WINTER 2019
MAXIMISING RESULTS FROM FERTIGATION Shane Singh PAGE 10
NATIONAL BREEDING PROGRAM Full update PAGE 14
NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES Poster inside PAGE 12
drumMUSTER EXPLAINED: Do the right thing PAGE 22
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MEET THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE PRESIDENT Tina McPherson 15 Zinks Road, Bundaberg QLD 4670 07 4159 3001 | 0428 415 930 tina@tinaberries.com.au
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SECRETARY
CONTENTS 02 PRESIDENT'S REPORT 03 UPCOMING EVENTS 04 REGIONAL ROUND-UP 07 SCHOLARSHIP REPORT 08 LATEST MARKETING NEWS 10 MAXIMISING FERTIGATION RESULTS 14 BREEDING PROGRAM UPDATE 18 PASSIONFRUIT AND ETHYLENE 22 drumMUSTER EXPLAINED
Jim Gordon P.O. Box 119, Yandina QLD 4561 07 5446 7536 | 0403 185 961 jill_88@msn.com
MEMBER Anton Stretch 70 Alfs Pinch Road, Beerwah QLD 4519 0433 632 251 stretcho000@hotmail.com
MEMBER Ian Constable 266 Boyds Lane, Dulguigan NSW 2484 02 6672 6826 | 0428 181 246 ianconstable11@bigpond.com
MEMBER Cynthia Barbagallo P.O. Box 2176, Mareeba QLD 4880 0429 926 704 cynthiabarbagallo@bigpond.com
MEMBER Dennis Chant 1264 Urliup Road, Murwillumbah NSW 2484 0412 616 747 adennischant@gmail.com
GROWER PROFILE: LARNER & JUDITH SUGDEN-SMITH
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Wherever you see this logo, the initiative is part of the Hort Innovation Passionfruit Fund. Like this publication itself, it has been funded by Hort Innovation using the passionfruit levy and, in the case of R&D, with contributions from the Australian Government. Some projects also involve funding from additional sources.
ADMINISTRATION & MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES Amanda Roy
DISCLAIMER The advice and opinions in the articles published in The Passion Vine are essentially those of contributors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Passionfruit Australian Incorporated 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 Passionfruit Australia Incorporated 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 The Passion Vine. 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
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any Hort Innovation or other person’s negligence or otherwise from your use or non-use of The Passion Vine or from reliance on information contained in the material or that Hort Innovation provides to you by any other means. Copyright © Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited 2019 Copyright subsists in The Passion Vine. Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited (Hort Innovation) owns the copyright, other than as permitted under the Copyright ACT 1968 (Cth). The Passion Vine (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 Passion Vine should be addressed to: Communications Manager, Hort Innovation Level 8, 1 Chifley Square, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia E: communications@horticulture.com.au | P: 02 8295 2300
THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019
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PRESIDENT'S REPORT TINA MCPHERSON, BUNDABERG
Dear Readers,
The mornings are cooler, and the days are certainly crisp and warm! Autumn is a delightful time of year in Queensland and in particular in Bundaberg. We are on the cusp of both our winter harvest for passionfruit and our strawberry season... I anticipate some fairly busy weeks ahead. We finally received rain (never enough! the dam remains empty and we are fortunate not to rely on it for our water security) and the green did everyone’s heart and soul some good. We were even willing to forgo the flower set that week for some of the liquid gold! The vines certainly jumped away in response and the growth has been heartening. A bit of recent cloudy and drizzly weather has meant that we are dealing with brown spot/Alternaria, but the sunny days are assisting us with getting on top of it. Our fruit peak may be a little later than anticipated and fingers are crossed that growers across all regions may have peaks at different times, allowing for a consistent supply into the markets across the winter. The PAI committee has been bolstered significantly in numbers, with the addition of Dennis Chant and Cynthia Barbagallo to our ranks. We were certainly very excited to welcome them and value their input, their knowledge and their enthusiasm. Cynthia is from North Queensland and Dennis from Northern NSW so between them they represent regions that are very important to our industry. We were fortunate enough to be able to convene a face to face committee meeting in Brisbane in March for the purpose of updating the strategic plan for PAI. This is the plan that dictates our purpose as an industry representative body, objectives and action plan for the next 5 years and ultimately our mission which rests around adding value to the industry through leadership.
It is great as a committee of industry representatives to be able to prepare a plan that guides us and future committees with purpose and the future of the industry as the core focus. It is my hope that future issues of The Passion Vine will highlight areas of the National Passionfruit Industry Strategic Plan so that all the industry understand the vision for our industry and feel able and happy to contribute to help direct the industry moving forward. As growers we urge you to remember that the representatives on the committee for your region or your area of interest are there to do just that... represent you... and it is important that you voice your opinions and views through them or directly to the committee as a whole. Ultimately, we are there to represent the industry and YOU are the industry! Exciting plans are now in place for a both field day and the first Research Roadshow in North Queensland in June (SEE PAGE 3) and the AGM on the Sunshine Coast in October, amongst a series of other events. The Research Roadshow series this year is a critical opportunity for all growers to provide input into the next Strategic Agrichemical Review Process (SARP) for our industry. We strongly urge you to join in and ensure that your voice is heard. We hope you are able to attend some of these events and look forward to meeting up with you there. Warmest wishes for a great winter season. Remember...
“without hard work, nothing grows but weeds!”
Tina
RESEARCH ROADSHOW Don't miss your chance to shape the priorities for the passionfruit industry! A key part of the four year project, PF16003 National Passionfruit Industry Communication Programme, is to provide pathways for growers to share their needs to help shape the priorities for investment of R&D levy funds. The current Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) for the industry runs until 2021 and can be accessed on the Hort Innovation website: https:// www.horticulture.com.au/growers/ passionfruit-fund
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On the page opposite, you can see the summarised version of our SIP. The RESEARCH ROADSHOW series being held this year is aiming to provide an opportunity for direct input from growers on three key areas: 1. I dentifying by region and by variety the priority pest & disease issues that growers are currently facing, as an input that will be provided to Hort Innovation to form the basis for the next Strategic Agrichemical Review Process (SARP) 2. T o collate your views on the current grading system for passionfruit as defined by the market agents and the Grading Guide in order to update the guide and produce new communication materials for growers including new posters by variety
3. T o gather feedback about the outputs of the Communication Programme in the first two years of the project and make sure we are delivering what you need All the dates, times & locations for each event will be available via the Events section of the website. Please use this to Register your attendance for any passionfruit event. The first Research Roadshow will be held on Tuesday 18th June at Cairns City Library. Register 10.30am for a 11.00am start until 3.00pm. Lunch will be provided. For any questions, please contact: Amanda 0427 833 281 or admin@passionfruitaustralia.org.au
WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW TO SUPPORT THE FUTURE OF OUR INDUSTRY? Australian Passionfruit
— Potential im pact of this plan is $ Based on a n est total invest imated ment of $ from 2017 to 2021 —
9.7m
1.84m
STRATEGIC INVESTMENT PLAN 2017–2021
The SIP has been developed in consultation with the passionfruit industry using funds from the Hort Innovation Passionfruit Fund. This plan represents the roadmap for the future development of the industry. This plan drives investment decision-making by Hort Innovation who invest levy funds on behalf of the industry.
