The Passion Vine
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Post Office Box 321 Pomona QLD 4568
Executive Report
As most of you will be aware, Cabrio has been approved by APVMA for a one day WHP. This follows on from work that was undertaken by Crop Protection in alliance with BASF to provide residue data to bring the WHP from 21 days to 1. The permit’s revised conditions appear later in Passion Vine and the full permit is on the PAI web site. As advertised and commented upon in the March Passion Vine, PAI now has a quantity of Passionfruit Growing Guides available for sale. The best news is that the Problem Solver Field Guide is at the printers and should be available by the end of June. All those who have been waiting for a copy, please contact me so I can organise for you to receive your copy promptly. The Executive Committee met at Redland Bay May 15 and the main
June 2013 Newsletter of Passionfruit Australia Incorporated
By Jann Bonsall The sun is shining and all is well in the world, for now. From all reports there’s plenty of fruit heading to market which is timely as there has been a concerted PR campaign carried out over the first three weeks of June in Brisbane and Sydney including taste testing at retail outlets.
Page 1
topics of discussion were centred around R&D projects. There will be a report from DAFF Q on the Overcoming Passionfruit Viruses later in Passion Vine and the outcomes of other parts of the discussions will be presented to the IAC in a teleconference later in June and from there will be part of the reporting at the Annual Levy Payers’ Meeting in August. Speaking of which, the Annual General Meeting and Annual Levy Payers’ Meeting is being held in Far North Queensland at Steve Gray’s property, Wonga Beach. I have reserved twenty rooms at QT Resort in Port Douglas for those of you travelling from the south and there will be a bus to pick everyone up from there to head to Steve’s on the Saturday morning, returning later in the afternoon. There is more information later in the magazine. There is also an overview of the progress of the Fruit Spotting Bug Project in which the passionfruit industry is an active partner. Tina McPherson in her role as Chair of the PAI Marketing Sub Committee, attended the HAL
Tropical Fruit Blogger’s Workshop in Sydney on May 23rd which involved passionfruit and papaya and their respective brand ambassadors. Tina has provided us with an outstanding report about the happenings on the day. As a follow up there has been a lot of coverage in the media and there is an overview of that coverage later in the magazine. There have been new season recipes worked up by Sammy & Bella (the passionfruit industry ambassadors) and one of those appears later also. Tina then fronted up the following week in Sydney to represent the passionfruit industry at the HAL Forum and again, an excellent report later. And down to the serious business of Passionfruit Australia. It is membership renewal time so included in this mailing is your membership renewal invoice, tax invoices for plant orders and a plant order form. Please make sure you put them in a place that isn’t too safe (never to be seen again), remembering that if you have placed an order with one of the nurseries and you haven’t paid your royalties, delivery is withheld.
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 2
Association Address PO Box 321 Pomona QLD 4568. Mobile 0418 883 753 Email admin@passionfruitaustralia.org.au
Executive Committee President Keith Paxton 38 Atkinsons Road, Woombye, QLD 4559 Phone (07) 5445 9387 Fax (07) 5445 9323 Email kipaxton@bigpond.com
Executive Officer (Secretary/Treasurer) Jann Bonsall PO Box 321 Pomona QLD 4568 Phone 07 5485 4402 Email admin@passionfruitaustralia.org.au
Vice President Ian Constable “Nunderry” 260 Boyds Lane Dulguigan via Murwillumbah NSW 2484 Phone / Fax (02) 6672 6826 Mobile 0428 181 246 Email ianconstable11@bigpond.com
PAI FEES New Grower or Processor Membership fee : $187 incl GST, joining fee and lobby fees Grower or Processor Membership renewal : $143 incl GST and lobby fees. Other classes (Nurseryman, seller, agent or associate) : $231 incl GST and lobby fees. Memberships run with the Fiscal year from July 1st to June 30th each year irrespective of date joined. Membership lapses if not renewed within three months of end of the fiscal year. Plant Royalties are due on propagation or purchase of all PAI varieties - Fees are payable to PAI executive officer : $0.35 per plant for PAI members, otherwise $0.70 for all non-members.
