Australian Berry Journal - AUTUMN 2021 - Edition 6

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WELCOME

P R I O R I T Y P E STS

M A R K E T AC C E SS

M A N AG I N G R U ST

Suzette Argent

Rubus

Strawberries

Blueberries

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PROPAGATING RUBUS

UPDATE ON BLUEBERRY RUST IN TASMANIA

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R U B U S

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

B L U E B E R R I E S

Welcome Suzette

Tim Tam Flavour Innovation

Global Warming Shrinks Fruit Size

Pest & Disease Priorities

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Latest Marketing Program

WA Planting Best Practice

Rust in Tasmania

Farm Safety Focus

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15 Strategic Plan Renewal

18 Get Labour Hire Right

Priority Pests & Diseases

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Meet Anthony Lieu

Rust Management

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Biostimulants Boost Yield

Workforce Update

Perfecting Rubus Propagation

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Latest Australian Blueberries Marketing

Powdery Mildew Update

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29 New Berry Biosecurity Plan

50 Inside Perfection Fresh

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33 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 Ian Cover

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

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Meet Cheyne Clarke

New Fungicides

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83 ADVERTISING

Aileen Reid Helen Newman Dr Christopher Menzel Michele Buntain Jenny Van de Meeberg Dr Jessica Lye Belinda Van Schaik Michael Tarbath Jessica Bell Dr Sally Bound

Apollo Gomez Bernardo Blanco-Martin Jodi Neal

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 Kern & Kraft Design www.kernandkraftdesign.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.

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Executive Director's Report Rachel Mackenzie | 0408 796 199 | rachelmackenzie@berries.net.au Utilising the wonders of modern technology I am also hoping to videoconference into grower meetings in both Coffs Harbour and WA in the next few weeks.

Well, I certainly feel like the Berries Australia team has hit the ground running this year.

We have been involved in a number of government consultation processes ranging from land use planning to food safety as well as the never-ending merry-go-round of COVID-19 meetings. We have also managed to host a meeting of each of our committees. Obviously, the biggest issue affecting growers at the moment is worker shortages and we have four pages in this edition covering off on this issue.

In another first, we are hoping that my grower talk in WA can be directly translated into Vietnamese to ensure the large Viet grower base there are able to receive all the information they need.

Finally, I plan to be in South Australia in early April, so I am very keen to meet with growers there. If you have a grower event coming up, please let us know so either myself or the local IDO can attend.

It’s hard to believe that our communications and IDO project is about to undergo its mid-term review.

I certainly could not be prouder of the team and this fantastic journal, but there is always room for improvement so look out for a text message survey coming your way and please take a few short seconds to respond.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my role is actually getting out and meeting growers. In late January, I was fortunate to be able to get out to the Granite Belt and Crows Nest region of Queensland and introduce our new Queensland IDO Suzette to growers of every berry.

We have also submitted a tender application for a trade and market access program for Berries.

Check out the column from Jenny Van de Meeberg to hear more about our export activities on PAGE 64.

I also visited a strawberry runner production facility in full swing, which was a learning experience for me.

Seeing these farms in action really hit home how serious the labour shortage will be once winter strawberry production begins and blueberries start ramping up.

I am desperately hoping that the vaccination program will alleviate some of our workforce issues, but I am not hopeful that borders will re-open fully this year. Please make contingency plans and in the meantime, focus on being the best employer you can be. Rest assured that we will continue to lobby as hard as we can to get a better deal for the sector.

I recently presented on workforce issues at the Queensland Strawberry Growers’ Association AGM as well as popping down to Coffs Harbour to meet with growers there about workforce and local government issues.

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 2020 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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Chairman's Report Peter McPherson | 0418 666 651 | peter.mcpherson@costagroup.com.au voice that can deliver real results back to you, the grower. Pulling together three industry associations with completely different membership structures, levy arrangements and financial status was not easy, but we have shown that it can be done.

Welcome to 2021. Whilst I am aware of the many challenges facing us particularly in the workforce space, I would like to take the opportunity to focus on the opportunities for the berry industry.

Our three objectives for Berries Australia were to provide strong advocacy for the berry sector, deliver projects to optimise the use of levy funds and to provide secretariat support for the individual industry bodies.

As the current President of the International Blueberry Organization (the IBO) and General Manager of Costa’s international berry business, I do get the opportunity to experience the industry beyond Australia.

We have been strongly advocating on behalf of the sector and working with other industry associations to amplify our voice on a range of issues including workforce, food safety (including HARPS) and land use planning. We now have a seat at the table at many government forums and our voice is heard. Rachel and I recently met with the new Chair of Hort Innovation, Julie Bird and the CEO, Matt Brand and I can assure you, they are in no doubt as to the position of Berries Australia.

Globally, consumption of berries is higher than it has ever been, and our sector continues to reap the benefits of improved varietals, the growth of healthy snacking and the promotion of berries as a key source of nutrition.

The Rubus sector continues to be the fastest growing fresh produce line with blackberries really gaining ground over the last 12 months as volumes begin to increase and retail availability also grows. Australian grown blueberries are recognised as the best in the world and we have year-round production of Australian strawberries.

I have been around long enough to remember when strawberries were seasonal, it was a novelty to see raspberries in the supermarket and blueberries were considered a niche and very luxury item.

The journal you are reading is a product of our major communications and industry development project and I urge you to participate in the activities put on by your local IDO. Finally, although not glamorous work, the Berries Australia team is keeping on top of all of the administration required to run four industry associations and ensure they are compliant and financially solvent.

From a weather perspective, 2021 is a big step forward from the droughts and fires that have plagued the industry for the last few years. It is my understanding that growing conditions have been good around most of the country.

I am hopeful that the global roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine will ensure borders re-open but that in the meantime governments will step up to the plate and ensure that we can bring workers in from the Pacific to fill the gap. Wherever you are in your season, I hope that 2021 is a safe and profitable year for your business.

Berries Australia is now two years old and we have shown that it is possible for the sector to have a shared

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President's Report Jonathan Shaw | 0418 758 268 | president@abga.com.au In the case of blueberries, our levy is voluntary, and a large portion of the levy collected is invested into R&D. The ABGA have entered into a CIF agreement with Hort Innovation which enables us to access the Commonwealth matching funds, but which also means that Hort Innovation has control over the investment of those funds.

Welcome to 2021. As President of the ABGA, I try to focus in this column on the things that have an impact on your everyday life as a blueberry farmer rather than the government bureaucracy we have to deal with in relation to market access and research and development. I see it as the committee and Executive Director’s job to navigate through the bureaucracy and deliver outcomes to you. That said, recent issues with the operation of Hort Innovation have a very great impact on our industry and so I want to update you.

Hort Innovation has the responsibility to work with each horticulture industry to make strategic investments in R&D programs, specific to their needs and priorities.

All levy investments involve consultation with and advice from industry, delivered through industryspecific Strategic Investment Advisory Panels (SIAPs).

As a committee, we are keen to see the best use of both your levy funds and the matched dollar from the taxpayer, but we have been frustrated by the performance of Hort Innovation particularly in the export space. We are also hamstrung by the fact that to get market access, the government requires the protocol work to be done through Hort Innovation.

(In this context, the protocol relates to the cold disinfestation rules for fruit fly). That means Hort Innovation engages the service contractor who does the cold disinfestation research.

The Australian government invests heavily in agricultural research and development (R&D) by matching some or all of the levies raised by growers.

The government has a Statutory Funding Agreement that it has entered into with Hort Innovation, allowing it to pass these collected levies on to Hort Innovation.

As well as statutory levies, Hort Innovation also invests voluntary levies on behalf of some horticulture industries, through a collective industry fund (CIF) process. These voluntary CIF levies are not collected by the Australian Government, but by a third party nominated by the industry. The CIF levies follow the same investment process as statutory levies, being entrusted to Hort Innovation and attracting the Australian Government contribution for R&D investments.

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You may recall that our export priorities were to re-enter Japan followed by access to China. It is fair to say that our access to China has been slowed due to geopolitical issues much bigger than horticulture, but it is also fair to say that our Japan aspirations have been thwarted by Hort Innovation’s poor project management and the poor quality of the service

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We will also continue to invest directly in key areas to ensure that momentum is not lost.

provider doing the cold disinfestation research, leading to multiple blow-outs of the timeframes and resulting in poor quality research outcomes. We the growers are the losers of this poor performance!

Along with our specific blueberry efforts, Berries Australia has been part of a collective push by industry for more accountability from Hort Innovation back to levy payers.

Through the efforts of the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance amongst others, the Hort Innovation constitution was changed in November 2020 so that all Board Directors must now be voted in by levy payer members.

As a consequence, two new Board Directors were voted in at the latest AGM and a new Chair was appointed: Ms Julie Bird. This is a great first step in making Hort Innovation more responsive to the needs of growers.

So, what has ABGA done about it?

Firstly, as an industry body we funded our own independent research to identify other suitable markets and have started the process of getting market access to Taiwan, South Korea, Vietnam and New Zealand.

Having the flexibility to invest our own funds directly gives us the chance to leapfrog the bureaucracy and it is my view that this market access work represents real value to levy payers.

Berries Australia Chair Peter McPherson and Rachel met with Julie and CEO Matt Brand in January and had a comprehensive and positive discussion about the need for Hort Innovation to focus on delivering high quality research and development to achieve our export goals and other ambitions for the industry.

In particular, they addressed the need for much better engagement with peak industry bodies regarding priorities and significantly improved procurement processes and project management. ABGA have also sent a letter to the Hort Innovation Board specifically outlining our concerns with the management of the Japan protocol work and our expectations on how to resolve them.

Secondly, the ABGA has worked hard to build a positive and respectful working relationship with the key team members within the Department of Agriculture Water and Environment (DAWE) so we can best support them to do their job of negotiating market access on our behalf. By bringing Jenny Van de Meeberg into the team, we have also built the capacity within Berries Australia to discuss detailed technical matters directly with the government.

Thirdly, to progress with achieving broader market access we will need investment in a range of new treatments. As we are keen to maximise the opportunity to attract matched Government funding, we are still working with Hort Innovation to fund new projects including a joint berries project which will enable us to fund in-house export expertise if we are successful. We will use this expertise to push for much better outcomes from the levy system and rest assured, as a committee we will be holding Hort Innovation to account.

As Chair of the ABGA I can confidently say that Hort Innovation should be in no doubt as to our expectations and I am hopeful that the new Board marks a turning point for the organisation. I will mark their scorecard in 12 months’ time and report back in a future edition of this journal.

NEED HELP WORKING OUT THE RIGHT PAY RATE? Visit calculate.fairwork.gov.au/findyouraward and use the online Pay Calculator.

It calculates base pay rates, allowances and penalty rates (including overtime).

For more useful tools and resources make sure you head straight to the Horticulture Showcase. www.fairwork.gov.au/horticulture-showcase

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President's Report Richard McGruddy | 0408 763 804 | richard@berryq.com.au the Good Mood Food campaign, which includes digital marketing managed by a Mamamia partnership.

Welcome to 2021. We recently held our first RABA meeting for the year, and it was obvious that the industry is facing unprecedented new challenges. On a more positive note, it was great to re-connect with the new committee and I certainly feel we have a renewed focus on the key issues facing the Rubus industry.

This also includes social media influencers and continues until the 29th of April. Jump to PAGE 44 in the Rubus section for a more detailed story on how your marketing funds are being spent.

As flagged previously, we are slowly moving through the steps to establish a levy to fund our biosecurity obligations to government. We will be contacting all Rubus levy payers with the exact details in the next few months, but rest assured there is no intention of raising the levy, we simply need the correct mechanism in place.

The summer production growers are currently in full production and have been navigating the rocky road of COVID-19 related labour shortages. Raspberry volumes have remained fairly steady, but blackberries increased a whopping 70% in the last quarter.

Unfortunately, in December our Rubus IDO Claire McCrory left the role and at the time of writing the industry is seeking a replacement. I would like to thank Claire for her contribution and particularly for her thorough list of research and development priorities which gives us a great platform to make sound investments.

In the meantime, Ian Cover from Fruit Growers’ Tasmania has been supporting the delivery of the Rubus priorities in the IDO project. Thank you Ian.

The winter northern growers are preparing for what currently looks like another good winter season following good rain across the country, but labour supply shortages and increased costs are at the forefront of everyone’s minds.

Through Berries Australia we are throwing everything at alerting government to the possible consequences of the issue and identifying solutions, but progress is slow and frustrating. I remind everyone that they should complete the Lost Crop Register if they are unable to harvest their crops as this provides good information for industry to lobby government for change.

Find it at bit.ly/BA-NLCR.

Finally, I would like to congratulate Christian Parsons on his appointment as my fellow RABA representative on the Berries Australia board. Christian replaces founding member Anthony Poiner who has stepped down from RABA, but remains active in Berries Australia as one of the board representatives of the Australian Blueberry Growers’ Association.

Late in December, we received a Rubus Marketing update from Belinda Van Schaik, the marketing manager from Hort Innovation. They have commenced

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I hope that all Rubus growers have a safe and fruitful Autumn. Don't hesitate to get in touch with the Berries Australia team direct if you need any assistance.

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Chairman's Report Simon Dornauf | 0408 681 206 | simon@hillwoodberries.com.au I understand that members of the Queensland Strawberry Growers Association recently met with Queensland Agriculture Minister, Mark Furner to discuss the labour shortage. Although nothing concrete has evolved directly from that meeting at this stage, we all need to play our part where possible to reinforce the situation at all levels of Government.

The Summer production season for the strawberry industry is well underway but has been tarnished with an unprecedented level of anxiety around labour.

This anxiety hasn’t abated as the season progresses due to the continuing problem of workers being poached and low rates of recruitment and retention of local staff.

Whilst there has been an increase in seasonal workers arriving in the country under the Seasonal Workers Program and Pacific Labour Scheme, with latest figures indicating over 3,000 new arrivals, this will not even come close to providing a complete solution for the broader industry. We are therefore still at the mercy of the fallout from COVID-19 and are yet to see any sort of light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, it also appears that we are now dealing with the added problem of seasonal workers, particularly those from East Timor, absconding and applying for temporary protection visas. It appears that the fear of having to return home and not being allowed back into Australia may be a reason for this happening so once again, we need to push for control measures to be implemented to address this problem before it snowballs out of control.

The federally funded Industry Recovery and Resilience Project, which was granted to Berries Australia in response to the needle crisis in 2018, is almost due for completion.

With the aim of the project being to build the capacity and resilience of the Australian Strawberry Industry, a number of key outcomes have been achieved in export development, risk management, strategic planning and development of an effective industry structure.

Jenny Van de Meeburg has been engaged to develop an export market access strategy for strawberries to help prioritise new market access/improvement requests. As a result, SAI has submitted applications to add an irradiation pathway to the existing protocol markets of Thailand and New Zealand, and these have been approved for use in negotiations by the Australian Government. More information on the work that Jenny has been doing on export development for strawberries can be found on PAGE 64.

I am conscious of ensuring that the message about the labour shortage is continually delivered to Government.

It seems that because we currently have produce on the supermarket shelves, the issue is not being taken as seriously as required. We need to continually reinforce that the labour shortage is a very real and growing problem.

A review of the existing SAI constitution is in progress.

Considering the vintage of the existing constitution, this will also be an ongoing consultative process to ensure that we develop a model that meets the needs of the current and future peak industry body. We are hoping that the SAI committee will finally be able to meet face to face in May this year. It will be good to see everyone in person again after looking at faces on screens for such a long time now!

It’s great to see that the Berries Australia team are still at the forefront of discussions to address the labour issues, and in some states, there appears to be various initiatives being put into place to assist where possible.

Rachel Mackenzie has been contacting politicians directly to seek support and encourages anyone within the industry to lean on whatever political connections that they may have to garner support.

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Berry Industry Development Officer, Strawberries & Queensland Suzette Argent | 0438 752 177 | berryido@qldstrawberries.com.au producers cutting back or even spraying out fields to reduce production to match what little labour they had.

In the south-east part of the state flash rainstorms highlighted the importance of ground cover to hold fertile topsoil in place and the ongoing rainfall caused delays to pre-season ground preparations for many growers.

Bron Ford finished up in the Berry IDO position late last year and has returned to a role within the Regional Economic Development team at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries based in Gatton.

Bron is still working closely with the Berries Australia team and supporting the industry within her new role. I know that Bron made a significant impact in the twelve months she held this role, and that her energy and initiative were greatly appreciated – I shall do my very best to fill her shoes!

In my short time onboard, it is clear that the overwhelming issue for the Queensland industry is the shortage of seasonal labour as a consequence of COVID-19. With this labour shortage issue this season it is even more critical that growers ensure they are providing the right work conditions and are paying staff correctly to ensure we hold on to the labour force we have.

With the start of the winter berry season it is timely to remember to be COVID-safe and ensure you have reviewed your “Health Management Plan (HMP)” ready for the upcoming season. It is mandatory to have an HMP when employing any form of seasonal workers.

Please head to bit.ly/BA-COVID-HUB to find useful resources and the COVID-19 check list.

I started in late December and have been undertaking farm visits to meet growers and learn about everything berries in Queensland ever since. One trip was to the Granite Belt in January where I gained an appreciation for what is involved with growing dayneutral strawberry varieties in summer. I have also visited my first blueberry and raspberry farms and I am thoroughly enjoying learning about these crops. I really appreciate the time growers have taken to meet with me and teach me. I have a plan to travel to Bundaberg and the Atherton tablelands in the coming months to meet growers and learn more about the finer details of growing in these unique parts of the region.

In an effort to bring some normality back, this year we are planning to resume the yearly field day in the south east around June and hold the Queensland Strawberry Growers’ Association Annual Dinner and Awards night, on the Sunshine Coast on 30th October.

QSGA has also held conversations with two of the major events normally held during Winter strawberry season - the Sandstone Point Strawberry festival and Strawbfest at Chevallum State School - and we're pleased to confirm that plans are already underway to bring these events to life in a COVID-Safe way this year.

Look out for more details as the year progresses.

This summer the La Niña has been providing good rainfall to almost everyone. Granite Belt growers received very welcome rainfall over summer, particularly in comparison to the last two years. The rain also brought cooler weather due to cloud cover providing ideal growing conditions and producing good quality fruit. The shared challenge has been getting labour to harvest the crops with some strawberry

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I hope that all growers have a successful planting and I look forward to meeting more of you as the season progresses.

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Industry Development Team, Strawberries & Western Australia, Agricultural Produce Commission suburb of Coolbellup has meant movement conditions have been implemented for all fruit transiting Canning Vale Markets. All fruit must be securely packaged or subject to a fumigation treatment. This will remain in force until the end of March provided no more flies are found. Find out more at bit.ly/QFF-Coolbellup

Wanneroo strawberry production in Western Australia is in a lull so things here in the west are fairly quiet. Growers will be getting round to thinking about fumigation for the coming season soon, but we expect that the decision about how many plants to grow will be a judgement call made very carefully by each farm based on their willingness to accept the labour risk. Disappointingly for the Wanneroo area it falls outside of what is currently classified as “regional”, which unfortunately renders access to the seasonal worker program impossible unless delineations are changed.

A COVID-19 case in a hotel security guard sparked a hard lockdown for 5 days at the beginning of February.

The speed of the lockdown meant that G2G passes weren’t ready and this caused problems for a couple of days for growers with staff in Perth needing to travel to regional areas. A direction for all workers to wear masks even when outside on farms also created issues due to the hot weather and many complaints were received.

Fortunately, during the latter part of the lockdown mask rules were relaxed during strenuous exercise and the weather cooled down over much of the state.

At the risk of sounding a little beaten down, the bushfires in the northern and eastern suburbs of Perth really have felt like the icing on a particularly inedible cake for growers in the west. The large fires raged over many days and travelled in a westerly direction with several growers in the Bullsbrook area needing to evacuate and cease retail sales for 1-2 days. Luckily all these growers were on the west side of Tonkin Highway so the fire risk itself was minimal, but smoke and road closures all made life extra difficult for a while.

Growers who have other crops and can employ pickers across most of the year are certainly faring better in attracting and retaining workers. Interestingly, tabletop substrate production is showing huge benefits in terms of both reduced labour requirements and worker comfort, particularly at this difficult time.

Strawberry production in the southwest region is now past its peak for the season. Prices are generally higher, but growers are also paying higher rates to attract and retain workers. The hot weather in December and January did adversely affect strawberry fruit size and also shelf life for southwest fruit. In the Wanneroo area, survival of plants being kept for second year crops is also proving challenging. Some crop maintenance jobs like de-runnering have fallen behind due to the lack of labour. The region’s blueberry production is now tailing off and being replaced with fruit from New Zealand.

Both Helen and Aileen are available to support growers so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need any assistance.

Both can be reached on WABerryIDO@berries.net.au or by mobile: Aileen Reid | 0467 783 981 Helen Newman | 0428 335 724

Whilst a recent fruit fly incident in Dalkeith has been successfully concluded a new incident in the southern

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Victorian Strawberry Industry Development Committee

Berry Industry Development Officer, Strawberries – Victoria & South Australia Dr Angela Atkinson | 0408 416 538 | ido@vicstrawberry.com.au there have been detections in Silvan, Badgers Creek and Kinglake in the Yarra Valley. In Adelaide a new QFF outbreak was announced on the 12th February, in the Ridleyton area. This is within the boundaries of a Mediterranean fruit fly (Medfly) outbreak declared on 26th February 2020. Movement restrictions were in place for certain fruits due to the Medfly outbreak, and this has now been extended to apply specifically to movement of strawberries in the Ridleyton Outbreak area. For more information go to www.pir.sa.gov.au/fruitfly

The shortage of labour continues to be the major focus of all horticulture industries.

Growers are having to make difficult decisions on how to manage their current harvest, and how to plan for coming seasons, with a continually diminishing workforce.

Despite many initiatives to attract local workers to jobs in horticulture, there has been minimal uptake of these programs. The number of working holiday visa holders present in Australia continues to decrease, and as international borders will likely remain closed for the foreseeable future, agriculture will become more reliant on the Seasonal Worker Program and Pacific Labour Schemes.

Continuing the biosecurity theme, Agriculture Victoria’s Biosecurity Officers have been working with berry growers in the Yarra Valley during December and January to set up and monitor sticky traps and lure traps in a Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) surveillance program. SWD is not in Australia, and we want to keep it that way, so conducting surveillance is essential to increasing the chances of detection if it sneaks in. To read more about the program go to bit.ly/SWD-Vic-Ag

Victoria and Tasmania have recently struck a deal where Victoria will quarantine Tasmania’s returning Australians in return for Tasmania quarantining up to 1500 Pacific Island workers for Victorian farms. While 1500 workers is significantly less than the current and projected requirement for harvest labour in Victoria, the mechanism is in place for the program to be extended if both states agree. First flights are anticipated in early March.

Fall Armyworm, first detected in Queensland in 2020, has been steadily moving south, and has recently been detected in Orbost in Victoria. There are several permits issued by the APVMA for control of fall army worm in berries. See apvma.gov.au for more information.