_______________________
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GROW SALES DEMAND
GROW FRUIT QUALITY
BE IN THE KNOW
GROW SALES RETURNS
FARM YOUR BEST
Increase domestic demand and export opportunities that maintain price stability
Improve retail quality of passionfruit to match consumer expectations
Provide access to relevant and timely data that improves industry wide decision-making
Improve pest and disease management and the development of new varieties that increase grower productivity and profitability
Improve farm and industry sustainability from identifying and adopting best practices
__________________________________________________ MARKETING CAMPAIGN New plans PAGE 8-9 PF18002: POSTHARVEST BEST PRACTICE REVIEW PAGE 18-19
_______________________ PF16003: PASSIONFRUIT COMMUNICATION PROGRAM Regional Field Days for 2019 BELOW
__________________________________________________ PF15000: NATIONAL BREEDING PROJECT PAGE 14-17
RESEARCH ROADSHOW PAGE 2 and BELOW
UPCOMING INDUSTRY EVENTS 18TH JUNE 2019: FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND – RESEARCH ROADSHOW Venue: Cairns City Library - Meeting Room 1, 151 Abbott Street Registration opens at 10:30am – please RSVP at www.passionfruitaustralia.org.au
EVENT
NEWS
19TH JUNE 2019: FAR NORTH QUEENSLAND REGIONAL FIELD DAY - IPM Venue: Dimbulah Memorial Hall, 29 Raleigh Street, Dimbulah, Qld, 4872 Farm Walk: Larner & Judith Sudgen-Smith, 693 Wolfram Road, Dimbulah, Qld, 4872 Registration opens at 8:30am – please RSVP at www.passionfruitaustralia.org.au
24TH JULY 2019: NORTHERN NSW REGIONAL FIELD DAY – BREEDING PROGRAM OPEN DAY Venue: Alstonville Research Station, 1243 Bruxner Highway, Wollongbar, NSW, 2477 Farm Walk: Alstonville Tropical Fruit Field Station, 494 Bruxner Highway, Alstonville, NSW, 2477 Registration opens at 8:30am – please RSVP at www.passionfruitaustralia.org.au
18TH SEPTEMBER 2019: WIDE BAY REGIONAL FIELD DAY – IPM & BREEDING TRIAL VINES Venue & Farm Walk: Ross Brindley’s Farm, 145 Quinns Road, Bundaberg, Qld, 4670 Registration opens at 8:30am – please RSVP at www.passionfruitaustralia.org.au For more details about each of the events please check out the industry website at https://passionfruitaustralia.org.au/news/ events/#!event-list or contact Amanda on 0427 833 281 or admin@passionfruitaustralia.org.au THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019 3
REGIONAL ROUND UP DARWIN FAR NORTH QLD
(Mareeba, Daintree, Cooktown)
WIDE BAY (Bundaberg)
SOUTH EAST QLD
(Gympie to Glass House Mtns)
NORTHERN NSW
PERTH
(Tweed Valley)
WEATHER WATCH FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
—— Both mean maximum and minimum temperature above average for much of the country
—— Warmest March on record for Australia
—— Both mean maximum and minimum temperature above average for most of the country —— Rainfall for the month was below to very much below average for much of mainland southeastern Australia —— Rainfall above average in a band between Central Coast of Queensland and northwestern New South Wales —— It has been the warmest January–April on record for Australia, with rainfall also below to very much below average over much of the country
—— Rainfall for the month below to very much below average for much of Western Australia, southern Queensland, far western and northeastern to central coast New South Wales —— Active monsoon trough and slow-moving tropical low produced extremely heavy rainfall and flooding in northern Queensland
—— Two severe tropical cyclones contributed to very much above average rainfall in far northern Queensland and parts of the south and southeast of the State —— A wet end to the month brought totals to above average for eastern New South Wales and southeast Queensland
RAINFALL OUTLOOK JUN-AUG 2019 CHANCE OF EXCEEDING THE MEDIAN RAINFALL
CLIMATE OUTLOOK OVERVIEW (Issued 16 May 2019)
Chance of exceeding the median rainfall (%)
—— Warmer than average winter days are likely for most of Australia
www.bom.gov.au/climate © Commonwealth of Australia 2019, Australian Bureau of Meteorology
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—— Winter nights are likely to be warmer than average across WA, and parts of the north and east —— Winter is likely to be drier than average for much of Queensland, NSW, the NT, and northern and far southwest WA
LONG TERM AVERAGE RAINFALL (mm) WEATHER STATIONS
JUN
JUL
AUG
Mareeba
11.5
5.7
7.5
Bundaberg
50.7
39.1
34.0
Sunshine Coast Airport
118.3
64.0
75.0
Murwillumbah
106.6
60.0
53.9
GROWER REPORTS FAR NORTH QLD
FAR NORTH QLD
I feel out of sync weather-wise as I write the Winter growers report as the tail end of the wet season lingers on in most growing districts up north. According to the BOM outlook for June – August, Northern Australia is likely to have warmer than normal winter which would benefit the recovery of vines from the excessive wet season. Cooktown is having a good standard growing season, vines are growing strong and that continuation will depend on winter temperatures. Northern coastal growers have had an extremely punishing wet season with over three metres of rain recorded and it’s still raining! Without sunshine, their crops will be running behind time this season. Lakeland Downs weather has also been unfavourable. Looking at my own crops, I believe Mareeba district crops would have almost repaired themselves from the past unusual rain event.
Brian Westwood, Mareeba
(Mareeba, Daintree, Cooktown) Mareeba (station 031210)
FEB MAR APR
MEAN (mm)
239.4 104.6 11.2 [230.2] [163.8] [38.6] 17
MEAN DAYS >1mm [13.8]
9 [10.5]
3 [4.0]
MEAN (MAX ºC)
31.1 29.7 28.0 [30.7] [29.8] [28.5]
MEAN (MIN ºC)
21.3 20.9 19.4 [21.4] [20.6] [19.0]
BUNDABERG Hello everyone. Not much to report this quarter. Bundaberg has only received approx. 250mm of rain this year, definitely not a wet season. As mentioned in the last report, the extended hot, dry weather has delayed the flower set, with the Misty Gem crop still about six weeks away. The Pandora also have plenty of green fruit hanging and should only be a couple of weeks away. One advantage of the extended dry weather is the low disease pressure. Our water allocations are still 100% even though much irrigation is happening across all crops.
WIDE BAY
(Bundaberg)
Bundaberg (station 039128)
FEB MAR APR
MEAN (mm)
51.2 81.4 54.6 [156.2] [112.9] [55.9]
Until next time. Thanks.
MEAN DAYS >1mm
10 [8.0]
Peter Griffiths, Bundaberg
MEAN (MAX ºC)
32.3 31.3 28.4 [30.1] [29.3] [27.5]
MEAN (MIN ºC)
21.5 21.4 17.9 [21.4] [20.1] [17.6]
SUNSHINE COAST We had our driest Summer on record only to be followed by the highest number of wet days in Autumn that I can remember. It certainly is a land of extremes. The up side is that we are beginning a new season with a full dam. The down side is a fair bit of diseased fruit and that looks like continuing for a while yet.
14 [6.9]
6 [4.8]
SOUTH EAST QLD
Overall, I think most growers had a reasonable Autumn, enjoying good prices and fair quantities for the past two months. Anybody who was able to get their last planting established early enough seems to have done well. The continuous wet weather will probably reduce our chances of having much fruit later in the Winter period and if it cools down too soon it may be a short season. Hopefully, we will have a late setting and have a bit of fruit in August and September. The wet weather has been a good test for our trial plants. Some have shown that they cannot handle the disease pressure, while others have fared surprisingly well. It will be interesting to see if the same plants have performed as well on other farms. A couple of the Pandora x 12 varieties are looking ok, but it is still too early to get too excited.
(Gympie to Glass House Mtns) Sunshine Coast Airport (station 040861)
FEB MAR APR
MEAN (mm)
82.6 319.0 194.6 [189.8] [173.7] [153.8] 9
MEAN DAYS >1mm [11.2]
12 [11.9]
17 [11.2]
MEAN (MAX ºC)
29.5 29.0 25.6 [28.9] [28.0] [26.0]
MEAN (MIN ºC)
22.1 [21.3]
21.6 [20.2]
18.5 [17.1]
All the best for the Winter season.
Jim Gordon, Yandina
NORTHERN NSW
(Tweed Valley)
TWEED AREA At Newrybar we have had a typical wet Autumn, with frequent small totals of rain. No flooding rain as yet but our dam has filled quite well.
Murwillumbah (station 058158)
MEAN (mm)
Easter was fairly quiet fruit-wise, with fruit increasing around the start of May. Overall quality was ok. With the wet weather we have been having lots of 2nd and 3rd year vines dying. They are developing cracks around the base and rotting off right at ground level. In our nursery we have our seedlings up and running nicely after a very good strike. With some fine weather forecast for the next few days’ time to catch up on some spraying! All the best,
FEB
MAR APR
43.1 175.8 143.1 [220.1] [216.4] [153.5] 13
14 [13.8]
10 [10.5]
MEAN (MAX ºC)
29.9 29.6 [29.0] [28.2]
15.7 [26.2]
MEAN (MIN ºC)
20.2 [19.7]
26.0 [15.6]
MEAN DAYS >1mm [13.0]
20.0 [18.4]
Nick & Nerida Hornery, Newrybar Figures in [ ] are long term historical averages. All weather data from www.bom.gov.au
THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN TO BRIAN, PETER, JIM & NICK FOR THEIR REPORTS
THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019
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0429 656 922
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NOEL DAY SCHOLARSHIP PROVIDES A KICK START FOR CHANGE BY BRUCE MCPHERSON
In March, I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of a Noel Day Scholarship – generously sponsored by Sydney agent Samsons - to complete the Certificate in Nutrition Farming at Nutri-Tech Solutions on the Sunshine Coast. I probably wasn’t entirely sure what to expect but as it has been a long time since I completed my formal qualification in agriculture, I reminded myself that all further education is valuable, and I was sure to come away wiser than I went in.
CHECKPOINT USEFUL DIARY DATE REMINDERS FOR THE NEXT QUARTER FULL MOON 17 June, 17 July, 15 August 2019
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS Monday 3rd June Western Australia Day WA Monday 10th June Queens’s Birthday (except Qld &WA) Monday 5th August Picnic Day NT Wednesday 14th August Ekka Day Brisbane Qld Friday 27th September AFL Grand Final Day VIC Monday 30th September Queens’s Birthday WA
IMPORTANT DEADLINES
The course covers several modules including: Mineral Management; Plant Management; Pest Management; Microbe Management and Human Health Management – all delivered by Graeme Sait, a world-renowned nutrition expert. It looks at an integrated and holistic system with the links between soil health, crop resilience, animal vitality and farmer’s health. Sounds all fairly high brow… but it’s delivered in terminology and with practical applications that you know you can take home and put into practice on your own farm... and in our own case... onto your vines. Since completing the course there are certainly changes we have made in our systems. I have a much stronger focus on improvement of soil biology, a greater depth of understanding of nutrient management and interactions, especially the role of micronutrients. We have introduced a more regular pattern of sap and soil testing with the aim of mapping our improvements. We were already using biological controls for pest and disease management (as are many in our industry) but the course reinforced the reasons why and opened up other options in this area. Sustainable weed management alternatives are discussed and suggestions for ground covers for under vines explored. Farmers are getting a bad rap just now, but we are also the key to the future. We’re not going to fix the problems we face with the same thinking that created them. This course has kick started for me a bit of a journey of change Healthy farms need healthy farmers and the final day focused on this premise. It was a timely reminder to look after our own health and that of our family as well as that of our land. I would encourage you to take the time to listen to some of Graeme’s podcasts and TEDx talks. In particular “Humus – the essential ingredient” https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=_bsJfqr1MI0. If nothing else, you will hear some really relevant facts about our changing climates and perhaps be inspired to apply yourself for a Noel Day Scholarship! It will give you the chance to take a week out of your farming year and come away a wiser, smarter farmer and your vines will be happier!