Committee Members President Vine Committee Steve Gray Vixies Road, Wonga Beach, QLD 4873 Phone / Fax (07) 4098 7202 Email steve_trish2@bigpond.com.au
Member Peter Griffiths 408 Dahl’s Road, Calavos, QLD 4670 Phone/Fax (07) 4159 7394 Mobile 0429 656 922 Email peteandsally4@bigpond.com Member Sean Russell (JE Tippers) PO Box 27, Brisbane Markets, QLD 4006 Phone (07) 3379 1041 Fax (07) 3379 4817 Mobile 0418 158 331 Email sean@jetipper.com.au Member William Wise 131 Cranneys Road, North Tumbulgum, NSW 2490 Phone (02) 6676 6099 Email libmcq@hotmail.com Member Tina McPherson 15 Zinks Road, Bundaberg, QLD 4670 Phone (07) 4159 3001 Fax (07) 4155 6744 Mobile 0428 415 930 Email tina@tinaberries.com.au
Member Jim Gordon PO Box 119, Yandina, QLD 4561 Phone (07) 5446 7536 Fax (07) 5446 7524 Mobile 0403 185 961 Email jill_88@msn.com
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 3
Passionfruit Australia Incorporated Industry Advisory Committee PH: 07 3374 0453 Mob: 0413 101 646 Email: diannefullelove@optusnet.com.au
Dianne Fullelove
Chairperson PO Box 913, Kenmore, QLD 4069
Jane Wightman
HAL Suite 2, Level 5, 87 Wickham Terrace Spring Hill, QLD 4000
Peter Rigden
QLD Government DAFF, Maroochy Research Station, PO Box 5083, SCMC, QLD 4560
Cherie Gambley
QLD Government DAFF, Eco Science Precinct 2C West, GPO Box 267, Brisbane, QLD 4001
Ian Constable
PAI Executive “Nunderry” 260 Boyds Lane, Dulguigan via Murwillumbah, NSW 2484
PH/FAX: (02) 6672 6826 MOBILE: 0428 181 246 Email: ianconstable11@bigpond.com
Steve Gray
PAI Executive Vixies Road, Wonga Beach, QLD 4873
PH: (07) 4098 7202 Fax: (07) 4098 7202 Email: steve_trish2@bigpond.com.au
Keith Paxton
PAI Executive 38 Atkinsons Road, Woombye, QLD 4559
PH: (07) 5445 9387 FAX: (07) 5445 9323 MOB: 0427 625 946 Email: kipaxton@bigpond.com
Tina McPherson
PAI Executive 15 Zinks Road, Bundaberg, QLD 4670
PH: (07) 4159 3001 FAX: (07) 4155 6744 MOBILE : 0428 415 930 Email: tina@tinaberries.com.au
Sean Russell
Marketing PO Box 27, Brisbane Markets, QLD 4106
Mob: 0404 309 877 Email: jane.wightman@horticulture.com.au
PH: 07 5453 5927 FAX: 07 5493 5901 Email: peter.rigden@daff.qld.gov.au PH: 07 3255 4340 Mob: 0429 872 410 Email: Cherie.gambley@daff.qld.gov.au
PH: (07) 3379 1041 FAX: (07) 3379 4817 Mob : 0418 158 331 Email: sean@jetipper.com.au
Bank account details Passionfruit Australia Incorporated BSB: 124-187 Acc No.: 21655088 If direct debiting please ensure to quote your name or membership number
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 4
Regional Roundup From the growers...
NSW Area By Ian Constable Hello everyone, It’s all happening on the Tweed at the moment. The temperature is dropping, the fruit is dropping and the leaves are dropping! We have had showery weather again, making ideal conditions for disease. Fruit quality is improving though after a lot of second grade and cow feed fruit. We have been very busy for this time of the year. I haven’t even seen my daughters play hockey yet this season. The passion vine mites are still active and the worst area is the first block of vines as you drive into the farm. They look terrible and are a constant reminder of how things can go wrong in a hurry. We had to rebuild our spray unit at a time when we should have been spraying. Then our packing machine needed some new parts which no one had in stock, not surprising nowadays. We had a few days out of action but all is fine now. I hope to see you all at the AGM in North Queensland. Bye for now,
The Sunshine Coast By Keith and Judy Paxton What an unusual passionfruit season we are having; lots of dry and then lots of rain. Our vines only had a small window to set fruit for this Autumn crop, also the larger flowers on the laterals were washed out resulting in smaller
flowers setting fruit, hence smaller fruit, although we did have some of the largest sizes from the young vines. On our farm we have blocks a little way apart and even though all were sprayed the same one block in the middle got disease and we have had some spotted fruit from it, but in general our fruit is the cleanest we have had for some time, and our vines look good for this time of year. Unfortunately due to the way the flowering has occurred and a full moon we have had particularly heavy falls for the last couple of weeks and the market is showing that we have plenty of company. The prices for passionfruit have come down to a level that makes it hard to make a good profit. We need to get our promotion activity going. I believe our in store taste testing ran for the first three weeks in June. I was dismayed to see an article in our local paper which highlighted passionfruit as expensive when they are probably in heavy supply and cheaper than normal. This quote appeared to come via the Brisbane markets. I rang the paper and asked if they could let me know why the quote was incorrect but have not heard back. It makes it hard to get consumers to buy your product with this sort of misinformation. At the moment we have beautiful sunny days and cool nights, great to sit in front of the fire and have
a small rum. That's all for now and hope to see you all at the AGM. Cheers, Keith & Judy.
