September 2020 Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor Magazine

Bushfire recovery

2020 September

2020 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference Regional Awards Pests & disease

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Contents

Contents Incorporating Australian Olive Industry Journal Published by the Australian Olive Association Ltd Publisher Australian Olive Association Ltd Executive Editor Greg Seymour ceo@australianolives.com.au

September 2020 Issue 117

News Research shows Australian EVOO lowers blood pressure Review outcome leaves Health Star Rating system flawed China, Japan approve GI protection for Kalamata Multi-state success at 2020 Australian Golden Olive Awards SA producers sweep home-town Royal Adelaide Awards

Regional round-up

Managing Editor Gerri Nelligan editor@olivegrower.com.au

Tasmania update

Advertising Gerri Nelligan editor@olivegrower.com.au

Make the AOA Conference your October ‘afternoon delight’ Strong competition for 2020 AIOA AIOA entrants, we want your smiling faces!

Production Sandra Noke production@olivegrower.com.au Subscriptions A one-year subscription (four issues) is: Aust $44 (AOA member discount rate $40), NZ $56 (ONZ member discount rate $52) and international $100. Visit www.olivebiz.com.au to subscribe.

Circulation & Advertising Enquiries editor@olivegrower.com.au Contributions Articles and other contributions are welcome and will be published at the discretion of the editor.

Photographs are best received as high resolution jpg files via email, and as separate attachments not embedded.

Printing Lane Print & Post Adelaide Australian Olive Association ABN 57 072 977 489 PO Box 6661, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 Australia Ph: (+61) 0478 606 145 E: secretariat@australianolives.com.au ISSN 1448-5486 Conditions The opinions expressed in Olivegrower & Processor are not necessarily the opinions of or endorsed by the editor or publisher unless otherwise stated. All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher.

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While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, the published will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

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AOA 2020 National Conference 14 16 17

Olives & bushfire Bushfire recovery, six months on Recovery of Australia’s soils following bushfires

18 21

R&D Insights – Hort Innovation

23

Pests and disease New Xylella hosts see plant import regulations - and biosecurity protection - increased 31 Disease detection: the “nose” have it!

34 Pest surveillance takes to the air in cross-industry collaboration 35

Grove management 2020 seasonal wrap up: a grower’s perspective A deer story

38 40

Olive business Q&A: Cleaning olive oil storage containers Mental health and ‘resilience’ Smartphone, blockchain technologies to open new frontier in fight against food fraud New FoodTrack access boosts industry insights

44 45 46 47

Olives & health Health round-up

48

Products and services Mobishear: innovation and service - by Aussie farmers, for Aussie farmers

What’s on/Advertiser index

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Cover: While post-bushfire recovery has varied between trees, and some have been lost, healthy regrowth is abounding in the Woodside Farm grove.

Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 3

News

Research shows Australian EVOO lowers blood pressure The benefits of EVOO consumption on heart health have now been proven locally, with new Australian research showing that consuming extra virgin olive oil every day can significantly reduce blood pressure.

High blood pressure is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

Published recently in the journal Nutrients, the research is significant because it’s the first Australian study to show a drop in central systolic blood pressure (in central arteries such as the aorta) and peripheral systolic blood pressure (in smaller arteries in the arm) positively linked to olive oil consumption.

It’s also important because it involved participants from many cultural backgrounds, showing that neither Mediterranean heritage nor traditional adherence to the Mediterranean diet, are factors in benefiting from olive oil consumption.

The study

The study was led by researchers at La Trobe University and involved a clinical trial looking at the cardio-protective qualities of extra virgin olive oil. The trial compared the effects of high quality Australian EVOO and refined low polyphenol olive oil when consumed regularly by healthy adults.

Fifty (50) participants with diverse backgrounds and dietary habits were asked to add 60mm - 4 tablespoons – of either extra virgin or refined olive oil to their daily diets for three weeks. Following a twoweek break where they could not eat olive oil or olives, they were then asked to consume the alternative oil. The participants’ blood pressure was measured after each three-week dietary period.

Findings

The researchers found that the refined, low polyphenol olive oil had no significant impacts on blood pressure, while the extra virgin olive oil caused a reduction in both central and peripheral systolic blood pressure.

Lead author and La Trobe PhD candidate Katerina Sarapis said the study is of clinical importance, as the beneficial effects were achieved without the use of any blood pressure medications. It also provides a valuable understanding of how olive oil consumption impacts multiethnic communities.

“Extra virgin olive oil is rich in a variety of active compounds such as polyphenols, which have proven health benefits thanks to their antiinflammatory and antioxidant properties,” she said.

“EVOO is widely recognised as a nutritious source of dietary fat when paired with traditional, Mediterranean style diets from Greece and Spain. Our study confirms that the benefits associated with olive oil consumption extend to people without Mediterranean heritage but who have different cultural upbringings, traditions and food preferences.”

Accessible preventative intervention

Primary supervisor of the collaborative PhD project, La Trobe Associate Professor George Moschonis, said the study is an important step forward in heart disease prevention.

“Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally. Our findings provide evidence for a potentially widely accessible dietary intervention that can reduce cardiovascular risk in populations not accustomed to a high consumption of extra virgin olive oil,” he said.

Spread the word

AOA CEO Greg Seymour said the research initiative, and particularly the results, provide an invaluable opportunity for the industry.

“Research work and media coverage like this don’t come along every day. We need to make the most of them by continually getting these good news stories spread widely throughout the community, to help entrench EVOO as the healthiest oil you can have in your diet – Everyday,” he said.

“The simplest way is for everyone in the industry to share articles like this one with their own personal networks. We all have a duty to promote our olive products every chance we get.”

Note: The study was led by La Trobe University, with collaborating academics at Swinburne, Bond, Deakin and Murdoch Universities, and supported by a seeding grant from La Trobe. Cobram Estate provided partial financial support and EVOO for the trial but had no further role in the study.

4 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

News

Review outcome leaves Health Star Rating system flawed In the June edition we updated on the ongoing action by the AOA and industry members around the Health Star Rating system (HSRS). We were hoping to provide good news in this edition - a change to the way edible oils ratings are calculated - however recent confirmation of existing methodology until the next HSRS review means the advocacy activity is continuing.

CEO Greg Seymour said there are positive outcomes from the AOA’s intensive HSRS advocacy activities.

“Certainly we’re disappointed at the decision but all of the excellent work done in preparing our advocacy and representations has not gone to waste,” he said.

“We have developed an excellent evidence-based technical platform to underpin our arguments about why EVOO should be acknowledged as the healthiest oil; we have unearthed a highly credible and persuasive advocacy team to represent our industry; and developed excellent relationships with key technical and political people in government and industry. These assets will be critical as we participate in the all-important Australian Dietary Guidelines (AGD) review that is about to get underway.

“The ADG is the primary guide for the HSRS - meaning the HSRS should, as far as possible, reflect the ADG. “We are already preparing for the AGD review, and much of the work undertaken for the HSRS advocacy is being repurposed for our advocacy on how the ADGs account for edible oils, and particularly for EVOO. “If we can have the ADG reflecting the healthiness of EVOO compared to other oils, then the next time the HSRS is reviewed the Government will need to do everything it can to make the HSRS more accurately reflect the ADGs. “And following our work on the ADGs, will we come back to deal with the next review of the HSRS. We cannot tolerate a system

Background

The HSRS system currently ranks refined seed oils like canola and sunflower above naturally-produced and healthier EVOO. As part of a review process, the Food Regulation Standing Committee (FRSC) was looking at the way edible oils are treated under the system.

Along with representations and consultations throughout the process, the AOA provided an alternative algorithm to calculate the star ratings for edible oils. It takes into account both positive and negative health attributes, unlike the current system which uses only saturated fat content, and was one of a number of technical elements to be decided by the Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation in July to finalise the official HSRS Five Year Review.

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Industry team effort

Seymour said the huge amount of time, effort and resources harnessed in the HSRS review came from all sectors of the industry.

“We should all be appreciative of the incredible hard work by people including Jacqui Plozza, Peter McFarlane, Dr Joanna McMillian, Leandro Ravetti, Sarah Gray, Rob McGavin and Mike Thomsett - in both the quality of their professional contribution and also the passion with which they delivered their message. All of that is a great investment in where we need to get to in the future,” he said.

“The contribution of Boundary Bend in particular must be noted: they provided not only the considerable staff time and resources needed to deliver a professional advocacy program but also contributed to costs throughout the entire process.

“Then there were people like Fiona Makowski and Michael Harbison, who provided introductions and grower credibility.

