark Salter, Berry Industry Development Officer, Fruit Growers’ Tasmania

The Australian berry industry has benefited from advances in protected cropping over recent years. Raspberries and blackberries in particular are embracing this move, with many businesses transitioning from an open field environment to protected high tunnels due to key production benefits. Low-cost structures The use of polytunnels on a commercial scale for berry production is now a more cost-effective option than it has previously been. These represent a relatively low-cost option compared with traditional greenhouse structures and can be erected for between $80,000 and $110,000 per hectare, depending on system, manufacturer and type. Polytunnels are also very flexible when it comes to size and can be established on most terrain, including undulating sloping ground. They quite often come in kit form and are reasonably easy to assemble using mostly unskilled labour to erect.

Higher crop yield and productivity Sophisticated hydroponic watering systems have given growers producing in polytunnels more flexibility to optimise yields and quality. Nutrient mixes can be adjusted to the plants requirements and adapted to the various plant growth cycles. Hydroponic systems are also more efficient, utilising up to 70 per cent less water than traditionally grown fruit.

Optimal growing climate Protected cropping helps maintain a suitable climate to produce berries, helping to minimise wind, rain, and other stresses to the crop. Airflow is one of the most important factors in choosing the type and length of the polytunnel. Raspberries are preferably grown in high tunnels which have enough height to provide good air flow and space for long canes to grow.

To maximise airflow, in most cases, the length of the tunnel should be no more than 100 metres. It is also advantageous to be able to lift the sides of the tunnel to increase airflow during the warmer months and to reduce humidity. During cooler months the ends of the tunnels can be closed off to maintain temperature.

Clean growing conditions Polytunnels provide a microclimate that, in most cases, is less conducive to pests and disease, reducing the need for chemical applications. With the extra cost associated with polytunnel production it is important to start with uniform, healthy and disease-free plant material from the nursery. High quality planting material presents better, higher quality and higher yielding crops. The old saying is “the best crop starts at the nursery” and this is particularly important when growing in a protected environment. Clean, inert and disease-free substrate is also used to ensure soil borne diseases are not transferred. Coco coir is most often used, due to its good air porosity and water holding capacity for plants to thrive. Coir mixes can also be adapted by blending with other substrate materials to make a slightly coarse mix to allow excess moisture to flow through the medium. This approach can be used to make it more suitable for raspberries which don’t tolerate over-watering. It is important to use a high-quality coco product preferably buffered to an EC of 0.5 or lower.

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Raspberry production in a polytunnel environment. Photo credit: Mark Salter

Set up of Pinata Farms raspberry farm at Orielton. Photo credit: Pinata Farms

Extending the season

Challenges

Polytunnels provide profitable, functional, and sustainable solutions to maximise cropping areas, lengthen harvest periods and smooth production peaks.

Protected cropping can increase the financial sustainability of raspberry production, but there are also some challenges which must be managed. In particular, warmer conditions can increase pest and disease pressure and increase the likelihood of outbreaks, making a good pest and disease program essential.

Generally, most growers are using polytunnels to provide a longer production season and extend the marketing shoulder period. There are a number of ways to extend production in tunnels; in the case of raspberries staging planting and a varietal mix will extend the season.

Precise and timely water management is also critical particularly as there is much less room for error. Automation can be a big help here, allowing irrigation and fertigation to reliably occur when scheduled.

PE EXP ST AN RA DE NG D E

Also, if using long cane varieties usually kept in a cool store to accumulate chill hours, these can be introduced into the tunnel in stages to further lengthen the season.

A regular scouting program is a must, as well as a good understanding of the major pests present in the growing environment.

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R U B U S

Australian Raspberries & Blackberries Marketing Update Belinda Van Schaik, Category Marketing Manager, Hort Innovation

• The key message to Australian consumers continues to encourage them to ‘add some oomph’ with fresh raspberries and blackberries, and this season is focussing on the breakfast opportunity.

• A new partnership with lifestyle and food network – Are Media – will deliver significant benefits for this years’ campaign in reaching the right consumers cost-effectively. RUBUS STRATEGY

The strategy driving the execution of the campaign this year focuses on 3 simple steps in the consumer journey: 1. SEE The campaign seeks to use multiple means to create an awareness of the availability of fresh Australian raspberries and blackberries, and how adding these luscious berries to your morning can elevate the everyday experience to something next level.