Far North Queensland By Steve Gray There’s nothing out of the ordinary happening so the story from FNQ is “business as usual”. We’re certainly looking forward to hosting the AGM and ALPM in August and the Executive expects that there should be a good turn up especially from the “north”. See you then!
Bundaberg Area By Peter Griffiths Hello everyone. In the Bundaberg region, over the last few months, we have only received small amounts of rain, being the annoying, disease producing type. The ground is slowly drying out since the Australia Day floods. The water table is still high and those areas affected will remain damp until the drought cycle begins again. Most local farmers are picking both panamas and Mistys and by the look of the market prices everybody else is also. The cold snap in the middle of May has slowed the plants down a bit with the panamas showing the first sign of their “winter yellows” and dropping leaves. At least when the leaves have dropped it is easier to find the fruit on the vine. That’s all until next time. Thanks.
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 5
Important dates to put in your diary: July Book accommodation for PAI AGM/ALPM/ Field Day RSVP to admin@passion fruitaustralia.org.au 31st July Pay PAI Membership 24th August Attend PAI AGM/ ALPM/Field Day See you in Port Douglas/ Wonga Beach!
* PASSIONFRUIT GROWERS AND SUPPLIERS OF * GRAFTED PASSIONFRUIT Misty Gems DPI - Approved rootstocks * SEEDLINGS Pandora Red Panama
Hand pollinated Pandora rootstock available.
FOR ORDERS / ENQUIRIES Please ph/fax 07 4159 7394 Peter Griffiths 0429 656 922 Sally Griffiths 0401 656 922
408 Dahls Rd, Calavos, Bundaberg Q 4670 Email – peteandsally4@bigpond.com
The Passion Vine – June 2013
The Tropical Fruit Workshop By Tina McPherson... The Tropical Fruit Workshop in late May was a fantastic opportunity to showcase our delicious passionfruit at a crucial time for many of us in the industry. The objective of the workshop was to educate media and bloggers on both papaya and passionfruit recipe ideas, versatility and ease of preparation. The industry ambassadors led the workshops with fabulous hands on recipe preparation and discussion. Papaya is lucky to have Alvin Quah of Masterchef fame as their ambassador but we are the luckiest!! Sammy and Bella, winners of My Kitchen Rules in 2011, were bubbly, bright, vivacious and enthusiastic when handling and discussing the fruit that is such a vital part of our every day and our livelihood. It is always difficult to believe that someone without a real investment in the industry (for that read someone who is not out there watching those vines every day, tending them, caring for them and willing them to produce the best possible fruit) could promote what we grow with such passion! Rest easy! These girls are amazing! Really engaged by the workshop, the fruit and the chance to chat with food personalities and real farmers, the food media and bloggers went away enthused and keen to promote the two tropicals in the wintery south. Working together with smaller industries such as papaya provides a great opportunity to maximise the small marketing budgets of both industries and is something
we will continue to explore. Look at Sammy and Bella’s website, http:// www.sammyandbella.com/, for no less than 4 passionfruit recipes on their current cover page. Photos : right and below : Sammy and Bella in the kitchen and beautifully presented papaya and passionfruit gift box
Page 6
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 7
The Tropical Fruit Bloggers Workshop followed up by FANTASTIC Press! By Tina McPherson Significant press coverage is currently being generated as a result of the recent Tropical Fruit Bloggers Workshop. Laura Trieste, a journalist from NewsLocal who attended the workshop, syndicated a press release which was taken up by 9 newspapers across the Sydney region and the Newcastle Herald. The following is a clip of one of many new season recipes which appeared in the Newcastle Herald and also in this edition of Passion Vine. This recipe and others are also available on the Passionfruit Australia website.
The food-obsessed sisters have forged successful careers built on their passion for cooking, and now they're calling on food lovers to add some tropical fun to their plates. "Passionfruit is such a delicious little tropical snack, I love to simply cut them in half with a serrated knife and scoop the pulp out with a spoon," Bella said. Sammy said she enjoyed passionfruit too and liked to use it in desserts, not just during summer. "Although people use it as a topping for desserts during summer, it's actually a very versatile fruit that works well for many different dishes. During colder months, passionfruit is a great way to bring out the flavour of meats such as pork beautifully. It's also great in salad dressings, on seafood and, of course, in sweet treats like cakes, slices and smoothies. People need to realise that passionfruit is not just for pavlova." The pair has created easy delicious passionfruit recipes to show Aussies how to create great tropical tasting dishes for all occasions, all year round.