Growers are still encouraged to fill in the National Lost Crops Register which already shows losses in excess of $47 million nationally. Strawberries are top of that list, according to Growcom, followed by vegetables, blueberries and bananas. To fill in the register go to bit.ly/NationalLostCropRegister

While it is difficult to plan events with the uncertainty over COVID-19 restrictions, we are going ahead organising activities for the coming months.

• 19 March: a pollination workshop focusing on native bee pollination in Rubus crops

Aside from the labour issue, the summer has been generally mild in the south, except for heatwave conditions in late January in both SA and Vic, and a bushfire emergency affecting the Adelaide Hills. There have been some significant rain events over the summer as well.

• L ate May/early June: field day for berry growers to be held in the Yarra Valley with presentations, demonstrations and a farm visit All event details will be published in The Burst and on our Events page at bit.ly/BA-Event-List. Please get in touch if you have any questions or need help with anything.

The humid weather has helped increase Queensland fruit fly (QFF) activity around Melbourne suburbs, and

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Peter Cornish, Chief Executive Officer and Ian Cover, Industry Development Officer and Michael Tarbath, Policy & Engagement Officer, Fruit Growers Tasmania Inc.

December saw the first Tasmanian Berry IDO Claire McCrory depart the role to focus on finishing her PhD studies. Claire was in the role since the start of the project in September 2019 and has done a great job networking and bringing an improved focus to Tasmanian berry industry development and issues. Claire will be missed and we wish her the very best for the future.

Despite the challenges there have been some positive notes. Local Tasmanians have really taken up the challenge of working in the harvest, with reports of numbers almost double previous seasons.

As Fruit Growers Tasmania recruits the new Berry IDO, Ian Cover will be undertaking the role. Ian has been working in the IDO role across all fruit for the last seven years.

The latest initiative to support growers is the recently launched Seasonal Worker Transport Pilot which aims to connect growers with potential workers with no or uneconomic transport options.

Tasmania’s Berry Season

Growers looking to make use of the service can find out more by contacting Fruit Growers Tasmania and requesting a free quote.

These shortages have been helped by the Tasmanian berry industry bringing in four flights of seasonal workers from the Pacific, totalling some 650 workers, without a single case of COVID-19 being detected.

The reimbursement of hotel quarantine costs by the Tasmanian Government was one of a number of welcomed initiatives that supported growers.

By the time of publication, most of the blueberries and Rubus summer harvest will have been completed.

Nonetheless there is still a lot of action going on across the wider berry sector, with strawberry and autumn Rubus producers still going strong.

Coming Soon There are already a number of workshops and other event ideas in the pipeline, so look out for more information on those through The Burst or the Fruit Growers Tasmania Fruit e-News.

In terms of COVID-19 safety, industry and the Tasmanian Government have come together extremely well, with many berry producers leading the way by sharing key learnings form last season and helping to produce wider agricultural safety practices. Careful management and preparation have meant that the summer harvest got underway with few disruptions.

On a national Rubus level we will be working to progress the Rubus research and development priorities and strategic agrichemical review process (SEE PAGE 47).

Given the state and national border closures caused by COVID-19, it is no surprise that most Tasmanian berry growers have experienced challenges sourcing labour for harvest work. Some growers have reported having to make tough management decisions. The weather this summer has helped a little with the seasonal labour conditions, with generally cool summer temperatures slowing down fruit development and helping growers to keep up with the harvest.

If there are issues you are facing in your business or contacts that you are seeking, please get in touch. admin@fruitgrowerstas.org.au | 03 6169 2059

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Berry Industry Development Officer, Blueberries & New South Wales Melinda Simpson | 0447 081 765 | melinda.simpson@dpi.nsw.gov.au We have a lot planned for the berry industry over the next six months. I’m currently in the process of organising the first Plant Protection Fair which will include trade stalls on all things plant protection and practical learning stations on topics such as sprayer set-up, disease management, nozzle selection, biosecurity and much, much more. We will also be running a number of other workshops over the next few months on topics including irrigation/fertigation management, pollination and substrate management so keep an eye out for these events.

Just when we thought 2020 was almost done and dusted, mother nature added one last almighty whack for NSW growers with a once-in-a-generation rainfall event.

The east coast low in December saw over 500mm of rain fall during peak Rabbiteye production and many growers throughout all growing areas lost anywhere from 20% to 80% of their crop.

On a different note, Coffs Harbour City Council is commencing the process of developing a Coastal Management Program (CMP) for the Darkum Creek, Woolgoolga Lake, Willis Creek and Hearnes Lake estuaries. The CMP will consider estuary and catchment health issues such as bank erosion, water quality, catchment and sediment inflows, as well as recreational amenity among others.

Most of the production fell to the ground but what was left was split or soft and anything that was salvageable took a lot of sorting. Let’s hope 2021 is a better year for everyone!

Blueberry rain damage. Photo credit: Melinda Simpson.

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It will provide an opportunity to develop a strategic, long-term approach to management of the estuaries and improve coordination across local and state government agencies. The Coastal Management Plan will be prepared through a five-stage process.

They have finished stage 1 which was to complete a scoping study report that outlines the key issues and sets a plan for the remaining stages. Stage 2 has now commenced and includes investigation into the issues identified by the community in Stage 1 in more detail, using latest data and information.

Further to this, the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment is currently undertaking a review of harvestable rights for all NSW coastal draining catchments. The review is exploring the potential benefits and impacts of increasing the harvestable rights percentage, as well as allowing harvestable rights dams on third order streams.

The review considers the effects of increasing the proportion of rainfall run-off that landholders can capture as a harvestable right, allowing dams to be built on larger tributaries, or doing both within NSW catchments that drain to the coast.

The review aims to determine whether greater access to water for agricultural ventures could be allowed, while ensuring enough water is available for downstream water users and the environment.

If you would like to view this discussion paper visit www.industry.nsw.gov.au/water/licensing-trade/ landholder-rights/harvestable-rights-dams/review As you may know, the NSW Agriculture Commissioner was appointed in August 2020 and was tasked with reviewing the NSW Government’s Right to Farm Policy.

The Commissioner conducted a review and found that the Policy has been delivered but has not fixed the issues of land use conflict with farmers. In addition, other barriers in the planning framework to primary production have been identified. From these findings the Commissioner has recommended the development of an Agricultural Land Use Planning Strategy (ALUP Strategy) to address three key issues: Issue 1: Long term availability of productive land; Issue 2: Reducing land use conflict and supporting dispute resolution; Issue 3: Support the growth of agriculture and regional economies. The Commissioner is currently gaining feedback on this strategy.

As always feel free to get in contact with me if you have any issues or need help with anything.

N E W S F R O M O U R VA L U E D PA R T N E R S

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If you would like to find out more about the partnership opportunities available with Berries Australia, please contact Jen Rowling | jenrowling@berries.net.au or visit www.berries.net.au

I N D U S T R Y

Please welcome Suzette Argent to the team Some may say that Suzette has come full circle and is finally home again. Born and raised on a strawberry farm in South East Queensland Suzette has an ingrained love for the land. This love led her to study agriculture at university and follow a career path that has focused on making a positive impact on farmers’ lives.

“It was there that I learnt more about farm design and working with the landscape and climate to improve water quality leaving a property. I gained a higher appreciation for working with the land and using natural processes on the farm. The highlight was working with the landholders and local community to find sites and develop designs to create the blueprint for how treatment systems could be designed and implemented on farms in practical ways. The best ideas are typically local ones, and it was a privilege to bring the community ideas forward.”

Her first job, based in Bundaberg, was as a natural resource officer working to help farmers develop Land and Water Management Plans that were compliant under the Water Act 2000 so they could use irrigation water. Pursuing her passion for extension and landholder engagement, she took on an exciting adventure to the northern grains growing region to work on a host of different projects covering topics including climate change, soil organic matter and carbon, pasture rundown and zero tillage. Working on numerous projects gave her the opportunity to really hone her extension skills.

After a number of years up north, the call to be closer to family, hometown and industry was answered when the QLD Berry IDO position was advertised. Suzette was selected from a field of outstanding candidates and her blend of formal study and lived experience on the farm will bring a richness to this critical industry development role.

I have a strong interest in science communication and turning complex science into something that everyone can understand and most importantly apply practically.

“I like to take a whole farm systems approach to my work. My background and experience has taught me to work with the land and the local community to keep agricultural production going today and into the future.

I look forward to being of service to the industry that has given me a very fruitful life and career.”

Following her earlier water management work, Suzette worked on an innovative healthy waterways project in South East Queensland which brought her back to horticulture for a few years before a personal move took her to Far North Queensland to the Wet Tropics region to work with sugarcane and banana growers on water quality improvement for the Great Barrier Reef.

You can reach Suzette Argent on: BerryIDO@qldstrawberries.com.au 0438 752 177

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Renewing the Strategic Investment Plans for Berries The Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) for each levy-paying industry is the roadmap that has helped to guide Hort Innovation’s investment of levies and Australian Government contributions since their introduction in 2017.

Industry-specific Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) outline the key priorities for investment in each levy industry. Each SIP has been created through close consultation with industry, to ensure it represents the balanced interests and opportunities for that industry.

This outcome was underpinned by the strategies and deliverables required to achieve it.

The third part of the plan arranged the outcomes, strategies and deliverables into a set of priorities for the industry. And the final and critical part of the plan defined how success would be measured and evaluated throughout the 5-year life of the SIP.

The very important function of each SIP is to ensure that levy investment decisions align with industry priorities.

The process of preparing each SIP was managed by Hort Innovation and facilitated in partnership with Industry Representative Bodies (like Strawberries Australia) and Strategic Investment Advisory Panels (SIAPs). Independent consultants were engaged to run the consultation process, to gather the advice from stakeholders impartially and produce a plan.

For both the Strawberry and Rubus industries, the first SIP plan represented the Australian industry’s collective view of its R&D needs over a five-year period (2017 to 2021). Each plan started by identifying the relevant context for that industry, its market maturity, supply and demand trends, domestic and international trade, and a SWOT analysis.

Each plan was published in both a long form (left), and a useful summarised form (right).

The second part of the plan focused on industry outcomes, in other words what would be the end result of following the plan. An example outcome is

You can review the existing SIPs for Strawberries and Rubus at bit.ly/STR-RUB-SIP

How are the SIPs being updated?

The renewal process will involve a review against the planned outcomes in the existing plan, a broad consultation phase to reassess outcomes, strategies and deliverables, and to re-establish industry priorities and, finally, a new draft plan for signoff by stakeholders.

By 2021, increase exports of Australian strawberries from 4% to at least 8% of national production by volume, in selected markets with a capacity and willingness to pay a premium for quality fruit.

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For the new plan, all of the berry industries are being combined into a single overarching Berries SIP, with crop specific priorities.

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How can a grower become involved?

What is the timeline?

An initial meeting has been planned for March with the Berries Australia board and representatives from each industry SIAP.

In 2021, Hort Innovation will continue to engage with growers and industry stakeholders to develop a refreshed SIP for each industry within the horticulture sector. Following this engagement period, the draft SIPs will be made available for broad industry feedback and validation from May 2021. The finalised SIPs will be available on the Hort Innovation website from July 2021. Each industry-specific SIP will lay the foundation for decision making in levy investments, representing a balanced view of stakeholders from within the industry, helping Hort Innovation prioritise and implement relevant R&D and Marketing programs.

Each of our Industry Development Officers (IDOs) will also be involved with the consultation phase, collating and sharing inputs from their crops and regions.

If you would like to contribute to the new SIP for your industry, you can do so either by contacting your IDO, your industry SIAP team or our Hort Innovation Industry Strategic Partner Bradley Mills.

Hort Innovation Contact Bradley Mills, Industry Strategic Partner | 0408 635 465 | bradley.mills@horticulture.com.au

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How are you creating a safety culture on your farm?

Safer Farms, Safer Farmers Charles Armstrong, Chairman, Farmsafe Australia

A farm’s most valuable asset is its people.

On average, 60 people lose their lives on farms in Australia each year, while many more suffer life-altering injuries.

Why is it so hard to make farms safer?

Farmsafe Australia is committed to making Australian farms safer places to live and work. Our mission is to lead and coordinate national efforts to create positive Workplace Health & Safety (WH&S) messaging and enhance the well-being and productivity on Australian farms. The National Farmers Federation’s 2030 Roadmap has set a bold vision for agriculture and has set an ambitious target of zero fatalities on farm by 2030.

Farmsafe Australia is working hard to provide growers with the tools needed so that we can achieve that goal.

Generally, the most dangerous elements on farm are well known to those who work there. The main issue that we come across is that often, farmers or those who are working on farm, are rushing to get many jobs done before the sun goes down, before the rain starts, before harvest begins, etc. Time to think about the risks involved in a job prior to it being undertaken is often not prioritised. Habit, stress, fatigue, and even the absence of regular adverse consequences also conspires to cause farmers and farm workers to become complacent even when risk is clear.

Unfortunately, agriculture consistently ranks among the most dangerous industries to work in. We employ 2.6% of the Australian workforce and yet agriculture accounts for 21% of workplace fatalities (Safework Australia, 2016). Farming has a very high-risk profile which is further complicated by the fact that farming is not just a job, it’s a lifestyle – with little to no separation between home and work.

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The first step is to stop and assess The awareness and assessment of the risks that are inherent on farm is vital to the lives of every member of the family and every employee, contractor and visitor on farm. Farmsafe Australia has developed a risk assessment template that can be used to outline the nature of the hazard or risk that exists, how severe consequences of an accident may be, how likely, and steps to mitigate the hazard or risk. Step-by-step instructions are provided, and the resource can be downloaded from the Farmsafe website multiple times to cover a broad range of risk assessments. Find out more at bit.ly/Farmsafe-risk

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Snapshot The following data has been collated from information provided by AgHealth Australia and their Australian Farm Deaths and Injuries Media Monitors Snapshot.

2019 January – December 12 MONTHS NT

FATALITIES

TOTAL 58

1/1

NON – FATAL INJURIES

QLD

TOTAL 133

WA

SA

4/2

17/78

4/2 NSW

VIC

14/35

12/13 TAS

6/2

2020 January – June 6 MONTHS NT

FATALITIES

TOTAL 33

0/0

NON – FATAL INJURIES

QLD

TOTAL 71

WA

SA

1/1

6/44

2/0 NSW

VIC

7/20

10/6 TAS

19

3/0

Common Agents of Fatality or Injury

ANIMAL

TRACTOR

8 /18 %

QUAD BIKE

13 /11

%

%

%

DAM

SIDE BY SIDE

3 / 5

22 /35 %

%

0.

%

MOTORBIKE

8 /2

%

%

3%/5%

%

OVER THE LAST 18 MONTHS

10 Year Comparison

FATALITIES

NON – FATAL INJURIES

200

6 MONTHS -JAN-JUN

100

50

6 MONTHS -JAN-JUN

150

0

2010

2011

2012

Gender and Age

89

.3% MALE

FATALITIES ARE

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

50

WITH OVER

50%

ABOVE YEARS OF AGE

20

2018

2019

2020

IN THE LAST 10 YEARS

15% OF FATALITIES

ARE CHILDREN UNDER 15 YEARS OF AGE

Assessment of risk is just one part of the process. Driving continued engagement with the behaviours associated with farm safety is critical.

Lack of engagement, coupled with complacency, is a greater challenge than awareness of risk. Farm safety requires an ongoing ‘topping up’ of messages, reminders and strategies to drive behaviour change and avoid relapses into short cuts and poor decision making.

Toolbox talks are a great way to involve workers in WH&S conversations and to keep them engaged in risk awareness practices, but it is also often the best method to identify safety issues on farm. Encouraging discussion about issues and seeking feedback will create new ways of thinking, offer new and potentially safer practices, and ensure your workplace is safety conscious, productive and actively responsible for the health and wellbeing of all on farm. Some farms have regular meetings of all staff, others select a health and safety representative(s) to represent their concerns to owners/managers.

Farmsafe has released its first series of ‘Toolbox Talk’ resources that provide guidance on topic-specific conversations that can take place over the toolbox or in the workshop, whatever works best on the day.

The risk management tool, lone worker, safe chemical handling, hazardous substance and chemical use, and tractor operation resources are especially useful for the horticultural sector. We are also developing modern machinery guiding, repetitive strain injury, manual handling and telehandler guides, amongst many others.

Find out more at bit.ly/Farmsafe-toolbox

Are inductions really that useful?

Inductions are a necessary process to ensure that all workers, contractors or visitors on farm are aware of a broad range of generalised risks. Pre-inductions, like the web application offered by Farmsafe, can be done prior to stepping foot on farm however, it is important that site specific inductions are done on the first day to ensure that everyone is aware of the specific risks on your farm – no two farms are the same.

This is critically important in the horticultural sector, where temporary or short-term workforces are more common. We need to be especially mindful with this workforce of language barriers contributing to safety issues and ensuring that we have considered this in our risk mitigation plans.

Mental health There is a significant lack of mental health support in rural and regional Australia. However, we can be actively engaged in the mental wellbeing of our staff by promoting healthy lifestyles and making sure our staff know that health and well-being is a priority. This can be as simple as asking your worker if they have taken a break or just checking in to make sure they are getting enough sleep if they seem tired or out of sorts.

Inductions are not the only responsibility we have to our workers. We need to remember that farm safety is not a one-off investment. We need to be committed to long-term cultural change programs that ingrain safety practices and behaviours across generations.

Most importantly, we need to reinforce safety messaging prior to busy seasons. There are always jobs that need to get done on farm, and harvest timeframes often push our farmers well past their physical and mental limits.

There needs to be a balance established between getting the job done and ensuring it is done safely.

Creating a safety culture drives engagement Investing in the creation of a safety culture on farm is the key. Ensuring that your employees are comfortable speaking up about their concerns and are being empowered to take appropriate control of their own, and their co-workers, health and safety actions is important in the prevention of day-to-day accidents and injuries. And this includes committing to a zerotolerance policy on bullying and harassment. Mentally healthy workplaces are as important as physically healthy workplaces.

Safer Farms, Safer Farmers – that’s a commitment we all need to make.

Farmsafe has recently undertaken a significant revitalisation with substantial support provided by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, under the National Farm Safety Education Fund.

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SARP explained MT19008: Strategic Agrichemical Review Process Jane Richter

The Strategic Agrichemical Review Process (SARP) is a structured process that provides a view of current priorities and gaps regarding pest, disease and weed control in Australian horticulture industries. A SARP report was initially completed in 2016 for each horticulture crop with a levy fund, and these have just been updated in late 2020. Given that the levy fund is newly established for blueberries, this is the first SARP produced for the blueberry industry.

Each industry’s SARP report assists in directing ongoing efforts to ensure the availability of and access to effective chemical controls for the industries, to address those priorities and gaps. This may relate to pursuing chemical registration with agrichemical companies, or minor use permits with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).

The SARP process has identified diseases, insect pests and weeds of major concern to each of the berry industries. Against these threats, available registered or permitted pesticides have been evaluated for overall suitability in terms of IPM, resistance, efficacy, trade, human safety and environmental issues. Where tools are unavailable or unsuitable the process aims to identify potential future solutions. Potential new risks to the berry industries have also been identified.

The SARP process involved industry consultation and desktop studies to:

The results provide each berry industry with a clear outlook of gaps in existing pest control options.

This report is not a comprehensive assessment of ALL pests and control methods used in berries but attempts to prioritise the major problems.

• A ssess the importance of the diseases, insects and weeds that can affect each horticulture crop • E valuate the availability and effectiveness of fungicides, insecticides, herbicides and pesticides in the control of these plant pests and diseases

You can access the full SARP report for each berry industry at bit.ly/2020-SARP

• D etermine any gaps in the current pest and disease control strategy

A feature highlighting the current priorities for each berry industry can be found on:

• I dentify suitable new or alternative treatments to address the gaps.

Alternative treatments (e.g. pesticides) should ideally be selected for benefits of: • Integrated Pest Management (IPM) compatibility

RUBUS

PAGE 47

STRAWBERRY

PAGE 73

BLUEBERRY

PAGE 89

• Improved scope for resistance management • Sound biological profile • R esidue and trade acceptance domestically and for export

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BIOLOGICAL BIOLOGICAL BOTRYTIS BOTRYTIS CONTROL CONTROL IN IN BERRIES? BERRIES? NO NO WORRIES. WORRIES.

BOTECTOR, BOTECTOR, AUSTRALIA’S AUSTRALIA’S TRUSTED TRUSTED PROTECTION PROTECTION AGAINST AGAINST BOTRYTIS BOTRYTIS REDUCES PRESSURE ON SELECTIVE CONVENTIONAL CHEMISTRY, REDUCES PRESSURE ON SELECTIVE CONVENTIONAL CHEMISTRY, WITHOUT WITHOUT COMPROMISING COMPROMISING ON ON DISEASE DISEASE CONTROL. CONTROL. • The only effective biological fungicide for use in • The only crops effective biological fungicide for use in all berry all berry crops • Can be used right up to harvest (Nil WHP) • Can be used right up to harvest (Nil WHP) • Manages botrytis infection through competitive • Manages infection competitive exclusion,botrytis stopping botrytisthrough from colonising entry exclusion, stopping botrytis from colonising entry points on berries points on berries • Also suppresses Rhizopus, phomopsis and • Also suppresses phomopsis and anthracnose fruitRhizopus, rots anthracnose fruit rots • Suitable for use in conventional and organic • Suitable for systems use in conventional and organic production production systems • Soft on beneficial insects - suitable for use in • Soft on beneficial insects - suitable for use in IPM programs.

IPM programs.

To view the To view the Botector Technical Botector Technical manual, open manual, open your smartphone’s your smartphone’s camera and scan camera and scan

Nufarm.com.au/product/Botector Nufarm.com.au/product/Botector For more information, contact your local For more information, contact your local Nufarm Business Development Manager Nufarm Business Development Manager

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I N D U S T R Y

Licensed Labour Hire: Do the right thing for your workers, your business and your industry Jane Richter Workers will be protected against exploitation from unlicensed labour hire providers and host employers not engaging licensed providers.

• L abour hire businesses must be licensed in Qld, Vic and SA • T hose farms that use labour hire must only use licensed providers

The scheme seeks to achieve a level playing field, such that reputable labour providers do not face unfair competition from unscrupulous operators, and labour hire workers are not subject to exploitation.

• T here are significant fines in place for breaches of your obligations as an employer using labour hire services

If you conduct a business that engages labour hire providers to supply you with individuals to work in your business then you are defined as a ‘host’ and you must only use licensed labour hire providers.

• C ompliance officers are out there and actively checking throughout the year VICTORIA The Labour Hire Authority is responsible for implementing the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018.

The Act introduced a licensing scheme for providers of labour hire across all industry sectors. The scheme was established in response to the Victorian Inquiry into the ‘Labour Hire Industry and Insecure Work’ which uncovered widespread abuse and exploitation of labour hire workers across Victoria.

The Labour Hire Authority has a team of inspectors whose role is to promote, monitor, investigate and enforce compliance with the Act and regulations.

Inspectors have a variety of powers to monitor compliance with the scheme including, where there are reasonable grounds, the power to:

The key elements of the licensing scheme are that: • l abour hire providers must be licensed to operate in Victoria,

• enter and search premises • e xamine and seize anything suspected of being connected with a possible contravention of the Act or regulations

• t hose who use labour hire providers must only engage licensed providers, and • l abour hire providers must report annually on their labour hire activities.