1st July 2019 Start of compulsory Single Touch Payroll compliance 28th July 2019 Quarter 4 BAS direct lodgement deadline 28th July 2019 Quarterly payment due date for Superannuation Funds
SCHOOL HOLIDAYS 6 – 22 July 2019 NSW State Schools Holidays 29 June – 14 July 2019 QLD State Schools Holidays 6 – 22 July 2019 WA State Schools Holidays 29 June – 22 July 2019 NT State Schools Holidays
THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019
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HORT INNOVATION MARKETING UPDATE BY MARIANNEL AZARCON
Hort Innovation is responsible for investing the passionfruit marketing levy into a range of activities to grow awareness and consumption of the fruits, under the Hort Innovation Passionfruit Fund. Here’s a look at some of the highlights since the last edition of The Passion Vine.
Australian Passionfruit on Show! Australian Passionfruit featured in the Tropical Fruit Exhibit at this year’s Sydney Royal Easter Show (12-23 April), along with Papaya Australia. The intent was to reinvigorate interest in Australian passionfruit as well as educating show-goers on selection tips, seasonality and health benefits of Australian passionfruit. An estimated 901,000 attended this year’s show which made it the ideal platform to mass reach consumers (particularly young families) with Australian Passionfruit key messages and sampling of the fruit. The exhibit was brought to life with a 3m x 3m stand in the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome with Brand Ambassadors engaging with show-goers through sampling of fresh passionfruit (by itself and as a topping to papaya) and distribution of brochures, inclusive of health benefits, selection tips, a passionfruit-inspired recipe and call out to the Australian passionfruit website and social pages. Over the course of the event, 23,520 samples of Australian passionfruit and 38,000 brochures were distributed. Estimating that 75% entered the Woolworths Fresh Food Dome, the Australian Passionfruit brand was seen by almost 675,000 people. The response to the stand was overwhelmingly positive, with crowds and queues forming at the Tropical exhibit. The vibrant colours ensured maximum cut-through and strong visibility. Overall, a very strong campaign!
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SOCIAL MEDIA REPORT Aussie Passionfruit social media activity continues to attract and engage consumers. Below are the results to date as at April 2019: PLATFORM
MEASUREMENT
KPI TO JUNE 2019
ACHIEVED TO DEC 2018
Total Impressions
1.8 million
1.2 million
Engagement rate
5%
7%
Page size
Maintain
240 new followers (48.4k followers)
Total Impressions
120,000 (245,000 stretch)
239,000
Engagement rate
10%
11%
25% growth on 2018
444 new followers (2.1k followers)
Page size 26% growth The Australian Passionfruit social platforms continue to perform competitively, with the recent implementation of Facebook stories, upweighting dessert content and leveraging videos as they are proving to be highly engaging with the fan base.
TOP POST IN APRIL
TOP POST IN APRIL
Upcoming Activities To support the upcoming winter flush of Australian passionfruit, public relations (PR), social media and in-store activities will be implemented over the next few months: —— Media outreach activities – includes a seasonal media release, new recipes and passionfruit hampers sent to media outlets and influencers to create excitement, conversation and coverage about the passionfruit winter flush —— Passionfruit farm famil – we will be hosting media and influencer, 9Kitchen and RecipeTin Eats (Nagi) on a passionfruit farm tour in June to educate them on Australian passionfruit and get direct access to the growers and hear their stories first-hand. This encourages more content written about Australian passionfruit on media publications and social media platforms —— ‘Always on’ social – posting of inspiring passionfruit recipe ideas and imagery to remain top of mind during the winter season —— Influencer campaign – Using food influencers to extend consumer reach for Australian passionfruit via inspiring passionfruit imagery and recipes during winter —— In-store sampling activity – Scheduled to go live in July on a national level to educate on passionfruit availability during the winter and encourage consideration and purchase through trial/sampling at point of purchase
For any questions regarding the marketing activities relating to the industries that fall within the Tropical Cluster, contact Hort Innovation Marketing Manager, Mariannel Azarcon mariannel.azarcon@horticulture.com.au THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019
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MAXIMISING FERTIGATION RESULTS BY SHANE SINGH – AGRIHORT SOLUTIONS
Fertigation is a broad term that means delivery of dissolved fertiliser through irrigation water. It is a great technology that provides growers with the flexibility to deliver nutrients to the crop when required; rather than according to work schedule. Fertigation combined with a good nutrition plan targeting the nutrients needed for set, sizing and fruit quality produce apparent results at harvest that extend through the postharvest supply chain.
Whether you are considering fertigation or already have a system in place your irrigation infrastructure is the most of fertiliser to your crop. Uniform delivery is the key to successful fertigation, without it you may find production variability within blocks and not all irrigation systems are designed to operate fertigation systems. So, if you are considering fertigation as an innovative technology for your enterprise or you already have a system in place here are some points for your attention: 1. New Technology? In many areas, this is not new technology however, in areas that have traditionally relied on high rainfall, irrigation and fertigation are now being investigated as a way to increase productivity.
a. Irrigation type: Drip irrigation effectively delivers water and nutrients directly to the root zone however, if substantial volumes of fertiliser are applied, root damage can occur. Sprinklers are also suitable for fertigation; they deliver water and nutrients to a larger area outside the rootzone which is largely uncontrollable. b. Fertigation type: There are many fertigation systems in the marketplace, most systems can be classified into three fertigation types:
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i. Bulk dosing: As it implies you fertigate a large amount in a brief period, this can be daily, weekly, or monthly depending on how involved you want to get. ii. Continuous fertigation: This method is more involved and requires a better understanding of fertigation and plant nutrition. It applies small amounts of fertiliser constantly whenever irrigation is applied. iii. Open Hydroponics: Like continuous fertigation with a couple of differences. Fertigation Electrical conductivity (EC) and pH are adjusted to suit the crop physiology requirements. c. Filtration: A separate filtration system will be required for fertigation tanks and injection points to avoid undissolved or incompatible fertilisers entering the irrigation system that can clog up lines, drippers or sprinkler heads.
2. Irrigation system maintenance – This should be on the top of your list! Without a well-maintained system, you are throwing your money away. Problems created through lack of maintenance include: a. Under or over watering; b. Increased power costs; c. Uneven watering due to blocked emitters or lack of pressure; d. Loss of production and profitability. To maintain your irrigation system, you should check your operating pressures and implement a regular maintenance program to: a. Flush the mainline, submains & irrigation lines; b. Remove algae growth using either Chlorine or Hydrogen peroxide; c. Remove deposits caused by irrigation water and fertilisers using acids.
d. Property size: The size of the farm will influence the distance the fertiliser needs to travel before it reaches the desired block to be fertigated, it could be minutes or hours. It may be more practical to have multiple injection points on larger farms.
CAUTION MUST BE TAKEN WHEN
e. Construction materials: Fertilisers can vary in their acidic / alkaline properties and can cause damage to older systems with fibro-cement mainlines and some types of fittings in newer irrigation systems.
BEST TO SEEK SPECIALIST ADVICE
USING CHLORINE, HYDROGEN PEROXIDE AND ACIDS. INCORRECT HANDLING OF THESE PRODUCTS CAN CAUSE DAMAGE TO YOUR HEALTH OR YOUR INFRASTRUCTURE. IT IS ALWAYS WHEN USING THESE PRODUCTS.
3. Water source – This is generally not a major problem in Australia, but in some areas irrigation water can cause problems. Water quality aspects that should be considered are: pH, alkalinity, water hardness, Electrical conductivity (EC), Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR), Chloride and contaminants. Having these water quality parameters tested can give you an indication of any issues and the suitability of the water source for your crop. You should consider getting your water tested and regularly testing the pH and EC; both are good indicators for any changes in water quality. For more about water quality, refer back to The Passion Vine AUTUMN 2019 edition.
ii. Many liquid fertilisers claim to be more available to plants than dry soluble fertilisers, this is generally not the case.
iii. When choosing the fertiliser type, consider cost, ease of use and/or occupational health and safety. Either dry or liquid fertilisers are suitable for fertigation.
b. Tank Mixing
4. Fertilisers – The choice of fertilisers are endless, there always seems to be a new one on the market. So, consider the following when selecting fertiliser for fertigation: a. Liquid Fertiliser Vs Dry Soluble fertilisers i. Generally liquid fertilisers are the same as dry soluble fertilisers, the difference is someone has premixed the fertilisers into a fertigation solution for you and for this privilege you pay a premium over dry soluble fertilisers.
i. Fertiliser solubility is a major consideration when mixing fertilisers. If the solubility limit is exceeded the fertiliser will stop dissolving. The main consideration in fertiliser solubility is the type of fertiliser and the water temperature, for example Potassium Nitrate has a solubility of 21kg / 100L @ 10oC and 32kg / 100L @ 20oC. ii. Nitrate based fertilisers create an endothermic reaction when mixed in water which means that the water temperature drops and you might find that a water temperature of 20oC has become 15oC, affecting both solubility and tank mixing.
iii. Not all fertilisers are compatible and major problems arise around Calcium based fertilisers. Care must be taken when mixing up fertilisers at all times; I have seen compatibility reactions occur between fertilisers just because the fertigation tank was not cleaned between tank mixes. 5. Crop nutrient requirements – It is important to meet the nutrient requirements of the crop and this starts with a good nutrition plan. Do your homework and look at your soil organic matter levels, soil structure, cation exchange capacity (CEC), soil water holding capacity, crop load and previous fertiliser applications. A good nutrition plan needs to be monitored and adjusted throughout the season based on soil and leaf analysis, crop health, crop load, climate and crop physiology. Your irrigation infrastructure is essential to maximising fertigation results. Now is a good time to implement your irrigation system maintenance plan.