The association can’t do this sort of work by itself, and we really appreciate the support of industry members on the ground.

“So on behalf of our members and the wider industry, we want to say a big thank you to everyone involved in the battle so far. Their efforts are not in vain but have set us up well for continuing to push for the necessary changes to the HSRS.”

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News

China, Japan approve GI protection for Kalamata In September last year we reported on the public consultation process around Geographical Indications (GIs) being proposed as part of an Australian free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union (EU). If approved, the GI protection would mean the product names could not be used for products - including from the same species, breed or ingredient – not emanating from within the specified geographical region.

In some cases the GI also includes specific production methods and regional boundaries.

Among the list of 172 food items whose names would be given GI protection were Elia Kalamatas table olives from Greece, and Kalamata olive oil from Greece.

At the time the EU was in similar GI negotiations with other countries, including significant Australian olive export destinations Japan, China and New Zealand. The AOA had made representations on behalf of the industry in these and other jurisdictions, and has been in ongoing dialogue since with both the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water, and Environment (DAWE) and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).

While the Australia-EU FTA is still in negotiation, arrangements between the EU and both China and Japan have recently moved substantially closer to a conclusion.

Japan

The EU’s GI negotiations with Japan initially included the acceptance of a GI for Kalamata olives. The AOA, in conjunction with the Australian Government, made a submission to Japan opposing the GI and Japan subsequently rejected the EU’s application.

In early July, however, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) published a list of 21 proposed GIs for agricultural products from the EU. Among them are three types of olive oil: Kalamata from Greece; Toscano from Italy; and Estepa from Spain.

A public comment period is currently underway, with a final decision on the designation of GIs for the products made following its close on 7 October. The AOA is again working with the Australian Government to raise official objections to the granting of these GIs by Japan.

China

The EU and China have also recently signed an agreement on GIs, marking the first significant bilateral trade agreement between the two entities. The impending China-EU

trade deal will see the formal protection of 100 EU agri-food GIs in the Chinese market and a parallel 100 Chinese products in the EU. The list of protected EU GIs includes 24 extra virgin olive oil denominations from five countries – 11 from Spain, six from Greece, three each from Portugal and Italy, and one from France. Most significantly for Australian producers, one of these is Kalamata, and Elia Kalamata table olives are again also included.

The Chinese list includes only one olive product, Wudu You Gan LanFruit – aka Wudu Olive.

The agreement has already been approved by the EU Trade Council and is expected to be ratified by the European Parliament later this year. After four years in operation the scope will be expanded to cover an additional 175 GI names from both sides, with a mechanism available to add further GIs into the future.

Depending on the names and product types, this raises the potential for additional labelling and marketing restrictions for Australian producers.

Ongoing process

AOA CEO Greg Seymour said the proposed inclusion of the Kalamata olive oil GI in the EU-Japan FTA, and both Kalamata olives and olive oil in the EU-China FTA, is disappointing.

“We haven’t given up the fight in Japan yet, and we are watching the NZ situation closely.

However, our primary focus is working closely with the government to oppose the Kalamata GI in Australia-EU negotiations currently in progress,” he said.

GI protection

If ratified, GI protection for the name Kalamata will mean new labelling regulations for the Chinese and Japanese markets.

“I’m working intensively with DFAT and DAWE on the Australian FTA situation. We’re still in negotiations and we’re continuing to argue that Kalamata is a variety widely grown around the world, and that producing table olives and oil from the variety has nothing to do with being in a specific geographic region.

“And none of these agreements have yet been ratified. We’ll wait and see what the eventual outcomes are and, if the protections are put in place, we’ll provide producers with information on how you can conform with the labelling restrictions in a commercially-savvy way.”

Find out more

The EU’s list of proposed GIs is available on the DFAT website - www.dfat.gov.au/aeufta/ gis - along with accompanying attachments explaining more about each GI. Concerned producers can also contact AOA CEO Greg Seymour at ceo@ australianolives.com.au or 0476 760 160.

Under the EU’s proposed arrangement, GI names would be protected against: 1. any direct or indirect commercial use of a GI name: a. for comparable products, or b. in so far as such use exploits the reputation of the GI, including when that product is used as an ingredient; 2. any misuse, imitation or evocation, even if the true origin of the product is indicated or if the protected name is translated, transcribed, transliterated or accompanied by an expression such as "style", "type", "method", "as produced in", "imitation", "flavour", "like" or similar, including when those products are used as an ingredient; 3. any other false or misleading indication as to the origin, nature or essential qualities of the product, on the inner or outer packaging, advertising material or documents relating to the product concerned, and the packing of the product in a container liable to convey a false impression as to its origin, including when those products are used as an ingredient; 4. any other practice liable to mislead the consumer as to the true origin of the product.

6 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

News-Awards

Despite a tough production year, the 2020 competition attracted 63 EVOO and 12 flavoured oil entries from across Australia.

Multi-state success at 2020 Australian Golden Olive Awards The top honours were spread across the country at this year’s Australian Golden Olive Awards (AGOA), with New South Wales producer Varapodio Estate awarded Best EVOO in Show for its Verdale varietal and South Australia’s Rio Vista Olives taking Best Flavoured Oil of Show for its Basil Agrumato olive oil. Rio Vista also tied with itself for two Best of Class awards - its Koroneiki and Signore varietals for Class 3 - Small Volume, and its Garlic Agrumato and Chilli Agrumato oils for Class 6 - Flavoured Oils. Other Best of Class awards or highest class scores went predominantly to Victorian producers, with one to New South Wales.

Organised by the Olive Producers of North East Victoria (OPNEV), the Golden Olive Awards is the ‘opener’ to the Australian competition season, and offers producers the opportunity for early feedback on their new harvest products, along with testing results for later competitions. This year’s testing and judging was run by the NSW DPI Oil Testing Service, and Sensory Panel Leader Rojina Maharjan provided this overview of the event:

Interesting and challenging …

“The 2020 Australian Golden Olive Awards has been both interesting and challenging in many ways. With bushfires at the beginning of the year and the ongoing pandemic, the team behind the awards had to come up with novel ideas and innovative solutions to ensure

Results

Major awards Best Oil in show - Varapodio Estate Verdale Best Flavoured Oil in Show - Rio Vista Olives Basil Agrumato Class awards (Best/Highest score) Class 1 - Single Estate grown 100500L: Goat Brand Correggiola Class 2 - Micro Volume 25-99L: Laughing Labrador Frantoio Class 3 - Small Volume 100-999L: Tied - Rio Vista Olives Koroneiki; Rio Vista Olives Signore Class 4 - Large Volume >1000L: Paringa Ridge Picual Class 5 - Heritage Trees 50+ years: Long Paddock Olive Rustlers Mixed Class 6 - Flavoured Oil: Tied - Rio Vista Garlic Agrumato; Rio Vista Chilli Agrumato the show could proceed, as the continuity of the show was important to the industry to promote and celebrate Australian EVOO and flavoured olive oils.

“Despite all hindrances, and thanks to the good team spirit and can-do attitude, it became possible to move forward and reward some exceptional 2020 harvest olive oils.

8 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

Entries

“This year there were 63 extra virgin olive oils entered from all over Australia, along with 12 flavoured oils (both agrumato and infused), which were introduced to the competition for the first time. The number of entries was similar to previous years - equal, in fact, to 2019 - which was quite remarkable considering the challenges the industry faced this year.

“The NSW Department of Primary Industries Oil Testing Service in Wagga Wagga conducted all the chemical testing required and organised the show judging.

Head Judge Helen Taylor led a team of experienced panel leaders and judges, many who have been actively involved in the Olive Oil Sensory Panel. Several associate judges also participated to improve their knowledge and skills.

Chemical analysis

“Most of the entries showed low levels of Free Fatty Acids (FFA), Peroxide Value (PV) and Absorbency in Ultra-Violet (Delta K, K232 & K268), which indicated best practices for harvesting, processing and storage. Maximums of 0.4% FFA (as Oleic Acid), 14 mEq O2/kg oil for PV, 2.05 for K232, 0.18 for K268 and Delta K less than 0.01 were recorded in the EVOOs entered.

“Total polyphenols content ranged from 81mg/kg to 663mg/kg oil: 57% at ≥300 mg/

News-Awards

Best EVOO in Show winners Joe and Donna Scopelliti of Varapodio Estate.

kg (generally considered robust range), 38% had 151-300 mg/kg (medium range) and 5% had lower than 150 mg/kg (delicate range).

Sensory assessment

“The olive oil flavour profile ranged from delicate ripe oils to very green robust oils, with unique aromas and harmony between fruit, bitterness and pungency. There was no evidence of any smoke taint in any EVOO entry, which had been a concern following the bushfires early this year.