2. THINK Knowing that fresh raspberries and blackberries are available is then built upon by messaging that seeks to inspire consumers, with a focus on the breakfast occasion, with the fruit added to dishes.

3. DO Both of the above steps are turned into positive action in this last step turning desire into planned purchase (on the shopping list) and then usage.

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New media partnership with Are Media To bring the strategy to life and reach the most relevant consumers in a cost-effective way, a new partnership has been formed with Are Media. Are Media was created in 2020 after consolidation and divestment activities in the magazine publishing industry in Australia. Are Media operates most of the major food and lifestyle magazine titles both in their printed and cross-platform digital formats, giving them access to a huge proportion of the target consumer audience for raspberries & blackberries.

Through their networks, Are Media reach 6.3 million women monthly and over 7 million main grocery buyers.

Are Media has been selected as it is a female-centric lifestyle network with multiple brands that aim to inspire, influence, connect and reach Aussie consumers. The role of the media is to communicate the ‘add some oomph with Australian raspberries and blackberries’ message and engage the audience through multiple brands and formats, meaning a consumer is just as likely to find raspberry and blackberry content in their Instagram feed through the Australian Women’s Weekly food channel as they are to see targeted messaging when catching up with all the celebrity gossip in Who magazine. The partnership collectively reaches over one quarter of all women aged between 35-44 years of age who are the main grocery purchasers in their household.

FOOD CREDENTIALS

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New messaging tailored to the media context The new campaign will find multiple ways to highlight the benefits of raspberries and blackberries as well as demonstrate how adding these berries to a dish can take it from ordinary to extraordinary.

A series of different content articles will be tailored to the different media brands, with examples like these: • Australian Women’s Weekly Food: '5 best brekkies to elevate your morning' • B etter Homes and Gardens: ‘Easy ways to add some oomph to your mornings’

Video takes it up a notch The program leverages video content as a simple yet effective way to inspire and educate consumers. A video article will be created from the Marie Claire content, taking the key points into video from the article, adding an estimated 42,000 consumer engagements to the reach of the campaign.

An Instazine is a proprietary Are Media format that turns an Instagram post into a digital magazine that encourages social sharing.

• M arie Claire: ‘Make your mornings extraordinary! 5 Simple tweaks we swear by’

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The approach is planned to deliver an estimated 40,000 page views as well as 2 million page teasers to encourage consumers to directly engage with the Australian raspberries and blackberries’ messages.

Inspiration delivered through an Instazine

• W oman’s Day: ‘Happier, healthier, stress free: How to master your family’s morning routine.’

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To take the messaging out to the audience, these content articles will be shared through each media’s Facebook and Instagram posts, as well as highlighted in direct e-newsletters.

The Instazine is brought to life through multi-frame social content that reads like a magazine to inspire consumers to ‘add some oomph with raspberries and blackberries’ to their morning routine.

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Breakfast inspiration competition

Across our own Facebook & Instagram pages we will leverage the following content themes:

To generate consumer interest via our Facebook and Instagram social program, a competition will be run through social media to drive audience engagement and confirm the link between raspberries & blackberries and breakfast meals. We’ll be asking our audience to think about how they could add ‘oomph to their day’.

ADD SOME OOMPH TO YOUR PLATE Delicious recipes that go from simple to super with berries, recipes for everyday mealtimes made better with berries, with a focus on breakfast.

The competition will require consumers to answer in a ‘25 words or less’ format: ‘What’s your favourite breakfast to add raspberries and blackberries to and why?’

ADD SOME OOMPH TO YOUR HEALTH Nutrition unique benefits, functional benefits, simple ways to boost nutrition with raspberries and blackberries, healthy usage ideas

Prizes will be valued at approximately $500 each with four sets available to give away. The prize packs will include morning inspired prizes such as yoga mats, activewear & headphones, for example.

ADD SOME OOMPH TO YOUR TROLLEY Tips on selecting and storing raspberries and blackberries, simple snacking ideas and super flavour pairings

Engagement through a social poll Another tool – the simple Q&A poll – will be used across Australia’s Women’s Weekly Food and New Idea social media pages, to ask our audience what their favourite breakfast is to add raspberries and blackberries to. This type of activity gives our berry lovers a voice and provides valuable real-time data about what consumers are thinking, that can identify trends and provide learnings for us to reflect back to our audience in future content messaging.