Put some passion in your cooking with a dose of tasty passionfruit. My Kitchen Rules 2011 winners Sammy and Bella Jakubiak (pictured above) are urging Australian home cooks to show more passion in the kitchen and put passionfruit on their shopping lists.
Although available all year round, there are two flush passionfruit periods in Australia. The first flush occurs between June and July, followed by a second flush between December and February. Passionfruit is also available all year round in the fresh produce aisle of
greengrocers and supermarkets. Visit passionfruitaustralia.org.au. Australian Passionfruit Store Sampling The first week of store promotions and sampling had commenced with a BANG in Sydney and Brisbane. Reports coming back from one store visit in Sydney revealed that the Brand Ambassadors at one particular store had handed out 200 samples in the first two hours. The quality of the purple passionfruit was excellent and that became particularly evident in a 50% purchase after sampling. Great outcome for passionfruit! See page 8 for photos....
Diary Note Annual General Meeting Annual Levy Payer’s Meeting Field Day Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th August 2013
In Cairns
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 8
Non-Executive Directors Required for HAL Board As advertised by Stanton Chase International
Your opportunity to contribute to one of the largest, and growing, agricultural industries in Australia Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) is a national research, development and marketing organisation that works in partnership with the horticulture sector to invest in programs that provide benefit to Australian horticulture industries. HAL is an industry owned company that invests more than $100 million annually in a wide range of areas including production, marketing, quality assurance, food safety, biotechnology, sustainability and industry communication. HAL is funded by statutory levies in Marketing and Research &
Development from its member industries and also voluntary contributions received from grower associations, commercial enterprises and individuals. The Australian Government also contributes funds on a dollar for dollar basis for expenditure on Research & Development. The Board is responsible for HAL’s strategic direction, investment framework and performance outcomes. HAL is seeking expressions of interest from qualified candidates for three board positions. While previous board experience would be highly regarded, it is not essential. This year, the successful candidates ideally will have knowledge of, and experience in, the horticulture or broader agribusiness sectors as
well as skills and experience in one or more of the following areas: Horticultural production Environmental management; and Public policy and administration
For further information about HAL, please visit www.horticulture.com.au Applications addressing the relevant criteria above, plus a brief CV should be sent to the consultant assisting HAL: Fiona Lavan, Director, Stanton Chase International. Tel: 02 9251 7188 Email: f.lavan@stantonchase.com. Information packages will be forwarded by Stanton Chase by email upon request. Applications close Friday 16 August, 2013
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 9
Moraitis Group Pty Ltd
For information regarding administration issues for Passionfruit Australia Incorporated please contact:
Jann Bonsall PO Box 321 Pomona QLD 4568 Ph: 07 5485 4402 Email: admin@ passionfruitaustralia.org.au For variety and plantings issues please contact your local Executive Member as listed on page 2. Other enquiries can be made through Queensland DPIF on their call centre number 132523 All contributions concerning the industry are most welcome.
The Passion Vine is edited by Jann Bonsall and Jenny Drew 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 Australia Incorporated or the Editor. The advice given is at the readers 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.
Leaders in fresh produce Moraitis core products include : * Passionfruit * Melons * Pumpkin * Cherries * Onions * Strawberries
* Potatoes *Tomatoes * Bananas * Citrus * Garlic * Avocadoes
Moraitis is a national company in the leading position as a fully integrated supplier of fresh fruits and vegetables in Australia. Moraitis have a dedicated team focused on satisfying Grower and Customer needs, who are devoted to providing flawless 24/7 supply and service solutions,to the retail supermarket chains and independent fruit markets all around Australia. The Moraitis base is unique because of the wide range of customers’ serviced, and our ability to supply consistent quality and service 12 months of the year. Australia’s leaders in the fresh produce industry – Moraitis has National distribution capabilities and is located Australia wide.