• i nspect, copy or take extracts from documents on the premises and make images or recordings

The Labour Hire Authority is responsible for licensing labour hire providers and undertaking education, enforcement and compliance activity.

• seek the assistance of other persons • w here necessary apply to the Magistrates' Court for a search warrant.

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Hosts are prohibited from using an unlicensed labour hire provider, and hosts doing so will be exposed to significant fines, with a maximum penalty exceeding $500,000.

As we head into the winter strawberry season in Queensland, growers are reminded that when engaging workers through contractors, they must only use providers who hold a current labour hire licence.

There are also significant penalties for hosts who seek to enter into arrangements aimed at avoiding or circumventing obligations that would otherwise be imposed by the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2018 on the client, supplier or someone else. Avoidance arrangements must be reported to the Labour Hire Authority.

The Labour Hire Licensing Compliance Unit also recommends you: • C heck the current licence status via the online register prior to engaging a provider, and keep evidence of that (for example, by saving a screenshot of your search). The online register always contains the up-to-date licence status of the provider.

Visit ols.oir.qld.gov.au/licence-register/search

W labourhireauthority.vic.gov.au P 1300 545 200 E enquiries@labourhireauthority.vic.gov.au

• H ave a written contract that properly identifies the contractor, including their Australian Business Number. Include an obligation in the contract to advise you of any change to their licence status (e.g. suspension or cancellation). Consider limiting the ability of the labour hire provider to subcontract.

QUEENSLAND Queensland’s Labour Hire Licensing Scheme – Tips for the upcoming season

• C heck the identity and bona fides of the person approaching you to provide labour, in particular that they are authorised to bind the licensed labour hire provider in a contract. By clicking on the licence number in the register, you can see the names of the persons who are nominated and executive officers for that provider. If the person approaching you is not one of those persons, you should ask further questions.

Queensland’s landmark Labour Hire Licensing Scheme commenced on 16 April 2018. There are currently 3,332 labour hire providers licensed to operate in the state.

Labour hire providers are required to hold a licence, while those who use labour hire must only use licensed providers. There are significant penalties for breaches of these obligations, including fines of more than $400,000.

• D o spot checks with employees – check on whether they are experiencing any issues and ask for proof of pay (including super) and conditions and visa status from the labour hire provider.

Director of the Labour Hire Licensing Compliance Unit Natalie Wakefield said the scheme is helping vulnerable workers and ensuring operators who do the right thing aren’t disadvantaged.

“Through education and auditing, we help operators comply with the standards required,” Ms Wakefield said.

“Added to that, compliance actions such as refusing licence applications, or suspending and cancelling licences where operators are not fit and proper, ensure we weed out rogue operators from the industry.

W www.labourhire.qld.gov.au P 1300 576 088 E www.labourhire.qld.gov.au/contact-us

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

“We encourage the grower community to let us know if they have issues with their labour hire provider.”

Amendments to South Australia’s labour hire laws commenced on 20th July 2020.

To date, five unlicensed labour hire providers and one user of an unlicensed labour hire provider have been prosecuted. Court-imposed fines for these offences have ranged from between $50,000 and $120,000. Directors have also been pursued for their role in the offences.

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The scope of the licensing scheme has been narrowed to apply to labour hire providers operating within industries where workers are at a greater risk of exploitation due to the low-skilled, labour-intensive nature of the work that they are engaged to undertake.

This includes horticulture.

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What are the key obligations of Agents and intermediaries?

Significant penalties apply if you: • provide labour hire services without being licensed

Agent and intermediaries who source workers from a labour hire provider and then provide the workers to a host employer, must provide the host with the labour hire provider's:

• engage an unlicensed labour hire provider.

Penalties also apply if: • a labour hire provider does not provide licence particulars to either the agent or the host employer (whichever is applicable)

• licence number • name and contact details

• a n agent/intermediary does not provide licence particulars to either another agent or to the host employer (whichever is applicable)

• n ame and contact details of the responsible person for the licence Agents or intermediaries who are involved in the arrangement must ensure this information is passed along the chain to all parties involved, so that the host ultimately receives this information.

What are the key obligations of labour hire providers?

Labour hire providers must provide the host employer with: • their labour hire licence number

What are the key obligations of host employers?

• their name and contact details

When a business (the host) requests another business to supply them with workers, the host must ensure that the other business holds a current labour hire licence.

• t he name and contact details of the ‘responsible person’ for the licence.

Labour hire providers must provide each worker with:

Penalties apply to the host if they use an unlicensed labour hire provider.

• the Labour Hire Worker Information Notice • e ach time a worker is supplied to a new host employer

In the event that the host requests an agent or intermediary to provide them with workers, the host should expect the agent or intermediary to provide them with the details, and licence number, of the labour hire provider which the workers were sourced from.

• w hen the circumstances on the notice change for an existing host employer e.g. the pay rate changes • a copy of the Fair Work Information Statement (FWIS).

To check the status of a licence in South Australia, visit secure.cbs.sa.gov.au/OccLicPubReg/index.php where you can search by Name Location or Licence Number.

The Labour Hire Worker Information Notice provides these important details to the worker: • The name and licence number of the labour hire provider,

Host employers are also recommended to carry out frequent spot checks on workers supplied through a labour hire arrangement. Check that the worker has received a fully completed Labour Hire Worker Information Notice and a copy of the FWIS. Check that the information provided to the worker about their pay criteria and rate of pay match your agreement with the labour hire provider, and that the worker has been receiving the correct payments including superannuation contributions.

• The commencement date with the host employer, • T he name of the business the worker is being supplied to, • The pay rate, pay criteria and method of payment, • Whether accommodation is to be provided, and • M ust be signed by both the worker and the labour hire provider.

The Fair Work Information Statement (FWIS) has been created by the Fair Work Ombudsman and ALL employers have to give every new employee a copy of the FWIS before, or as soon as possible after, they start their new job. The FWIS provides new employees with information about their conditions of employment.

W www.sa.gov.au/topics/ business-and-trade/licensing/labour-hire P 131 882 | E occupational@sa.gov.au

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I N D U S T R Y

Workforce issues: an update Rachel Mackenzie, Executive Director, Berries Australia

There is no doubt that the berry industry is facing a workforce crisis because of the closure of international borders. As a sector we have long been dependent on working holiday makers (WHMs) to fill our seasonal workforce needs and those workers are leaving the country and not being replaced.

Rough estimates looking at Queensland and NSW indicate that the berry industry alone will need around 14,000 workers in quarter 2 (Apr-Jun), 27,000 in quarter 3 and 24,000 in quarter 4. It is unrealistic to think that more than half of the backpackers left in Australia will work in this sector!

Berries Australia along with other industry associations has been lobbying all levels of government since March last year for action on this issue and it is deeply disappointing that so little has been put on the table.

Our first hurdle is always that most politicians can’t see past the local unemployed as a solution. But despite incentive schemes and fancy websites, there are a range of structural barriers to many locals taking up work that is seasonal and regional in nature. Workforce participation by Australians has increased but it is a drop in the ocean compared to what we actually need.

The numbers are stark. According to government data, as of December 2019 there were 141,142 Working Holiday Makers in the country compared with 49,542 WHM's left by December 2020.

The only viable solution on the table is to increase the number of Pacific Island workers in Australia. The Australian government has provided up to 22,000 visas but have also washed their hands of any responsibility for quarantine which means that industry groups and growers have to navigate through an ever-changing landscape of options and negotiate separately with each State government.

These workers are said to be leaving the country at a rate of 1,000 per week. In addition, there are around 6,500 Pacific seasonal workers in the country compared with 14,000 in 2019.

Even with an almost 10-fold increase in the number of locals taking up seasonal jobs, we are still looking at a significant shortfall. Part of our issue is that as an industry we have always struggled with getting exact numbers in relation to our workforce needs but it doesn’t take a maths whizz to see that there will not be enough workers.

Unfortunately, this has meant growers in some states have significantly more and cheaper options than others. Overlaid on this is the critical accommodation shortage in some berry growing regions.

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What can the individual grower do?

You can view the list of current AE at any time at bit. ly/SWP-AE. Please also be aware that competition for these workers is fierce.

• P lan for the worst and don’t just take the word of your labour hire company that they will be able to meet your requirements.

Each State has a different approach to quarantining these workers and who pays. In NSW, AE are expected to pay $3000/ worker whereas the Tasmanian government has fully subsidised the quarantine costs.

At the time of writing, Queensland was using an on-farm quarantine model but was looking into large quarantine facilities in regional areas.

• E xpect to pay more for workers and bear in mind that you need to be the best employer you can be.

• W rite to your local state and federal politicians and make sure they understand what this situation means for your business.

• F ind out about the Seasonal Worker Program (SWP) and Pacific Labour Scheme (PLS) to see if either of these schemes may be able to assist you.

The Berries Australia website bit.ly/BA-Manage-Workers will provide the most up-to-date information and links as the landscape is changing very quickly.

• I f you do lose any crops, fill in the National Lost Crop Register (bit.ly/BA-NLCR) and if you are willing to talk to the media, let Berries Australia know.

Important information on Visas As a consequence of COVID-19, the Australian government has created a new subclass of visa called the Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) also known as the Pandemic Visa.

The Pacific option – what do I need to know?

With the dwindling number of backpackers, the increased use of Pacific workers seems to be the only viable solution on the table to solve the workforce crisis. That said, accessing these workers is expensive and far more complicated than employing a traditional backpacker. This article aims to give a basic summary of the programs for those who have not used them before.

With this visa you can remain in Australia if you have no other visa options and are unable to depart Australia due to COVID-19 travel restrictions or remain in Australia to work in critical sectors including agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the 408 visa the visa holder is bound by the conditions of the original visa they came in on.

That means that Pacific workers who entered under a 403 visa must remain with their Approved Employer unless given specific permission to move to another Approved Employer.

There are two programs that facilitate pacific workers in Australia and both issue workers with 403 visas. It is important to understand that these programs are part of Australia’s AID program to the Pacific and not just schemes to provide workers.

If you are not an Approved Employer, then it is unlawful for you to employ these workers whilst they are on a Pandemic visa.

All participating workers have the same rights and protections as Australian workers. There is speculation that the two programs will soon be administered by the same department which will be a good thing. Both programs require potential employers to become an Approved Employers (AEs) prior to being able to recruit workers. AEs must be able to guarantee work for the worker and provide accommodation that meets certain standards as well as pastoral care for these workers.

Both growers and labour hire companies can become Approved Employers.

Some workers who entered on a 403 visa are “claiming asylum” and applying for protection visas (Protection visa (subclass 866)). Any worker who is still on a valid 403 or 408 visa is legally bound by the conditions of that visa until that visa expires.

If you are not an Approved Employer, then it is unlawful for you to employ these workers until their current visa expires (not the date they claim asylum).

Becoming an approved employer is a time-consuming process and for many growers the best way to access these workers is through a labour hire company that is an existing AE.

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The Department of Home Affairs is cracking down on these arrangements. It is important for the workers to understand that approximately 90% of the applications for a Protection visa (subclass 866) are rejected and that following that rejection, they will not be allowed back into Australia again – under any circumstances.

Scheme Name

Seasonal Worker Program (SWP)

Pacific Labour Mobility Scheme (PLS)

Objectives of the scheme

Assist employers in agriculture and accommodation industries to fill employment gaps unable to be met by the Australian workforce.

Contribute to the economic development of 9 participating Pacific Island countries and Timor-Leste.

Designed to help Australian businesses address chronic labour shortages and deliver a stable and productive workforce where local labour is not available.

Enables citizens from 9 Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste to take up low-skilled and semi-skilled work opportunities in all sectors in rural and regional Australia for up to 3 years.

Administered by

Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE)

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT)

Visa subclass

Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) Seasonal Worker Program stream

Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) Pacific Labour scheme stream

Length of Visa available

Maximum 9 months

1 – 3 years

Skill levels

Unskilled and low-skilled

Low-skilled and semi-skilled

Participating nations

Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

Industries

Agriculture, accommodation (in select locations)

All sectors in rural and regional Australia

Age of workers

21+

21-45

Find out more

www.dese.gov.au/seasonal-worker-programme

pacificlabourmobility.com.au

SWP staff at Hillwood berries in Tasmania. Photo credit: Hillwood Berries.

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Working holiday makers

You can only check the visa conditions of nonAustralian passport holders. You cannot check Australian passports in VEVO.

Working holiday makers are able to extend their existing 417 or 462 visas for a third year provided they meet certain conditions. They remain subject to all of the existing visa requirements.

immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/already-have-a-visa/ check-visa-details-and-conditions/check-conditionsonline/for-organisations

Student Visas

Making peace with piece rates

Students employed in the agriculture sector can work more than 40 hours/fortnight. The website is currently silent on the maximum number of hours they can work in the agriculture sector. immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/ work-in-australia/Pages/working-in-agriculture/ agricultural-employers.aspx

Piece rates are a very important productivity tool for the horticulture sector. They enable growers to reward those who are the most productive which is particularly important when there is high competition for workers.

The guidelines are absolutely clear on how to calculate the piece rate. Please refer to the Fair Work Ombudsman website if you would like any further clarification.

How do you check someone's visa details with VEVO?

www.fairwork.gov.au/pay/minimum-wages/ piece-rates-and-commission-payments

Only registered organisations that have a visa holder's permission can check visa details. The organisation must register for an ImmiAccount. You can then access VEVO through your ImmiAccount.

The Horticulture Award sets out how piecework is to be calculated and includes a piecework loading of 15% which applies to both permanent and casual wages.

There is also a template piecework agreement, which every employee undertaking piecework must sign.

The piecework agreement must contain the unit rate (ie pick or pack rate) up front, provide for the piecework loading to be paid (15%), and, if applicable the casual loading (25%).

The formulation of the piecework rate is done as follows – for example, here using level 1 rate from the Horticulture Award: LEVEL 1 BASE HOURLY RATE

$19.84

PIECEWORK LOADING 15%

$2.98

CASUAL LOADING 25%

$4.96

HOURLY RATE FOR AVERAGE COMPETENT WORKER:

$27.78 PER HOUR

If the average competent worker picks 10 buckets in an hour, they are paid $2.78 per bucket and this is the set unit rate – the number of units x unit rate = hourly rate paid.

The unit rate can vary to take account of particular harvest conditions – e.g. a higher rate if picking is slower due to weather, or less product is available – e.g. at the beginning or end of the season.

The Agreement provides for the Employer to state the conditions that apply to the different rates.

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New Biosecurity Plan for the Berry Sector released Dr Angela Atkinson, Berry Industry Development Officer, Strawberries & Victoria/South Australia The Biosecurity Plan is a framework to coordinate biosecurity activities and investment for Australia’s berry sector, and outlines key threats to the industry, risk mitigation plans, identification and categorisation of exotic pests and contingency plans. It identifies and prioritises exotic plant pests (not currently present in Australia) and established pests of biosecurity concern and focuses on future biosecurity challenges.

• Biosecurity planning assesses current

biosecurity practices and future biosecurity needs • The Biosecurity Plan for the Berry Sector identifies high priority exotic pests, and established pests of biosecurity concern • The Biosecurity Plan identifies actions to reduce the chance, or impact, of an exotic pest incursion • The plan will be reviewed and updated annually

The development of a Threat Summary Table (TST), consisting of a list of over 330 exotic plant pests and the potential biosecurity threat that they represent to the Australian berry sector is the first step in the biosecurity planning process.

Each pest on this list is given an overall risk rating based on four criteria; risk of entry, likelihood of establishment, spread potential and economic impact.

Pests with an overall high rating are identified as High Priority Pests (HPP) and are listed in Table 1.

Biosecurity planning provides a mechanism for industry, government and other relevant stakeholders to better prepare for, and respond to, incursions of pests that could have significant impacts on the sector.

An important part of biosecurity planning is the development of an industry biosecurity plan, coordinated by Plant Health Australia, with input from industry and government. A biosecurity plan outlines the commitment to the partnership between industry and government to improve biosecurity for the sector.

The Biosecurity Plan for the Berry Sector version 1.0 was published in December 2020. Previously the Rubus and strawberry industries were covered by separate biosecurity plans. This new plan covers both industries, as they have a number of shared pests of concern, and the single plan aims to reduce fragmentation and duplication of biosecurity implementation activities.

The Biosecurity Plan documents all information and resources available, and activities undertaken to raise awareness, for each of the HPPs and established pests listed. This enables the identification of gaps in knowledge and prioritises specific actions which are needed to increase industry’s biosecurity preparedness and response capability. These actions are listed in the plan along with timeframes and responsibilities.

Industry Biosecurity Plans are principally designed for decision-makers, and provide industries and government with a mechanism to identify exotic plant pests, as well as to address the strengths and weaknesses of the industry’s current biosecurity position. Annual reviews of the Biosecurity Plan for the Berry Sector will be undertaken to assess progress against agreed activities, with another formal review to be conducted in five years.

The blueberry industry is currently covered by the Biosecurity Plan for the Blueberry Industry version 1.0, which is due for review this year. Recognising the relationship between the three berry industries and the number of shared pests, information from the Blueberry biosecurity plan has been included in the new plan, with the intention of formal inclusion when the Blueberry plan is reviewed.

The Biosecurity Plan for the Berry Sector version 1.0 is available from Plant Health Australia by emailing admin@phau.com.au

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Table 2. Berry Sector High Priority Pests (in alphabetical order of pest type).

Affected Berry Industry

Common Name (scientific name) Distribution in Australia

Movement Controls

lnvertebrates Acari (mites) Kanzawa spider mite (Tetranychus kanzawai)

NSW, QLD

Movement control of fruit and nursery stock into WA

Red berry mite (Acalitus essigi)

SA, TAS, VIC, WA

No formal movement controls

Two spotted mite (Tetranychus urticae)

NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC & WA

No formal movement control

Elephant weevil (Orthorhinus cylindrirostris)

NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC & WA

No formal movement controls

Strawberry rough weevil (Otiorhynchus rugosostriatus)

ACT, NSW, TAS, VIC

Movement control of fruit and nursery stock into WA

Queensland fruit fly (Bactrocera tryoni)

NSW, NT (Darwin), QLD, VIC

Movement controls of fruit

Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata)

WA (except Ord river irrigation area)

Movement controls of fruit

Strawberry Rubus Blueberry Rubus Strawberry

Coleoptera (beetles and weevils) Blueberry Blueberry Rubus Strawberry Diptera (flies) Blueberry Rubus Strawberry Blueberry Rubus

Hemiptera (stink bugs, aphids, mealybugs, scale, whiteflies and hoppers) Strawberry

Green peach aphid (Myzus persicae)

All states and territories

No formal movement controls

Rubus Strawberry

Rutherglen bug (Nysius vinitor)

NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA

No formal movement controls

Blueberry Strawberry

Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis)

NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA

Movement controls in NT

Blueberry Strawberry

Plague thrips (Thrips imaginis)

Widespread

No formal movement controls

Blueberry rust (Thekopsora minima)

NSW, QLD, TAS

State movement controls of blueberry material (ICA-31)

Charcoal rot (Macrophomina phaseolina)

NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA

No formal movement controls

Phytophthora root rot (Phytophthora cinnamomi)

NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, WA

No formal movement control

Thysanoptera (thrips)

Pathogens Fungi Blueberry Strawberry Blueberry

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Spotted wing drosophila: Exploring biological control MT18010 ‘Exploring IPM compatible methods for Drosophila suzukii in berry crops’ Dr Jessica Lye, Extension Lead, Cesar Australia

If spotted wing drosophila were ever detected in Australia there is a chance (if detection did not occur early, or if the outbreak were widespread) that it would end up becoming a managed pest.

Through Hort Innovation funded research (MT18010) we have been reviewing Australian natural enemy options, including parasitoid wasp species in Australia that use other Drosophila species, such as the vinegar fly, as hosts.

Management overseas follows an integrated approach, with a heavy focus on cultural controls. However, biological control would also be an important element of management planning.

Overseas, naturally occurring biological controls offer the benefit of suppressing spotted wing drosophila populations in non-cropping landscapes (such as woodlands), which have been shown to readily harbour pest populations and provide a reservoir for infestation of farms. Thus, they aid in maintaining area-wide management of the pest.

Unfortunately, the spotted wing drosophila immune system is particularly geared towards defense against parasitoid attack. The defense response entails encapsulation of parasitoid eggs or larva in melanised cells, and few larval/pupal parasitoid species can overcome this.

In Europe, North America and the USA, the most abundant indigenous parasitoids reared from spotted wing drosophila are two generalist pupal parasitoids, Trichopria drosophilae and Pachycrepoideus vindemmiae.

From our review we have found no records of T. drosophilae from Australia, however P. vindemmiae was found in Queensland in the early 1900s.

Based on recent research by Cesar Australia into exotic agromyzid leafminer species, we know there is a chance beneficial species that could confer control benefits may already be in Australia, ready and waiting. If this is the case, there would be no need to import parasitoid wasps or other biological control options into the country, which can be a lengthy and costly undertaking with no guarantee of success.

While this is a tantalising finding, there remains further work to do before we can infer if there may be a potential suppressive benefit offered by endemic wasp species.

It is important to note that there have been few surveys of parasitoid wasp species in Australia, and there is much we do not know about their distributions.

Ground dwelling generalists, such as spiders, carabid beetles, ants, damsel bugs, and earwigs, are another group that should be considered for biological control of spotted wing drosophila. They are likely to have a suppressive effect as they can play a role in ‘mopping up’ pupae and larvae that drop from fruit to the ground.

SWD on raspberry. Photo credit: Hannah Burrack.

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Overseas studies show that ground dwelling generalist natural enemies will be important in control of spotted wing drosophila.

Photo credit: Dr Jessica Lye, Cesar Australia

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Generalist natural enemies such as the native common brown earwig (left) and carabid beetles (right) may provide suppressive benefits against spotted wing drosophila. Photo credit: Cesar Australia

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If you are interested in learning more about what ground dwelling generalist predators may be found close to your crop throughout the year we recommend setting up pitfall or shelter traps. Alternately, you can get your torch out for some spotlighting after dark.

Woltz and Lee (2017) have demonstrated significant reductions in spotted wing drosophila in-crop populations when generalist predators are also in the crop. Infestations were shown to be reduced by 19-34% in strawberries and 28-49% in blueberries as a result of predator foraging.

Ants and spiders were common predators observed in these trials, and ants were even observed to actively remove spotted wing drosophila pupae from the soil.

Acknowledgements: MT18010 ‘Exploring IPM compatible methods for Drosophila suzukii in berry crops’, was funded

by Hort Innovation, using the strawberry, raspberry and blackberry research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

Project partners were Plant Health Australia, cesar, Plant & Food Research, and Horticulture New Zealand.

Wolf et al. (2018) has previously shown that 43% of earwigs collected from organic and untreated cherry, blackberry and raspberry fields had ingested spotted wing drosophila (this was demonstrated through molecular analysis of predator gut contents).