Rio Vista Olives owners Jared and Jacqueline Bettio were thrilled with their AGOA results, taking the Best Flavoured Oil of Show and two Best of Class awards.

Results

“Of the 63 EVOO entries, there were 11 Gold, 37 Silver and eight Bronze medals awarded.

“In the Flavoured Oil category, there were three Gold, six Silver and three Bronze medals awarded. Over 60% of the oils entered were scored 80 or higher, which reflects the high standard of the entries.

“Around 4% of samples were withdrawn as they did not meet the AS5264-2011 specifications for classification as EVOO either in chemistry or sensory testing. This

could be the result of various factors like fruit quality, handling practices, processing conditions and storage practices.

“Overall, the olive oils submitted for 2020 Golden Olive Awards were exceptional. A big round of applause goes to all the growers who have managed to produce such high quality oils this year.”

Rojina Maharjan - Sensory Panel Leader, NSW Department of Primary Industries Oil Testing Service.

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Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 9

News-Awards

SA producers sweep home-town Royal Adelaide Awards South Australian producers made their state proud at this year’s Royal Adelaide Olive Awards, taking out the lion’s share of the awards cache.

Top honours went to Adelaide Hills producer Rio Vista, who scooped the pool in the EVOO categories with its Signore single varietal. Awarded the judges’ top score of 94 points, the Rio Vista Signore won Gold and Best in Class 1 - Provenance, along with the Best Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Best South Australian EVOO in Show awards, eventually being named Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Show.

Also on the top rung were Coonalpyn producer Longridge Olives, taking the Best Flavoured Olive Oil Award for its Longridge Olives Artisan Agrumato Blood Orange Olive Oil, and the Australian Olive Company, which took the Best Table Olives in Show gong for its Australian Olive Company Premium Kalamata Table Olives.

Local producers continued the prize sweep through most of the other major awards, with the only interstate exception to Victorian producer Cobram Estate, awarded Best Mild Extra Virgin Olive Oil for its Cobram Estate Ultra Premium Picual.

Different, fair and well-conducted

Describing 2020 as a “particularly challenging year” for many reasons, Head Judge Trudie Michels said credit goes to both growers and the competition organisers for

Rio Vista’s Jared Bettio got exactly the result he was aiming for, taking out the coveted Best of Show award - and a swag of others – with the family-owned company’s Signore varietal extra virgin olive oil.

another great event.

“Firstly, I’d like to thank the hard-working olive producers who submitted olive oil entries into the awards this year. Given the drought, bushfires, COVID-19 and major restrictions, we are grateful for you sharing your product with us,” she said.

“Sincere thanks also go to all involved in

Major awards

Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Show - Rio Vista Signore Best Flavoured Olive Oil in Show - Longridge Olives Artisan Agrumato Blood Orange Olive Oil Best Table Olives in Show - Australian Olive Company Premium Kalamata Table Olives Best South Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil – Rio Vista Signore Best Small Producer (<500L) - Michael’s Olives Best Mild Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Cobram Estate Ultra Premium Picual Best Medium Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Diana Red Label Best Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oils - Rio Vista Signore Best in Class Best of Class 1, Provenance (single estate grown) - Rio Vista Signore Best of Class 2, Regional - Joseph Cold Press Best of Class 3, Multi-Regional - Diana Red Label Best of Class 4, Open - Nasmin FS-17 Best of Class 5, School Oil - Willunga High School Best in Class 8, Black Olives and olives turning colour - Australian Olive Company Premium Kalamata Table Olives Note: no other Table Olive Best in Class awards were presented as there were no Gold medals in these categories.

10 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

making the event happen. After the Royal Adelaide Show was cancelled due to COVID19, the OSA and the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society (RA&HS) worked tirelessly to enable the Royal Adelaide Olive Awards to still go ahead. We did it differently, and it took a huge amount of running around, time and organisation, but the fantastic support provided ensured a fair and well-conducted competition.

“And as always, we are indebted to the judges who volunteered their time at the August judging – and to the RA&HS for providing a judging room large enough to ensure all social distancing and COVID procedures could be met.”

Entries

The 2020 competition received a total of 71 oil entries, 59 EVOO and 11 flavoured oils, coming from VIC, SA, NSW, ACT, TAS and WA. This was only slightly down on last year’s entries and a great response in the circumstances.

There were 30 entries in Class 1 (Provenance), 17 in Class 2 (Regional), seven in Class 3 (Multi-regional), three in Class 4 (Open) and two in Class 5 (Schools), with 16% classified as mild, 62% as medium and 22% as robust.

In the flavoured oil classes there were six entries in class 5a (Agrumato) and five in 5b (other method).

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News-Awards

grass, herbs, green vegetables (beans, peas, capsicum), tomato and fig leaf featuring heavily. They also had light but creamy mouthfeels, long lingering complex flavours and a harmonious balance of bitterness, pepper and fruit.

“One pattern which was noted this year was in some oils with excellent aromas they didn’t transfer to the palate and aftertaste.

This donut effect created a flavour hole in the mid palate.

“Overall, however, there was a larger number of robust and medium oils this year that were abundant with flavour and aroma.”

Flavoursome flavoured oils

The smiles say it all … brothers Lachlan (left) and Harrison Rowntree reflect the family’s pride in receiving the Best Flavoured Olive Oil Award for their Longridge Olives Artisan Agrumato Blood Orange Olive Oil.

Results

Almost 85% of entries were awarded a medal, a marked increase on the 71% in 2019.

The EVOO classes saw 11 gold (18.7% of entries), 24 silver (40.8% of entries) and 18 bronze (30.5% of entries) medals awarded.

Three oils received no medal (5% of entries) and three oils were withdrawn for being defective (5% of entries).

“The key faults were that the oils

were rancid, muddy and fusty. This was heartbreaking, as all of the hard work involved with nurturing trees and growing olives is spoiled by poor olive and oil hygiene in the grove, during processing and in storage,” Michels said.

“On the upside, the good oils were amazing - full of complex fresh fruit characters that transferred well to the palate. Many had significant ‘green’ aromas and flavours, with

The Flavoured Oil classes also saw increased success this year, with three gold, six silver and one bronze medal awarded.

Only one entry received no medal.

“It was great to see that flavoured oil producers are improving their techniques and quality, and being rewarded for it,” Michels said.

“It was also great to see that 11 of the 14 gold medal-winning oils were produced here in South Australia. A challenging year of low yields, dry conditions and poor fruit set paid off for local growers and it’s a fantastic outcome for both the producers and SA olive oil consumers.”

Full results are available on the Olives SA website - www.olivessouthaustralia.org.au.

Decals: winners can order medal decals (200 @ $20) from Olives SA President Michael Johnston - mj@johnstons.net.au or 0419815839.

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Regional round-up

Tasmania update There’s a long time between industry gatherings in these COVID-19 times, so events on the regional front are few and far between. Life, olive growing – and of course harvest – goes on, however, and Tasmanian Olive Council president Fiona Makowski sent us an update on what has been happening for growers in our southernmost state.

State meeting

The Tasmanian Olive Council met on 25 August via video link (as we all do now!). TOC members were also able to join the call by telephone. The 2020 harvest was one of the topics for discussion.

2020 harvest

The 2020 harvest has been a long one, with some members reporting they expected to be picking into September. Ripening was felt to be significantly delayed, in some cases by several weeks compared to 2019.

Yields have varied, but generally were felt to be down on last year.

There are currently several options for contract pressing in the state, including improved facilities at Ashbolt Farm for the 2020 season.

Community pressing

Lentara Grove and Freshfield Grove both offered a community pressing day this year, enabling hobby and backyard growers to have small quantities of fruit pressed.

Makowski also held a highly successful community pressing day in 2019, which included both the opportunity to pick-your-own fruit and an associated local producer event. She said that while the current COVID-19 situation restricted her Freshfield Grove day to only a “drop off for pressing” service this year, it was still well received and “definitely worth doing”.

More information: www.tasmanianolives.com.au.

Producers Lentara Grove and Freshfield Grove both offered ‘drop off’ community pressing days this year, enabling hobby and backyard growers to have small quantities of fruit pressed.

Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 13

AOA 2020 National Conference

NATIONAL

OLIVE INDUSTRY virtual conference

Make the AOA Conference your October ‘afternoon delight’ The AOA’s National Olive Industry Conference is going online in 2020, following the postponement of the next physical event until October 2021.