Shane Singh – AgriHort Solutions E: Shane@agrihort.com.au M: 0428 674 655
Q
uiedan Australia
Supplying Premium Quality Poly Tunnels—Trellis Systems
Coir Substrates + Table Top growing systems Contact Paul Mobile: 0418 793 656 or Email: THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019
paul@quiedantunnelsaustralia.com.au
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be easily pplying iliser assium deficiency Young leaves ow NORMAL 4.9% MILD 2.5% SEVERE 1.9% develop small ng leaves develop small whitish spots . ons whitish spots r leaves develop large straw coloured burnt analysis s that extend back from the tips of the leaf or s; leaves eventually fall off . Translocation of fssium root from old to new leaves occurs as part of mine the natural senescence of old leaves . A leaf analysis confirm the diagnosis . The deficiency may be e is found to insufficient potassium in the soil . It may ossible . be caused by too much calcium or magnesium agnesium deficiency age e soil which can suppress the uptake of foliardevelop a distinct pattern, with the area around the main 23 veins remaining green while eaves A soil analysis will identify the cause . ssium . Youngwill leaves 0 .5kg urea e rest of the leaf turns yellow . A leaf analysis confirm the diagnosis . The deficiency may ssium deficiency canYoung be corrected by develop leaves develop smallsmall Older leaves develop straw ef due to either insufficient magnesium inwhitish the soil, or suppressedcoloured uptake of magnesium as a water s . whitish spots burnt areas lication of a potassium fertiliser to the soil . spots sult of heavy applications of lime, gypsum or potassium fertiliser . The deficiency symptoms d burnt k, but liar spray of potassium nitrate at 2 kg per re more eonse . leaf often seen in the cooler winter months particularly on older mature leaves (referred litres of water provides a quick but short term as ‘winter yellows’) .
e pale green, turning yellow in severe cases . Unlike many other nutrient ptoms, the discolouration is fairly uniform across the whole leaf . A leaf nfirm the diagnosis . The deficiency may be due to either insufficient nitrogen ot damage that prevents uptake .
NITROGEN (N)
ESIUM (Mg)
SYMPTOMS
—— Young leaves develop small white spots —— Older leaves develop straw coloured areas & leaves eventually fall off
SYMPTOMS
—— Use leaf test to confirm deficiency level —— May be insufficient soil levels of N —— C21 heck for root damage that could prevent N uptake
DIAGNOSIS
—— Leaves become pale green, turning yellow in severe cases —— Discolouration is uniform across the whole leaf
23
SYMPTOMS
DIAGNOSIS
—— Distinctive pattern with vein area remaining green with rest of leaf yellowing —— More often seen in cooler winter months & on older mature leaves
24/05/13 1:46 PM
Leaves & tips aves & tips
back from the tips of the leaf lobes
y A range of e soil . leaf yellowing nfruit problem solver per symptoms due field guide_Internals.indd to magnesium hort term deficiency leaf and/
tips
ation of Normal, mildly deficient andand/ severely deficient leaves . Leaf N levels from leaf onse . Follow recommendations (left tocan right) 4 .9%, 2 .5%byand 1 .9% a magnesium fertiliser to the soil, such as part of deficiency agnesium be corrected applying oil analysis reports . analysis oxide (where soil pH is between 5 .5 to 6 .5) which will not affect the soil’s pH, saf magnesium SYMPTOMS may be (where the soil pH is less than 5 .5) which will also raise the soil’s pH . Follow r dolomite —— Use leaf test to confirm from leaf and/or soil analysis reports . A foliar spray of 1kg magnesium Itcommendations may r agnesium field guide_Internals.indd 24/05/13 —1:46 PMbe insufficient soil levels of K — May ulphate per 100 litres of20 water provides a quick but short term response . Symptoms Older leaves develop large straw ay (winter yellows) despite applications of magnesium, and ofpersist over winter months —— May be too much Ca or Mg in the soil suppressing uptake of K coloured burnt areas that extend isappear e cause . in warm weather .
POTASSIUM (K)
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NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES
eficiency
www.passionfruitaustralia.org.au
—— Apply magnesium oxide (where soil pH is 5.5 – 6.5) —— A pply dolomite (where soil pH is <5.5) —— F oliar application of 1kg magnesium sulphate per 100 litres of water will give a quick, but short term response
TREATMENT
—— A pply Potassium fertiliser at rates indicated based on leaf analysis —— F oliar application of 2kg potassium nitrate per 100 litres of water will give a quick, but short term response
TREATMENT
—— A pply Nitrogen fertiliser at rates indicated based on leaf analysis —— Foliar application of 0.5kg urea per 100 litres of water will give a quick, but short term response —— Address any root damage if possible
TREATMENT
PLANT HEALTH
ly essingle are the development of a bright yellow/green leaf colour t/ha e areas around the veins remain green) and leaves that are ication on the stem than normal . Do a leaf analysis to confirm the other e due to either insufficient zinc in the soil, or conditions that rates high soil pH or excessive levels of phosphorus or nitrogen . luding ltiple cted by applying zinc sulphate to the soil . A short term response h r spray of 100g of zinc sulphate heptahydrate per 100 litres of
ssionfruit problem solver field guide_Internals.indd 21
MAG
ls.indd 24
en the e
ls.indd 22
13
SYMPTOMS
—— Use leaf test to confirm —— Often caused by heavy lime or dolomite applications which make soil alkaline and inhibit uptake of Mn ——More common in coarse sandy soils
2318_Passionfruit problem solver field guide_Internals.indd 55
Typical lumpy and creased fruit caused by boron deficiency
Typical lumpy and creased fruit caused by boron deficiency
Typical lumpy & creased fruit caused by boron deficiency
SYMPTOMS
24/05/13 1:47 PM
24/05/13 1:47 PM
—— Similar symptoms can result from viral disease, insect damage or poor pollination due to other causes ——Use leaf test to confirm
DIAGNOSIS
——May cause flower drop ——Developing fruit can become lumpy and creased 24/05/13 1:46 PM
Boron is a micronutrient needed for successful pollination & fruitset
pollination due to other Do a by leafapplying analysis toborax confirm diagnosis . Boron deficiency can becauses . corrected orthe Solubor to the ground under——the May be insufficient Zn in soil Boron deficiency can be corrected by applying borax or Solubor to theanalysis ground under the A foliar spray vines . Follow the application rates recommended in your leaf report . —— Possibly indicates conditions which suppress uptake of zinc vines . Follow the application rates recommended in your leaf analysis report . A foliar spray of Solubor (100 grams/100 litres of water) gives a short term correction . Caution: Excessive including high pH or excessive levels of P or N of Solubor (100 grams/100 litres of water) gives a short term correction . Caution: Excessive rates of boron rates of boroncan canbe be toxic . toxic .
—— Foliar application of 100g Solubor per 100 litres of water will give a short-term response —— Correct long term by applications of borax or Solubor to the ground under the vines —— CAUTION: Excessive rates of boron can be toxic
TREATMENT
—— Foliar application of 100g zinc sulphate heptahydrate per 100 litres of water will give a short-term response —— Correct long term by applications of zinc sulphate to the soil as indicated by the leaf analysis and/or soil reports
TREATMENT
—— Foliar application of 100g manganese sulphate plus 100g urea per 100 litres of water will give a short-term response —— Never apply single applications of more than 1 t/ha of lime or dolomite per application on sandy soils, or 2 t/ha on other soil textures. —— Where heavier rates are required, divide into multiple applications at 6 to 12
—— Lightening of the leaf tissue and darkening of all vein areas ——Often seen in recently mature leaves
DIAGNOSIS
TREATMENT
—— Symptoms may persist over winter despite Mg application, but disappear in warm weather
SYMPTOMS
—— Seen in new leaves, bright yellow/green leaf colour between the veins, vein55 area remains green 24/05/13 1:46 PM —— Leaves are smaller and closer together on stem than normal 55 Boron is a micronutrient, Boron deficiency needed for the pollination and fruitset process to be completed successfully . Boron deficiency may result in flower drop or cause developing fruit to become Boron is a micronutrient, needed for the pollination and fruitset process to be completed DIAGNOSIS symptoms can result viraldeveloping diseases, insect damage or poor lumpy and creased . successfully . Boron Similar deficiency may result in flower dropfrom or cause fruit to become Do acan leaf analysis to confirm diagnosis . pollination due to other causes . lumpy and creased . Similar symptoms result from viral diseases, the insect damage or poor —— Use leaf test to confirm
Boron deficiency
2318_Passionfruit problem solver field guide_Internals.indd 55
eins remain green
All veins remain dark green
ions from the leaf and/or soil analysis reports .
MANGANESE (Mn)
BORON (B)
L
Fruit & flowers
w
—— Use leaf test to confirm —— May be insufficient soil levels of Mg —— May be heavy lime, gypsum or potassium fertiliser 24/05/13 1:46 PM applications suppressing uptake of Mg
Fruit & flowers
ZINC (Zn)
THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019
Images and information reproduced with permission under Copyright from Queensland Department of Agriculture
UPDATE NATIONAL PASSIONFRUIT BREEDING PROGRAM (PF15000) BY JANE RICHTER, PETER BUNDOCK (SCU) & TOBIAS KRETZSCHMAR (SCU)
PF15000 National Passionfruit Breeding Program (NPBP) has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the passionfruit research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. PF16003: National Passionfruit Communication Programme: PAI - which funds all of our magazine, e-news, website and field days until 30 June 2021
PF18002: Postharvest Best Practice Review: AHR â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in progress with a best practice guide due to be published later in 2019
To implement the recommendations that have been suggested from the independent review, a key change that has been agreed as part of the review process is an extension of the existing project to June 2020. The program will not be provided any more levy funds during this extension period. It is expected that the breeding team will commence the implementation of the review recommendation during this extension.