If spotted wing drosophila does enter the country and establish, management planning will need to consider how these generalists will need to be protected from off-target insecticide impacts. Species of earwig or carabid often only have one or two generations per year, therefore recovery of resident populations after pesticide impact can take time.

References: Lee, J. C., Wang, X., Daane, K. M., et al. (2019). Biological Control of Spotted-Wing Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae)—Current and Pending Tactics. Journal of Integrated Pest Management. 10(1):13; 1-9.

Woltz, J. M., and Lee, J. C. (2017). Pupation behavior and larval and pupal biocontrol of Drosophila suzukii in the field. Biological Control. 110: 62–69.

Wolf, S., Zeisler, D., Sint, J. et al. (2018). A simple and cost-effective molecular method to track predation on Drosophila suzukii in the field. Journal of Pest Science. 91: 927–935.

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I N D U S T R Y

The Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed and Owner Reimbursement Costs

Supporting industry in a biosecurity emergency Dr Angela Atkinson, Industry Development Officer, Strawberries & Victoria/SA • Under the EPPRD, no grower should

be better or worse off as a result of the implementation of an emergency plant pest response • T here is a system in place to protect against crop losses due to an emergency plant pest response plan • O RCs aim to ensure there is no disincentive to reporting a suspected emergency plant pest

Spotted Wing Drosophila on a raspberry Photo credit: Peter Coffey a Response Plan in the event of an EPP incursion that affects that industry. RABA is currently reviewing the levy structure to ensure they can meet their financial obligations as deed signatories.

The Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD or ‘the Deed’) is a formal, legally binding agreement between Plant Health Australia (PHA), the Australian Government, all state and territory governments and plant industries who are signatories to the Deed.

It covers the management and funding of responses to Emergency Plant Pest (EPP) incidents.

These cost-sharing arrangements with government are based on the category of the plant pest, which is a measure of the public/environmental benefit versus industry benefit of eradication. An important, underlying principle of the Deed is that no grower should be better or worse off due to an EPP incursion and subsequent response. This means that the owner of a crop or property directly devalued or destroyed as a result of implementing an approved Response Plan may be eligible for reimbursement payments under the Deed.

Strawberries Australia Inc. and RABA, along with many other horticultural industries, are signatories to the Deed.

Blueberries are not currently signatories to the Deed. This means that in the event of an incursion of an emergency plant pest that has the potential to significantly impact the strawberry or Rubus industries, such as Spotted Wing Drosophila, industry is directly involved in decision making, along with government, in the development and management of a Response Plan.

These payments, or Owner Reimbursement Costs (ORCs), are made on an agreed valuation approach which is endorsed by industry, and are designed as an incentive for growers, or other stakeholders, to report suspected EPPs. It also provides social justice for growers who, through no fault of their own, are seriously affected by a Response Plan.

The Deed aims to provide a consistent and agreed approach to plant pest incursion management across Australia, including clarity around funding a response.

Under the Deed, an industry that is a signatory may also be required to contribute to the cost of implementing

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Strawberry tortrix vegetables, is currently working with PHA to progress the development of a framework.

In contrast, an industry that is not a signatory to the Deed will not be involved in any decision-making processes in the event of an EPP incursion that may affect that industry.

As strawberries are grown year-round, in different production systems, different regions and with differing lengths of seasons, a framework for ORCs must be able to take this variation into account.

This will involve identifying sources of regionally specific data which can be used in calculations in the event of ORCs being payable. In addition to having an industry evidence framework for calculating ORCs, it is important that growers also keep their own up-to-date records of all costs involved in their production that can be used in the event of an EPP incursion.

Additionally, if the total farm gate value of the industry exceeds $20 million affected growers would not be eligible for reimbursement for losses resulting from a Response Plan. If the farm gate value of the whole industry is less than $20 million ORC payments may be available.

ORCs are calculated using an agreed valuation based on defined ORC evidence frameworks that are outlined in the Deed. The ways ORCs are calculated are crop specific, and will be different for an annual, short term rotation crop, like strawberries, compared to a longterm crop such as a cherry orchard, or a broadacre annual crop like wheat. Although the calculation is dependent on the type of crop affected, in general:

There can also be variations across industries in the quality of product produced. However, if a grower believes their crop is valued higher than the industry average, unless they have good records to justify their valuation, any reimbursement will be calculated using industry averages.

ORCs = (Previous asset value– Damaged asset value) + Response costs

Industry experience of EPP incursion management demonstrates how important ORC evidence frameworks can be, and how important it is for growers to keep their own records. The chestnut industry dealt with an incursion of Chestnut Blight in 2010, before they signed the Deed and with no ORC evidence framework in place.

A crop specific evidence framework identifies the appropriate information, documentation and processes needed to determine values used in the ORC calculation. If an evidence framework is not in place, it is difficult to calculate specific ORCs.

The response to the incursion involved destroying several thousand trees on 9 affected properties in Victoria that were decades old.

Luckily growers were given some compensation, but it didn’t take into account the complex and variable nature of the industry and the length of time for trees to become productive, as detailed data was not available.

Development of an evidence framework is led by the Peak Industry Body with guidance from PHA, and must be endorsed by industry, government parties and PHA. It needs to be updated regularly to reflect changes in crop values. In the event of an emergency pest incursion, having an ORC framework in place means that the industry and affected growers are not trying to pull together the required information during an emergency response.

Experience from the citrus industry with citrus canker also reinforces the importance of having an ORC framework in place, and the need for growers to be aware that a system exists to protect them against losses as a result of an EPP response, so there is no disincentive to reporting a suspected exotic plant pest.

Despite this, of the nearly 40 horticultural industries that are signatories to the Deed, only 13 have an approved industry specific evidence framework. Strawberries and Rubus have not yet developed frameworks for ORCs, but PHA is actively encouraging industries to work with them towards developing a framework. The strawberry industry, along with other short rotation, annual crops such as melons, sweet potatoes and

More information about ORCs and the EPPRD, as well as industries’ approved ORC evidence frameworks, can be found at planthealthaustralia.com.au

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Moreton Bay Raspberries feature in a new Tim Tam Berries Australia is thrilled to see berries featured in that most iconic of biscuits – the Tim Tam. South-East Queensland business My Berries have once again teamed up with Arnott’s Tim Tam to produce a new flavour in their crafted collection – The Moreton Bay Raspberry and Dark Choc Tim Tam which was launched in January 2021.

Stuart is the son of a second-generation berry farmer and says: “My dad and elder brother Richard created a farm that we think grows the most delicious raspberries in the country. I’m so proud to be able to continue what they started and to develop new and exciting ways to share our berries with our fellow Aussies.”

My Berries business owners, Stuart and Allison McGruddy, work and live in Queensland’s Moreton Bay region and their dedication to promoting the beautiful berries the area produces is second to none. Once again, a collaboration with Arnott’s has given them a wonderful opportunity to take their support of locally grown berries from Moreton Bay to a wider audience.

In partnering with local growers, my company – My Berries – processes, washes, dries and freezes soft berry fruits in South East Queensland,” McGruddy says.

And his experience shows that the domestic market for home-processed frozen berries is, potentially, large.

In 2020, Stuart received the Hort Innovation Churchill Fellowship award to expand his knowledge in the freezing of whole soft berry fruits.

There is a knowledge deficit in Australia regarding the freezing and processing of berries which Stuart believes can be met by fully understanding the techniques used in other countries. Stuart said: “I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to speak with growers and manufacturers overseas - to better understand business relationships, logistics and the equipment used to acquire and process quality frozen fruit. In turn I aim to improve, educate, and help to create a much more efficient manufacturing process.”

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“Imported frozen fruits typically dominate the Australian market, whilst homegrown fruit tend to be pureed or juiced as there is little understanding of the best manufacturing techniques for soft berries,” he says.

“Understanding processes and techniques used in other countries will help the Australian berry industry become more efficient and knowledgeable in the freezing of their product.”

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Get Primed Once COVID-19 travel restrictions ease, Stuart plans to travel to Serbia, France, the USA and Chile to research and investigate technologies used in freezing whole soft berry fruits and, in doing so, also plans to address the number of imported fruits dominating the Australian market.

for a new way to control botrytis

According to Hort Innovation, its Churchill Fellowships ‘drive innovation and transformation in Australia’s horticulture industry’.

“Churchill Fellows undertake research projects that involve visiting and gaining insights from abroad to complete a research project,” Hort Innovation General Manager for Research a nd Development www.horticulture.com.au/ hort-innovation/the-company/our-leadership/ alison-anderson Dr Alison Anderson explains.

“Research project findings provide real benefit to the Australian horticultural community.”

Hort Innovation and the Churchill Trust offer up to three fellowships annually. The Fellowships are open to any industry participant with a viable research project of benefit to the sector.

It’s coming. It’s powered by Miravis®. Call your Syngenta representative today. www.syngenta.com.au/miravis-prime

Stuart McGruddy. Photo credit: My Berries.

R U B U S

Raspberry & Blackberry Marketing Campaign Update Belinda Van Schaik, Marketing Manager, Hort Innovation

The new year is upon us and so too is the new raspberry and blackberry marketing program. With a strong digital media focus, the campaign calls on consumers to ‘add some oomph’ to their everyday meals with Aussie raspberries and blackberries.

In January, a mouthwatering raspberry-themed video went live, showcasing how raspberries add that little extra, that can make a big difference to any meal.

In February, the focus turned to a vibrant blackberry video, demonstrating how flavour-wise, blackberries punch way above their weight and add serious bling to your porridge or a massive zing to your yoghurt.

To view the campaign videos, go to bit.ly/FAB-YouTube

Consumer research conducted via research agency FiftyFive5 highlighted breakfast as an occasion that is ripe for opportunity, representing only 15% of the occasions people currently consume raspberries and blackberries. The campaign taps into this insight with breakfast featured as the prominent occasion, to encourage more frequent and habitual everyday use.

The media content partnership with Australian news and lifestyle platform Mamamia is now live.

The opportunity we have tapped into with Mamamia is to make raspberries and blackberries the solution to meal preparation fatigue. The partnership allows us to leverage Mamamia’s expertise as a storyteller and true friend of Australian women, to place raspberries and blackberries at the heart of quick and easy, achievable, everyday food inspiration.

Highlights of the partnership include: • A rticles profiling 3 social media influencers, showcasing their go-to meals that incorporate raspberries and blackberries, starting with breakfast and moving through the day

If you’re not already following @freshaussieberries on Facebook and Instagram, now is the perfect time to do so. Fresh new recipe ideas and snack inspiration is shared on social media throughout the year, to educate and inspire consumers about the versatility and ease of adding raspberries and blackberries to everyday dishes.

• S ponsorship of ‘The Spill’ podcast where the hosts highlight how raspberries and blackberries are a must have to elevate everyday meals • D igital display and video advertising across the Mamamia network

DIGITAL ADVERTISING

PUBLIC RELATIONS

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Below are current live examples of the partnership, which will run through to late April.

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or visit: www.andinspection.com.au

R U B U S

Rubus SARP Overview Pest & Disease Priorities Ian Cover, Industry Development Officer, Fruit Growers Tasmania Inc.

In November 2020, representatives from the blackberry and raspberry (Rubus) industries met to discuss the Strategic Agrichemical Review Process (SARP) published by Hort Innovation earlier in August 2020. The purpose of the SARP is to identify the pest and disease priorities, agrichemical usage and current management alternatives for the Australian Rubus industry.

Rubus pests and diseases are prioritised as high, moderate and low based on industry consultation plus desktop audit and review. The SARP ranking also evaluates current fungicides, pesticides, insecticides and herbicides for these priority pests; indicating presently available products and those currently undergoing the registration process by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). The purpose of this meeting was to give industry the opportunity to discuss and assess the accuracy of the report. As a result, the information gathered from this meeting will help industry identify any possible gaps that need addressing.

Table 1: shows the High Priority Rubus diseases, pests and weeds identified in the SARP report.

Common name

Scientific name

Diseases Grey Mould

Botrytis cinerea

Insect, Mites and Other Pests

Pest Priorities Sixty plant pests were identified as significant pests to the Rubus industry; with a total of 42 combined insect, mite and snail species forming the largest component of the list; followed by 13 diseases and five weed species. Plant Growth Regulators were also investigated but will not be the focus of this article.

Two Spotted Mite

Tetranychus urticae

Green Stink Bug

Plautia affinis

Green Vegetable Bug

Nezara viridula

Western Flower Thrips

Frankliniella occidentalis

Green Mirid

Creontiades dilutus

Brown Mirid

Creontiades pacificus

Crop Mirid

Sidnia kinbergi

Weeds

Botrytis cinerea on raspberries. Photo credit: AHR.

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Blackberry Nightshade

Solanum nigrum

Marshmallow

Malva parviflora

Priority Disease Comments

The suggested changes to the ranking of pests were discussed as follows:

• B otrytis cinerea (Grey Mould) is the only high priority disease listed for Rubus and industry representatives agree that sufficient control options are available to deal with this pathogen, but more extension and communication work is required to highlight the importance of proper chemical group rotation.

• M ites, although ranked as a high priority are considered to be lower priority than Mirid species.

• R utherglen Bug and weevil species need to be moved up the list due to difficulty to target adult stages.

• O ther species such as earwigs and stink bug are not currently listed but are noted as serious pests in growing regions such as Tasmania.

• M isidentification of pathogens was suggested as an explanation to why there aren’t more high priority diseases. For example, Cladosporium spp. symptoms being mistaken for Grey Mould.

• P rotein bait sprays and trapping is not sufficient for managing Queensland Fruit Fly under high pest pressure.

• C hemical use legislation in Victoria provides growers with flexibility in the use of agrichemicals, including off-label use for products registered for similar uses. All other grower regions must adhere to label and permit requirements.

• A phids are reported to be more of an issue in blackberries but should be moved up the moderate priority list.

• T here are limited options to prevent scale insects and therefore, industry would like this pest to be prioritised higher for new chemical registrations.

• F oliar applications to treat Phytophthora Root Rot, given the nature of the disease, are found to be less effective and it would be important to investigate soil fumigants or liquid formulations for application via irrigation. The limited options for control of this disease are a concern from the nursery perspective, specifically the issue of resistance management.

Similar to the Rubus diseases, industry representatives requested that efficacy by product and pest would help growers make informed decisions on effective application rates.

• M ore alternatives are needed for Cladosporium spp. and Downy Mildew control due to older chemistry coming under increasing review pressure. Proposed in-field chemicals for Cladosporium spp. are more of an unknown factor and industry has less experience with current post-harvest options.

A common frustration for growers arises from the fact that some options control the target pest but simultaneously increase the problems with other insect pests: likely due to a knock-on impact on beneficials resulting in an even higher input cost to growers.

Growers are concerned that overreliance on short withholding period products (i.e. 1-day WHP) will cause resistance. However, products with more than 1-day WHP are difficult to manage during harvest resulting in significant fruit waste, leaving growers with no alternatives.

• I ndustry representatives request that the efficacy of registered products against the listed diseases is collated and provided back to industry, so that growers are aware of the risk of under-applying and inadvertently selecting for resistance for other low priority diseases (which are currently kept under control with standard Rubus spray programs).

The use of pheromone baits mixed with new contact or ingestive actives would be interesting to investigate for Lepidoptera species. A bait approach also avoids potential residue issues.

Priority Insect, Mite and Other Pest Comments

Some chemical options are not suitable or registered for protected cropping and growers understand that manufacturers are considering resistance management but would like to ensure regulators understand all the aspects of substrate production and the differentiation to glasshouse production.

In general, the insect pests identified by the report reflect current pest pressures faced by industry.

Industry representatives indicate the ranking of some moderate and low priority insect pests should be considered more closely by Hort Innovation.

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What is the important message for growers?

Important to note, Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda previously exotic to Australia, has been listed as not technically feasible to eradicate by the Consultative Committee on Emergency Plant Pests due to current incursions across Queensland and New South Wales growing regions. Although the impact of this pest is not fully felt by wider industry, an emergency minor use permit has been issued to help prepare for management. Growers participating in this discussion requested that this pest be considered a high priority.

Those participating in the discussion agreed with the completeness of the pest lists identified by the SARP report. According to grower input high priority pests listed in Table 1 potentially do not capture moderate and low ranked pests and more work needs to be done by industry groups to address these gaps. In disease, insect and mite pests; resistance consideration and knock-on effects of broad-spectrum pesticides are the two common reasons that industry representatives agree on why rankings need to change.

Priority Weed Comments The SARP report does not cover substrate in the context of weed management. Where Rubus plants are established in substrate the only options for weed management is limited to spot spraying and hand thinning, which is labour intensive and costly for industry.

Following on, all berry categories are faced with the issue of chemical resistance across each pest category and as a result, growers are eager to request more chemical options. Based on the SARP findings, many of the current control options for the listed pests and diseases had similar chemical groups. This highlights the importance of new permits and registrations, so industry can implement better rotation practices.

• M ore information on product labels with particular emphasis on application methods around the spraying of tunnel structures, leg rows, full rows and tunnel edges would effectively help growers to manage weeds around crops.

On a different note, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) compatibility for proposed control measures was a common discussion point. This is understandable given that many farms invest in and implement beneficial organisms into their respective IPM programs and want to minimise any potential negative impacts on these beneficials.

• M any of the chemicals listed as control options for moderate weeds were also noted as extremely effective at killing Rubus plants. In extension, sucker control is inherently difficult due to the risk of crop damage.

• G lyphosate based products are coming under increasing pressure both internationally and in Australia. Growers need to be proactive, but also supported in looking for solutions if Glyphosate products are banned. Until redundancies are put in place, Hort Innovation and industry need to keep access to Glyphosate products.

Forward thinking industry representatives that are using beneficials are being proactive, taking active steps to remove Glyphosate (among other chemicals under review) from their spray programs. In the case of Glyphosate, it is important that these products remain in use for industry as better alternatives are not available.

The Rubus industry is in a good position to address these challenges and Berry Industry Development Officers in each berry growing state will play a crucial role in sharing information between industry stakeholders.

This will initially be achieved by providing workshops, webinars and factsheets to help support growers with making informed decisions in the use of agrichemicals.

Blackberry Nightshade.

Photo credit: Arthur Chapman, CC BY 2.0

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R U B U S

Rubus Propagation Research Michele Buntain, Horticulturist, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture

Rubus propagation research

The move from soil to soilless propagation

In recent years, Rubus propagation has moved out of the ground and into the greenhouse driven by more intensive production systems and the need to quickly ramp up new varieties. William Smith, fourth year Honours student from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) at the University of Tasmania, is investigating how to improve both the efficiency and timing of raspberry propagation from tips for commercial production.

Growers began the move away from soil-based root division as a method of propagation several years ago when phytophthora disease issues started to emerge. Tissue culture was an alternative but relatively expensive option for multiplication. It can be viable for long-term crops that will be productive for many years but is generally too expensive for rapid turnover substrate production. It also needs careful management to prevent genetic drift and off types.

Ramping up a new variety

Tip plant production is a more economical method of rapid, controlled, soilless plant propagation. The root mass of a ‘mother plant’ is stimulated to produce multiple new shoots or ‘tips’ under greenhouse conditions. These new shoots are carefully cut from the mother root mass and ‘plugged’ into individual cells of media to grow roots. Once they have enough root volume, they are ready to send to the grower for transplanting into their commercial pots or grow bags.

The Australian Rubus industry has grown rapidly over the last 10 years, largely based on varieties originating from overseas breeding programs. Horticultural consultant Dr Lee Peterson said every plant was precious when importing new varieties.

“Bringing a new variety into Australia is hugely expensive and takes time. We start with six tissue culture plants that are deflasked in quarantine then the best two plants are selected to be grown on and screened for pests and diseases,” he said.

The pros and cons of tip production Dr Peterson outlines some of the key advantages of tip plant production as a starting point for substrate culture Rubus. “The most obvious advantage of tip plants is they never come into contact with soil and so we avoid phytophthora and other potential soil borne diseases. The second is purely a numbers game. We can bulk up plants faster using tip propagation. One of the pivotal reasons tip plants outperform root pieces is their uniformity and the precision cane number you achieve. Most substrate raspberry systems grow two plants per pot or bag. They need to be very similar so that one doesn’t out compete the other. The uniformity at planting affects the efficiency of every operation that follows, from trellising to pruning through to fruit harvest,” Dr Peterson said. Propagation from tips also offers growers potential for mechanisation with pot handling and planting.

All going well, they go the distance and after 2 years we end up with 2 healthy plants to begin the propagation process.

Then it is another four years until we have enough plants for a viable commercial production unit. You place a lot of faith in your breeding program that the variety is going to be a winner.

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Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture student, William Smith. Photo credit: Michele Buntain, TIA

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Left: Dr Lee Peterson (Horticultural consultant) inspecting roots of raspberry mother plants with Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture student, William Smith at BerryWorld’s Orielton nurser. Photo credit: Michele Buntain, TIA Right: Planting out tip cuttings at Hills Transplants, Tasmania. Photo credit: Lee Peterson

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Improving the efficiency of tip production

carbohydrate distribution and root lignification to get an understanding of what influences tip emergence.

Then it will be a matter of waiting patiently for the emergence of tips to reveal the final result.

TIA Honours student William Smith is working with Dr Peterson supported by BerryWorld Australia to maximise tip production and manipulate the timing of when tips are produced.

The TIA honours program allows final year agricultural science students like Will to gain practical, industry relevant experience under the mentorship of experienced TIA researchers whilst contributing new science knowledge for industry. William Smith is supervised at TIA by Professor Dugald Close, Dr Sally Bound and Michele Buntain.

BerryWorld tip plants are sent to three Australian regions for commercial production - Tasmania, and Stanthorpe and Wamuran in southern Queensland.

Earliness is key for Stanthorpe production to fit the spring production window whilst Wamuran relies on long-cane plants to fit this environmental niche.

The information from this research trial will assist in planning the best propagation strategy for each region.

Acknowledgements Thanks to BerryWorld Australia for supporting this project and Dr Lee Peterson for technical advice and practical assistance with the trial.

Mr Smith’s research will use BerryWorld’s primocane variety ‘Diamond Jubilee’ that makes up a large proportion of their commercial production. ‘Diamond Jubilee’ makes the perfect candidate for the study as it tends to be a little more reluctant to produce tips which is quite common for primocane varieties.

“My aim is to see which treatments produce the most tips, when they produce them and over what time frame,” said Mr Smith.

“In December I set up a trial of mother plants using combinations of two planting dates and pot sizes. The idea for the earlier planting date is to produce a more mature root mass by the end of the season”, he said.

The Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) is a research institute at the University of Tasmania specialising in research, development, extension and education to support prosperous, innovative and sustainable agriculture and food sectors in Tasmania.

Additional treatments include the use of artificial chilling and dormancy breakers. Dr Peterson explains the rationale.

TIA began in 1997 as a joint venture between the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian Government, bringing together the human and physical resources of the Tasmanian Government with the scientific research and teaching capacity of the University of Tasmania.

“Our first plants don’t come out of high health until October which puts the program slightly behind the eight ball from the onset. Each year we are cribbing a little time back to get earlier production of tips, which then go on to produce a stronger plant for commercial production. With our first attempts at early production the tips emerged over an extended time, which is not ideal,” he said.