Being held from Tuesday, 13 October to Friday, 16 October inclusive, this year’s event will consist of four x two-hour afternoon sessions, being held from 3-5pm (AEST) each day. Each session will have a theme covering one of the industry’s current key topics: Soil management; Grove management; Olives & health; and Olive marketing.

Relevant and interactive

AOA CEO Greg Seymour said the calibre of the presenters and relevance of the content make the event a “must attend” for all industry members.

“There will be a cavalcade of outstanding speakers across the four days, providing cutting edge content directly related to your business,” he said.

“Using the Zoom webinar platform also allows us to make it highly interactive. Each session will feature informative presentations from experts in their field, with the chance to ask them your questions and contribute comments live.

“The format has worked incredibly well for our productivity and profitability webinars, allowing participants to learn not only from the information presented but also from responses to other people’s questions.”

Online benefits

Seymour said that, while the usual socialising and networking aspects of the conference will undoubtedly be missed this year, the necessary online format has a number of benefits.

“One of the big positives about running

Andy Gilliver

John Barton

it via remote technology is that it gives more people the opportunity to access the information,” he said.

“For AOA members, it’s literally a ‘no-cost’ attendance: there’s no travel time or expenses, and no need to get the farm, dog or kids looked after.

“And you don’t even need to worry about grove work backing up. We’ve scheduled the sessions from 3-5pm so that you can get a decent day’s work done and then come inside and join in, all from the convenience of your own home.”

conference event, taking place after the final presentation session on Friday, 16 October,” Seymour said.

“There’ll be a short break in between, so you can grab yourself a beverage of choice and settle-in to watch who won the big gongs for 2020. There’ll be the usual suspense and celebrations, with AIOA Convenor and Chief Steward Trudie Michels, and MC Kent Hallett, doing the honours as the results unfold.

“It’ll no doubt be a great night and we hope all industry members, friends and supporters will join us for this year’s free event as we recognise and celebrate the achievements of the industry’s best producers.”

Awards presentation

One thing which hasn’t changed is the inclusion of the Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA) Presentation – although naturally with a ‘socially distanced’ format.

“The industry ‘night of nights’ awards announcement will again be a part of the

14 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

Conference program overview (TBC) Tuesday, 13 October

Day 1 is Soil management day, featuring John Barton of Charton & Bang and Andy

AOA 2020 National Olive Industry Virtual Conference

via Zoom webinar

SAVE THE DATES: Tuesday, 13 October to Friday, 16 October - 3:00-5:00pm each day Program (TBC) Day 1 – Tuesday, 13 October: Soil management • Soil carbon • Soil biome • Soil improvement

Day 3 – Thursday, 15 October: Olives & health • Overview of OWI project • Cooking with EVOO • Latest olives & health research

Day 2 – Wednesday, 14 October: Grove management • Automated weather stations and water management • Grove management via remote sensing

Day 4 – Friday, 16 October: Olive marketing • International edible oil market • Global olive market update • Domestic market update

Friday, 16 October 17.30-9.00PM Australian International Olives Awards Presentation Public event: all welcome to join the celebrations!

Registrations now open AOA members – FREE Non-members – $30+GST per session or Full week ticket $100+GST Note: AIOA award presentation FREE for all attendees

Full program details and register at www.olivebiz.com.au

AOA 2020 National Conference

Jacqui Plozza

Cheryl Kalisch Gordon

Sarah Gray

Gulliver of C-Wise presenting “The City in the Soil”.

Voted #1 presenter at the 2019 Conference in Albury, John returns to the 2020 event to expand on the importance of soil carbon, the soil biome, and how to harness them in your grove to better manage tree nutrition, available water, and tree health to improve grove productivity.

He will be joined this year by Andy Gulliver, a legend in the Australian composting industry. Andy is at the cutting edge of composting technology and the emerging science that underpins it. His presentations on the soil biome at the IPDM Field Days in WA resonated profoundly with olive growers who attended, and he’s now keen to spread the word at a national level.

Andy and John will provide a dynamic series of presentations to assist delegates to understand soil biology, along with management tips to improve the soil health in their groves.

From automated weather stations and water management to grove management via remote sensing satellites, the session will cover methodologies both available and being trialled in Australia, and the benefits and opportunities they offer to growers and the industry. In particular, you’re going to want to hear Dr Kerry Walsh on harvest timing via infrared technology.

Friday, 16 October

Wednesday, 14 October

Day 2 is all about Grove Management, with a focus on the new technologies providing improvements and efficiencies in groves and farms across the world.

Thursday, 15 October

Day 3 moves into the fascinating world of olives and health, including the science that underpins the topic. Presented by the Olive Wellness Institute’s Sarah Gray and Jacqui Plozza, the session will cover the latest olives and health research, and the work being done to ensure health professionals and consumers are informed about the benefits of olive products.

Jacqui will also share her expert knowledge about cooking with EVOO, countering the myth that “you can’t cook with olive oil” - the greatest barrier to increasing consumption of EVOO globally. Everyone in our industry needs to know the facts so we can expose the myth and contribute to educating others that its beneficial to our health to cook with olive oil.

It’s no good making a great product unless you can sell it, so the final day focuses firmly on marketing. Dr Cheryl Kalisch Gordon, Senior Grains & Oilseeds Analyst with RaboBank, will share her deep knowledge of the world’s edible oil markets and her analysis of the big picture trends that will influence and drive these markets in the foreseeable future, while international consultant Paul Miller and Boundary Bend Business Development Manager Andrew Burgess will update on the current state of the global and domestic olive markets respectively.

Register now

Registration is now open and is free for AOA members; non-member registration is $30+GST per session or $100+GST for a full week ticket. The AIOA award presentation is free for all attendees.

Access full program details and register at www.olivebiz.com.au.

Strong competition for 2020 AIOA A strong field of entries has been received for this year’s Australian International Olive Awards, setting up another exciting and competitive event.

Chief Steward Trudie Michels said that a substantial drop in entries had been expected however, while EVOO and flavoured oils numbers were down, the decrease in total entries was only around 10% from last year.

“Given the incredibly difficult year, where we’ve had bushfires, drought, poor flowering, COVID-19 and off-year biennial bearing, the levels of entries are excellent,” Michels said.

“And it’s great to see the excellent growth in table olive entries, indicating a renewed interest in table olive production and quality procedures.

“It’s also great that all of this year’s exhibitors got their entries in early, which was a concern considering the current postal challenges.

16 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

“All up, there’s been a really enthusiastic response to the competition The going ahead, and it’s fantastic to have IAN entries from Tunisia, Italy, Spain, New I NATUE RS TNRAATLI O NAL Zealand, China and Australia this year.

Olive Awards “All entries arrived on time and have been accounted for. They have been sorted, coded and sent across the world in preparation for judging day on 19 September, which is all very exciting.

“Thanks and best of luck to everyone who entered!”

®

www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia .com .au

Medal winners will receive their results via email on 5 October, with the major awards announced at the Australian International Olive Awards Presentation (online event) on 16 October.

Australian International Olive Awards

The

AU STRAL IAN I N T E R N AT I O N A L Olive Awards

®

www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia .com .au

AIOA entrants, we want your smiling faces!

One of the best things about the annual AIOA award presentation is the happy, smiling faces of the medal winning producers.

We capture those faces on camera during the event, and throughout the following year share the images far and wide - with Olivegrower, Friday Olive Extracts and OliveBiz readers; on our FaceBook page and Twitter feed; and to media.

It’s an opportunity to give well-deserved recognition to our award-winning producers and also about providing the maximum promotion possible for our winners, ensuring their brands, businesses and achievements are – quite literally – as visible as possible.

With COVID-19 restrictions taking this year’s presentation virtual, we obviously can’t get our usual photographic spread of the triumphant winners, so WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!

• Holding your AIOA Certificate and/or product – preferably one/s you entered • Names to go with the faces (first and last) • Good quality, high resolution (minimum 300 dpi/2 MB)

If you’ve won a medal PLEASE SEND US A PHOTO!

THANK YOU! WE LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING YOUR HAPPY, SMILING, WINNING FACES WITH THE WORLD

HERE’S WHAT WE NEED: • Faces - happy, smiling and looking at the camera • *You, your team or your whole family, if you’re all involved in the business • A relevant background - your grove, farmshop, packing shed - alternatively, a plain wall

HOW TO SEND THEM: 1. Please send full-sized images – if they need cropping, we can do that without losing quality 2. Re-name the file name with your company/brand name and medal/s won for easy identification 3. Send as a separate attachment, not embedded in the email (which also reduces the size and quality) 4. Don’t forget the names!!