For passionfruit enquiries please contact Debra Scarfe : Exotic Fruit Category Mobile: 0416088615 Email: dscarfe@moraitis.com.au
PAI Licensed Nurseries Birdwood Nursery
71 Blackall Range Road, 07 5442 Nambour 4560 1611
J&V McLeod
Campbell’s Road, Dungay 2484
Widebay Passionvine Nursery
408 Dahls Road, Calavos, Bundaberg 4670
02 6672 3503 07 4159 7394
Peter Kallinis : Category Manager Mobile: 0412 141 536 Email: pkallinis@moraitis.com.au Matthew McInerney: National Sales Manager Mobile: 0417 468 828 Email: mmcinerney@moraitis.com.au Moraitis Wholesale NSW Stand 52, A Shed Sydney Markets NSW 2129 P.O. Box 75 Sydney Markets NSW 2129 T: +61 2 9764 2370 F: +61 2 9764 2218
Contact Moraitis for more information on our website www.moraitis.com.au For general enquiries regarding our business or products please send an email to info@moraitis.com.au or call our customer service number 1 800 657 010
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 10
Update on fruitspotting bug research The HAL funded MT 10049 A multi target approach to fruitspotting bug management project has now been running for two years, and the project team has had a busy season conducting trials in the laboratory and on-farm. This article provides an update on where the research is up to. Biological control Biological control agents tested A Gryon sp. is cultured on a small scale by NSW DPI at the Wollongbar Primary Industries Institute. As it is specific to Amblypelta, Gryon is not considered suitable for mass production, due to the difficulties of having large numbers of FSB eggs available. However, it has been released at the CTH and a commercial farm at Alstonville and has successfully been recaptured with sentinel cards. Recently, parasitised FSB eggs from which Gryon hatched have also been collected from the monitoring hedges at CTH, which is positive. Mass-rearing and releasing Anastatus wasps Richard Llewellyn from Biological Resources reports that the bug egg parasitoid Anastatus sp. collected on the Atherton Tableland has been selected as the biological control agent for commercialisation. A mass rearing system has been developed using unviable silkworm eggs imported from China as the rearing host. Twenty two case study sites were set up and regular releases of the wasp have been made over the last 12 months. Most adult bugs present in the crop have come from nearby bug breeding areas so the strategy with the wasps is to release them around the property boundaries and in any on farm breeding areas. The aim being to gradually reduce the numbers of bugs flying into the crop from one
season to the next. Early results are very encouraging with a number of sites having much less damage than usual. The trials will continue and we will be watching closely to see if these results can be confirmed next season. Between 1 July 2012 and mid Jan 2013, approximately 700,000 wasps were released over 22 trial sites. Each site received consignments about every 3 weeks with 8-10 consignments in total. Each site received approximately 30,000 wasps over this period. In September 2012 BioResources also conducted an Anastatus experiment in macadamias. The trial sought to compare parasitism rates on bug egg sentinel cards with and without the presence of adult bugs. The wasps had to travel approximately 9 meters to reach the closest egg sentinel cards. About 1,000 Anastatus wasps were then released in the central tree of each replicate. The egg cards were collected 5 days later and examined for parasitism. Twenty out of the 96 sample trees had some parasitism - 7 "egg only" trees and 13 "with bug" trees. This suggests that the presence of adult spotting bugs and the scent trails they leave assists the wasp to locate the bug eggs in the trees. Seven of the twenty trees with parasitism were at the extremity of the sample area so many wasps travelled
over 30 meters from the release point. Anastatus monitoring trials in Northern NSW (NSW DPI) A number of Anatatus release sites in the Northern Rivers region were selected for closer monitoring by NSW DPI. Results were not conclusive and need to be repeated using a revised methodology. Ultimately we need to be able to relate the impact of wasp release to damage. At some of the 9 case study sites nut samples were taken in late January and checked for FSB damage. Pheromones (DAFF Queensland) Trap selection completed: Field trials of the different trap designs have been completed. A plastic panel trap consisting of green corflute and a double sided tape was found to be significantly better than anything else tested. It was thought that the strength of adhesive was the key to its success. A major problem is that the adhesive on the currently used tape is not UV stable and dries within a few days under direct sunlight. Ideally a trap should last for at least the length of the lure, which is about 6 weeks for the A. lutescens lure. Although this current trap can be used for trial purposes, more research should be undertaken before it is fully commercialised. Additional trap design work will be completed, which will include “one-sided horizontal� traps, Field assessments of A. lutescens lures:
The Passion Vine – June 2013 In the past season a final component trial was conducted in limes at Dimbulah (limes have reliable and consistent high numbers of bugs). The lure has been shown to be an aggregation pheromone which is attractive to both male and female adults as well as nymphs. The trials have included testing various combinations of chemical compounds. The final results have shown that the most attractive A. lutescens lure combination uses just two chemical compounds. Field trials of A. lutescens trap densities on commercial farms and research facilities Field trials have begun testing the efficacy of the A. lutescens lure/ trap on a number of different crops and farms. These trials included three avocado farms (two conventional and one certified organic grower, at Dimbulah, Mareeba and Walkamin QLD), a custard apple orchard (near Biboohra QLD), a papaya plantation (near Mareeba) and a small research station macadamia orchard (Walkamin). The trials were run from September 2012 to April 2013. The data has not been fully analysed. However, the preliminary results are showing some interesting patterns.