The Institute has a dynamic team of 130+ scientists and technical experts supported by a highly capable team of professional staff.

TIA has access to world-class equipment and facilities around Tasmania, and its location in this remarkable and pristine environment enables researchers to explore key questions about sustainable resource management and productive landscapes.

“It’s far more cost-efficient to produce tips that all emerge together as having uniform age plants gives efficiencies right through the production lifecycle.

The idea behind both chilling and dormancy breakers is to stimulate earlier and more even emergence of tips.”

During the trial, Mr Smith will measure a range of factors such as root mass, root to shoot ratios,

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Grower profile: Perfection Fresh Ian Cover, Industry Development Officer and Michael Tarbath, Policy & Engagement Officer, Fruit Growers Tasmania Inc.

Established in 1978 by Antonio Simonetta, Perfection Fresh is a family-run business that stands out as a leader in Australia’s berry industry, and in the Horticulture sector more broadly. They have grown to become a vertically integrated operation, which encompasses all aspects of the horticultural supply chain, including variety evaluation, production, distribution and marketing through to the end consumer.

“Quality starts at the farm and continues through the supply chain. As producers, we have to be constantly focused on the needs and expectations of the end consumer, because they are the ones who choose to buy your product.”

Perfection Fresh expanded into berries in 2016, establishing berry propagation and production facilities at Caboolture and Bundaberg. These operations harvested their first crops in 2016 and 2017 respectively and established a strong network of growers across the country to enable year-round supply.

Automation

The company has also invested in a third berry production site in North West Tasmania to enable supply to increase during the summer and autumn months.

They produce and market a number of high-profile berry varieties including raspberries, strawberries and blueberries which stand out from competitors.

Roger thinks the ability to automate key parts of the production system is one of the biggest advances for berry producers looking to manage quality.

“As a grower, investing in automation gives you much better control of your growing environment, and ultimately over your product. It makes your growing environment more uniform, and easier to manage effectively.”

One of the employees is Roger Turner, who joined the company in 2018 and now leads Perfection Fresh’s berry production sites. Originally from the United Kingdom, Roger brings experience gained from growing berries and vegetables in Queensland and Victoria. In this role, Roger shared some insights on current trends within the industry.

“As a grower, investing in automation for systems like fertigation and irrigation was an easy decision as it allowed us to better target our water and fertiliser which has translated to an improvement in the overall berry quality. It also means we can track and make sure these activities occur when they need to, regardless of what else might be happening on the farm at that time.”

Quality comes first Perfection Fresh has developed a trusted reputation for product freshness, flavour and quality.

“Harvesting is one big opportunity for this, giving us finer control over finished product quality and helping us manage our labour force more efficiently.”

“Perfection Fresh began as a fresh produce wholesale business, where reliability, freshness and flavour is paramount, and this philosophy carries through into everything we do.”

Despite the benefits of automation, Roger thinks the human element will still be a big part of horticulture for years to come.

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Perfection Fresh berry site at Caboolture, Qld. Photo credit: Perfection Fresh

Raspberries grown in tunnels at the Caboolture farm site Photo credit: Perfection Fresh

Raspberries ripening Photo credit: Perfection Fresh

Labour

“Harvesting is still a major area where humans are critical. I think effective robotics is getting closer for our sector, but it is still some time away and is unlikely to completely replace human labour.

Harvest workers are becoming more and more important to the industry as the berry sector continues to grow and competition between businesses intensifies.

To help manage this, Perfection Fresh have turned to the Commonwealth Government’s Seasonal Worker Program to provide them with an alternative source of workers to assist with seasonal harvest activities.

Being able to work both day and night has its advantages in terms of time and labour savings, but for extremely delicate crops like raspberries it is unlikely that early robots will have the speed and delicacy to replace skilled human hands.”

“As a business we recognised a number of years ago that we were too reliant on transient backpacker labour. Drawing upon the Seasonal Worker Program has been great for our business; it means we reliably have access to harvest workers on the farm who want to come to Australia and are keen to work for us.

The importance of genetics The use of proprietary superior genetic material suited to Australia’s climate and growing conditions is an area that Perfection Fresh is passionate about.

“Using good genetics gives us a consistent high-quality product that looks good and eats well. This is critical for making sure the consumer enjoys the eating experience and keeps choosing our product when they are looking for berries.”

Roger also says that the human element is important, as they get to know their workers over multiple seasons.

“The individual workers we bring in from the Pacific are able to come back year after year; this means we get to know them, their families, and get to see the huge impact that working for us makes to them, their families and their communities.”

Perfection Fresh has been proactive in linking with breeding programs in Australia and overseas to ensure they have access to the best varieties available.

Through these linkages, Perfection Fresh acquired exclusive Australian rights to a number of raspberry varieties, which was essential to Perfection Fresh’s decision to produce and supply berries. This acquisition was followed by subsequent purchases of proprietary blueberry, strawberry and blackberry varieties.

Opportunities abound for new growers As Perfection Fresh’s berry footprint continues to grow, the business is continuing to attract new growers across the country to join its network of berry growers and suppliers and is eager to expand on what they offer and add new growers to their networks.

In partnership with

Hort Connections is back with planning underway to welcome delegates to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre from 7-9 June 2021.

We are looking forward to networking and celebrating the international year of fruits and vegetables with you in June this year.

Delegate and Trade Show registrations are now open to attend Hort Connections 2021.

In addition to welcoming back face to face attendees, Hort Connections will also cater for delegates who are unable to attend in person by offering a virtual registration alternative.

Register now for the largest horticulture conference and trade show in the Southern Hemisphere. hortconnections.com.au

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

Global warming decreases fruit size in strawberries and increases the costs of harvesting on the Sunshine Coast Christopher Menzel, Principal Horticulturist, Department of Agriculture and Fisheries There are also uncertainties in how individual crops respond to growing conditions. Keeping global warming to within 1.5oC is less problematic than global warming to within 2.0oC.

• H igher temperatures decrease fruit size in strawberries • P lants with small fruit are more expensive to harvest than plants with large fruit

There is some information on the impact of climate change on strawberries. Several reviews suggest that increases in the concentration of CO2 and temperature will alter the production season and the pattern of plant development in different growing areas. Two analyses in California suggested that yields would decline by 10% by 2050 and by 43% by 2070 to 2099. High temperatures and low rainfall in November were associated with low yields in this area from 1980 to 2003. Two analyses in China and Chile indicated that global warming will decrease the distribution or productivity of wild strawberry species in their native habitats.

• G lobal warming will reduce the profitability of growing berries in Queensland in the absence of heattolerant cultivars or other strategies Strawberry plants were grown on the Sunshine Coast in 2020 to determine whether global warming is affecting production. Minimum temperatures were 2oC to 4oC higher than the long-term averages from 1965 to 1990.

The plants continued to produce a marketable crop towards the end of the season in October, but the fruit were small and more expensive to harvest. These results suggest that the economics of production in this area is already affected by rises in temperature. Global warming will reduce the profitability of strawberries in Queensland in the absence of heat-tolerant cultivars or other mitigating strategies.

An experiment was conducted in 2020 to examine the performance of five strawberry cultivars on the Sunshine Coast. Information was collected on marketable yield, fruit size, fruit soluble solids content (SSC) and fruit titratable acidity (TA). Changes in the performance of the plants over the season were used to evaluate the sensitivity of the plants to higher temperatures. The main objective of the study was to determine whether global warming is already affecting production in this area.

Introduction Some crop models predict higher yields in the shortterm with climate change and lower yields in the longterm, while other models predict lower yields across both periods or even under current conditions.

What we did Containerised transplants of ‘Festival’, ‘Brilliance’, ‘Red Rhapsody’ ‘Scarlet Rose’ and ‘Sundrench’ were planted on 29 April 2020 at Nambour. Fruit were harvested every week for an assessment of marketable yield (fresh weight) and average fruit fresh weight from 8 July to 28 October. Mature fruit were classified as

There can be difficulties in predicting yields under climate change because the changes in CO2 (carbon dioxide) and temperature, etc. vary across different regions.

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There were only small differences in mean soluble solids content (SSC) and mean titratable acidity (TA) across the five cultivars (Table 1).

those that were at least three-quartered coloured.

A record was kept of the number of fruit that were small (less than 12 g fresh weight). Fruit that were affected by rain and/or grey mould or misshapen, or that had other defects (mainly other disease, surface bronzing or bird damage) were considered nonmarketable. Fruit that were small and misshapen were rated as misshapen. Data were also collected on fruit total soluble solids content (SSC) and titratable acidity (TA) weekly from 16 September to 28 October.

There was a strong negative relationship between average fruit weight (marketable) and the average daily mean temperature eight days before harvest from 29 July to 28 October (Figure 1).

In contrast, there was a strong positive relationship between the incidence of small fruit and temperature over the same period (Figure 1). Average fruit size decreased as temperature increased, whereas the reverse occurred for the incidence of small, nonmarketable fruit. There were no relationships between SSC and TA, and average mean temperature from 16 September to 28 October. The average daily mean temperature 8 days before harvest over this period ranged from 18.2oC to 22.2oC. Average SSC was lower on 28 October (6.7 ± 0.3%) than from 16 September to 21 October (7.4 ± 0.3% to 8.5 ± 0.4%).

What we found Average daily maximum temperatures ranged from 21.3oC to 26.6oC and average daily minimum temperatures ranged from 10.1oC to 15.7oC. The average daily mean temperature in the eight days before fruit harvest increased from 15oC to 21oC from 8 July to 28 October (Linear model, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.78, N = 14).

Maximum temperatures were close to the longterm averages from 1965 to 1990, while minimum temperatures were 2oC to 4oC higher.

Implications for commercial strawberry production

Marketable yield was lower in ‘Brilliance’ than in the other cultivars (Table 1). Mean seasonal average fruit fresh weight was lower in ‘Festival’ and ‘Brilliance’ and higher in ‘Red Rhapsody’, ‘Scarlet Rose’ and ‘Sundrench’.

The reverse was true for the mean incidence of small fruit (higher in ‘Festival’ and ‘Brilliance’) (Table 1).

There were large changes in marketable yield and fruit size in the strawberries as the temperatures increased in Queensland. Higher temperatures generally had a negative effect on the performance of the plants.

Table 1. Variations in marketable yield and mean seasonal average fruit fresh weight (marketable), percentage of small fruit (< 12 g fresh weight), fruit soluble solids content (SSC) and fruit titratable acidity (TA) in five strawberry cultivars in Queensland in 2020. Soluble solids content and titratable acidity were measured over seven harvests from 16 September to 28 July.

Cultivar

Marketable yield (g per plant)

Av. fruit fresh weight (g)

Percentage of small fruit

Soluble solids content (%)

Titratable acidity (%)

Festival

616

20.3

29.0

8.3

0.64

Brilliance

457

22.7

28.2

7.3

0.57

Red Rhapsody

617

23.9

16.2

7.3

0.64

Scarlet Rose

592

24.4

21.7

8.9

0.83

Sundrench

656

25.5

16.0

6.8

0.57

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Figure 1. Relationship between average fruit fresh weight (marketable fruit weighing at least 12 g) (AFWT) and the incidence of small fruit (Small (%)), and average daily mean temperature (Temperature) in the eight days before harvest from 29 July to 28 October in strawberries in Queensland. Data are the means (± SE or standard error) of five cultivars with six replicates for each cultivar. AFWT (g) = Intercept – 1.33 × Temperature (P < 0.001, R2 = 0.70, N = 14). Small (%) = Intercept + 7.3 × Temperature (P < 0.001, R2 = 0.71, N = 14).

Conclusions

The plants continued to produce a marketable crop towards the end of the season. However, the fruit were small and more expensive to harvest. These results suggest that the economics of production in this area is already affected by rises in temperature.

Temperature affected the growth and development of the strawberries in Queensland. Minimum temperatures were 2ºC to 4ºC higher than the long-term averages from 1965 to 1990.

Commercial fruit production continued to the end of the season on the Sunshine Coast. However, average fruit weight decreased and the incidence of small fruit increased. A high incidence of small fruit, even including those that are marketable reduces profitability. Harvesting accounts for up to 60% of variable costs for growing strawberries in Japan, California, Florida and Queensland. Plants with small fruit cost more to harvest than plants with large fruit.

The plants continued to produce a marketable crop towards the end of the season in October. However, the fruit were small and more expensive to harvest.

These results suggest that the economics of strawberry production in this area is already affected by rises in temperature. Global warming will reduce the profitability of strawberries in the absence of heattolerant cultivars or other mitigating strategies.

Studies in the United Kingdom demonstrated that ‘Malling Centenary’ has larger fruit than many earlier cultivars and lower harvesting costs. Pickers could harvest 30 to 40 kg per hour of fruit of the new cultivar under table-top production compared with 25 to 30 kg per hour in the earlier cultivars.

The Queensland Government funded the research through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. Many thanks to the Florida Strawberry Growers’ Association (FSGA) for financial support and the farm staff at Nambour.

A study in Italy showed that for each 1 g decrease in average fruit fresh weight, the cost of harvesting was increased by €500 per ha. Other investigations in Australia, indicated the cost of harvesting increased by $600 per ha for each one gram decrease in fruit weight from 30 g to 17 g.

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Best practice strawberry plant establishment in Western Australia Aileen Reid, Berry Industry Development Officer, Agricultural Produce Commission

Early supply of runners

• R ates of plant establishment can be variable. Some growers are losing almost half their runners on some parts of their properties. Differences between varieties and runner growers occur, but growers who pay attention to detail can keep losses down to 5%.

Some growers are keen to plant as early as possible so the high prices associated with early season fruit can be captured. Runners that are dug early may not have the required amount of chilling, making them fragile and more prone to failure after planting.

Temperatures may still be high in March so proper management of runners during and after transport, while planting, and in the first few weeks after planting, is critical to prevent high losses.

• G ood establishment is important because it costs the same to prepare, fertilise and irrigate empty spaces as it does to grow plants. Sprays are still applied over the whole area and pickers cover the same amount of ground.

Uneven soil moisture Perth’s sandy soils can be difficult to wet up thoroughly.

When wetting up the soil prior to fumigation, it may take four to five cultivations to ensure the soil is completely and evenly moist.

• R isks are higher with earlier plantings of immature runners and management is more critical in warmer weather.

Do not assume because the surface looks moist, it is evenly wet to a depth of 15–30cm.

If the soil is not evenly moist (and reasonably compact) throughout the bed, the soil fumigant will not move evenly through the soil and there will be patches that are not fumigated. Those areas may contain disease left over from the previous crop and may infect new plants.

At planting time this uneven wetting persists. Plants will be stressed and set back until their roots are able to access soil moisture. In the long-run, stressed plants often never fully recover and yield much less, if at all.

Often, they will die.

Reasons for poor establishment Surveys of the rate of strawberry plant establishment in Western Australia show wide variation. Some growers can keep losses down to about 5% while others lose almost half of the plants in some areas of their property.

New crops are established annually from runners provided from interstate because there is no local runner industry.

Residual fumigant

Several factors can lead to poor establishment:

High levels of residual fumigant can damage runners if planting occurs too soon after fumigation. If applying fumigant through the irrigation water, make sure the irrigation is even across the bed. There have been instances where three rows of dripline per bed have resulted in excessive levels of fumigant in the centre of the bed causing deaths after planting.

• runner immaturity (which affects disease susceptibility) • warm weather after planting • uneven and insufficient watering • poor fumigation practices • over-application of base dressings.

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Poor irrigation practices at planting

Several aspects of sprinkler irrigation should be considered:

Growers are continually seeking to plant earlier to achieve the higher prices associated with early cropping. As the weather is often quite warm in March and April, irrigation management in the first two to three weeks after planting is critical. The sooner plants establish a root system, the better they will be able to withstand changes in temperature and access nutrients for early growth.

Sprinkler system design Many growers have sprinklers at spacings that are too wide to get good even coverage. The effects of this are seen in early plant growth and establishment which often matches the watering pattern of the sprinklers.

Where watering is good, plants survive and are green, but where less water falls, plants either die or are slow to take off. It is important to have your sprinklers at the recommended spacing for the pressure you run.

When runners first arrive, they are virtually nonfunctioning. They have no active roots and need to draw on carbohydrate reserves to produce new roots.

The shorter the time frame for this, the better the outcome is for the growth of the plant.

Most growers have had their system designed for drip irrigation. Since sprinklers require more pressure to operate effectively, the number in each shift will need to be much less, and the number of valves, greater.

Runners need to be treated like cuttings and prevented from wilting as much as possible until they can grow new roots. Runners need to be kept as cool as possible. Do not leave bags of runners on the tops of beds in full sun.

Do not remove filters to increase pressure, the risk of dripper blocking is high. Many growers have twinnozzle sprinklers that use up to 1500 litres per hour whereas some newer low-flow sprinklers may only need 500L to achieve the desired result.

For best establishment, runners should be kept fully hydrated and not allowed to wilt. As soon as they are planted, they should be overhead-watered little and often – say 5 to 10 minutes every daylight hour – especially when it is warm.

Since many growers are licensed and have a water allocation that is monitored, it can be helpful to change nozzles to reduce this early water use.

The purpose of overhead watering is to keep the plants cool and prevent wilting. Trickle irrigation is still required to keep the roots moist and allow new roots to form. Until a good root system develops, the plants will be fragile and prone to drying out. Do not rely on overhead irrigation to keep the soil moist.

While some growers make large holes in the plastic for the plants, the bed surface is seldom perfectly even and there is no way to guarantee water will penetrate every planting hole.

Frequency of overhead irrigation The purpose of overhead irrigation is more to cool the plants than to irrigate, so sprinklers should be run for 5 to 10 minutes every hour when it is warm for leaf-off plants. If the weather is cool and/or showery, every two to three hours may be enough.

For leaf-on plants, ideally leaves should be wet at all times. As a rough guide, check if any water droplets remain on the black plastic mulch. Once the plastic dries off, the humidity around the plants will drop and it is time to water again.

Other growers make small slits only and much of the overhead irrigation runs off. Planting will be easier with a larger hole but weed growth may be worse.

Ideally the leaves should stay green. If they start to brown off it is a sign that more frequent overhead irrigation is required.

Irrigation monitoring by the Department of Agriculture in WA shows that water falling on pathways between beds does not usually benefit the plants in coarse Western Australian sands. With large falls of rain we occasionally see water entering the soil under the beds at a depth of 45cm but that is below the vast majority of plant roots so the influx of water only serves to leach nutrients that may have accumulated below the root zone.

There is a strong correlation between sprinkler irrigation, plant survival and strong early growth.

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Figure 1. Visible differences in plant establishment due to poor overhead sprinkler design Photo credit: Aileen Reid DAFWA, 2014

Base dressings Heavy application of base dressings such as composted manures can result in high levels of soil salinity which damage young plant roots. That damage may help pathogens to enter the roots and cause disease.

Acknowledgements: The information contained in this article was adapted from a DAFWA web-note originally written by the author.

The accurate identification of fruit flies is a key component of Australia’s biosecurity system that underpins the domestic movement of fruit and vegetables, maintains international market access for Australian producers and protects Australia’s borders from exotic pest incursions.

A revised version of The Australian Handbook for the Identification of Fruit Flies has been compiled by diagnosticians for diagnosticians using some of the latest research outcomes and resources available.

The handbook is a compilation of diagnostic information for 65 fruit fly species, most of which are exotic to Australia, including the non-tephritid fruit infesting Drosophila suzukii (spotted wing Drosophila). It is intended to facilitate rapid diagnosis of fruit fly species and be a comprehensive guide for Australian diagnosticians and field officers involved in maintaining, supporting and enhancing Australia’s biosecurity system.

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Profile: Anthony Lieu Landsdale Strawberry Farm, proud producers of Heavenly® strawberries Helen Newman, Berry Industry Development Officer, Strawberries & WA, DPIRD

“My parents have been in the farming industry ever since they came to Australia 42 years ago, working for some of the most high-profile growers in WA. They started their own business growing strawberries 25 years ago in Landsdale. I have been on farm ever since, playing in the dirt, helping to fold boxes, and pretending to drive the tractors.”

When did you decide on a career in horticulture and why?

I initially went to university where I studied sports science and did a post-graduate in Sports Marketing and Management, but breaking my leg in a soccer game, and not being able to do much, really put things into perspective for me. I thought it would be a waste for my parents to build up all that experience, a brand, and a reputation all for it to end when they retire. I thought that I would give it a crack and see what I could achieve.

What made you decide to grow strawberries?

I’m not sure why my parents decided to grow strawberries but now it is something that I don’t think we will ever give up. Our main crop is strawberries, but we also grow capsicum, tomatoes and eggplant during the summer months.

Is there are particular focus area in your business?

Our focus is, and will always be, quality over anything else. Quality in the way we pack with an emphasis on flavour, sweetness, and aroma.

Photo credit: Quality Produce International

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How is your business unique?

Any advice for those seeking to begin growing berries?

I am not sure how unique our business is, but I think the way we grade is different because we double grade into a premium line (Heavenly®) and a regular line.

I would say to start off small, berries are a tough crop to grow so small steps in building the experience required is definitely very important.

It is twice the work but it’s important in ensuring the premium line is up to standard (there will be more on the Heavenly® brand in the Winter edition of the Australian Berry Journal).

What are you looking forward to in the future?

Seeing the innovation in growing techniques and new technologies in making the industry more efficient.

What is your favourite part of growing berries?

What areas would they like to see R&D focus on?

Definitely seeing people enjoy your product when they take that first bite, all the hard work really pays off.

Personally, I would like to see a focus on fruit with the flavour and quality to rival any variety in the world.

Australian produce has an outstanding reputation for being clean and safe, but I would like to see it taken one step further and make Australian berries the go-to product for every country on the planet.

What challenges are you seeing in the industry?

Urban sprawl and finding the labour required because of it will be difficult. It has been highlighted this year because of COVID-19 and border restrictions but it just shows how careful we need to be as an industry.

Water will always be an issue and we have to remain vigilant in ensuring we maintain our efficiencies and have systems in place to reduce waste.

I also believe growing the right varieties will be important to the sustainability of the strawberry industry. We have noticed a steady decline in consumer satisfaction in the quality of fruit in retailers and I think we need to be wary of this as we want strawberries and berries in general to be a family favourite in every Australian home.

Where do you source your labour from?

We have a mix of local staff working almost year-round topped up with contractors and working holiday makers during the busy periods.

Last season was tough as labour shortages were widespread meaning some farms were unable to keep up with work. Hopefully, this changes for the coming season although hard international borders will make it very difficult.

The Pacific Labour Scheme will help alleviate the shortages but I’m not sure it will be enough, hopefully we are all in for a good year ahead.

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Strawberry Market Access Update Jenny Van de Meeberg, Export Manager, Berries Australia

In 2019, exports of Australian strawberries totalled 5144 tonnes worth AUD$36.78M (ITC calculations based on Australia Bureau of Statistics).

Export represented 5% of total strawberry production, with the remaining 88% being consumed by the domestic market and 7% being used by the processing industry (2018-2019 Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook). average at AUD$4.48 kg (ITC calculations based on UN COMTRADE and ITC statistics).