5. Email or send a transfer file to Gerri at editor@olivegrower.com.au

Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 17

Olives & bushfire

The trees cut back to six-inch trunks are being re-established from basal suckers. Eventually the strongest one will be left to grow and the others removed.

Bushfire recovery, six months on In the March edition we looked at the damage caused by last summer’s devastating bushfires in two SA groves, and the respective actions undertaken to assist in the trees’ recovery. An Olives SA field day was held in August at Woodside Grove to check on progress, with a wealth of observations and advice shared on both bushfire recovery and general grove management practices.

Woodside Farm: background

In late December 2019 an uncontrolled bushfire raged through Ron and Ethne Baker’s Woodside Farm grove. It impacted around 4500 of the 5000 trees, most of which were mature and in full production, along with 50km of irrigation piping.

As it was an extremely hot grass fire, rather than a crown burn, the trees were heataffected rather than destroyed: the leaves were brown and dead but the trunk and main branches appeared to be okay. It was hoped the damaged trees could be saved so they prioritised getting water back onto the grove, a massive task achieved in two weeks thanks to Olives SA volunteers.

Knowing the fire would stimulate shooting all over the trees, the Bakers then decided to cut all the severely heat-affected trunks off at 5ft (1.5m) to keep the re-growth manageable.

From there the plan was for selective re-shooting for two years and hopefully a crop in the third year.

Grove observations and discussion

Mulching The tops cut off the burned trees were mulched at the time and the mulchings were left in the rows. In the six months-plus since they have already broken down significantly, adding valuable organic matter to the grove.

Trunk damage While cutting the trunks the Bakers had found some trees where the bark had ‘cooked’, and the intense temperature had damaged the trunk down to ground level.

With recovery and regrowth via the trunk not occurring, these trees were later cut down even further to a six-inch stump.

Many of the damaged higher cut trees have since developed shoots, with various degrees of vigour. Some have developed from existing moisture in the trees, and will eventually die; some of the trees have also been found to have dead sections throughout the trunk.

Basal sucker re-establishment The trees cut back to six-inch trunks are being re-established from basal suckers. They

18 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

weren’t grafted, so there’s no risk that the re-growth is root stock and the Bakers know the trees will be true to the original varietals.

The sucker shoots are coming up in a number of areas around the trunk. Eventually the strongest one will be chosen and left to grow, and the others removed.

Comment was made that the vigour of the shoots can change over time, with new more dominant shoots often appearing well after the others, and that “what you see now is probably not what you’ll end up with”.

Weeds Control of weeds is important at this early stage of re-growth to reduce competition for water and available nutrients. Much of the trees’ previous root growth is no longer functional and they are therefore re-establishing new roots below the trunk, along with the new shoots above.

Spraying is not recommended, however, due to the high risk of damage caused to young growth by Glyphosate products.

Glyphosate causes genetic damage to

Olives & bushfire

Some of the higher cut trees developed shoots from existing moisture in the trees, however they were too badly damaged to sustain the growth.

Some of these have instead sprouted from the base.

While others have established lush, healthy regrowth.

the structure of the plant which can cause problems for many years and “you always have drift”, even on a still day.

Large established trees will handle a certain amount of Glyphosate without sustaining damage but for young suckers and shoots, any exposure at all “is not a good practice”.

Shoot selection and establishing the new tree Leave all suckers growing for a year to see how they respond. Each tree will progress differently and you need a good strong, straight shoot growing upwards before you de-select the others. Importantly, lots of small additional suckers will also increase growth of the root system and provide energy for the bigger suckers - including the eventual new stem.

Choosing the shoot which will become your new tree is a combination of observation and experience – if you have it!

Sometimes it’s easy: one shoot will just take over and it becomes obvious that ‘it’s the one’. Sometimes there are several dominant shoots among a bunch of others: in that case check the growth monthly and eventually it will become clear which is the best of the two.

The important thing is to wait until you have that one strong, straight, dominant shoot in place, then remove the rest of the growth to let it have free access to the water and nutrients available.

Once you’ve done that, continue to take the centre growth out to shape your tree.

Don’t stake the new stem, rather prune to straighten. The plant will respond to wind movement by establishing a stronger root system to keep it in place.

Replanting Where trees were completely destroyed by the fire, the trunks are being removed by tractor and replacement trees planted in the same holes. Any remaining dead roots will rot down, providing nutrients and water channels for the new trees: as long as there is good drainage there is generally no problem with the practice.

One possible downside raised by Coonalpyn Grove Manager Andrew Taylor is that the dying roots can become a food source for soil-borne fungal disease, however he said any evidence of that being an issue was “a long way off”.

Varietal variations In the Woodside grove the Coratina trees survived the fire better, followed by the Frantoio and then the Leccino. The latter aren’t doing particularly well, however, and it is expected that most of them will eventually die.

Progress of top-cut trees The first burned trees to be top-cut, which also had water provided as soon as possible, have progressed far better than the rest of the grove and are way ahead in terms of shoot vigour, colour and volume.

The Bakers are leaving them alone for now, just monitoring tree health and letting the dominant shoots come through and become obvious. This may take up to two years and they’ll then thin the trees out with a chainsaw.

Regrowth: to thin or not to thin?

Discussion was had about the pros and cons of leaving all the regrowth in place, particularly as it becomes quite dense.

Considerations are: • thinning out enables all the branches to

get more sunshine, and therefore energy; • most will grow straight upwards, however, whereas you want them to compete for sunshine and grow outwards; • the issue of disease, as dense canopy regrowth creates a good environment for fungal attack.

Note: ongoing monitoring and early, minimal treatment is one course of action for disease but the recommendation is that it’s better to just leave the trees alone for two years, then go in and deal with whatever is there once, saving the money and time involved in ongoing treatment.

All up, it was agreed that there is no advantage in thinning out or choosing new stem shoots this early. In fact, it could be a disadvantage if wind or birds break the chosen branches after the others have been removed.

Future harvests Mention was also made of planning for the initial future harvests after regrowth. The first crop shouldn’t be touched, as the tree growth will be too soft and easily damaged or broken off, destroying wood suitable for the following harvest.

There is also a high risk of damage if a trunk vibrator is used at harvest for at least the first three years - “and fruit on one/twoyear-old wood attached to eight-year-old trees won’t shake off anyway” - so alternative methods like electronic rakes would have to be used until the new fruiting tree growth is older.

Sun damage A question was asked about the risk of sun damage to the bare trees, particularly in terms of the cut sites, and whether paint or

Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 19

Olives & bushfire

Coonalplyn grove manager Andrew Taylor led discussion around the pros and cons of retaining all regrowth.

kaolin clay should be applied for protection until there is sufficient regrowth. The advice was that the sun damage doesn’t have enough effect to make treatment worthwhile.

Rio Vista Olives: background

Rio Vista Olives’ Jared Bettio was also hit by the December 2019 bushfires, which impacted heavily on his 200-tree Manzanillo grove at Mt Torrens.

While logistics meant the field day participants couldn’t also visit Jared’s grove, he gave attendees a good run down of the damage sustained and his management of the grove since.

Pre-fire preparation

Fortunately, when the fire season peaked Bettio had both water available and a foreboding feeling that the forecast catastrophic fire warnings were going to come to fruition.

His grove has sprinklers - “not the most efficient irrigation but I inherited them” - so he normally has a green belt around his trees.

When he heard about the weather conditions that were coming he decided to put all the water left in his dam on the grove, and for three days he irrigated 24/7. He also mowed the grass in the grove right down to ground level.

As a result, he said, on the day of the fire the ground was soaking wet and spongey, and the fire just smouldered through the grove.

And while adjacent gums were burned to the ground, the olive trees were left standing.

They were scorched and severely stressed, however that good preparation combined with fast action post-fire to lay the groundwork for what he hopes will be a solid recovery.

Post-fire action The irrigation system in Bettio’s grove was also destroyed but he was able to replace it more quickly and had water back on to the trees in three days. This meant he was able

With good strong regrowth occurring, the Rio Vista grove is getting minimal intervention until next year when structural pruning is planned.

to immediately re-establish the trees’ usual weekly watering regime.

Aiming for fast regrowth, he also gave the affected trees a nitrogen injection around the base to stimulate the process. Other than keep the water up, however, that was all he did immediately post-fire.

It worked, producing good strong regrowth and keeping the roots alive.

Ongoing grove maintenance Bettio said next year he will prune the regrowth, choosing and retaining the strongest shoots only, aiming to get some structure back into the trees.