Raspberry & Blackberries owned social channels The role of our owned social media channels is to consistently remind, educate and inspire Australians to ‘add some oomph’ to meals with fresh raspberries and blackberries. We will drive awareness of availability and increase the consideration of raspberries and blackberries, with the goal of shifting the fruit from an occasional purchase to an integral purchase, increasing the number of occasions the fruit is purchased throughout the year.

Waffles with raspberries & blackberries. Photo credit: Megann Evans

See & follow us our social media pages:

The social media program will utilise a variety of engaging formats that is ‘thumb-stopping’, such as carousels, Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels, animations and videos. We will also leverage trusted influencers to extend inspiration with raspberry and blackberry content creation.

FACEBOOK-SQUARE instagram freshaussieberries

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R U B U S

Timorese women in Australian agriculture Ann Robins, Pacific Labour Facility

Burlington Berries is one of many Australian businesses that has seen the transformational impacts of employing women through the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP). Managing Director Kate Sutherland welcomed the diversity of skills and nationalities that SWP employees introduced to her business and said her decision to employ more Pacific and Timorese women had brought some great benefits.

But it's also good for us to challenge them and give them opportunities to benefit the business as well. It's not all about picking. "Both of these women show leadership, motivate others, demonstrate timeliness and push through those early mornings. They're such motivated ladies and they've done a fantastic job," said Kate.

"As a managing director with 4 daughters in the business, we are very focused on women, and it is exciting to watch them all succeed," said Kate.

The benefits flow both ways. Bela is using the money she saves at Burlington Berries to support her parents and 9 siblings as well as prepare for her future. She hopes to open an electricity consultancy when she returns home and is saving for the $10,000 license required to do this.

"Horticulture lends itself to female employment. Women are often just as strong, especially mentally, as men, and that's what we need to see in our workers. "They've often left their children behind with their mothers or sisters – it’s a huge driver for a mother to leave her children to come and work. That's why I think they are such good workers, and we really value their input," she said.

Similarly, Maria has goals of her own. She has a background in hospitality and is working in Australia to help support her family and save for her dream of opening a restaurant back home.

Kate's experience reflects the findings from a 2018 Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) report, which suggests that a diverse workforce leads to business benefits, including increased productivity and innovation.

"With some of the money I have earned, I helped my mum to build our house. With the rest, I want to open a cafeteria and provide catering," said Maria. "To Burlington Berries, I want to say thank you, thank you so much. It's really helped my family... and my dream it will come true."

Standout employees Maria and Bela Two standout women working for Burlington Berries are Maria and Bela from Timor-Leste.

The PLS allows employers to recruit low-skilled and semi-skilled workers for up to 3 years in any sector, while the SWP allows employers in agriculture and accommodation to recruit unskilled and low-skilled workers for 9 months.

Maria has worked in Australia for 3 seasons and is one of the fastest pickers at Burlington Berries, while Bela is a supervisor who speaks 6 languages and has shown strong leadership skills during her time with the business. "It's a matter of finding out our employees' skills and nurturing them, so they are in a role that they find satisfying.

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To simplify participation in labour mobility, the programs have recently been streamlined so that new employers can join both through a single application form. The new streamlined approach is referred to as the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

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Maria is one of Burlington Berries’ fastest pickers & is using the money she is saving in Australia to help realise her dream of opening a restaurant. Photo credit: Burlington Berries

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme is the Australian Government's new, streamlined approach to its highly valued Pacific labour mobility initiatives.

You can see more from these talented ladies at youtu.be/ A6g5y08aXWs

The PALM scheme allows eligible employers to recruit workers from 9 Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste when there are not enough Australian workers available. There are 2 initiatives in the PALM scheme: the Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) for jobs up to 9 months and the Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) for jobs between one and 3 years. SWP workers can be employed in the agriculture sector across Australia. In the accommodation sector SWP workers can work jobs based mostly in rural and regional areas. Through the PLS, workers can be employed in the agriculture sector nationally and in rural and regional Australia in all other sectors.

www.palmscheme.gov.au

Bela is a supervisor at Burlington Berries and has shown leadership skills throughout her time working in Australia. She is a trained geologist and speaks 6 languages. Photo credit: Burlington Berries