Strawberries are Australia’s 8th largest fruit export by value and 11th largest by volume (2018-2019 Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook). Between 2009 and 2019, Australian strawberry exports have increased in volume by 325% but more notably, they have increased in value by 432%.

Interestingly, NZ was the only other southern hemisphere exporter with a slightly higher average unit-value than Australia at AUD$8.56 kg, but they exported only 696 tonnes which is 13 times less by volume than Australia.

Over the past ten years, the Australian strawberry industry’s six largest markets – Singapore, Thailand, UAE, NZ, Malaysia, HK – have all shown steady growth.

It is not common for an industry to consistently perform so well across so many markets over such a long period of time.

From a global perspective, strawberries continue to gain popularity internationally and the category has maintained a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.81% over the last decade (ITC calculations based on UN COMTRADE and ITC statistics).

The largest market for Australian strawberries is a contest between Singapore and Thailand. These two markets combined represent just over 40% of all exports.

The trend towards healthy eating, the rise in popularity of fruit for ‘snacking’ purposes and the versatility of strawberries suggest both global strawberry consumption and the corresponding opportunity for Australian strawberry exports is positive.

The UAE is the third largest market for Australian strawberries and interestingly, the data shows a range of other Middle Eastern countries such as Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar also starting to feature in the top 10 markets in recent years.

The Strawberry Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) (Hort Innovation 2017), set a target of 8% of total production bound for export by 2021. In 2019 terms, 8% equates to 6128 tonnes whereas actual exports were closer to 5% at 5144 tonnes.

Currently these market’s individual import volumes are almost negligible in comparison to the top performing markets, but their consistent growth over the last five years suggests they hold potential. Cumulatively, the Middle East represents almost 25% of all Australian strawberry exports.

To reach the industry goal set in the Strawberry SIP, exports need to lift by an additional 984 tonnes. If industry is able to reach this 984 tonne aspiration through market access and/or market development, the value of Australian strawberry exports, using 2019 prices, would increase by AUD$7.04 million.

In 2019, the average Australian strawberry export unitvalue was AUD$7.15 kg which is higher than the world

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In 2018, the ‘Berry Export Strategy 2028’ (Auspex Strategic Advisory 2018) was commissioned to provide a commercial perspective for export development of the Australian strawberry industry.

If you are interested in strawberry exports or have questions about market access, please contact:

In addition to sustained effort in existing export markets, the strategy recommended market access be sought for China, Vietnam and Taiwan as well as market improvement in Thailand and New Zealand.

Jenny Van de Meeberg — Berries Australia Export Manger: export@berries.net.au

To this end, Strawberries Australia Inc (SAI) has submitted market improvement applications for Thailand and New Zealand to add an irradiation pathway to the existing protocols.

These applications were approved by the Hort Innovation review committee and are now ready for negotiation at the Australian Government’s discretion.

Despite current market access barriers, Australian strawberry exports are continuing to grow, and SAI are confident ongoing investment in technical market access and trade development will yield positive returns for the industry and the broader Australian economy.

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Can biostimulants add value to soilless productions systems?

Jessica Bell (PhD Candidate Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture), Dr Sally Bound (Senior Research Fellow, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture), Michele Buntain (Horticulturist, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture)

Jessica Bell was awarded First Class Honours for her study “Influence of Biostimulants on the Microbial Associations and Plant Growth Characteristics of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus cv. ‘Dwarf Sunsation’) and Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa cv. ‘Toscana F1 Rose”. She is currently undertaking her PhD studying soil health of apple orchards.

Key messages

Can biostimulants add value to soilless productions systems?

Seaweed extract is an effective biostimulant, Natrakelp® increased strawberry yield.

Biostimulants are a widely accepted addition to horticultural crops, promoted by a global market valued at US$2.5 billion. However, the huge range of products with long lists of potential benefits is not always supported by rigorous science. In Australia, the absence of regulation makes this situation more unpredictable. Jessica Bell, a recent honours graduate from the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) at the University of Tasmania, adds some valuable science to this field in her study of selected plant biostimulants applied to strawberry in a soilless production system.

• M icrobial inoculants boosted microbial populations on strawberry leaf surfaces. This also occurred in coir, but only when the fertigation nutrient concentration was reduced. More work is needed to determine whether mixed microbial inoculants can reliably deliver improvements to plant production that justify their use in soilless systems.

• W hen applying biostimulants in combination there is the potential for additive benefit, but this does not automatically translate to the more the better.

• S tronger regulation of biostimulants is needed in Australia to drive improvements in product quality and reliability and ensure a return on investment for growers.

Plant Biostimulants – what are they?

Plant Biostimulants (PB’s) are classified as: ‘diverse compounds, substances and microorganisms that are applied to plants or soils to improve crop vigour, yield, quality, and tolerance to abiotic stress’ (European Biostimulant Industry Council). Biostimulants can influence the way plants function in a variety of ways, from the whole plant down to a cellular and molecular level. Unravelling how they work is a complex process and can vary with each plant species and its environment.

Products commonly available on the Australian market include microbial inoculants, seaweed extracts, humates, botanical extracts and nitrogen containing compounds.

These substances have potential to add value to soilless production systems which lack the biological and chemical complexity of traditional soil-based agriculture.

Photo credit: Xxxxxx

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In this study Ms Bell evaluated whether the application of PB’s, applied alone or in combination, could deliver significant benefits to strawberry plants grown in soilless culture.

In this study Ms Bell investigated the potential of three of the most frequently applied categories of PB’s: seaweed extracts, humic substances, and microbial inoculants.

Seaweeds have been used to improve agricultural fertility since ancient times, however our understanding of the biostimulatory role of seaweeds is a more recent development.

Key questions: • C an a mixed microbial inoculant establish in soilless substrate?

Seaweed extracts contain an incredible array of micronutrients, plant hormones and bioactive compounds which have a demonstrated ability to improve plant growth, resilience, and yield.

• D o PB’s improve strawberry plant growth and productivity in soilless culture?

• D oes the application of PB’s in combination deliver any complementary or synergistic benefit?

Humic substances - often sold as humic acid, fulvic acid, or their combination - are carbon rich compounds extracted from material including leonardite shale, vermicompost and manure. These substances can act as powerful chelating agents, improving nutrient availability and uptake. They have also been shown to stimulate soil biological activity and improve soil structure.

study of foliar and substrate A applied plant biostimulants Plant biostimulants are most often applied to plants as foliar sprays or in solution to the substrate. In this study Ms Bell tested both modes of application. The trial took place in a heated greenhouse from January to May 2020.

Strawberry plants (cv. ‘Toscana F1 Rose’) were grown in coco coir and fertigated with Hoagland’s solution.

Microbial inoculants can be applied both for their capacity to enhance plant growth, and their ability to act as biocontrol agents – preventing or managing outbreaks of pest and disease.

Foliar study: The three PBs tested in the foliar study are detailed in Table 1. Each was applied alone and in combination to give a total of 8 foliar treatments, including a water control. The foliar sprays were applied fortnightly for the duration of the trial.

Some inoculants, such as Rhizobia (for legumes) and Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) (caterpillar management) will be familiar to many growers and have a proven track record in the field. Recently, an increasing number of multispecies inoculants have entered the market.

These products look to stack the functions of a range of microbial agents, potentially delivering more consistent and significant benefits to production systems.

Substrate application study: The substrate application study compared the commercially formulated Multikraft Soil Program (MSP) to water application. The Multikraft Soil Program consisted of Microlife®, the same mixed microbial inoculant used in the foliar study (Table 1) plus Soil NRG® a combination of seaweed extract, humic acid, and molasses. This was applied fortnightly according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.

While this presents an exciting new direction for industry there are significant challenges around developing a shelf stable product that delivers measurable benefits to growers at economically viable application rates.

Combining plant biostimulants - The most recent generation of PB products have looked to combine different categories of biostimulants. Ms Bell explains the rationale for this.

Microbial colonisation and persistence

“The idea is to create combination products that harness the strengths of each different biostimulant to enhance the benefit. While this is promising, there is only limited research to support this and some studies report negative interactions between PBs. I saw a real need to find out more,” she said.

Ms Bell measured biofilm formation on leaves and changes in microbial density in the coir substrate to visualise how well Microlife® established and persisted.

Foliar applications of Microlife® successfully produced a biofilm on the leaves of the strawberry plants.

Interestingly, this was significantly enhanced by the addition of the seaweed extract Natrakelp®. Ms Bell suggested some potential reasons for this.

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Figure 1. Strawberry Toscana F1 Rose in a randomised block greenhouse trial under drip fertigation.

Table 1. Biostimulant products used in the study.

Seaweed extract (SE) Natrakelp®

Fulvic Acid (FA) Integrate®

Mixed Microbial inoculant (MM) Microlife®

Ascophyllum nodosum brown seaweed

2% FA from leonardite shale

• Lactic acid bacteria: Lactobacillus casei, L. plantarum; • Photosynthetic bacteria: Rhodopseudomonas palustris • N-fixing bacteria: Acetobacter tropicalis, A. lovaniensis, A. szyygii, Rhizobium spp.

• Bacillus spp.: B. subtilis, B. amyloliquefaciens • Yeasts: Saccharomyces cerevisiae

More microbes with less nutrients

“It is possible that Natrakelp® was acting as a ‘glue’ sticking microbes to the leaf surface; a humectant protecting the microbes from drying out; or by providing nutrients to the microbes allowing them to establish,” Ms Bell explained.

A serendipitous conversation with Dutch strawberry consultant Klaas Plas prompted Ms Bell to ask a further question ‘Do high nutrient concentrations in the fertigation solution inhibit microbial establishment in hydroponic systems?’

The Multikraft Soil Program® also demonstrated an ability to boost microbial population densities in the coir substrate. However, it is not clear whether it is the microbes in the Multikraft® product or the other components, the seaweed, humates or molasses – driving this change.

To assess this, Ms Bell split the strawberry trial into two phases. In phase one, plants were fertigated with the standard Hoagland’s nutrient concentration. In phase two, the Hoagland’s solution was reduced to 30% concentration.

The results backed the theory that high nutrient levels can inhibit microbial populations. The microbial population density in the substrate only increased in phase two after the nutrient concentration had been reduced to 30% (Figure 2).

“Whilst these measures are a good indication that the products are having an impact, they unfortunately don’t tell us which microbes are responsible. DNA testing, although expensive, could be an option for future research to find out which microbes are flourishing,” Ms Bell said.

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This raises serious questions about how this might translate to plant performance, and if the benefits of microbial inoculation could justify reducing nutrient concentrations in a commercial setting. In this study, despite increasing the microbial population density in the substrate, there were no measurable improvements in plant growth or yield. This could be resolved by comparing plants grown in microbe amended coir under a reduced nutrient regime with normal commercial practice.

The seaweed product used in this trial was derived from A. nodosum which not only contains the plant hormone cytokinin, but also has the capacity to turn on genes that drive its synthesis within the plant – heightening phytostimulatory action. Seaweed extracts also contain minerals and trace elements that enable them to act as a biofertilizer, boosting the nutritional status of a target crop (Battacharyya et al., 2015).

Biostimulants in combination It is often assumed that applying biostimulants in combination will enhance the benefit. However, this study found no significant improvements in plant productivity. In fact, a potential antagonistic effect was detected in the strawberry trial, with significantly fewer berries harvested from the combination biostimulant treatment (M + SE +FA) than for seaweed extract alone.

This highlights that a cautious or well researched approach is needed when combining plant biostimulants, resisting the temptation of ‘the more the better’.

Mixed microbial inoculants The underwhelming plant response to the microbial inoculants applied in this trial, Microlife® and the Multikraft Soil Program®, highlight some of the persistent challenges with mixed microbial products. While there is the potential for microbes to enhance production systems, further research and product refinement is needed to ensure that growers get a good return on their investment in biostimulants. This study took place over a relatively short time frame of 120 days in a controlled environment greenhouse. In a commercial situation, strawberries can be grown over an extended season of up to 200 days and under higher stress environments of temperature, humidity and pest and disease pressure.

In these situations, the beneficial effects of microbial inoculants may become more apparent.

Figure 2. Effect of media treatment with biostimulant Multikraft Soil Program 'MSP' on the microbial population density in the growing media of Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa cv. ‘Toscana F1 Rose’). Bars marked with the same letter do not differ significantly according to Fishers LSD test (p = 0.05).

Seaweed improves plant performance Despite the large amount of data collected, only a few treatments delivered significant improvements to plant performance. Foliar treatment with Natrakelp® and Natrakelp® plus Integrate® FA produced standout results whilst the Multikraft Soil Program® had no effect.

You can view Ms Bells presentation at: youtu.be/0DqSULvIZ_Y Ms Bell supervisors at TIA were Dr Sally Bound and Michele Buntain.

Strawberry plants treated with Natrakelp® applied alone or in combination with Integrate® FA produced up to double the yield of fruit for both total fruit weight (g/ plant) (Figures 3 & 4) and total fruit number per plant.

Fruit number was the main driver of the yield increase.

References BATTACHARYYA, D., BABGOHARI, M. Z., RATHOR, P. & PRITHIVIRAJ, B. 2015.

Seaweed extracts as biostimulants in horticulture. Scientia Horticulturae, 196, 39-48.

EU 2019. Regulation of the european parliament and of the council laying down rules on the making available on the market of eu fertilising products and amending regulations (ec) no 1069/2009 and (ec) no 1107/2009 and repealing regulation (ec) no 2003/2003.

In: UNION, E. (ed.).

The effectiveness of Natrakelp® might be explained by seaweeds multiple mechanisms. Seaweeds contain phytohormones that stimulate processes such as cell division, root and shoot growth (Kurepin et al., 2014).

KUREPIN, L. V., ZAMAN, M. & PHARIS, R. P. 2014. Phytohormonal basis for the plant growth promoting action of naturally occurring biostimulators. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 94, 1715-1722.

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Figure 3. Effect of foliar treatment with biostimulants on the total fruit yield/plant (g) harvested from strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa cv. 'Toscana F1 Rose’). Bars marked with the same letter do not differ significantly according to Fishers LSD test (p = 0.05).

Figure 4. Effect of foliar treatment with biostimulants on the number of fruit/plant harvested from strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa cv. 'Toscana F1 Rose’). Bars marked with the same letter do not differ significantly according to Fishers LSD test (p = 0.05).

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Strawberry Strategic Agrichemical Review Process Summary Dr Angela Atkinson, Industry Development Officer, Strawberries & Victoria/SA Tables 1 and 2 show the disease and pest priorities identified in the SARP report. Comments from the discussion regarding the prioritisation, current and potential controls available, and industry concerns are outlined overpage. These concerns and priorities will be followed up with Hort Innovation, APVMA and/or chemical companies where appropriate.

Strawberry industry representatives, including growers, researchers and agronomists, met on Tuesday 2nd February 2021 to discuss the report from the Strawberry Strategic Agrichemical Review Process (SARP) recently published by Hort Innovation. The purpose of the discussion was to ensure that the report had accurately captured the pest and disease priorities of the strawberry industry and the control methods currently available, and to discuss newly emerging chemical options and identify gaps that need addressing.

Comments on prioritisation of diseases: 1. P owdery mildew is a high priority not just because it is a significant problem in all regions, but also because there are few options currently available to control it, so resistance management is difficult.

2. Grey mould/Botrytis is becoming more important in the runner industry as the industry moves towards more plug plant production. There needs to be more coordination between the runner nurseries and fruit growers to develop programs to manage resistance as more Botryticides are used in runner nurseries.

The SARP involved industry consultation through an online survey, and a desktop study of current and pending chemical registrations and permits available to industry, with the aim to: • A ssess the pests, diseases and weeds affecting the industry, and prioritise them on the basis of both their impact on industry and the availability of effective control measures,

3. Charcoal Rot is a significant problem in many regions, and Methyl Bromide for use in the runner industry will eventually be phased out. Potential new fumigants were not listed in the SARP

• D ocument all current registered and permitted chemical controls available, and assess their effectiveness, • I dentify gaps in current pest and disease control strategies; and

4. These crown and root rot diseases are difficult to differentiate from each other and from Charcoal rot in the field without diagnostics. It was felt that these diseases were underrepresented as a result and were a higher priority.

• I dentify suitable new or alternative chemicals to address the gaps.

5. Lethal yellows - the insect vectors of this and Little Leaf (leaf miners) should be on the priority pest list.

Outcomes of this process may include pursuing chemical registrations with agrichemical companies, or minor use permits with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).

It was also felt that Red Leaf should be flagged in this report, so that when the cause is determined it is on the radar if permits/registrations are needed.

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Disease priorities Table 1: Disease priorities

Common name

Scientific name

High Powdery Mildew 1

Podosphaera aphanis

Grey Mould

Botrytis cinerea

2

Charcoal Crown Rot

Macrophomina phaseolina

3

Leaf Blotch / Stem-End Rot

Gnomoniopsis fructicola

Leather Rot / Phytophthora Fruit Rot

Phytophthora spp.

Moderate Fusarium Crown Rot 4

Fusarium oxysporum f.s.p. fragariae - Fof

Root and Crown Rot

Phytophthora spp.

Crown Rot

4

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides

4

Fusarium Wilt

Fusarium oxysporum

4

Black Root Rot

Pythium spp., Fusarium spp., Rhizoctonia spp.

4

Black Spot / Anthracnose

Colletotrichum acutatum

Leaf Blight

Phomopsis obscurans

Leaf Spot / Eye Spot

Mycosphaerella fragariae

Transit Rot

Rhizopus stolonifer

Low Blackberry Nightshade

Solanum nigrum

Marshmallow

Malva parviflora

New & potential fungicide registrations:

Concerns & priorities: • S ome of the new fungicides coming onto the market are from the same chemical groups as those currently available, particularly Group 7 fungicides. New chemistries are needed to manage fungicide resistance.

• K enja® (Isofetamid, group 7) - is newly registered for Botrytis in strawberries • Miravis® Prime (Pydiflumetofen + Fludioxonil, gps 7+12) - is pending registration for Botrytis, Alternaria, Powdery mildew and Anthracnose in berries • Luna® Experience (Fluopyram + Tebuconazole, gps 7 + 3) - registration work underway through Hort Innovation project ST17000 for control of Botrytis and Stem End Rot in strawberries • Luna® Sensation (fluopyram + trifloxystrobin, gps 7 + 11) - Bayer is doing work towards registration for Powdery Mildew and Botrytis in strawberries (was not listed in the SARP report) • Intervene™ (Polyoxin D zinc salt, group 19) - in development by Nufarm with activity on Powdery Mildew, Botrytis and Rhizopus - will be registered for all berries • Adavelt™ (Florylpicoxamid, group 21) - new mode of action fungicide being developed in Australia by Corteva - activity on Botrytis, Powdery Mildew and Anthracnose • Charcoal Rot - Methyl Iodide is in the process of registration for use in the runner industry only. DMDS and Dominus, have undergone some trials in strawberries and may be put forward for registration in the future.

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• S ome of the new products are co-formulations of fungicides from different chemical groups.

As most fungicides have limits on the number of applications per crop, co-formulated products decrease the number of sprays of those chemical groups through the season.

• S ome older chemistries do not specify use in protected cropping - follow up the possibility of adding this to labels.

• T here is a need for better coordination between the runner industry and the fruit industry with regard to developing spray programs to manage the risk of fungicide resistance. Extending registration of fungicides specific to runner production into fruit production must be discouraged, unless there is a valid scientific reason. With the extension of registration for Flute® (Cyflufenamid, U6) into fruit production, a fungicide group should be considered for addition to the runner sector only.

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Pest priorities Table 2: Insect, mite, nematode and other pest priorities

Common name

Scientific name

High Two Spotted Mite

Tetranychus urticae

Western Flower Thrips

Frankliniella occidentalis

Moderate Rutherglen Bug

Nysius vinitor

Strawberry Aphid

Chaetosiphon fragaefolii

Green Peach Aphid

Myzus persicae

Queensland Fruit Fly

Bactrocera tryoni

Cyclamen Mite

Phytonemus pallidus

Snails & Slugs

Helix aspersa, Cernuella virgata

Green Mirid

Creontiades dilutus

Brown Mirid

Creontiades pacificus

Crop Mirid

Sidnia kinbergi

Greenhouse Whitefly

Trialeurodes vaporariorum

Plague Thrips

Thrips imaginis

Low Root-Knot Nematode

Meloidogyne spp.

Root-Lesion Nematode

Pratylenchus spp.

Leaf and Bud Nematode

Aphelenchoides ritzemabosi

Lygaeid Bugs

Lygaeidae

Onion Thrips

Thrips tabaci

Light Brown Apple Moth

Epiphyas postvittana

Cluster Caterpillar

Spodoptera litura

Cotton Bollworm / Corn Earworm

Helicoverpa armigera

Native Budworm

Helicoverpa punctigera

Loopers

Chrysodeixis spp.

Mediterranean Fruit Fly

Ceratitis capitata

Silver Leaf Whitefly

Bemisia tabaci

Spiralling Whitefly

Aleurodicus dispersus

Garden Weevil

Phlyctinus callosus

Green Vegetable Bug

Nezara viridula

Strawberry Bug

Euander lacertosus

Broken Backed Bug

Taylorilygus apicalis

Apple Dimpling Bug

Campylomma liebknechti

Broad Mite

Polyphagotarsonemus latus

European Earwig

Forficula auricularia

Scarab Beetle

Scarabaeidae

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Comments and priorities:

– T ransform® (Sulfoxaflor, Group 9D) is registered for Green Peach Aphid and Green Mirid in strawberries and it was thought it should be good for Rutherglen bug and extending the registration should be investigated.

• Two Spotted mite - mostly controlled with IPM, and most miticides are now ineffective, although there are some potential new products.

– D anisaraba® (cyflumetofen, Group 25A) -

• A phids - there are concerns over resistance, in Tasmania resistance to Pirimor (strawberries recently added to label) has been seen.

BASF is seeking registration in Australia for control of spider mites including in strawberries - effective on all life stages.

V – ersys® (Aflidopyopen, Group 9D) is the

– O beron® (spiromesifen, Group 23) Hort Innovation project to generate residue, efficacy and crop safety data to obtain registration for TSM in strawberries (field and protected cropping) - not IPM compatible.

newest available chemistry listed in the report, is permitted for all aphids in both field and protected cropping, and is compatible with IPM programs.

– T ransform® (Sulfoxaflor, Group 4C) is registered for Green Peach Aphid in strawberries and Cesar are doing resistance work for GPA - it was suggested to look at extending to all aphids.

• Western Flower Thrip - available chemistry is mostly ineffective so it is generally controlled by IPM. – I mportant that chemistry used to control other pests is compatible with IPM.

Weed priorities

• M irids - a major problem in some production areas, particularly Tasmania and Western Australia, and should be a higher priority.

The only weed specified was Wireweed (Polygonum aviculare), rated as a moderate priority, although it was suggested that Nutgrass (Cyperus sp.) could be a problem as it can damage plastic mulch.

T – here is a need for more IPM compatible chemistry for mirids.

It was agreed that it is important for industry to ensure that access to glyphosate for weed control is maintained.

• R utherglen bug - should be a higher priority as in some seasons it can be a major problem.

– T here is a permit for Maldison® for control of Rutherglen bug in strawberries, but it has a high impact on beneficials.