MT17019: Regulatory support and coordination (pesticides): AKC Consulting â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an ongoing crosssector project to keep up-to-date with international pesticide regulation
The SCU team will continue to work to maintain the core activities of the breeding program and implement the recommendations with reduced staff time and the support of a Masters student.
PF16000: Passionfruit industry minor use program: Hort Innovation provide support to help us to access new chemicals
All recommendations and the next steps for each activity, where relevant, are discussed here.
As we reported in the last edition of The Passion Vine, an independent technical review of the passionfruit breeding program was undertaken through the investment Technical Review: National Passionfruit Breeding Program (PF18000), commissioned by Hort Innovation on the advice of the passionfruit industry's Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP).
WHAT HAPPENED?
1. National Passionfruit Breeding Program staff to conduct all future crossing of passionfruit and development of program germplasm in-house
The aim of the review was to provide recommendations to Hort Innovation and industry regarding the program's ongoing capacity, technical capability and implemented breeding strategy for the delivery of outcomes identified in the Passionfruit Strategic Investment Plan (SIP).
The reviewer then presented the findings and recommendations to Hort Innovation and members of the passionfruit SIAP. These have been considered holistically in view of grower expectations and the delivery of outcomes identified by the Strategic Investment Plan (SIP).
It is important to note here that the levy funds available for investment in passionfruit R&D projects have been fully committed up to 30 June 2020. The projects which are currently funded by this levy are:
Hort Innovation then commenced discussions with the breeding program's research team at Southern Cross University to implement the recommendations suggested by the independent review to deliver outcomes to growers.
PF15000: Passionfruit Breeding Program: SCU - Currently contracted until 31st July 2019
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The review process commenced in December 2018 and concluded in February 2019. The review was conducted by an independent reviewer. During the review process, more than 30 stakeholders were engaged through open table forums and one-on-one interviews. This included 27 growers and industry members across northern New South Wales, South East Queensland and North Queensland.
Commencing early 2019, all controlled pollinations (crossing and selfing) has been carried out by SCU project staff. Modified procedures for controlled pollination were developed and implemented with more than 340 controlled pollinations carried out to date. Selfing a number of lines has not been possible due to self-incompatibility. 2. Explore use of and implement breeding and rapid generations techniques in greenhouse and poly-tunnel facilities Poly tunnel and greenhouse space at the DPI NSW facility at Wollongbar and SCU campus has been secured for use in the project. A separate proposal has been put to PAI to co-fund a Master of Science (MSc) student to research and document a rapid generation cycling technique for passionfruit breeding. Once established it will serve as a tool to accelerate the
development of new true from seed (true breeding) varieties. Read more about this on PAGE 16. 3. Implement a) an inbred breeding program for P. flavicarpa panama type variety development and rootstock development and b) the inbred and true F1 hybrid breeding program for P. edulis scion types originally proposed as part of PF15000 This recommendation can make use of findings from the Master’s project described in 2 above. SCU have carried out initial inbreeding of Panama and rootstock crosses this season, including overseas sourced material, however no further breeding of Panama and rootstock lines will be possible during the one-year extension period. Inbreeding of scion varieties has been continued and expanded in the current season, however constraints to this process have been discovered in some lines. Continuation of this process would depend on a successful Master’s project being carried out. 4. Develop, document and implement a regimented field trialling program with clear stage-to-stage advancement criteria and advanced trial locations in all three growing zones The stage-to-stage advancement process of field trialling has been optimized and documented for use in future stages of the program. In 2019/20, staff visits to trial sites will only be possible for northern NSW and SE Queensland, due to travel time and cost restrictions. For future stages of the breeding program, it is proposed that three representative breeding zone locations will be used for stage 3 trialling (one in northern NSW, one in SE QLD and one northern QLD). 5. Secure long-term agreements for field trial program test locations directly with growers where possible For consistency and long-term utility of data, continued use of the same trialling sites over extended periods of time is highly beneficial. It is important to note here that Hort Innovation is not aware of any other industry where growers are “paid” to host trial plants for breeding trials at their farm site. With the limited funds that we have within our industry levy, a successful breeding program is going to continue to rely on the very active participation at the trialling stage by growers across Australia.
One key change in future will be the use of more structured data capture for trialling feedback than has been used to date. 6. Collect and analyse phenotypic and quality data for all field trials sown Resource limitations mean that this is currently not feasible. During the project extension, methodology for a more thorough assessment will be tested for a set of 200 vines to be grown at the program arboretum site at Alstonville, northern NSW. Continuation of assessment of current Stage 3 trials will be limited during the extension period. Limited further assessment of the ongoing rootstock trials may also be possible during this time. The current scoring sheet for Stage 1 trials is believed to be appropriate, however revised scoring sheets for Stage 2 and 3 trials have been constructed to facilitate an improved system of scoring. 7. Begin genetic and limited phenotypic characterisation of seed bank material While desirable, this aspect was not included in the original project scope and will not be possible within the next year, due to resource restrictions. This could be revisited within the scope of a new project. 8. Restructure and supplement existing staffing costs The project staffing will be re-structured for the final year to weight more towards technical staff and add the Masters student as a supplement. The technical staff will be responsible for maintaining the arboretum at Alstonville and planting out the new Stage 1 trial vines in September 2019 along with a small number of elite lines to round out the collection.
be carried into, tested and refined in the Stage 1 trials for 2019. 10. Improve engagement with and communication with the industry stakeholders including the NPBP Steering Committee Good communication between the project service provider – SCU – and the industry is fundamental to the success of this program. There is a Steering Committee for this project, but it needs more grower members. The Steering Committee will only meet twice per year and one of those meetings will be a teleconference style – so not a huge drain on your time, but the time invested for the future of the industry is critical. The composition of the last steering committee included the following growers: Jim Gordon & Keith Paxton – Sunshine Coast, Qld; Ian Constable – Tweed Valley, NSW; Ross Brindley – Bundaberg, Qld. We need more input from Far North Queensland and northern NSW – please contact Amanda Roy to find out more. 11. Urgently seek definitive independent legal advice regarding the ‘Freedom to operate’ for the purposes of breeding only with passionfruit germplasm that is not patented, germplasm that is not covered by Plant Breeders Rights and germplasm that only have nonpropagation agreements The NPBP has been hampered from the beginning with confusion over what existing plant material can be legitimately included as an input material into the NPBP.
9. Report nomenclature changes to focus the NPBP trialling program on selecting phenotype
The simple answer is that ALL material that exists in Australia – even plants covered by Plant Breeders Rights – can be used as an input into a breeding program, providing certain conditions are met, like any subsequently bred plants are not what is known as ‘essentially derived varieties’ e.g. varieties that share all the essential characteristics of a registered plant variety.
In simple terms, this recommendation proposes a change to the naming system that is used to keep track of the crossing activities and the resulting trial plants.
The program will seek legal advice where required to protect levy investment on the development of new varieties, and to deliver new varieties for all growers.
At this point, all new DNA marker development work will go on hold, and instead all resources will be allocated breeding and evaluation activities.
Plants will no longer be referred to as “Lacey x Sweetheart” for example, to remove any bias from the evaluation process. This has been partially implemented in the rootstock and Panama program to remove bias of triallists and assessors. This system will
THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019
15
MASTERS PROJECT PROPOSAL MODERN BREEDING TOOLS FOR RAPID VARIETY DEVELOPMENT
Where possible, modern plant breeding utilises inbreeding (or selfing) to generate ‘fixed lines’ which are true-breeding (genetically uniform) from seed. These true-breeding lines can then either serve directly as varieties (so-called “inbreds”), or as parents to generate uniform heterozygous F1 offspring (so called “hybrids”). The latter system has been used with great success in a number of commercial crops, for example in maize and tomatoes. Both true-breeding inbred lines and their hybrid offspring, have the advantage of a genetic uniformity that can be generated at scale and maintained over generations (in perpetuity). This is of particular importance for non-perennial crops of annual or bi-annual life cycle.
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www.passionfruitaustralia.org.au
Fixing a population from an initial cross typically takes 5-6 generations and generally constitutes a significant investment of time and resources in breeding programs. Genetic gains in any breeding system are a function of time (and cost) and consequently rapid generation advancement (RGA) is an effective means to improve the efficiencies of breeding programs. In Australian Passionfruit, rootstock and Panama types have undergone some inbreeding (whether by design or accident is unknown), before they are selected for use. Currently materials for inbreeding are grown under field conditions and produce only one generation per year. It thus takes quite a few years to generate new inbreds that can be tested against current truebreeding lines (e.g. Pandora). For the generation of Purple/edulis -types, however, inbreeding is currently completely by-passed. Heterozygous elite parents are typically crossed, and the resulting heterozygous and segregating offspring are screened directly to identify lines of improved performance. Since these lines can neither be re-generated from parental crosses (as in true hybrids), nor selfing (as in true inbreds), they have to be maintained by vegetative propagation. Cuttings (‘tips’) are taken from mother vines and grafted onto suitable rootstocks, which over time has reportedly led to problems of varietal decline (e.g. small fruit size, scion tips unsuitable for grafting and blind tipping).