controls. The results showed that there was no difference in bug damage between the trapping plots and the untreated controls. The initial results show that the pheromone trap could prove to be a good monitoring tool for bug activity, but more work is required if the lure is to be used as a control tool. Optimisation of A. nitida pheromone components: The A. nitida pheromone components have not yet been optimised. Aerations were completed on populations of bugs collected from North Queensland and NSW as well as cultured bugs. The aeration collecting tubes were sent to Dr Ashot Khrimian (USDA) in the USA for GC analysis. Dr Khrimian has synthesised several candidate chemical compounds and sent them to Australia. These compounds will be tested in the field (using our standard sticky panel traps) in known high populations of A. nitida in North QLD and NSW. Furthermore, Dr Andrew Hayes (a chemical ecologist based in Brisbane, DAFFQ) will also run A. nitida bio-assays of the chemicals in the laboratory. Chemical control
In the organic avocado trial, a high density of traps (36 traps/ha) did not catch significantly more bugs than 22 traps/ha. There was very little difference in the amount of bug damage to the fruit between trap density treatments and controls. The custard apple trial showed very similar results. The results coming from a large papaya trial are quite different. In this trial the highest density plots (60 traps/ha) caught more bugs (per ha), than the low density plots (36 traps/ha) and untreated
The new Bayer compound tested at a high rate (1.0ml/L) initially gave the best results in the macadamia trial at Centre for Tropical Horticulture (CTH) at Alstonville CTH with increased yield and reduced damage. On the basis of the initial results Bayer CropScience initiated their own project in order to collect efficacy data in a number of crops to assist registration. The NSW DPI entomology team conducted a small research trial
Page 11 in macadamias and avocados at the CTH and compared 7 different treatments as follows: 1.
Abamectin (18g/L) (Abamectin® 18) at 1ml/L 2. Compound 1 at 0.5ml/L 3. Acephate ( 750g/kg) (Lancer® 750 DE) at 0.5g/L 4. Compound 2 at 1ml/L 5. Trichlorfon (500g/L) (Lepidex® 500) at 2ml/L 6. Compound 1 at 0.75 ml/L 7. Unsprayed control The harvest data from this season is not available yet and damage data from this season is important to make any further decisions about the chemicals. It is also necessary to investigate secondary effects of chemicals and we need to establish the economics of chemicals. Preliminary results suggest that more than one new chemical will be very useful. They belong to different groups and could be used in a rotation, which will be important for resistance management. The project has been funded by R&D levies from the Avocado, Macadamia, Lychee, Papaya, Passionfruit and Custard Apple industries, with additional funding via the Across Industry Committee and matched by the Australian Government through HAL. NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI) and Queensland Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (QDAFF) are also contributing in-kind funds to the project, and NSW DPI is managing the project on behalf of all partners. Other project partners include the University of Queensland, Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and BioResources.
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 12
HAL Forum Overview By Tina McPherson Despite Sydney turning on a pea soup fog so thick that the HAL Forum schedule was thrown into disarray, the May Industry Forum was another highly successful networking and learning event. In Keith’s absence he asked me to attend Forum and earlier experience at various marketing events with HAL ensured that I wasn’t too overwhelmed. Passionfruit is certainly not amongst the bigger industries represented by HAL however there is power in numbers and the smaller industries tend to cluster together for support and are a great source of knowledge and teaching as they share their various experiences in governance, research, development and marketing. The Forum aims to provide an interactive and interesting program for HAL members with a variety of speakers and a half day set aside for the HAL Members Meeting. This year began with an engaging speech by Richard Woodward on Strategic Planning. It served as a timely reminder that our Strategic Plan must be a living document and I will be suggesting at the next PAI Executive meeting that we set aside time at the beginning of each meeting and the AGM to be sure we are still focused on our objectives, review our plan and make any changes that may be needed. Dr Craig Cormick of the CSIRO gave an interesting speech about “What do People Really think about GM foods and crops” backed by a raft of facts, figures and graphs. I would urge anyone
who feels a little uninformed about GM Foods and Crops and keen for a little perspective to watch. Contact Jann at PAI and she will advise of the link to view. Danica Leys from AgChatOz, an online chat room for the agriculture industry, gave us insights about opportunities for women in horticulture which was followed by an alarming speech about where we might get the people (women or otherwise) to fill the opportunities in horticulture. Dr Jim Pratley, from Charles Sturt University and currently Secretary of the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture, gave a PowerPoint presentation that highlighted the many opportunities in horticulture and the despairing
lack of candidates in training or education for such roles. These roles are not just roles of the farmer. Into the future we will face shortages of researchers, agronomy specialists, entomologists, agricultural scientists…..the list goes on. The rallying cry was that we must band together as primary industries to be sure the government and educational institutions are aware of the importance of trained people for our industry to survive. As an opportunity to participate with likeminded people from similar industries, the HAL Forum provides a platform from where we can be heard and where we can learn. It is vital that we continue to fly our flag as a significant contributor to horticulture as a whole.