Until then, he’s following the minimal intervention approach. He hasn’t used herbicides for the past three years, rather mowing and slashing, and leaving the cuttings as mulch. He “mows and mows and mows” to keep the weeds under control and give the trees the best chance at the available water and nutrients.

Cape-weed This year the Rio Vista grove has had an infestation of cape weed in particular something also noted at Woodside Farm and

20 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

discussed during the field day. Cape weed is an opportunistic plant which commonly invades areas where the ground has been laid bare, and blocks the growth of other plants with its crown of thick, wide-spreading leaves.

Bettio said he’ll keep mowing it down and, with its spreading domination under control, eventually the other grasses will come through. This was backed by concensus by field day attendees, with note made that it is particularly important to keep it mown down as it nears the seed-setting stage.

Learning opportunity

It’s great news that re-growth is now well underway in both groves, and interesting to see the varying results and how they relate to their different fire-event situations.

There’s a lot to learn from their experiences - and with another hot summer ahead it’s a valuable opportunity for all growers to gain preparatory knowledge.

We’ll update on progress again in the March edition of Olivegrower, to see how the groves are looking with a full year’s opportunity for recovery and regrowth.

Olives & bushfire

Recovery of Australia’s soils following bushfires Dr Mark Farrell, CSIRO Agriculture & Food and Dr Suzanne Prober, CSIRO Land & Water

While attention to bushfire recovery often centres on above ground developments - rebuilt buildings and a return of green tree canopies - it's what happens below the surface that often determines how successful recovery actually is.

The 2019-20 Australian bushfire season was one of the most widespread and destructive in living memory. Starting in drier parts of Queensland as early as June 2019, the fires advanced south with the change of season.

Between September 2019 and January 2020, an estimated 7.38 million hectares were burned, including 5 million hectares of conservation land, 1.84 million hectares of state forests and plantations, and a further 0.53 million hectares of agricultural land.

The impact of the fires on the affected managed and natural ecosystems was extensive. In addition to ecosystems that rely on fire for regeneration such as eucalypt-dominated sclerophyllous forests, in NSW >50% of relict Gondwanan rainforests were impacted.

Based upon areas burned and known geographical distribution of fauna, over 1 billion animals are estimated to have perished in New South Wales and Victoria. This figure does not include platypuses, bats, frogs, insects or other invertebrates, nor does it take in to account losses in Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.

What is less clear is the impact of the bushfires on the soils that support these ecosystems and agricultural productivity.

Impacts of fire on soil

Australia’s soils are diverse and often ancient, having co-evolved over millions of years with the ecosystems that they support. Though altered by conversion to agriculture, soils underpinning agricultural production retain key properties stemming back to their formation and the native vegetation that once occupied them. Given their slow speed of generation, they are effectively a non-renewable resource and are prone to degradation - particularly following disturbance from fire.

Soil Science Australia has studied the direct and indirect impacts of

The orange ground colour shows where the soil carbon has been burnt out (the linear shapes where this occurred indicate where logs, etc, have completely burnt). Image: Suzanne Prober.

bushfire on soil. Typically, direct impacts of fire only affect surface (<10 cm) soils, and relate both to the impact of heat and the deposition of ash, which can alter pH and nutrient availability.

Farmers know the importance of the soil’s microbial community to aid resilient production. However, microbes are just as central to the health of native flora. Fire can damage these microbial communities, as well as many nutrient and organic matter cycling functions.

Research undertaken at a site impacted by the 2013 Bookham fire in NSW showed differences in response of soil nutrient cycling and microbial community composition dependent upon land use.

Although we were unable to recover much reliable data from the soil temperature sensors that were deployed on our field sites impacted by the fire, the very fact that some survived in the pasture whilst all were destroyed in neighbouring bushland that backs onto Burrinjuk Nature Reserve demonstrates the differences in fire intensity.

So there is significant nuance in how soils are impacted by fire.

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NATIONAL HARVESTERS Mobile: 0427879125 Email: nationalharvest@internode.on.net Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 21

Olives & bushfire

Factors include a fire’s speed, direction, intensity and fuel load, and affect both the soil itself and the properties and subsequent behaviour of the ash and char left behind.

Increased hydrophobicity

Soil hydrophobicity - a tendency for soils to repel water on their surface - may also increase due to the transformation and movement of organic matter in the soil and litter. Increased hydrophobicity can lead to a reduction in water available to plants for their re-establishment or recovery. In turn, this can lengthen the time in which soils remain bare, exposing them to a greater chance of erosion.

Erosion

Erosion of soils following bushfire is possibly the greatest hazard to recovery, both to the impacted landscape, but also land, water and air resources further afield. In areas with steep gradients, both ash and topsoil now unprotected by vegetation may be eroded into watercourses, dramatically altering their chemistry and increasing turbidity. Following significant rainfall, deep gully erosion may also occur. In flatter areas exposed to high winds, such as many of the agricultural properties affected by the Kangaroo Island fires in South Australia, wind erosion can be a significant issue.

So, what can be done to assist soil recovery?

Options for recovery or mitigation in agricultural areas

Fires often burn quickly and with lower intensity over crop lands and pastures. Nonetheless, agricultural soils may often be more vulnerable to erosion following a fire because almost all aboveground organic material is lost in pasture and cropland, often including the litter layer built up under no-till cropping. As a result, very little protection remains for topsoil.

Management of newly burned soils in an agricultural setting is very much case dependent upon soil type, farming system, fire intensity, subsoil moisture availability and anticipated weather before the next planned land management activity. With prevention of erosion the primary goal, a number of options are available to land managers.

In sandy soils with a lower clay horizon within reach of a plough, clay spreading and delving i.e. deep tillage to bring up sufficient clay to reduce erosion whilst also potentially limiting hydrophobicity and improving infiltration may be an option. Care should be taken however if the subsoil is known to constrain production as such activities may create further problems down the track.

Whilst a high up-front cost, claying or the application of organic amendments to particularly vulnerable areas may not only reduce the immediate risk or erosion, but also offer longer-term benefits to production. Dependent upon subsoil moisture and timing, it may be beneficial to establish a cover crop, either single species or mixed, though care should be taken to ensure that such an approach wouldn’t compromise the following cash crop.

Investigate first

Before undertaking any amelioration activity, it’s important to fully investigate the scope of the damage. In sandier soils, even dead remnant roots may hold topsoil together better than cultivation.

Withholding unnecessary traffic and grazing is also vital, and weeds may provide a beneficial role in holding soil in place.

Following fire, it is also important to undertake soil testing, which will provide insight into changes in properties such as pH and organic carbon that may require monitoring or addressing. Further, if the microbial community is sufficiently compromised by the heat of the fire and subsequent damage to the soil, it may be easier for disease to create a foothold.

Evidence of soil carbon burnout after a bushfire, in this case more than 2cm deep in the soil. Image: Suzanne Prober

Options for recovery or mitigation in areas of natural vegetation

In natural environments, recovery of soils is dependent on recovery of the vegetation. Many areas will rapidly recover as ground-layer species such as ferns, forbs and grasses start to re-sprout or germinate.

Key to assisting ecological recovery is identifying areas where such natural recovery may be slow or impeded (e.g. vegetation types such as rainforests that are not well adapted to fire), and slopes that can create erosion concerns. These areas could benefit from attention to managing erosion and soil biophysical conditions.

Where intervention is considered desirable, actions could include dense replanting using seed and seedlings (in an appropriate season), or use of log erosion barriers, mulches or fibre webbing material.

Where run-off of sediments into streams is of concern, there is also good evidence to show that restoring grassy or herbaceous buffers of 20-40 m wide is effective. A more recently emerging experimental intervention is soil inoculation to promote an artificial biocrust. For example, inoculation with cyanobacteria has been shown to reduce hydrophobicity especially in finer textured soils that are richer in organic carbon and nitrogen.

Trade-offs and impacts

Finally, it is always important to be wary of potential trade-offs between the need to restore soils and other elements of the ecosystem.

For example, introduction of foreign soil microbes could lead to undesirable outcomes e.g. phytophthora infestation, and promoting ground-cover may conflict with the need to control undesirable invasive species. Such trade-offs would need to be individually assessed by land managers.

Beyond the fire ground, impacts on downstream ecosystems and assets should be monitored, particularly drinking water storage, and impacts on these considered when remediation on the fire ground is planned.

Ongoing management required

Australia and the world looked on in horror to the damage caused by the bushfires, wondering how long areas would take to recover and in some instances whether recovery was possible at all.

Land managers should be aware of the risks of doing nothing, but also of the potential for inappropriate intervention (e.g. ploughing a paddock that has retained root matter) to exacerbate land degradation.