Two spotted spider mite (Tetranychus urticae). Photo credit: Frank Peairs, Colorado State University, Bugwood.org.

For further information, or to provide any feedback, please contact: Dr Angela Atkinson | 0408 416 538 | ido@vicstrawberry.com.au

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Screening strawberry varieties for resistance to powdery mildew Apollo Gomez, Bernardo Blanco-Martin and Jodi Neal, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Several varieties for the temperate, subtropical, and Mediterranean production zones scored well for powdery mildew resistance, including ‘Summer Song’ (temperate), ‘Venus-ASBP’ (subtropical) and ‘Fanfare-ASBP’ (Mediterranean).

• P owdery mildew disease is a constant problem for strawberry producers nationally.

• T he ASBP has recently completed two years of powdery mildew resistance screenings of varieties and breeding accessions.

Other promising breeding accessions will be further investigated and released as new varieties themselves or used as parents for increased tolerance/resistance.

Screening for powdery mildew resistance will continue in 2021.

• T he varieties and accessions tested showed varying degrees of powdery mildew resistance.

One of the main activities of the ASBP (Hort Innovation project BS17000) is to develop new strawberry varieties with increased disease resistances. To do this we screen strawberry varieties and breeding accessions from all three of Australia’s major production regions (temperate, subtropical, and Mediterranean) for their disease resistance.

• P romising accessions with sources of powdery mildew resistance will continue to be incorporated in our breeding program to develop new tolerant/ resistant varieties.

These experiments help determine the level of resistance in our varieties and breeding accessions and guide our activities to develop breeding populations with increased tolerance and resistance.

The Australian Strawberry Breeding Program (ASBP) has recently completed 2 years of powdery mildew resistance screenings of current and historical strawberry varieties and breeding accessions to identify sources of resistance.

Results from these experiments showed varied responses to powdery mildew, from resistant to susceptible.

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In addition to screening for resistance to crown rot diseases such as Fusarium wilt, Colletotrichum crown rot, and Charcoal rot, experiments have also been conducted in recent years to identify sources of resistance against powdery mildew.

This disease is a constant problem for producers nationally, and with the greater uptake of protected cropping and limited management options, powdery mildew has become increasingly important and economically significant.

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Powdery mildew

Resistance screening

Powdery mildew is caused by the pathogen Podosphaera aphanis. It is a fungal pathogen that appears as white patches of fungal growth on the lower and upper surface of the leaf (Figure 1 a, b, c, d).

In 2019 and 2020, powdery mildew resistance screening trials were conducted on substrate (tabletop) in a protected cropping environment at the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Maroochy Research Facility in Nambour, Queensland. Current and historical varieties, and advanced breeding accessions were evaluated to identify sources of resistance.

Leaf edges also curl upwards. Purple to reddish blotches and necrotic spots may also develop on the lower and upper leaf surfaces. The fungus can infect petioles, flowers, calyces, fruit stalks, and the fruit.

In addition to causing a white powdery coating on the fruit, fruit surfaces may also harden and crack as a result of the disease.

The plants were grown as per commercial growing practices but with no fungicide sprays applied. The study relied on the natural development and spread of powdery mildew inoculum. Plants were established in coir bags in March of each year. The severity of the disease symptoms on leaves and fruits were rated three times each season at monthly intervals, around late June to August.

The white fungal mildew contains large numbers of spores that may be spread by wind. Spores on the leaves are sources of inoculum which can affect fruit quality and lead to yield losses. Dry conditions and temperatures between 15 °C to 27 °C favour the disease.

High humidity also promotes disease infections.

Powdery mildew disease severity (PMDS) was scored from one to five for leaves and fruit based on disease symptoms as described in Table 1. A higher value indicated a more severely affected organ (leaf or fruit).

The PMDS ratings across assessment times in both years were combined and analysed.

Incidence of powdery mildew can be higher in strawberry production under protected cropping than in plants grown outdoors.

Regardless of production systems being utilised, management of powdery mildew relies mainly on the use of fungicides.

Results The varieties and accessions tested showed varying degrees of powdery mildew resistance. The heritage variety Phenomenal showed a score of one (no infections) for both leaf and fruit PMDS (Figure 2). Of the ASBP varieties, Summer Song (temperate), Venus-ASBP (subtropical) and Fanfare-ASBP (Mediterranean) showed high tolerance to powdery mildew on both fruit and leaves.

There are however some challenges with the current fungicide options, such as limited fungicide groups available and maximum sprays allowed, and the lack of an effective protectant fungicide for rotation with other fungicide groups (i.e., with a multi-site activity, like the previous industry standard Euparen Multi).

Figure 1a.

Figure 1b.

Figure 1c.

Figure 1d.

Figure 1. Symptoms of powdery mildew on strawberries.(a) White powdery fungal structures on the lower side of a leaf; (b) blotches/spots on the upper side of a leaf; (c) Powdery mildew blotches/spots on the lower side of a leaf and abnormal leaf curl; (d) infected fruit showing achenes with white fungal growth (left), compared with non-infected fruit (right). © State of Queensland, through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Photo credits: Apollo Gomez

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Figure 2a. Predictions for (a) leaf and (b) fruit PMDS score across all measurement times in 2019 and 2020.

1 = No symptoms; 2 = Mild symptoms; 3 = Moderate symptoms; 4 = Severe symptoms; 5 = Very severe symptoms; blue = varieties primarily grown in temperate regions; green = Mediterranean varieties; orange = subtropical varieties; grey = ASBP breeding accessions. Error bars indicate significant differences between accessions.

Figure 2b. Fruit from 2020 powdery mildew resistance experiment. (a) Red Rhapsody fruit showing powdery mildew symptoms; (b) powdery mildew tolerant accession 2019-033. © State of Queensland, through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Photo credit: Katie O’Connor

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Table 1. Powdery mildew disease severity (PMDS) scores for leaf and fruit.

Score

Leaf PMDS

Fruit PMDS

1

No symptoms

No achenes infected

2 (Mild)

Live mycelium, but no Abnormal Leaf Curl (ALC) symptoms

< 25% of achenes infected

3 (Moderate)

< 25% of the plant with symptoms

25%-50% of achenes infected

4 (Severe)

25% to 50% of the plant with symptoms

50%-75% of achenes infected

5 (Very Severe)

> 50% of the plant with symptoms

75%-100% of achenes infected

Figure 3. Fruit from 2020 powdery mildew resistance experiment. (a) Red Rhapsody fruit showing powdery mildew symptoms; (b) powdery mildew tolerant accession 2019-033. © State of Queensland, through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Photo credit: Katie O’Connor

Acknowledgements

Breeding accession 2016-194 and its daughter 2019-033 also performed extremely well (Figure 3).

These accessions have exceptional flavour, however, lack other traits necessary to be acceptable as new varieties. Both accessions as well as the variety Phenomenal have been used extensively as parents for all three production regions in order to incorporate their high powdery mildew tolerance with other important plant and fruit traits.

The ASBP has been funded by Hort Innovation using the strawberry research and development levy, with cocontributions from the Queensland Government through its Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and funds from the Australian Government. We thank the contributions by the Temperate and Subtropical Reference Groups and Mediterranean industry members who have helped guide the program, the Industry Development Officers, and all the other industry members who provide feedback, advice, and support. We are also extremely grateful to all the fruit producers in all states who have trialled, collected data on, and given feedback on our on-farm accessions.

Implications for industry & future work Screening for powdery mildew resistance will continue in 2021. Promising accessions with sources of powdery mildew resistance will continue to be incorporated in our breeding program to develop new varieties with tolerance/resistance to powdery mildew. This will result in a more profitable and sustainable national strawberry industry, with more robust plants and reduced reliance on fungicides.

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Management of fruit rot diseases and fungicide resistance Apollo Gomez, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Apollo Gomez is a research scientist for Queensland DAF and have been involved in several DAF strawberry disease management projects since 2002. He is also a member of the Australian Strawberry Breeding Program focused on developing new strawberry varieties with resistance to important strawberry diseases.

For most fruit producers, fungicides are an important component of strawberry disease management. Recent fungicide registrations for strawberry production include Botector®, Flute®, Kenja® and Serenade® Opti, and also Miravis® Prime, expected to be registered sometime in 2021. It is important to understand how fungicide products work in order to maximise disease management. Equally important is to ensure they are used correctly to avoid fungicide resistance developing.

• I t is critical to understand and use fungicides correctly to manage disease and avoid the development of fungicide resistance.

• R eliance or repeated use of products from the same fungicide groups increases the risk of fungicide resistance

How do fungicides work?

• F ungicide resistance must be avoided as it will put pressure on other fungicide groups, potentially leading to significant yield losses.

Fungicides protect plants by destroying or inhibiting the growth and development of fungal pathogen.

A pathogen is an organism that can cause disease, e.g., Botrytis cinerea is the fungal pathogen that causes grey mould disease. Fungicides will not work against other pathogens, such as bacteria, viruses, nematodes or phytoplasmas.

New fungicide registrations for strawberry production will provide more disease management options for producers to manage fruit diseases. It is critical to be aware of these new products, along with having good cultural and hygiene farm practices to optimise disease management and equally important, to avoid the development of fungicide resistance.

Different fungicides attack pathogens in different ways. This is commonly referred to as their mode of action (MOA) and the basis of how fungicides are grouped. For each fungicide product, a number or a number/letter combination represents the MOA and is indicated in the label (see Figure 1). The MOA is also referred to as the fungicide group or FRAC Code (FRAC stands for Fungicide Resistance Action Committee, which provides guidelines on fungicide chemistry and resistance management internationally). There are many fungicide products in the market. Fungicides with the same number have the same or similar mode of action, therefore the same fungicide group/FRAC Code.

Fruit diseases are part of strawberry production, whichever part of the country you are in and what production systems you are using. Diseases such as grey mould, powdery mildew, black spot, leather rot, etc. tend to appear when conditions such as extended periods of wet weather, or dry but high humidity conditions are present.

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What fungicides are currently available for strawberry fruit production?

The registered products available for strawberry production are presented in Table 1.

What can we do to avoid fungicide resistance from developing?

Figure 1. Part of a fungicide product label showing the FRAC Code or fungicide Group

• O nly use products registered for use in strawberry production.

Multi-site and single-site fungicides

• A lways follow product label instructions, with regards to application, rates, withholding periods, maximum sprays, storage, etc., including restrictions and other spray conditions stated.

Multi-site fungicides, also generally known as ‘protectants’, act as a shield on the surface of the leaves and fruit. These fungicides can affect multiple target sites (such as proteins and enzymes) of the fungus.

Examples include Captan, Thiram, Eco-carb, Serenade® Opti and Botector®, and the risk of resistance to these fungicides developing is low.

• R otate fungicides with different activity groups/ FRAC Code throughout the crop growing season.

• M anage the use of different fungicide products that are in the same group.

• M anage the use of co-formulated products. These are products that have two ingredients; hence two fungicide groups are applied at a time. For example, the soon to be registered product Miravis® Prime has two active ingredients. One belongs in Group 7 (same group as products Fontelis® and Kenja®) and the other in Group 12, which is also a component of another co-formulated product, Switch fungicide.

On the other hand, single-site fungicides, also known as ‘systemics’, are able to be absorbed and moved around by the plant internally and target only one specific site of the fungus. If a mutation occurs in that one site the fungicide will no longer be effective i.e., resistance has developed. Single-site fungicides are considered ‘high-risk’ in terms of developing resistance.

There are maximum sprays allowed per season for a fungicide/fungicide group (e.g., Flint, Systhane®, Scala®, Flute®, etc) to help manage the risk.

• S pray coverage is critical to control/manage both powdery mildew and grey mould, where infection occurs mainly on the lower side of the leaves and on fruit that may be within or under the plant canopy

Why is fungicide resistance a concern?

• R eliance or repeated use of a fungicide or products from same fungicide group, particularly singlesite fungicides, increases the risk of pathogen populations becoming resistant.

• R educe the amount of disease inoculum through cultural and hygiene practices, such as regular disease monitoring, removal of diseased fruit or plant debris within the production area, and adequate plant spacings to reduce moisture and humidity around the plants.

• T here is genetic variability in pathogen populations and that variability gives protection and may allow those populations with resistance to survive and multiply if the same fungicides are used.

• A s a result, over-time, the effectiveness of a fungicide product or products within the same group will be reduced.

• C ropLife Australia promotes the responsible use of pesticides to ensure sustainable outcomes and is a good resource for more information on fungicide resistance management (www. croplife.org.au).

• I n the worst-case scenario, the fungicide will no longer be effective in controlling the pathogen that causes the disease.

• E arly detection of pathogen populations for fungicide resistance is important to consider changes in fungicide practices and prevent yield losses.

• F or strawberry production, fungicide resistance should be avoided as it will put significant pressure on other fungicide groups, potentially leading to significant yield losses.

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Table 1. Fungicides for strawberry fruit production Source: APVMA, CropLife Australia, Australian Berry Journal Summer 2020 edition and product label.

FRAC Code/ Group

Active Constituent

Product names

Registered for

Some conditions to note

2

iprodione

Various, e.g Rovral®

Grey mould

1-day WHP

3

myclobutanil

Various, e.g. Systhane®

Powdery mildew

4 max. sprays of Group 3/season

7

penthiopyrad

Fontelis®

Grey Mould and Powdery Mildew

3 max. sprays of Group 7/season

7

isofetamid

Kenja®*

Grey mould

3 max. sprays of Group 7/season

7 + 12

pydiflumetofen + fludioxonil

Miravis® Prime*#

Grey mould and powdery mildew

3 max. sprays of Group 7 and 12/season

9

pyrimethanil

Various, e.g. Scala®

Grey mould

1-day WHP; 3 max. sprays of Group 9/season

9 + 12

cyprodinil + fludioxonil

Switch

Grey mould and Colletotrichum crown rot

3-day WHP, 3 max. sprays of Group 9 and 12/season

11

trifloxystrobin

Various, e.g. Flint

Powdery mildew

1-day WHP; 3 max. sprays of Group 11 /season

17

fenhexamid

Various, e.g. Teldor®

Grey mould

1-day WHP

U6

cyflufenamid

Flute®*

Powdery mildew

2 max. sprays of Group U6/season

M2

sulphur

Various, e.g. Thiovit®

Powdery mildew

NSW and WA only

M2

potassium bicarbonate

Various, e.g. ecocarb

Powdery mildew

M2

potassium bicarbonate + potassium silicate

ecocarb PLUS

Powdery mildew

M3

thiram

Various, e.g. Thiram

Grey mould, and black spot

2-day WHP

M4

captan

Various, e.g. Captan

Grey mould, black spot, scorch, leaf blight and leather rot

1-day WHP

BM02

Bacillus amyloliquefaciens strain QST 713

Serenade® Opti*

Grey mould

Botector®*^

Grey mould, anthracnose fruit rot, Phomopsis fruit rot, and Rhizopus fruit rot

Aureobasidium pollulans

*’Protected cropping’ stated in the label; #Expected to be registered early 2021; ^Not yet classified; FRAC = Fungicide Resistance Action Committee; WHP = withholding period.

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Suggested grey mould strategy A general strategy is to rotate multi-site products to provide protection when flowers start to appear and when disease pressure is low.

Apply single-site fungicides when conditions that favour disease development (e.g., rainy periods) are imminent and rotate with other fungicide groups when disease persists. Removal of diseased fruit will help reduce the amount of inoculum.

Severity of grey mould disease is generally dependent on wet periods. Rotation of multi-site products may be enough if disease pressure is low combined with on-farm practices to reduce inoculum.

In protected cropping systems, the incidence of grey mould is generally lower than in plants grown outdoors.

Fruits infected with grey mould.

Photo credit: Chris Menzel, DAF.

Suggested powdery mildew strategy Management of powdery mildew differs to that of grey mould. Different production systems (open-field, substrate/tabletops, tunnels, cloches) and the length of the season in different production areas must be considered. Crop consultants can provide a specific and strategic approach for management of powdery mildew relevant to different production areas and systems.

Fungicide options for powdery mildew are limited for strawberry, hence why powdery mildew ranks as a high priority in the Strategic Agrochemical Review Process (SARP) for strawberry. New fungicides with different modes of action (both multi-site and single-site) are needed.

Disclaimer: While care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information provided in this document the APVMA registered label and/or where relevant the APVMA approved permit must always be followed. The strategy discussed in this article is only a guide. DAF do not specifically endorse any of the products mentioned and is not liable for any loss or damage suffered.

Apollo evaluating yield.

Photo credit: Chris Menzel, DAF.

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B L U E B E R R I E S

Blueberry strategic agrichemical review and prioritisation summary Melinda Simpson, Berry Industry Development Officer, Blueberries & NSW NSW Department of Primary Industries For those who are not familiar with the SARP it involves a desktop study and industry consultation to achieve the following:

On Monday the 9th of November 2020 blueberry industry representatives met to evaluate the blueberry strategic agrichemical review process report (SARP).

Several elements were considered including determining if the findings were consistent with what is being seen on the ground, fine-tuning of priority chemicals, identifying pest knowledge gaps, and highlighting the requirements for further research.

• R ank the importance of diseases, insects and weeds that can affect industry.

• E valuate the availability and effectiveness of fungicides, insecticides and herbicides (pesticides) in the control of these plant pests.

• Determine any gaps in the current pest control strategy.

• I dentify suitable new or alternative pesticides to address the gaps.

As it currently stands the pest and disease priorities for the blueberry industry are:

Disease priorities Common name

Scientific name

High Blueberry Rust Flower Blight / Grey Mould Stem Blight

Thekopsora minima Botrytis cinerea Neofusicoccum spp., Lasiodiplodia spp. and Botryosphaeria dothidea

Moderate Phytophthora Root Rot Anthracnose Alternaria Rot (Post-Harvest) Phomopsis Blight Bacterial Canker Charcoal Rot Botryosphaeria Stem Canker Crown Gall

Phytophthora spp.

Colletotrichum simondsii Alternaria spp.

Phomopsis spp.

Pseudomonas syringae Macrophomina phaseolina Botryosphaeria corticis Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Low Rhizoctonia Root Rot Septoria Leaf Spot Spur Blight

Rhizoctonia spp.

Septoria spp.

Didymella applanata

Note: Pestalotiopsis spp. is an emerging disease issue that is being seen in NSW but was not classified in the SARP.

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Pest priorities Common name

Scientific name

High Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) Queensland Fruit Fly (QFF) Longicorn Trunk Borer Broad Mite Red‑Shouldered Leaf Beetle

Epiphyas postvittana Bactrocera tryoni Phoracantha spp.

Polyphagotarsonemus latus Monolepta australis

Moderate Elephant Weevil (EWB) Scarab Beetle / African Black Beetle Cotton Bollworm / Corn Earworm Native Budworm Western Flower Thrips Plague Thrips Flatid Leaf Hopper Scale insects Ants

Orthorhinus cylindrirostris Heteronychus arator Helicoverpa armigera Helicoverpa punctigera Frankliniella occidentalis Thrips imaginis Flatormenis spp.

Coccidae spp., Diaspididae spp., Eriococcidae spp.

Formicidae

Low Painted Apple Moth Mango Webworm Orange Fruit Borer Green Vegetable Bug Green Stink Bug Cottonseed Bug Two Spotted Mite Dried Fruit Beetle Green Peach Aphid European Wasp

Orgyia anartoides Dudua aprobola Isotenes miserana Nezara viridula Plautia affinis Oxycarenus luctuosus Tetranychus urticae Carpophilus spp.

Myzus persicae Vespula germanica

Notes: Blueberry twig girdler is an emerging issue in NSW but was not classified in the SARP. Broad mite was agreed to be a lower priority compared to the high classification given in the SARP.

High Priority Pest: Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM).

Photo credit: Department of Primary Industries and Water, Tasmania, Bugwood.org.

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High Priority Disease: Blueberry Rust.

Photo credit: Bruce Watt, University of Maine, Bugwood.org.

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Key priorities moving forward for blueberries

Current advances in chemicals • A trial is running looking at the following organic options for blueberry rust control: Seranade® Opti, a new Nufarm product called Intervene, Ecocarb PLUS, Aminogro, eco-oil™ and Anolyte.

1. D evelop an IPM project proposal for submission to Hort Innovation for funding from the Blueberry Levy Fund. Proposal would focus on suitable controls for the following pests: Longicorn, Elephant weevil, Western flower thrips, Flatid leaf hoppers, scale and mealy bugs.

• I ntervene, a Group 19 fungicide with the active Polyoxin D zinc salt will be available later this year for the control of botrytis in blueberries.

2. E ngage with Hort Innovation for an industry preparedness strategy to deal with the imminent withdrawal of several chemicals e.g. mancozeb from the market.

• A new fungicide, Miravis® Prime is being introduced into Australia in the first half of this year.

Miravis® Prime combines two active ingredients pydiflumetofen (Group 7) and fludioxonil (Group 12).

It will be registered to control botrytis in berries.

3. E ngage with Hort Innovation for an industry preparedness strategy for QFF as many effective products are at risk of being withdrawn.

ork is being done with Imtrade for • W Tebufenozide to be available for blueberries to control caterpillar pests.

4. S eek alternative chemical groups and options for controlling Lepidoptera under protected cropping.

• Coragen® is now approved for use in substrate grown blueberries due to a label change.

5. C ommission a literature review for stem blight as a start to look for alternative control measures.

6. L ook at alternatives to Phosphorous acid for phytophthora control.

7. L obby/apply for the removal of restrictions on certain products or minor use permits for use under protected cropping including:

If you have any questions relating to the Blueberry SARP or would like to receive a full copy of the report, please contact Blueberry Industry Development Officer Melinda Simpson: Melinda.Simpson@dpi.nsw.gov.au 0447 081 765

– Dithianon – Prodigy – Avatar 8.

Pursue the following products for label registration or minor use permit: – Transform® for the control of mirids, flatid leaf hopper, thrips, scale, mealy bugs, whitefly – A dd liquid form of Metalaxyl on phytophthora permit – S ivanto® Prime for the control of Leaf hopper, QFF – V ayego® for the control of LBAM, Loopers, Helicoverpa, Monolepta, Longicorn, EWB, Scarab – S pinosad on permit for use as a fruit fly toxicant so that growers are free to choose their protein product – L una® Experience for control of botrytis, Alternaria and possibly rust in blueberries

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VOLUNTARY LEVIES

SUPPORT YOUR INDUSTRY

TO SUPPORT YOUR BUSINESS! The ABGA is funding a major marketing program – please contribute your share Why should I pay the voluntary levy?

How do I pay the levy?

The voluntary levies fund all of the essential activities that contribute to the growth of our blueberry industry.

Activities include, but are not limited to:

Follow the steps below:

1. Prepare a statement with the following information

• Maintaining a a dedicated marketing campaign • Research & development into registered chemicals + IPM + Integrated Disease Management programs • Funding legal advice to support appropriate planning conditions • Progressing 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 • Communication and engagement with members – industry journal, e-news, website, conference • Promoting positive industry stories and addressing negative media • Providing 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

• 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:

How much levy do I have to pay?