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 13
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 14
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 15
PF11004 Milestone Report - Agronomic Performance of the BCF1 Vines By Cherie Gambley In work conducted in the previous project PF07001 the F1 of ‘Heuston’ (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) x Passiflora incarnata ‘C18V9’ showed resistance to the three potyviruses (Passionfruit woodiness virus, PWV; Clover yellow vein virus, ClYVV and Passiflora virus Y, PaVY). A backcrossing program with ‘DPI’ rootstock (P. edulis f. flavicarpa) was conducted in early 2009 to produce approximately 1500 seeds from 41 fruit. Plants from this cross are referred to as the backcross F1 (BCF1). Seedlings (146) from these crosses were evaluated for resistance and from this evaluation five plants were identified as having resistance to PWV and PaVY. These plants still require challenge with a newly
described strain of PWV. Cuttings of these five plant lines (BCF1-1, -17, -21, -39 and -48) were established in large pots at the Redlands Research Station last November for evaluation of agronomic performance and to allow further crosses to be made. Further cuttings will be taken for germplasm maintenance and for future breeding work. Two plants per line were evaluated, one was grafted onto DPI-rootstock and the other remained ungrafted. The BCF1 plants were rated for susceptibility to virus, phytophthora, vigour, fruit qualities and general appearance (Table 1). The overall
appearance and growth rates of the resistant lines resembled that of the F1 ‘Heuston’ x P. incarnata’ parent C18V9 (Figure 1). The size and shape of the fruit was generally larger and less ovoid than observed for C18V9 when flowers were out-crossed with either Misty Gem or Sweetheart pollen (Figure 2). Other flowers which were open pollinated were smaller in size and more closely resembled the C18V9 fruit. Presumably these flowers were self-pollinated based on low availability of other pollen but this is not certain. Seed set in fruit of the BCF1 lines was unfortunately very similar to that of C18V9, with only 1-3 seed produced per fruit. All fruit set on the BCF1 lines were yellow in colour when ripe.
(a) (b) Figure 1. Photograph of (a) a C18V9 plant and (b) a BCF-48 showing the general leaf and fruit size, shape and colour of this plant lines. A combination of wet weather and cooler temperatures in April/May 2013 resulted in a foliar disease outbreak of several of the BCF1 plants. Most of the lines were
more susceptible to this infection than the adjacently grown misty gem and sweetheart plants (Figure 3). Of the BCF1 lines, BCF1-48 and BCF-17 appeared
to be the most tolerant to infection but BCF1-48 still showed symptoms of the tip dieback. The plants were foliar sprayed with Agris Fos acid 600 at 2 mL/L on the 18th of
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 16
May with a follow up treatment a fortnight later. Initially, it was thought this disease was caused by phytophthora but lack of response to phos acid treatment and the unusual leaf symptoms displayed by the plants has prompted further investigation of the causal agent. Samples are undergoing testing to identify the pathogen. Figure 2. (right) Photograph of two fruit set on a BCF1-17 plant. The smaller fruit was from an open pollinated flower and the larger from a flower dusted with pollen from a Misty Gem plant. Table 1. (below) Agronomic and disease resistance ratings for BCF1 lines compared to their virus resistant parent line C18V9 and the two industry standard scions Sweetheart and Misty Gem. Line
Virus Phtopht Vigour General rating hora rating appearance (0-3)a rating (0 (1-4)c -3)b
BCF1-1 grafted
0
3
2
green foliage
BCF1-1
0
2
3
green foliage
BCF1-17 grafted
0
0
3
yellowing of foliage
BCF1-17
0
0
4
green foliage
BCF1-21 grafted
0
2
2
green foliage
BCF1-21
0
2
3
mostly green foliage, some yellowing
BCF1-39 grafted
0
3
2
green foliage
BCF1-39
0
4
2
green foliage
BCF1-48 grafted
0
1
2
green foliage
BCF1-48
0
1
4
green foliage
Misty Gem (average 3 of 5 plants)
0
4
green foliage
Sweetheart (average 3 of 5 plants)
1
4
mostly green foliage, some yellowing
C18V9 (average of 2 plants)
0
2
yellowing of foliage
0
a
Virus rating: 0 = no symptoms, 1 = mild virus symptoms, 2= moderate symptoms and 3 = severe symptoms b
Phytophthora rating: 0 = no symptoms, 1 = leaf lesions only, 2 = leaf lesions and some defoliation, 3 = leaf and stem lesions, obvious defoliation c
Vigour rating: 1 = poor, 2 = moderate, 3 = good and 4 = very good BCF1 vines for scion breeding. All five BCF1 lines were used in attempted crosses to Sweetheart and Misty Gem to transfer the virus resistance into these industry standard scion lines. Crosses were attempted using the BCF1 lines as male and female parents. Several crosses were successful when used as the female parent with pollen from either of the industry lines but no successful crosses were achieved when pollen from the BCF1 lines was used with Misty Gem or Sweetheart. There was, however, some success in producing self crosses of the BCF1 -17 line. Two fruit from this cross are set but are yet to ripen. Table 2 lists the successful crosses to date;