There is scope to adapt Purple/edulis -type breeding to either a true-breeding hybrid system where fixed parental lines are used to generate uniform heterozygous materials, or to select inbred lines in their own right as new ‘perpetual’ varieties, grown from seed like Pandora. Consequently, both the Panama system and the Purple/edulis breeding system would benefit from a rapid generation advancement (RGA) protocol, which allows a cost and time efficient cycling of self-pollinations to generate true-breeding materials. This time saving would be achieved by trying to create two or three generations in a single year instead of just one. Some additional benefits of such a system could potentially be the: —— Regeneration of “look-alikes” of old cultivars e.g. Sweetheart with similar genetic makeup but rejuvenated. The beauty of this system would be the generation in perpetuity of any successful cross —— Establishment of a true-hybrid system with fixed parental lines. A lot of test crosses can then be generated and assessed quickly as only a few of the virtually uniform progeny need be included in assessment and then only once because all progeny will be genetically identical —— Rapid production of new fixed rootstock and Panama lines —— Facilitation of genetic resource management
PROJECT AIM: The aim of this MSc project is the improvement of the National Passionfruit Breeding Program through establishment of cost and time efficient procedures for the establishment of true-breeding materials and the conservation and possible rejuvenation of non-true breeding materials. PROJECT OBJECTIVES: 1. Existing Literature Review Thorough review of the existing literature concerning rapid cycling /breeding and tissue culture. Focus on: —— Growing of vines under space constraints in semi-controlled environments —— Manipulation of flowering time and fruit production using agronomic and chemical intervention —— Selfing and inbreeding depression in semi self-incompatible systems —— Tissue culture for embryo rescue 2. Development of a polytunnel and/or glasshouse-based rapid generation advancement system for passionfruit breeding In order to move from an annual generation advancement cycle under field conditions to a cycle that allows for multiple cycles per year under semi-controlled conditions the Master’s candidate will design and carry out a range of growth and self-pollination trials. Specifically, the candidate will use a number of populations at different levels of genetic fixation to:
—— Test different growth media and irrigation/fertigation systems to avoid root pathogens and minimise space requirements —— Test different trellis systems to allow growth in confined spaces —— Test different pruning systems to reduce plant size and induce early flowering —— Test different chemical interventions to induce early flowering —— Test different photo-period regimes to see if flowering can be stimulated early —— Test different self-pollination and crossing systems (while tracing selfincompatibility), and establish pollen preservation methods —— Test viability of seed from unripe fruit and establish tissue culture conditions to germinate seeds which are not fully developed (embryo rescue) —— Test different marker systems to efficiently monitor rates of remnant heterozygosity and establish genetic fingerprints
PROJECT OUTPUT & OUTCOME: A set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) that enable the generation of true breeding materials for trialling at significantly reduced time and cost. This system will generate opportunity for early selection for traits that can be screened either phenotypically in controlled environments (e.g. disease screens using inoculum) or genotypically using molecular markers. This would allow for a drastic reduction of lines to be tested in the field, cutting down on trialling costs at later stages.
HOW CAN WE FUND THIS? This project cannot be funded by existing levy money as there are no levy funds available until after 1 July 2020. SCU have proposed a joint funding arrangement between Passionfruit Australia Inc and SCU. We firmly believe that this project represents an important set of benefits for the future of the passionfruit industry and PAI are seeking contributions to assist with the funding of our share of the student stipend which is $21,000 for an 18-month project period.
If you’d like to know more about this exciting project proposal, please contact: Jane Richter E: jane@chorizotradinsg.com M: 07 5438 7662
LABOUR NEWS: A HARVEST TRAIL BUILT ON FAIRNESS The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) Inquiry into workplaces along Australia’s Harvest Trail found widespread non-compliance, with inspectors recovering more than $1 million in unpaid wages for over 2,500 workers. During the inquiry, the FWO took court action against eight employers for serious alleged breaches of the Fair Work Act, with four actions involving labour hire contractors. Six matters have now been finalised resulting in over $500,000 in penalties, and two remain before court. Fair Work Inspectors also issued 150 formal cautions to employers, 132 infringement notices and 13 compliance notices for breaches of workplace laws during the inquiry and entered into seven Enforceable Undertakings. As part of the inquiry, inspectors investigated 638 businesses connected with the harvesting of various crops including citrus, grapes, strawberries, cherries, mushrooms, apples and tomatoes. There were 444 growers and 194 labour hire contractors investigated.
Since the report was published in November 2018, the FWO has established a stakeholder reference group to consider crucial next steps to implement the recommendations outlined in the inquiry report and help build a culture of compliance. The first meeting of the reference group took place in Melbourne on the 5th March. The purpose was to ensure a shared understanding of the issues within the group and set out a plan for taking the recommendations from the enquiry and implementing them across the horticulture sector. If you have any queries at all about how to correctly pay your workers, there is plenty of assistance available. Ignorance is not an excuse for non-compliance.
Useful resources: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/find-help-for/ horticulture#employers THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019 https://calculate.fairwork.gov.au/findyouraward
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PF18002: PASSIONFRUIT POST HARVEST BEST PRACTICE REVIEW BY JENNY EKMAN, AHR
PASSIONFRUIT AND ETHYLENE
METHODS OF REDUCING ETHYLENE
Project PF18002 is currently reviewing postharvest best practice for passionfruit.
POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE
There are a number of commercial products available which claim to improve fruit storage life by removing ethylene gas. These include ethylene absorbing sachets, ethylene scavenging plastic films and ethylene scrubbing devices. However, before buying the latest antiethylene technology, it’s probably useful to understand the relationship between passionfruit and ethylene.
PASSIONFRUIT RIPENING Like mangos, papaya, and bananas, passionfruit are a climacteric fruit. That is, they go through a distinct ripening process, during which colour develops, acids decrease, and the fruit becomes sweet and ready to eat (Figure 1 SEE PAGE 19).This is accompanied by significant increase in respiration rate and a burst of ethylene production. As passionfruit are ripening on the vine they produce high, but not extreme, amounts of ethylene (30–50 μl/kg/h). However, once they detach ethylene production shifts into top gear, increasing many times over. It can reach as high as 1,000 μl/kg/hour (Figure 2 SEE PAGE 19). This massive burst of activity makes passionfruit one of the highest ethylene emitters of any fruit. Ethylene stimulates detachment from the vine. It is possible that detached fruit lying on the ground are stimulating nearby fruit to also detach. Several researchers have noted that some passionfruit detach prematurely, possibly through this mechanism. Ethylene can shorten the shelf life of many fruit, vegetables and cut flowers. For example, as little as 0.1 parts per million (ppm) ethylene can reduce storage life of strawberries, cause flowers to shed their petals, turn carrots bitter, and trigger ripening of kiwifruit. To put this in perspective, a single 5kg carton of warm passionfruit placed in a 500m3 cool room would generate 0.1ppm within 10 hours, or less if the room was full of other products. There is clearly a LOT of ethylene to soak up if you are dealing with passionfruit! 18
www.passionfruitaustralia.org.au
To date, the most common method of eliminating ethylene has been to react it with potassium permanganate (KMnO4). The KMnO4 is usually coated onto porous beads of vermiculite, clay, silica or – more recently – zeolite particles. These increase the effective surface area, improving the reaction between molecules of ethylene and the KMnO4, as well as potentially absorbing some ethylene on the carrier itself. The reaction oxidises the bright purple KMnO4 into brown manganese oxide (MnO2). You can see that some of the beads shown in Figure 3 are already turning brown.
Figure 3. Potassium permanganate coated beads
Potassium permanganate is used in many different commercial ethylene scavengers, ranging from small sachets that can be put into a carton, to large filters installed over the cold room vents and even printed labels and pads for packaging. All of these products can be limited by lack of air circulation. For example, getting all the air inside a room to pass over or through a filter requires a very high rate of air movement. Moreover, if high rates of ethylene are being produced, then filters can really struggle to keep up. They also need to be checked regularly to make sure plenty of the KMnO4 is still purple ie. not yet oxidised to brown. Inside a small carton, there may be even less air circulation. One trial found that even adding 50g KMnO4 (+ zeolite) per kilo of ripening tomatoes barely halved the ethylene concentration around the fruit. For comparison, the tomatoes were producing around 20μl/kg/hour ethylene – only 2% as much as passionfruit!
PALLADIUM More recent work has focussed on a palladium-based material. This has much greater affinity for ethylene than KMnO4. One gram of palladium (+ zeolite) can scavenge an incredible 45,000μl (45ml) ethylene under dry conditions. Although absorbance is reduced to 4,000μl at 100% RH, the material has been demonstrated to completely remove ethylene from some storage environments. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find any commercial products using this technology, possibly due to cost.
OZONE Another way of eliminating ethylene involves the use of ozone. Ozone (O3) is extremely reactive. It reacts with any organic molecule, including fungal spores, bacteria, ethylene, cardboard cartons, rubber door seals, parts of your refrigeration equipment, the passionfruit and your eyes, skin and lungs. For this reason, ethylene removal systems usually enclose the ozone inside a treatment unit. The cool room air is drawn through the unit, eliminating the ethylene. Again, treating the total volume of cool room air as fast as the fruit are producing ethylene can be an issue. New systems are now available which release low levels of ozone directly into the cold room air. These are fitted ozone detectors which adjust release, keeping room levels below those that can damage equipment or, importantly, human health. The system can be run at slightly higher levels overnight while the room is closed. Ozone generation is reduced in the morning before workers arrive. Lockout alarms are installed to ensure such systems are safe to use. Naturally ozone-based systems are expensive – but could be well worth the investment for storage of very ethylene sensitive produce, such as kiwifruit or cut flowers.