The good news is that much of the area burnt out is adapted to naturally recover, even if it will take many years to regain all of its vegetation and wildlife.

With care and attention, our agricultural and ecological soils can recover from fire.

Source: ECOS Issue 266, Recovery, May 2020 - www.ecos.csiro.au/soil-fire-recovery.

22 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

THE LATEST UPDATES ON R&D WITHIN THE OLIVE INDUSTRY | SEPTEMBER 2020

R&D Insights contains the latest levy-funded R&D project updates, research findings and related industry resources, which all happen under the Hort Innovation Olive Fund.

Hort Innovation partners with leading service providers to complete a range of R&D projects to ensure the long-term sustainability and profitability of the olive industry.

Webinars keep the knowledge-sharing coming COVID-19 restrictions have brought a lot of changes and for our industry, one was the unfortunate postponement of the AOA’s national Healthy Soils Field Day program and Boort Processing Workshop.

While we couldn’t gather in person, the AOA ensured the momentum of the industry’s ongoing interactive knowledge-sharing program was maintained via a webinar series, covering a range of productivity and profitability topics directly affecting Australian olive growers and producers.

Utilising the user-friendly Zoom online platform, the events were held from May through to early September. Each ran for approximately an hour - on occasion longer when enthusiasm and questions abounded - with an expert presentation followed by live Q&A and discussion. Participation was free, open to all levy payers and interested industry members.

The webinars were also recorded and made available on the OliveBiz website, enabling access for those who couldn’t make it live and the opportunity for ongoing reference and review by event participants.

Remote sensing project The series kicked off with the first three sessions in the productivity and profitability webinar series, covering the application of cutting-edge remote sensing in the Australian olive industry.

Members of the olive industry remote sensing research team provided an overview of the Olive Remote Sensing Project, explaining and discussing the technologies and uses of aerial, ground and NIR sensing.

The second webinar provided an update on the mapping component of the project, explaining the benefits of a national olive map and providing a live demonstration on how to enter the data for your grove.

The third session then provided an overview on grove irrigation trials being undertaken as part the project, along with associated oil accumulation results.

Enthusiastic response Registrations were strong and saw industry members across the country learn about the research, the new technologies being utilised and the

opportunities they present for olive growers now and into the future.

The session covering the Boundary Bend irrigation testing project was particularly well attended, with participants keen to see further results and progress as the project continues. Even more remarkable was the response to the national mapping information, which saw 59 new land use surveys uploaded in the following hours – a 75% increase in the existing information database.

Digital marketing Next up was the Digital Marketing series, presented by Lauren Hamilton from Digital Narrative – a ‘big tick’ presenter and workshop facilitator at the 2019 National Conference.

Designed for producers looking into an online presence and those wanting to sharpen their online marketing

24 skills, the series was particularly relevant and timely: the COVID-19 induced shut-down of food service and farmers markets had just hit and many were scrambling to adapt their sales models to a contact-free mode.

Hamilton said the questions posed during the webinars showed the varied situations of the attendees but that a few common topics emerged.

“There was a lot of interest in how to convert what you’ve already got, to do what you need to do now,” she said.

“Most really wanted to retrofit their existing sites to perform in these new ways – although that’s not always possible – so we explored the possibilities of making whatever website you have fit for purpose.

“Interestingly, there was a bit of pushback about the discussions around Shopify, although it’s often the most cost-effective option. It’s actually the perfect solution if all you need to do is sell stuff online and you don’t have a website. The main thing is that they now know what it is and how it works, and can make an informed decision as to whether it’s right for them.

“We also talked about paid Facebook and Google ads, and that it’s better to get a professional to do it. I definitely got the sense that that part is quite challenging for producers – as it is for me, and I have to do it every day.

“By the end I felt that people got a good handle on the various options and how they may or may not suit their businesses. Some spoke to me afterwards about more specific issues and I could tell that they now understood where their gaps were.

“That was what we were aiming for: to allow people to identify those gaps and say ‘I don’t have that and that’s okay’ or ‘I’m missing this piece of the puzzle and now I know how to get it’.”

Feedback confirmed the success of Hamilton’s webinars, with attendees saying they gained “valuable highquality information” and guidance in how to go about refining or setting up their own offerings.

Processing The webinar series then moved to production issues, with a live cross to international industry consultant

Pablo Canamasas in Argentina for an Evaluation of Processing Aids for Olive Oil Extraction & Quality Improvement.

Covering one segment of the postponed Boort Processing Workshop, the webinar gave attendees the low-down on methods for increasing processing efficiency.

In a comprehensive presentation, Canamasas combined the facts and figures with experiential insight, turning a complex topic into useful – and, importantly, usable – practical information.

Feedback is best summed up by this attendee: “Great format and well run. Excellent presenter: Pablo is able to explain the whys and hows, and also provide the technical/scientific background information, all in language which makes sense to the average person.

An amazing opportunity for all in the industry to learn more about the process and science of processing from an international expert - and for free! Incredible.”

Table olives Continuing on the production theme, the next webinar was Talking Table Olives, presented by South African expert Linda Costa. The session followed up on Costa’s highly successful national table olive workshop tour, held earlier this year, facilitating discussion around producers’ experiences with current ferments.

With an array of questions posed both before and during the presentation, and enthusiastic input from the 60-plus participants, it was a dynamic session of shared information and problem-solving.

Not surprisingly, feedback was

outstanding, with Costa’s warm, engaging style and limitless knowledge seeing many rate the webinar among the best they’d attended.

IPDM project resources The series then wrapped up on 1 September with New IPDM Project Resources and How to Access Them. Pest and disease experts Dr Robert Spooner-Hart and Len Tesoriero showcased the outputs from the current levy R&D project An integrated pest and disease management extension program for the olive industry (OL17001), presenting resources including online tutorials on IPDM theory and practice, tutorials and flyers on key olive pests and diseases, the revised Field Guide to Olive Pests, Disorders and Diseases in Australia; and the new Olive IPDM Manual, and how to access them.

The ‘hot topic’ session was well attended, ensuring growers are up-to-date with the latest practical information on implementing integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) strategies in their groves.

Access and/or re-visit The webinar recordings and IPDM resources are now available on the OliveBiz website - www.olivebiz.com. au - under the Projects dropdown.

The AOA productivity and profitability webinar series is part of the project Australian olive industry communications and extension program (OL18000), funded by Hort Innovation using the olive levy research and development levy, coinvestment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.

25

New handbook provides data on the year in horticulture The latest edition of the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook is now available, providing comprehensive and contemporary data on all sectors of the Australian horticulture industry for the year ending June 2019.

Production volume

The handbook features data and insights relating to production, international trade, processing volumes and fresh market distribution for 75 different horticultural categories.

Production value (rounded to nearest M)

Highlights The data in the latest edition shows that in 2018/19, the horticulture sector recorded its highest total production value to date, at $14.4 billion.

Fruit production accounted for 2,793,432T of the total Horticultural Production figure of 6,731,638T. Olives were the seventh highest fruit crop by tonnage (125T), after oranges, bananas, apples, table grapes, watermelon and mandarins, and accounted for almost half of the combined Fruit for Processing category (excluding table grapes).

At $5,525M, fruit production accounted for more than a third of the total horticultural products value of $14,367M. Of that, $210M was for Fruit for Processing, with olive production comprising more than three-quarters of the total value at $155M. Interestingly, of the seven largest fruit crops by tonnage above, olives were the fifth highest in terms of value per ton and well ahead of both oranges and watermelons:

Product

Production volume

Production value

$/T

table grapes

208,000T

$693M

$3332/T

Overall sector highlights include:

mandarins

157,000T

$299M

$1904/T

seven years of consecutive growth

bananas

372,000T

$595M

$1599/T

apples

310,000T

$512M

$1562/T

olives

125,000T

$155M

$1240/T

industry growth of 8.4%, a $1.1

billion annual increase on 2017/18

average compound annual growth

rate over the last five years of 5.6% - total 31%

oranges

528,000T

$399M

$756/T

watermelons

230,000T

$107M

$465/T

Fruit category statistics

Olives Overview

Other information

The handbook covers four industry category sections - Vegetables, Fruit (including olives) Nuts, and Other horticulture, with a fifth section focussed on Trade Analysis. Major relevant statistics for the Fruit category include:

The final four pages of the Fruit category section are the Olives Overview, providing a snapshot of Australian olive industry for the 2018-1019 year and further figures including:

Additional data includes a table showing olive production volume and value, exports, imports and fresh supply for the current and previous two years; production and seasonality data by state; and a profile of exports and imports of olive oil over the last five financial years.