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 17
(a) (b) Figure 3. Photographs of the impact of phytophthora on the BCF1-1 passionfruit line compared to the industry lines Sweetheart (plant on the left in a) and Misty Gem (plant on the right in b). most fruit from these crosses are also yet to fully ripen. Crosses were unsuccessful when BCF1 lines were used as male parents. This could be related to very poor pollen set or lack of viability. The pollen is very similar in colour and amount to that produced by the C18V9 parent. By contrast, the pollen produced by Sweetheart and Misty Gem is copious and has high apparent viability. Alternatively, there could be another form of incompatibility between the pollen of the BCF1 lines and the female gametes of Sweetheart and Misty Gem. BCF1 line
Sweetheart
Misty Gem
1
0
1
17
0
5
21
2
2
39
0
1
48
6
6
Total fruit 8 set
15
Further crosses are planned for spring, when flowers become available again. These crosses will include the BCF1 lines to Pandora, the DPI-rootstock, Misty Gem and Sweetheart. In addition to these five BCF1 lines, the original F1 (C18V9) from the ‘Heuston’ x P. incarnata cross produced in project PF07001, is planned to be crossed as the male parent with Sweetheart, Misty Gem and Pandora. The progeny from all crosses will be screened for resistance by multiple challenges to the two viruses, PWV and PaVY, and where necessary also screened for resistance to the soilborne pathogens, fusarium and phytophthora. The major limiting factor to producing successful crosses with the BCF1 resistant lines is Table 2. (left) Successful fruit set from crosses of BCF1 resistant lines with the commercial varieties Sweetheart and Misty Gem. In all crosses the BCF1 lines were used as female parents and the commercial varieties as male parents.
availability of flowers. As there are only two plants per line currently available for these experiments, flowers are limited. During the remainder of the project further cuttings will be taken from these lines to multiply the lines and thereby improving the likelihood of success in future breeding work. Improving opportunities to utilise the resistant lines as male parents would improve the probability of transfer of resistant genes into elite varieties with minimal transfer of less desirable agronomic traits. This should result in generation of an industry suitable scion faster than using the BCF1 lines as female parents. It is expected, due to the poor quality of pollen or genetic incompatibilities of the BCF1 lines, that a high number of crosses will be required to have success when these lines are used as the male parent. Analysing inheritance data from crosses will also assist in future breeding work. For example, if the virus resistance is controlled by a single dominant gene a higher proportion of progeny will carry the genes than if it is a recessive (Continued on page 18)
The Passion Vine – June 2013 gene or multiple genes are required for resistance. Knowledge of inheritance patterns assists in predicting the number of progeny required to be generated for successful transfer of resistance. This information will be documented for crosses generated within this project but additional crosses may be needed to get a statistically accurate prediction of inheritance.
Page 18
Letters to the Editor Don’t forget to send your letters to the Editor to admin@passionfruitaustralia.org.au or post to PO Box 321, Pomona, Qld 4568
Remember to email your ads to the secretary
Vine Trialling and Taste Testing By Steve Gray The Vine Trialling has been continuing with 6 vines showing some promise. After discussion at the last PAI Executive meeting it was agreed that all members be given the opportunity to conduct 2nd round planting trials. To be involved in this round of trialling it would be necessary for triallists to plant up to 30 plants. The incentive for those wishing to participate in this round of trialling is that if they take up the invitation and one of the vines makes it to commercial release they will have first option. There have also been two rounds of taste testing conducted; one at Keith Paxton’s shed and the other at Redland Bay after the PAI Executive Meeting. There were some very positive outcomes in the look of the fruit but the combination of look and taste is
proving a little more difficult. Nevertheless, there are some very positive indications of vines that should go to second round of trialling.
For those of you who are interested in participating in the proposed second round trialling contact Steve Gray (details on page two).
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 19
The Passion Vine – June 2013
Page 20