ALL
WHAT ABOUT PASSIONFRUIT? Ethylene scavenging / removing systems can slow down ripening of tropical fruit such as papaya, mangoes and bananas. Around one 20g sachet is likely to be needed per 300g to 500g fruit However, passionfruit are already ripe when they are packed. Moreover, they are producing huge quantities of ethylene, so reducing concentrations around the fruit to levels where they don’t affect storage life is always going to be challenging. This is further complicated by the passionfruit structure; their relatively thick skin means that ethylene levels are likely to be higher inside the fruit than the surrounding air.
Figure 1. C hanges in % Brix, Titratable acidity (TA, measured as citric acid) and purple colour development of passionfruit during maturation on the vine. Data derived from Shiomi et al, 1996.
I have not found any research providing evidence that reducing ethylene in the storage environment improves passionfruit storage life. This doesn’t mean it can’t, but it seems unlikely. In summary, when it comes to ethylene, try before you buy!
Jenny Ekman E: jenny.ekman@ahr.com.au M: 0407 384 285 Figure 2. E thylene production of fruit while attached to the vine, then during storage at 25oC following harvest at either 70, 80 or 90 days after pollination (DAP). Data derived from Shiomi et al, 1996.
PF18002 has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the passionfruit research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.
BEST SUPER FUND MANAGER
BEST FEATURED PENSION FUND
THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019
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GROWER PROFILE:
MEET LARNER & JUDITH SUGDEN-SMITH Larner and Judith are a husband and wife farming team who grow passionfruit in Dimbulah, which is the gateway to the Hodgkinson Goldfield, first settled in 1876. Their vines are joined by a small herd of British White cattle and some retired thoroughbred horses. Interestingly, British Whites are one of the oldest breeds of cattle native to the UK. Larner comes from a long line of farmers; his family were cane farmers at South Johnstone for many generations and Judith grew up on a cattle property. You could say that farming runs in their blood. They have two older children who have now flown the nest, being far more interested in horses than cropping, although they did help out for the first couple of years. The farm is boutique at just 100 vines, but the infrastructure was all there when the couple bought the farm so they thought why not give it a go! They grow Panama Red and a few Panama Gold on an interesting form of T-trellis. Like so many farmers, they get huge satisfaction from growing something that will end up on an Aussie breakfast table or someone's celebration cheesecake somewhere. They focus on trying to use
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minimal chemical intervention although they are not certified organic. And like so many of us, Judith is horrified at the waste that unrealistic attention to skin blemish creates in our current market grading system. "There is nothing wrong with the fruit. Frivolous marks and spots create so much waste when really consumers need to understand that marked fruit is just as good on the inside," says Judith. Sales from 100 vines are not huge, but they keep their operation lean and do most of the work themselves. "Grading the fruit is quite a therapeutic job," admits Judith. The Sugdens do have some good tips for other potential growers; buy the Passionfruit Growing Guide before you get started, don't let more than one stem grow up the trellis in one spot and they wished they'd planted their first two rows closer.
It's always a good idea to try to talk to some existing growers in your area before you get started too. What was life before passionfruit farming? Larner is also a qualified chopper pilot and he has done cattle mustering by chopper in the past and sometimes misses the adrenaline. Judith loves her horses and even offers horse therapy and pony rides at their property too.
The REGIONAL FIELD DAY on Wednesday 19th June is visiting Larner & Judith's farm so register to attend at: https://passionfruitaustralia.org.au/ news/events/#!event/2019/6/19/farnorth-queensland-regional-field-day
DO YOU HAVE LESS THAN 20 EMPLOYEES?
ARE YOU READY FOR SINGLE TOUCH PAYROLL? BY WWW.FARMTABLE.COM.AU
As of 1 July 2019, if you do not currently use payroll software, you will have to begin reporting payroll via an online platform. This is a result of the Single Touch Payroll system, which is a new way of real-time reporting tax and super information to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). Single Touch Payroll came into effect for employers with more than 20 employees on 1 July 2018. I have less than 20 employees, but I don’t know if my payroll software includes STP? Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting is currently available through payroll, accounting and business management software. Most software providers are offering STP-enabled products. If you aren’t sure if yours complies, then check with your provider immediately. HLB Mann Judd Advisory & Accounting recommend: 'If an employer is already utilising some form of payroll software it is important that they confirm firstly that the provider is STP compliant. If they are, we recommend that employers perform a risk review of all the information and settings (including tax free thresholds, HELP, salary sacrifice, superannuation) to ensure that the data sent via automatic transfer to the ATO is accurate. This will help employers to prepare their systems for far more frequent reporting of payroll information to the ATO. Employers should consider reviewing their payroll processes now to be ready for an easy transition to the STP requirements.’
I have between 5 and 19 employees, but I do not use payroll software. What are my options? There will be a gradual movement from 1 July 2019 for employers with between 5-19 employees. This is dependent on which route you take out of the following options: —— Start reporting any time from now until 30 September 2019. If you use payroll software which offers STP, you can update your product and start reporting any time from now. Talk to your software provider, or visit their website, to find out what you need to do. —— Apply for more time to get ready. If you won’t be ready to start reporting by 30 September 2019, use the ATO’s online form to apply for a deferred start date. The form will be available from April 2019.
—— Ask us for an exemption if you meet the criteria. If you live in an area with intermittent or no internet connection, you can use the ATO online tool to apply for an exemption. This will be available from April 2019.
—— your STP-enabled payroll software will send the ATO a report which includes the information they need from you, such as salaries and wages, pay as you go (PAYG) withholding and super information
https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/SingleTouch-Payroll/Get-ready-for-Single-TouchPayroll/
You will be reporting super liability information through STP for the first time. Super funds will also be reporting to the ATO. They’ll let the ATO know when you make the payment to your employees’ chosen or default fund. This is an important step toward making sure employees are paid their correct entitlements. ATO systems will match the STP information to their employer and employee records.
I have 4 or less employees and I do not use payroll software. What are my options? As a ‘micro-employer’, you will have additional options. The ATO have asked service providers to develop cheap solutions to enable STP reporting for those that do not use payroll software. A number of No-cost and lowcost Single Touch Payroll solutions (less than $10 per month) will be available in the 2018-19 financial year for micro employers (four or less employees). The ATO states that the solutions take only minutes to complete each pay period and do not require the employer to maintain the software. There are currently six options available and a further 16 launching or in development. There are a range of mobile apps, web and cloud-based solutions. You will also have the option for your registered tax or BAS agent to report your STP information quarterly, rather than each time you run payroll. This option will be available until 30 June 2021.
How does STP work? STP works by sending tax and super information from your payroll or accounting software to the ATO as you run your payroll. When you start reporting: —— you will run your payroll, pay your employees as normal, and give them a payslip —— your pay cycle does not need to change (you can continue to pay your employees weekly, fortnightly or monthly)
At the end of the financial year, you’ll need to finalise your STP data. This is a declaration to the Commissioner to state you have completed your reporting for the financial year. You will no longer have to give your employees a payment summary for the information you’ve reported and finalised through STP. Once you finalise your data, your employees or their registered agent will be able to lodge their income tax return using the STP information available in ATO online. If you still have any queries about STP, please contact your payroll software supplier, your financial accountant or the ATO.
About Farm Table The Farm Table is a valuable industry-wide platform that connects producers to agricultural resources, research, events, courses, agtech, and, to each other via the Farmer Exchange. It is free for producers to access and to sign up at: http://farmtable.com.au/join-us
THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019
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What is
drumMUSTER?
drumMUSTER provides Australian agricultural and veterinary chemical users with a recycling pathway for eligible empty agvet chemical containers. drumMUSTER is a national product stewardship program that is supported by agvet chemical manufacturers, industry stakeholders which includes member and farming associations, state and local governments. Working hand-in-hand with local councils and other collection agencies, drumMUSTER has established collection facilities all over Australia and since its inception in 1998 the program has recycled over 33 million containers. WHO IS BEHIND drumMUSTER? drumMUSTER and ChemClear are voluntary programs of AgStewardship Australia Limited. Its members are CropLife Australia, Animal Medicines Australia Limited, Veterinary Manufacturers and Distributors Association and the National Farmers Federation.
HOW DOES IT WORK? drumMUSTER is funded by levies collected by AgStewardship, which was established to develop stewardship programs for Australia’s agriculture sector, along with ChemClear. The levy is currently set at 4c per litre/kilogram on participating containers. This will increase to 6 cents per litre/kilogram on 1 July 2019 after the ACCC approved the reauthorisation. This marks the first increase in the levy since its inception in 1998.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE drumMUSTER PROGRAM? Agvet containers above 1 litre and less than 205 litres are currently accepted into the program. There are over 120 manufacturers involved in the program. You can see the list of these participating manufacturers at http://www.drummuster.org.au/whos-involved/manufacturers/
HOW DO I PARTICIPATE? When you purchase products displaying the drumMUSTER logo, you’re making a commitment to sound land management practices. The logo indicates the user can deliver the empty, clean containers to one of 814 national collection sites free of charge, as they have already paid a 4c levy per L/kg towards recycling of the container.
CLEAN IT HOW DO I FIND A COLLECTION SITE?
There must be no chemical residue on the inside or the outside of the container, including the thread and cap. If there is any chemical residue visible when delivering your containers these drums will be rejected. After rinsing your chemical container, it should be left to dry with the cap off which will aid in the drying process. The cap should not be replaced on the container, it may be brought separately to the collection if clean.
Processors place drumMUSTER containers through shredders, then the granules are washed and heated up to 250 degrees.
Your container should have the labels on to provide inspectors with identification of the container being handled.
Once the plastic mass reaches molten stage, it is cooled, then heat extruded to make small granules, which are packed in bales ready for transport to a remanufacturing plant.