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GET TO KNOW YOUR ASSOCIATIONS & COMMITTEE MEMBERS

PRESIDENT

Jonathan Shaw Mullingar Pastoral Co, QLD

Richard McGruddy Queensland Berries, QLD

0418 758 268 president@abga.com.au

0408 763 804 richard@berryq.com.au

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VICE PRESIDENT

Stephen Thandi Oz Group Co-Op, NSW

Roberto Barajas Driscoll’s, VIC

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TREASURER

Anthony Poiner Smart Berries, NSW

Gavin Scurr Pinata Farms, QLD

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SECRETARY

Andrew Bell Mountain Blue, NSW

Kate Sutherland Burlington Berries, TAS

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OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Harold Edlinger Avonsleigh Berries, VIC

Christy Poynton Perfection Fresh, NSW

Christian Parsons Costa, NSW

John Simonetta Perfection Fresh, NSW

Laurie Adams Burlington Berries, TAS

James Kellaway Oz Group Co-Op, NSW

Andrew Terry Tasmanian Berries, TAS

For any general membership enquiries, please contact Wendy Morris 0491 751 123 | admin@berries.net.au

Being a member of your association is an important way to support the growth and development of your industry. There are a range of benefits — only available to members — that are not funded by the national levy system. Contact your Association President or Chairman to find out more.

A D V E R T O R I A L

C O N T E N T

BERRY EXCITING DISEASE CONTROL It may be a new kid on the block but the positive feedback and enthusiasm that agronomists and their growers are showing for MIRAVIS® Prime fungicide is palpable. Particularly when this innovation isn’t just limited to use on strawberries.

Nathan Kay from Nutrien Ag Solutions, Bundaberg, agreed. “One of my main strawberry growers who also grows raspberries has used MIRAVIS® Prime this season and had very good results. It fits in with their program well.” Nathan explained that although it has been a dry season, there have been some very heavy fogs and dews, which is where “MIRAVIS® Prime has really helped with managing the grey mould.”

“The withholding period is only one day so it’s really good with berries – spray one day and pick the next. That’s a big thing.” he added. When asked about return-on-investment, Nathan replied: “The less disease you get, of course, the more crop you get because you’re not throwing it on the ground.” “My growers will use MIRAVIS® Prime again. They’ve taken some older chemistry out of their program and replaced it with MIRAVIS® Prime. It has certainly done the job. The two modes of action also help with optimum protection as well as resistance management.”

When it comes to new fungicides in berries, and they don’t come around that often, other berry crops get over looked. Syngenta, known for premium products like SWITCH® fungicide, this year launched MIRAVIS® Prime, and the label quickly commanded attention for good reason. This new chemistry delivers one-hour rainfastness, and longer lasting control of key berry diseases; botrytis (and also powdery mildew in strawberries). The extra bonus being its one-day withholding period, a real winner close to harvest.

Would Nathan recommend it to growers? “Yeah mate, yeah. My main guy used it no worries, no qualms at all. Another one of my colleagues has a good-sized strawberry grower too, and he used MIRAVIS® Prime as well. I haven’t heard any negative results from him, so he’s used it throughout the season with no issues.”

“It’s nice to have the broad berry category on the label, not just strawberries, to be able to use it in Rubus crops and blueberries as well, so it’s good to have Syngenta recognising those other minor berry categories,” Agronomist Michael Gangi from E.E. Muir & Sons, Monbulk, Victoria said. That’s not to say he wasn’t excited about MIRAVIS® Prime in strawberries. “With strawberries in particular there has been a lack of available [fungicides] for us to use in the powdery mildew space so this is going to be a nice fit to rotate those other two modes of action that we currently already have – a lot of these modes of action are quite old chemistry now so it’s good to add a brand new active into that market.” Michael expects more growers will turn to MIRAVIS® Prime before the year is out. “Because of the short withholding it will work well in our high-pressure intense harvest periods, through October to December when we’re picking at least every two days - this one day withholding it will slip in quite nicely,” he said.

Grower Jim Rozaklis in South Australia agrees. “I sprayed a small area with [MIRAVIS® Prime] mid-May, after last season had finished, and in August it looked like a normal crop. Within two days, with good weather, the fruit turned red and was edible. MIRAVIS® Prime kept that at bay for me over the winter. It was outstanding. No other fungicide treatment retained fruit over the winter.”

For more information about MIRAVIS® Prime, speak to your local Syngenta representative. ®

Registered trademark of a Syngenta Group company.

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Australian Berry Journal - SUMMER 2021 - Edition 9

Articles inside

Moondarra Blueberries lead the way in sustainable packaging