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

Standard levies are $0.05/kg fruit sold. From April 2020 to April 2021 there is an additional levy of $0.05/kg fruit sold for the COVID-19 marketing campaign. Total levy is $0.10/kg until April 30th 2021.

Send the Membership Officer a statement as per Step 1 above. She will then check that the agent has paid the levy.

Email the statement to admin@berries.net.au

When do I pay the voluntary levy?

Levies are payable once every financial quarter:

Quarter

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

What about confidentiality of the information provided?

Period Covered

Payable by

Q1

1 July – 30 September

31 October

Q2

1 October – 31 December

31 January

I need help, who do I contact?

Q3

1 January – 31 March

30 April

Wendy Morris

Q4

1 April – 30 June

31 July

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

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Any information provided will be kept confidential.

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B L U E B E R R I E S

Status update of Blueberry Rust in Tasmania Ian Cover - Industry Development Officer and Michael Tarbath — Policy & Engagement Officer, Fruit Growers Tasmania Inc.

Blueberry rust (Thekopsora minima) is a fungal disease of blueberries which causes extensive fruit and leaf lesions, defoliation and plant death in severe instances. Once established, the disease can spread rapidly and is difficult to eradicate, especially in evergreen blueberry varieties. material, transferring them to other locations with surface contact. This contact spread can enable the disease to spread long distances between farms and from one production area to another.

Blueberry rust spreads through the local environment by airborne spores, using wind and rain as its main transmission vectors. Spore can also be carried on the clothes of people coming into contact with infected

Blueberry rust symptoms. Photo credit: Biosecurity Tasmania

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Current incursion

Domestic trade impacts

Tasmania’s current blueberry rust incursion was first detected in 2016 on a farm in North West Tasmania.

Surveys of other producers quickly identified that the disease had established a presence on a number of other sites.

Blueberry rust is not present in all states of Australia.

At this time, blueberry rust is established in New South Wales and Queensland. This creates challenges for growers where the disease is present as other state governments look to protect their industries and their growers from being exposed to the disease.

The Tasmanian Government rapidly introduced strict hygiene and containment procedures to stop the disease from spreading further. The containment measures include:

Recognising the long-term impacts this incursion would have on domestic trade, the Tasmanian Government has worked with its interstate counterparts to negotiate inspection and market access arrangements for clean Tasmanian fruit to be able to move to markets in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia.

• Strict quarantine procedures on infected properties; • R egular inspections of infected properties to ensure compliance with quarantine requirements; • W orking with industry to ensure good on farm hygiene at non-infected properties to reduce the risk of infection; and

Reviewed annually, these arrangements require regular state-wide disease surveys, farm hygiene and registration requirements, as well as phytosanitary inspections of fruit consignments destined for these markets.

• R egular state-wide surveys of all commercial blueberry production areas to identify and respond to any new detections.

The slow road back to disease freedom Biosecurity Tasmania and industry continue to work towards creating a future where eradication and state-wide freedom may be possible.

During the early stages of the incursion response, Biosecurity Tasmania undertook a comprehensive scientific assessment of eradication options for the disease given the tools and knowledge available.

To support this, Biosecurity Tasmania continues to regularly review and update containment procedures to ensure the disease remains contained whilst eradication options are developed.

This assessment recommended that containment was needed, as there was no method of eradicating the disease from the State without causing unnecessary economic damage to the industry sector.

Blueberry rows at TruBlu in Tasmania. Photo credit: Ian Cover, FGT

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As part of this long-term approach, researchers at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, NSW Department of Primary Industries and Biosecurity Tasmania are working closely with affected growers in Tasmania and NSW to undertake treatment efficacy trials in search of organiccompatible control options for controlling and eradicating the disease.

Producers on some Tasmanian properties are also contributing to this effort through trials of their own, with a number of affected properties experimenting with defoliation trials to disrupt the lifecycle of the disease.

In-field disease surveys have also suggested that the amount of rust lesions and spores on at least one of the remaining infected properties have steadily decreased over time due to the treatment, and the approach may become an important part of the disease control toolkit.

These containment and treatment approaches have seen the number of blueberry rust infected premises in Tasmania decrease from seven to four through these combined approaches.

Over the 2 years to December 2020 the State recorded no new infected properties.

B L U E B E R R I E S

Blueberry rust management guide Melinda Simpson, Berry Industry Development Officer, Blueberries & NSW NSW Department of Primary Industries

Leaves

• M onitor weather conditions to identify potential infection events

Rust first appears as small pale-bright yellow lesions on the upper surface of infected leaves (Figures 1a, 1b).

On the underside of the leaf, the fungus erupts through the surface and small pustules containing spores form (Figures 2a, 2b). As the disease progresses, the lesions become red to brown in colour and may increase in size, coalescing when disease is severe. The spores are powdery when touched, and when there are many, they may be seen to float with air currents or wind.

The infected tissue within the lesion becomes darker as it dies, reducing the photosynthetic capacity of the leaf.

When disease pressure is high, defoliation may occur.

• O ptimise the spray timing by evaluating the prevailing of environmental conditions and blueberry physiology for infection potential • M onitor temperature, rainfall, relative humidity and leaf wetness • W hen spray is needed, spray as soon as practical after the occurrence of conducive conditions or infection event Blueberry rust thrives in warm, wet conditions, especially when there are extended periods of leaf wetness and susceptible host tissue is present. The disease is caused by the fungus Thekopsora minima.

The fungus primarily infects leaves, causing a reduction in plant vigour and fruit set. When fruit is infected, marketability can be affected.

Management of blueberry rust requires an integrated approach, including scouting of orchards to detect early infections, monitoring of weather to identify conditions conducive to the infection and development of disease symptoms, cultural measures and targeted application of fungicidal sprays.

Symptoms Although rust symptoms are most obvious on leaves when red-brown lesions are visible on the upper surface, and corresponding yellow pustules can be seen on the corresponding lower surface, infection takes place much earlier.

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Figure 1a and 1b. Rust first appears as small pale-bright yellow lesions on the upper surface of infected leaves.

Photo credit: Rosalie Daniel

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Shoots Lesions containing spores have been observed on twigs and Thekopsora minima DNA has been extracted from these twigs. It is likely that infected shoots play a role in the survival of the fungus.

Fruit Lesions develop on ripening fruit when disease pressure is high. Rust lesions can reduce the marketability of ripe berries. It is likely that infection takes place during flowering. Fungal DNA corresponding to T. minima has been detected in flowers and ripening asymptomatic fruit. The infection process needs to be confirmed microscopically.

Diagnosis Early diagnosis is the key to effective management.

It allows diseases to be treated early and minimises the potential for inoculum build up. The first symptoms due to blueberry rust are small pale-yellow spots that develop on the upper leaf surface (Figure 1a).

To confirm the symptoms are due to blueberry rust, turn the leaf over and look for yellow spores.

The presence of powdery yellow pustules on the corresponding lower surface are characteristic of blueberry rust (Figures 2a and 2b).

Disease cycle Survival The blueberry rust fungus survives primarily in infected leaves that remain on the plant after pruning. In the evergreen system, where leaves are continuously present on the plant, DNA analysis has shown that asymptomatic leaves can be infected with Thekopsora minima throughout the year. When conditions become conducive (warm, moist) the fungus is stimulated to form pustules and sporulate to re-infect.

Infected leaf debris on the orchard floor is unlikely to be a major source of inoculum as spore survival is generally less than six weeks, depending on agronomic and environmental factors practiced in the orchard.

Sporulation could be initiated from infected leaves two weeks after leaves were placed on the orchard floor, but after this, too many other fungi were present on the leaves to effectively distinguish the rust fungus.

DNA could not be detected in infected leaf samples placed on the orchard floor after six weeks.

Figures 2a and 2b. On the underside of the leaf, the fungus erupts through the surface and small pustules containing spores form. Photo credit: 2a Melinda Simpson, 2b Rosalie Daniel.

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First infection

Spread

The rust fungus, Thekopsora minima, is biotrophic.

That means it will only infect living plant tissues.

Spores require moisture for germination and infection.

Infection can begin at any plant growth stage from when the leaves first emerge if moisture is present on the leaves. Younger leaves are more susceptible.

Older leaves are more difficult for the fungus to penetrate as the cuticle becomes thicker.

Spores produced in pustules on leaves are the main infective propagule of blueberry rust in the evergreen production system practiced in coastal northern NSW. They can be present in the air all year (Figure 3).

Rain, water-splash, air currents, insects and humans can spread spores to infect new plant tissues. Pustules will continue to develop and spores will be released as long as conditions are favourable, and many cycles of infection can occur in a given production season.

Latent period

The disease cycle continues as long as conditions are favourable (warm, moist) and susceptible foliage is available to infect. Initially only a few pustules may be present, but as the season progresses, if control measures are not adequate, then rust urediniospore numbers can increase significantly, and the rust spreads throughout the orchard.

Following infection, the fungus colonises the leaf.

The period of time between infection and the appearance of symptoms is known as the latent period.

The length of the latent period is largely dependent on temperature but is generally between 10 and 21 days.

At 20oC pustules begin to appear on infected leaves after 10 days. After this time, the small yellow lesions appear on the upper surface of the leaf, wherever infection has taken place.

Figure 3. Spore count versus hour for 2016-17 with the proportion of occasions where spores were observed (base of the plot, just above x-axis) as well as the mean spore count when spores were observed (blue line) by two-hour period, and the overall mean spore count (including zeros) (red line). Source: Rosalie Daniel

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Favourable conditions

Spray Management options

Blueberry rust requires at least 7 hours of leaf wetness to infect at 24oC.

Fungicides should be regarded as one component of the arsenal available for an integrated approach to disease management. They protect a potential yield that may be realised in the absence of disease. Securing effective disease control from fungicide applications is dependent upon prevailing environmental conditions, disease pressure and the effectiveness of the fungicide to control that disease.

Understanding the pathogen, environmental conditions and host susceptibility is essential to establishing a targeted and effective spray program.

Spread

Fungicide selection

Factors affecting the rate of spread of blueberry rust through an area are the initial inoculum load (i.e. the number of spores present at the start of the season, or after pruning), the frequency and length of rain events, factors affecting leaf wetness, the prevailing temperature and the susceptibility of the cultivar in the orchard.

Selection of the fungicide to suit the timing of disease events is important.

Infection Rainfall or moisture for leaf wetness along with warm temperatures are required for infection to take place. Spores of Thekopsora minima germinate at temperatures between 5 and 30oC under 100% relative humidity, but optimum growth occurs at 15-25oC.

Incubation period

Protectant fungicides Protectant fungicides act on the surface to protect the plant from infection. These fungicides do not move to cover new leaf and shoot growth. They should be applied as close as possible prior to an infection event.

There is some evidence to suggest that application just after a rainfall event is more effective (Friskop et al. 2015; Zambolim 2016). Examples of these fungicides that are currently permitted for use in blueberry are mancozeb (APVMA PER13958), chlorothalonil (APVMA PER14309), Copper (APVMA PER84176) and dithianon (APVMA PER82601).

A higher initial inoculum load means there are more spores present in the beginning that can infect, causing new pustules to form, and produce more spores.

Where highly susceptible cultivars are grown, the likelihood of successful infections, and production of spore-containing pustules is greater.

Managing the disease The most important factors in managing blueberry rust are:

Curative fungicides These fungicides are trans-laminar, meaning that they are absorbed by the foliage and can, to varying degrees, move across the leaf, and maim or kill the rust fungus inside the foliage. Because they are absorbed into the plant tissue, these fungicides are also rain-fast to a certain degree. They do not move systemically through the plant. Because many curative fungicides also have some protective properties, they are best applied as close to an infection event as possible.

Examples of these fungicides that are permitted for use in blueberry production include the DMIs propiconazole (Tilt®; APVMA PER1470). The QoI fungicides (FRAC 11) have curative and translaminar activity. They have been reported to kill germinating spores (Buck et al. 2003).

Pristine® (APVMA PER82986) contains the QoI pyroclostrobin, and the SDHI (FRAC 7) boscalid.

The SDHI fungicides can also be translaminar, inhibit spore germination, mycelial growth and sporulation.

• I mplement Biosecure Best Practices: “Come Clean, Go Clean”.

• S ource clean, disease free planting material when establishing new blocks or orchards.

Be aware that fungicides can mask symptoms.

• M inimise or eliminate inoculum carry over from season to season, for example when pruning, remove infected plant parts. By reducing the carryover of inoculum, there is less inoculum to start new epidemics the following production season.

• P rune to open the canopy. This will promote ventilation and more rapid drying of the foliage, reducing the length of time that leaves remain wet and conditions favourable for rust infection.

Opening the canopy can also assist in improving contact and penetration of fungicides.

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B L U E B E R R I E S

Australian Blueberries Marketing Update Jane Richter

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 92 to find out how you can contribute to the growth drivers of your industry.

In Facebook, convenience and versatility win, with consumers seeking simple messages about how easy blueberries are to grab and go, and super-quick ways to add blueberries to your everyday diet. Nothing complex or fussy.

As the 2020-21 blueberry season draws to a close, we look back on the marketing investment made by ABGA to grow consumers’ love and consumption of fresh Australian blueberries. Remember that the strategic focus for this season has been to target existing buyers and encourage them to buy more frequently and to consume more blueberries at more meal and snack occasions each week. All of the data represented here is to the end of January 2021. The campaign continues until the end of March, but the majority of the investment and activities are now complete for the season.

On Instagram, its almost as if consumers have more time to browse and engage more deeply. They are responding exceptionally well to provenance stories about growers showcasing their farm and their family.

Instagram is also home to the inspiring recipe accompanied by delicious photography, so versatility is a winner too. And not just with our own content, users are regularly posting their own blueberry inspired pics on Instagram and tagging us #australianblueberries.

Have we reached our targets for the season?

Social media continues to be a core part of our communication strategy to reach our existing blueberry consumers. With the change in consumer behaviour brought about by COVID-19, it remains the most cost-effective and reliable way to talk to consumers, especially when traditional retail channels can be limited or shut down with very little notice in response to new outbreaks. The low cost per activity and over-achievement of all our targets, shows a high level of content relevance and appeal for the blueberry audience. The original targets were raised to the above levels about 2 months into the season to stretch our achievement as far as we possibly could for the investment that was made. There continues to be differences between social channels as to what is the best performing content from our four content pillars of Convenience, Versatility, Health and Provenance.

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Across the season, the monthly electronic newsletter has performed very well, both compared to our 2019/20 season and against industry benchmarks for food and drink.

The e-news has been a very effective mechanism to build a strong relationship across the season with blueberry lovers, reinforce fruit availability, inspire with recipe ideas, educate about health benefits and give consumers the chance to virtually meet growers.

This year we used the enticement of a free Jessica Sepel JS Health recipe book to capture users details via our website and this has helped to grow our total audience to over 10,000 subscribers. These are people who are actively interested to hear from us each month and are a very valuable set of consumers.

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Have we reached our targets for the season?

Social Media

Target

Achievement

Impressions

9.5 million

18.5 million

Reach

—

2.2 million

Total Engagement

1 million

2.6 million

Link clicks

—

98,530

Costs for Social Media

Target

Achievement

CPM – cost per thousand impressions

$5

$2.99 or less

CPV – cost per view

$0.08

$0.08 or less for all months except January ($0.10)

CPE – cost per engagement

$0.05

$0.02 or less

CPC – cost per link click

$0.70

$0.54 or less

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Electronic monthly newsletter

2019 averages for Australian Blueberries

Industry Benchmark*

Achievement

New subscribers

+1,000 new

N/A

4,271

% of recipients opening the email

29%

15.2%

32.9% — 41.7%

% of recipients who clicked on any link in the email

5%

1. 7%

3.7% — 12.1%

% of recipients who choose to unsubscribe

0.4%

0.1%

0.6% — 1.2%

*2021 Global email benchmark data from Campaign Monitor for Food & Beverages.

Earned & Influencer Media

Target

Achievement

Earned Media pieces

80

129

Media Opportunities to See (OTS)*

35 million

58 million

Pieces of Influencer content published

140

143

Influencer Opportunities to See (OTS)*

8.6 million

10 million

Average engagement rate for influencer content

1.2%

3.5%

*Opportunity to See (OTS) indicates how often, on average, a person has come into contact with a certain piece of content.

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industry and inspire consumers to buy more blueberries.

If you are willing to share any stories from your farm or be profiled for local and national media, please get in touch as we’d love to have more growers actively involved.

Email the team at blueberries@magnumandco.com.au

The third major pillar of our marketing activities is our Earned Media that used to be known as Public Relations.

In this season, we have added a new focus of highlighting growers from around the country and generating both local and national media coverage to tell their stories, support the overall profile of the Australian blueberry

Berry Blue in Tasmania

Kureen Farming in Northern Qld

Figure 1. Proportion of Australian households buying fresh blueberries at least once in the year.

Figure 3. Average weight of fresh blueberries purchased on each shopping trip where blueberries are purchased.

Sennsational Berries in Victoria

Figure 2. Weight of fresh blueberries on average consumed by every person in Australia per year.

Figure 4. Total production of fresh Australian blueberries per year.

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When you add the total production in tonnes to the picture, you can see a large jump at the same time making the fruit far more available and likely more affordable (Figure 4).

The latest Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook has just been published by Hort Innovation and this allows us to take a look back over the last few years at what the impact of our marketing investment has been.

The volume of blueberries produced more than doubled between 2015/16 and 2017/18, and per capita consumption also doubled.

When you also look at the amount that is being purchased on each shopping trip occasion you can see that this figure has trended down slightly but sits around 145g on average (Figure 3).

This reflects the dominant punnet size of 125g for fresh blueberries and indicates that most buyers are still buying just one punnet per purchase occasion.

What is likely to be the strategy for the new season for Australian Blueberries?

Available online at: bit.ly/HSH-20 The three key consumer behaviour measures that are consistently reported on in the Handbook for the previous 12-month period are the:

Taking into account the current benchmarking measures discussed above, there are several opportunities that may guide the 2021/22 season marketing strategy and investment priorities:

• percentage of households buying blueberries • a verage amount of blueberries in grams purchased on each shopping trip

• 4 4% of households still aren’t buying fresh Australian blueberries so let’s find them and help them discover blueberries

• p er capita consumption of blueberries calculated by production volume divided by total population.

• M any people still seem to buy a single punnet when they shop so what will make them buy two each time? Let’s understand that dynamic and build tactics into our marketing activities to raise the average amount purchased on each shopping trip

What are the trends over the last six years since the Handbook was first produced?

The average proportion of Australian households purchasing fresh local blueberries – also known as Household Penetration – has increased significantly from 40% in 2014/15 to 56% in the latest report period to June 2020 (Figure 1).

• A further opportunity with punnet size is open to growers and packers – why not increase your punnet size to 175 - 200g and then you are selling a significant amount more blueberries for each punnet purchased?

It is interesting to note that the figure leapt by 14% across the two years between 2015/16 and 2017/18 and the per capita consumption has followed the same trajectory (Figure 2).

None of this marketing activity would be possible without the payment of the ABGA Voluntary Levy. To find out how you can contribute your fair share to the levy which drives growth in your industry, please SEE PAGE 92.

Visit: www.australianblueberries.com.au FACEBOOK-SQUARE instagram /australianblueberries If you have any images from your farm that you would like to share, we’d love to use them in our Social Media channels.

Email: blueberries@magnumandco.com.au

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Profile: Cheyne Clarke hits the mark with innovation and change Melinda Simpson, Berry Industry Development Officer, Blueberries & NSW NSW Department of Primary Industries

Cheyne Clarke has over 20 years’ experience growing blueberries and over that time has learnt a thing or two. One of the biggest lessons is the need to adapt through change and the benefits that come with always looking for improvements.

Cheyne originally started working in blueberries at Blueberry Farms of Australia – Chiquita (now Costa) but in 2005 he decided to start his own blueberry venture.

Currently Cheyne has 3000 plants in total, growing Mountain Blue varieties Initio and Dazzle as well as a few Costa and Driscoll varieties like Snowchaser and C-009, all grown in substrate using 28L Garden City Plastics pots.

Cheyne started growing in-ground but in 2015 converted to growing in substrate. This was due to the replant issues he experienced. When planting back into the ground of the original blueberry site he struggled to get plants to grow despite trialling many strategies.

The replants were never able to achieve the yields of the first plantings. This story is common amongst many growers on the mid-north coast and is why we see many growers making this transition to substrate growing.

During his time growing blueberries in substrate, Cheyne has made changes to the way he operates based on lessons learnt from his early experiences.

One such early lesson was plant density; Cheyne has learnt to move his plantings further apart over time to account for the quick growth in substrate growing.

Figure 1. Cheyne at his farm in Woolgoolga NSW Photo credit: Melinda Simpson When starting out varieties were limited so, similar to many of the other growers at the time, Cheyne started with the southern highbush varieties Sharpe blue, Misty and some Rabbiteye varieties.

He has also played with different irrigation strategies and has taken advantage of the first round of the Clean Coastal Catchments incentives grant program to install two Priva drain tray sensor systems and moisture sensors that connect with his Priva Compass (Figure 3).

Contrast that to now where Cheyne is a member of the thriving OzGroup Co-op and he has seen many benefits, including access to new varieties and the accompanying agronomic support.

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Cheyne has learnt a lot about hydroponics and growing in substrate since starting in 2015.

Cheyne offers this advice for growers looking at moving into substrate: • S ource advice from experts, don’t just look over the fence to see what your neighbours are doing.

• L earn the basics and invest time into doing this.

Cheyne completed a course with Graeme Smith in greenhouse hydroponics at Western Sydney University which helped him to gain a greater understanding of hydroponics and how to get the best out of crops grown in this environment.

• D on’t retrofit! Think about the design and how you want to expand and improve in the future at the beginning because it’s a lot harder to retrofit to make things work down the track.

Figure 2. Cheyne’s set up includes blueberries grown in 28L Garden City Plastics pots. Photo credit: Melinda Simpson

• Invest in technology, it helps in the long run.

• G rowing in substrate is less forgiving than the soil.

If something goes wrong your plants can die in 2-3 days, so regardless of how much technology or investment you make into these systems, you still need to be out in the field checking your plants on a very frequent basis.

Figure 3. Priva drain tray sensor system & moisture sensors.

Photo credit: Melinda Simpson

Cheyne has also taken advantage of funding delivered through local Landcare projects and encourages growers to take advantage of these groups. He has completed a number of erosion control and drainage works so that water running out of greenhouses and tunnels does not cause erosion and allows substrate run-off to be channelled into a tank for re-use elsewhere.

Cheyne is always seeking new market opportunities and continues to trial new crops. Alongside his blueberries he is currently growing cucumbers, eggplants and cherry tomatoes. Cheyne is expanding his greenhouse vegetable growing area and at present is installing a higher-tech greenhouse. The Harford MaxiSpan Greenhouse he is investing in has a 4m gutter height with twin gull wing vents and twin skinned poly film.

Figure 4. Erosion and run-off control through water being slowed as it passes through strategic placed rocks.

Photo credit: Melinda Simpson

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Cheyne has shown that he can adapt to change well. His ability to take on new innovative ideas and systems and keenness to address some of the bigger issues relating to blueberries makes him a valuable grower for industry.

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