A signed statement by the farmer or chemical user at the point of the collection provides drumMUSTER with evidence that the container has been rinsed. DECLARATION NO:
SITE CODE
Once your chemical container has been accepted, you will be issued with a receipt which then forms part of your farm quality system documentation and should be retained as proof of disposal.
DAY
CONTAINER CLEAN DECLARATION FORMLINESS
MONTH
YEAR
SEQUENCE
The drumMUSTER program recycles clean and empty agvet This declaration form chemical containers from eligible manufacturers. or processing facility. must be completed by persons delivering eligible drumMUSTER containers to a collection
DELIVERER TO COMPLETE
I hereby certify that each of the containers free of any chemical I have delivered to residue. this drumMUSTER collection have been I agree that if any cleaned of the containers I deliver are rejected liable for and accept by an authorised the return of these drumMUSTER inspector containers. I will be
NAME:
BUSINESS:
ADDRESS: STATE:
POSTCODE:
EMAIL:
PHONE:
FAX: SIGNATURE: DATE:
INSPECTOR TO COMPLETE STEEL
LESS THAN 20L
20 / 25L
200-205L
LESS THAN 20L
PLASTIC
20 / 25L
100-120L
200-205L
TOTAL
REJECTED
DECLARATION NO:
CONTAINER RECEIPT RECEIVED FROM AT COLLECTION
SITE CODE
DAY
(DELIVERERS NAME/BUSINESS) :
MONTH
YEAR
SEQUENCE
SITE:
TOTAL NO. OF AGVET ACCEPTED
CONTAINERS: REJECTED
INSPECTORS SIGNATURE:
This receipt can be used DATE: and Best Management to demonstrate compliance with Quality Assurance, program requirements. Environmental Management No refund is applicable Systems for delivering containers to the program. For more information:
Phone 1800 008 707 Fax 02 6273 1977
Email drummuster@drum Web www.drummuster.o muster.org.au rg.au
Thank
Privacy Act Statement: you for using the The drumMUSTER program. legislation. The information drumMUSTER program adheres to the National Principles as specified in the Privacy like to make contact with collected by the drumMUSTER collection Legislation. It has put agencies is stored for Agsafe to amend or access in place policies and procedures use by Agsafe for program this information they can monitoring to ensure adherence do so by contacting the to the Agsafe office on 02 6273 purposes and to further develop the program. 1977. If chemical users would
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For details on collections in your area, please use the search facility online at http://www.drummuster.org.au/find-a-collection-site/
WHAT HAPPENS TO drumMUSTER CONTAINERS?
DECLARE IT
DOCUMENT IT
There are over 800 drumMUSTER collection sites available across Australia where you can bring in your empty, clean eligible agvet chemical containers to be collected, processed and recycled.
Recycled plastic remanufacturers create useful products such as wheelie bins, irrigation pipes, public furniture, road markers, construction materials and garden equipment.
Grab a cuppa, put your feet up & enjoy!
SPORTING TRIVIA-TIME 1. Who wrote the poem “My Country” which includes the lines “I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains”? 2. Who designed the Sydney Opera House? 3. What is the title of the longest Australian novel written? Infinite Jest, Remembrance Rock or Poor Fellow My Country 4. Who is the only Australian to win a Nobel Prize for literature? Patrick White, Henry Lawson or Stella Miles Franklin 5. Who was the author of popular children’s books, Blinky Bill?
Joke Time
Why do kangaroos hate rainy days? When is a bear not a bear?
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE There are
10 differences between these two pictures!
mecolourin!
WORD SEARCH ACTIVE BEST MANAGEMENT CHEMICAL COMPOST DISEASE EXPOSURE
HORMONES INGREDIENT INSECT INTEGRATED PROTECTION RESOURCE
SURFACTANT VAPOUR VIRUS WILDLIFE
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CUT OUT AND KEEP ME
*** ALL ANSWERS OVERLEAF ***
WILDLIFE
THE PASSION VINE | WINTER 2019
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ROAST CHICKEN with Spicy Peruvian Passionfruit Sauce SERVES 4
PREP TIME: 30 MINS PLUS OVERNIGHT IF BRINING COOKING TIME: 1 HR 10 MINS
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
For the brine:
For the brine: 1. P lace salt and water in a pot on high heat and stir until the salt is dissolved. 2. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. Using a sharp serrated knife or kitchen scissors, cut the chicken through the back bone and press it down flat in a deep baking dish, skin side down. 3. Pour over the cold brine until the chicken is mostly covered, cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight. 4. Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.
• 1.5 L water • 90g (5 tbsp) un-iodised table salt • 1 large (1.8kg) free range chicken
For the marinade: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 tsp sweet paprika 1 tsp ground pepper 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tsp dry oregano 2 tsp sugar For the sauce: 4 large passionfruit 1 large yellow capsicum 1 or 2 long hot red chillis 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ¼ bunch coriander (roots and bottom half of stems) 1 extra passionfruit, to serve Salt and pepper to taste
For the marinade: 1. mix olive oil, white wine vinegar, garlic, paprika, pepper and cumin until combined. 2. Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse under cold water and pat dry. Discard brine. 3. Gently pair the skin away from the breasts and place 1/3 of the marinade under the skin. 4. Place chicken skin side up in a baking dish and coat the skin with remaining marinade. 5. Cover loosely with foil and roast in a low oven (170°C) for 30 minutes, then remove foil and turn up the heat to 230°C and roast for a further 15 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crunchy.
To start the sauce, we first make passionfruit juice: 1. Halve the 4 passion fruit and scoop out the pulp into measuring jug, then add just enough water to make 150ml. 2. Pour into a blender and using a quick pulse, mix for a few seconds, being careful not to over blend as the seeds will be hard to extract. 3. Pass through a fine plastic sieve (metal can sometimes react with the acidity of the passionfruit) using the back of a spoon to push the juice through. Discard seeds and reserve juice.
To complete the sauce: 1. Place capsicums and chillies on a lined baking tray and into the 230°C oven to blacken.
Alternatively you can blacken the skins over a gas flame. 2. Remove and place in a bowl and wrap tightly with cling film to steam. Once steamed peel off the skin and discard along with the seeds. 3. Place the capsicum and chilli flesh in a blender, along with passionfruit juice and olive oil. 4. Puree until smooth and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the blender and stir in very finely chopped coriander roots and stems, and season. 5. Place the sauce in a serving bowl and top with the flesh and seeds of the 1 extra passionfruit.
To serve: • ¼ bunch coriander (remaining leaves from above
WILDLIFE
SURFACTANT VAPOUR VIRUS
INTEGRATED PROTECTION RESOURCE HORMONES INGREDIENT INSECT
CUT OUT AND KEEP ME
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE
DISEASE EXPOSURE
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CHEMICAL
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WORD SEARCH
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P B O S N Y A A E Q C O G N E
G N R E T M T R X T S U H M T
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T F C F V R X E W
Why do kangaroos hate rainy days? Because their children play inside. When is a bear not a bear? If he doesn't have the right koalifications.
Joke Time
5. Dorothy Wall 4. Patrick White, Henry Lawson or Peter Carey 3. Poor Fellow My Country by Xavier Herbert (850,000 words), 2. Joern Utzon 1. Dorothea Mackellar
SPORTING TRIVIA-TIME
ANSWERS
BESTMANAGEMENT
ACTIVE
www.passionfruitaustralia.org.au
COMPOST
24
UPCOMING EVENTS 2019
GET INVOLVED Passionfruit Australia Inc. (PAI) is the peak industry body representing passionfruit growers in Australia HOW TO JOIN PASSIONFRUIT AUSTRALIA BECOMING A MEMBER GIVES YOU:
— Access to projects funded by PAI or through competitive grants which provide funds outside of the existing levy system — Grower alerts about immediate threats to your business from weather or pest events provided by our Management Committee
— Representation by an industry body who has your interests as its only priority — Access to useful tools and special deals developed exclusively for members
MEMBERSHIP RATES | 2019/20 New Grower Member: Renewal Grower Member: New Associate Member: Renewal Associate Member:
$253 $198 $297 $242
JOIN NOW ONLINE AT www.passionfruitaustralia.org.au Membership runs from July 1st to June 30th each year, rates are pro-rated. Membership lapses if renewal not paid within three months of the start of the fiscal year.
JUNE Australian Biosecurity Symposium 12-13 Gold Coast Research Roadshow Cairns, Qld
18
Regional Field Day Dimbulah, Qld
19
HARPS Training Melbourne
18
HARPS Training Sydney
19
HARPS Training Brisbane
20
Hort Connections Melbourne
24-26
JULY Regional Field Day Alstonville, NSW
24
AUGUST Plant Biosecurity Research Symposium Brisbane
15-16
Associate Members receive a 20% discount on advertising packages which include more than one advertising insertion.
SEPTEMBER
HOW TO JOIN HORT INNOVATION
Asia Fruit Logistica Hong Kong
4-6
Regional Field Day Bundaberg
18
IT IS FREE TO JOIN AND BECOMING A MEMBER GIVES YOU:
— Free access to Hort Innovation Final Reports — A monthly e-newsletter, Growing Innovation — Hort link and grower intel alerts — Direct invitations to participate in industry events, as well as Hort Innovation consultations and forums
— The opportunity to exercise voting rights at Hort Innovation’s Annual General Meeting Please remember paying a levy does not automatically make you a member of Hort Innovation. If you haven’t become a member, then now is your opportunity. To join, visit www.horticulture.com.au/membership-application-form
Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. C.S. LEWIS
OCTOBER Passionfruit Industry Dinner & Passionfruit Australia INC AGM Sunshine Coast
18-19
NOVEMBER TropAg 2019: International Tropical Agricultural Conference Brisbane
11-13
BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
FUNDED BY:
www.passionfruitaustralia.org.au