Horticultural imports For the year ending June 2019 Australia imported $2.87B worth of horticultural products. Processed fruit (excluding wine grapes) was the greatest value import category ($1062M and 32%), with olives and olive oil accounting for almost a quarter of that value ($254.9M).

Horticultural exports In contrast, processed fruit accounted for only 6% and $175.6M of Australia’s $2.92B in horticultural exports in the same year, with olives and olive oil comprising less than 10% of the total at $16.6M.

of the 125,000 T of fresh olives

produced, 95% or 118,750 were extracted for oil

19,736T of oil was produced,

equivalent to 21.6 million litres of olive oil with an estimated average olive oil extraction rate was 16.64%

wholesale value of oil produced was $324M

average weighted wholesale national price for EVOO was $6.40/kg

wholesale value of the table olives produced was $101M

Australia imported 33,274T of olive oil, valued at $185M

consumption of olive oil per capita, based on volume supplied, was 2.1kg.

Access the handbook Now published online, updated features of the current edition include a new interactive dashboard providing improved search functionality and user preferences. The original hard copy format of the handbook is also available for this edition through separate downloadable PDF documents covering four category sections of the current edition: Vegetables, Fruit (including olives) Nuts, and Others.

The Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2018-19 was produced by the across-industry levy investment project Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2018-19 to 202021 (HA18002).

26

GPs embrace EVOO for preventative cardiology The Olive Wellness Institute (OWI) is one of our industry’s greatest assets, promoting the health benefits of olive products via its educative website and a range of ongoing activities.

Getting the word - and scientific facts - out to health professionals is a major part of their work, and in July the Institute supported a free national webcast as part of the Healthed Hot Topic Series.

Run specifically for healthcare professionals, the unique podcast series features some of Australia’s leading clinical experts, talking on topics that are both practical and important to Australian GPs. The 14 July webcast featured four speakers on wide-ranging healthcare topics, headed by Olive Oil, Lipids and Cardiovascular Risk presented

by Dr Jason Kaplan. Dr Kaplan is a Specialist Cardiologist and Physician, currently appointed as Clinical Lead of Cardiovascular and Respiratory Medicine at Macquarie University, with a self-confessed “passion for preventative cardiology”.

Science and practice In his presentation Dr Kaplan summarised the science around the benefits of olive oil and shared the results of studies confirming the positive effects on inflammation, endothelial function, hypertension, insulin sensitivity, diabetes and other conditions. In particular, he highlighted the specific benefits for lipid profile and cardiovascular risk, and provided practical advice on how to implement the beneficial outcomes of olive oil consumption in real life.

“Sell-out” session OWI General Manager Sarah Gray said the response to the webinar was “amazing”, with more than 1000 healthcare professionals logging in for the session.

“We thought it would be a popular topic but we were still surprised when we saw that 1053 people attended the session,” she said.

“Of those, 79% were GPs, so that’s a

lot of doctors interested in learning more about how EVOO can help their patients.

“The feedback was incredibly positive too. Nearly 80% said that they now feel comfortable recommending EVOO for lipid problems like high cholesterol, while over 90% said they now plan to recommend EVOO as a dietary intervention for cardiovascular disease.

“That’s now a lot of doctors confident in using EVOO as a part of their clinical treatment mix.”

Research Recap PROJECT NAME: Educating health professionals about Australian olive products (OL19001)

Momentum continues And the enthusiasm for EVOO and its healthy properties has continued post-event.

“We had 254 GPs opt in to our database from the event. Each of them will receive an OWI sample bottle - so no doubt they’ll be even bigger fans once they try it,” Gray said.

“The session is also now available as a podcast and 994 people have currently downloaded and played it since the webinar.

“That’s more than 2000 ‘listens’ to the information all-up, and hopefully 2000-plus health professionals now looking at or actively recommending fresh, Australian EVOO as part of their ongoing patient care.”

Access Dr Kaplan’s session podcast and all of the Olive Wellness Institute resources at www. olivewellnessinstitute.org.

PROJECT AIM: To increase the use of olive products in the daily lives of consumers by equipping Australian health care and food industry professionals with the knowledge they need to advise about their health benefits and uses

PROJECT PARTNER: Boundary Bend Limited

FUNDING: Hort Innovation Olive Fund

PROJECT ENDS: March 2023

The strategic levy investment project Educating Health Professionals about Australian Olive Products OL19001 is part of the Hort Innovation Olive Fund. The project is partially funded by Hort Innovation, using the Olive Fund research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government.

28

Final report: OL17003 - Australian olive industry sensory training program Dr Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay, NSW DPI Project OL17003: Australian olive industry sensory training was designed to provide the Australian olive industry (AOI) with the necessary skills to enable ongoing monitoring of the sensory attributes of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and table olives (TO), aligned with industry specifications for quality.

The overall objectives of the project were to assist the AOI in providing a series of integrated, staged (beginner-intermediate-expert) training programs. The training programs were designed to meet two main objectives:

maintain the sensory expertise of

Key activities

Project monitoring

encourage new entrants into the

A number of activities were undertaken within the project to ensure the deliverables were met with the target audience:

Success was measured through registration, attendance, engagement and interaction of participants at all face-to-face national TasteBook® workshops in various states.

Participants were provided with pre and post-workshop questionnaires, to provide an understanding of individual expectations in learning and to monitor the performance of the workshop in meeting those criteria. Significant numbers of olive industry stakeholders participated in various modes of training, via both face-to-face activities and online webinars.

accredited sensory panelists and nationally accredited competition judges; and

sensory training discipline of the AOI, and educate them on how to evaluate the sensory quality, flavour and presentation of EVOO and table olives for consistent quality.

This project aimed to ensure that the AOI has a critical mass of trained panelists and competition judges capable of assisting the industry in matching their oil and fruit production to the evolving and increasing demands of the global olive market.

This assists the industry in delivering on Outcomes 1 (improved product quality) and 3 (greater skills, capacity and knowledge in the industry) of the Olive Strategic Investment Plan (SIP) through engagement with other R&D projects, specifically: OL17006 - Extending OliveCare to foster excellence in production of Australian olives.

Participation The target audience for this project were EVOO and TO producers, levy payers and other Australian Olive Association (AOA) members, marketers, sensory panelists, EVOO and TO judges (beginners to experts) and olive product enthusiasts.

establishment of a reference

group for industry consultation and raising of awareness of sensory evaluation

extension of the TasteBook®

initiative to maintain sensory knowledge of existing olive oil panel members and competition judges

sensory panel training for new industry entrants

improved knowledge of table olive sensory descriptors for training and consumer communication

review of past Australian Olive Oil Sensory Panel (Wagga Wagga) classification

masterclasses and workshops

on EVOO and TO judging and training to increase understanding and awareness of EVOO and TO use among general consumers

communication and dissemination and learning and outcomes

project legacy/sensory training program business model evaluation.

At appropriate times, stakeholders were surveyed to gain insight into the value of the information provided and the various methods of delivery.

Key outcomes The project achieved key measurable outcomes including:

increased industry stakeholder

participation and engagement in face-to-face TasteBook® sessions

providing a formal mechanism for

delivering a national framework of sensory training

assisting participants to gain

improved knowledge, awareness and the required sensory assessment skills to confidently undertake organoleptic

29

for future projects and actions within the industry

delivery of clear actionable

recommendations for developing an appropriate industry-driven sensory training program.

In addition, by delivering a detailed sensory training program, the knowledge and expertise gained from this completed project can be utilised to train next generation judges and sensory panelists for the Australian olive industry.

Recommendations It is recommended that delivery of the TasteBook® training program and training resources be continued using various formats into the future. However, its success will be determined by an ability to link training needs and requirements of industry stakeholders, identifying available expertise, resources and skill sets within the Australian olive industry.

Convening regional workshops in the future to present these resources to levy payers is also highly desirable, as is demonstrated by the success of

Page 4

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engagement and participation in the current project.

A national “training needs survey” within the Australian olive industry should be undertaken periodically to facilitate the identification of ongoing training needs and focus areas. For example, if growers would like to know more about olive grove management or competition judges would like to understand olive oil defects. It is important to understand these specific needs and develop and provide relevant modular workshops targeting various groups.

More work also needs to be done to define and formalise the knowledge and skills required for judging competency. Currently the classification of judges is set by an organisation’s Chief Judge and Steward – they determine who will join a panel based on the peer review and relevant skills and expertise. More formal criteria would provide prospective judges with clear guidelines as to the skills they require to be part of a national or international judging panel.

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What new information did you learn from today's TasteBook workshop?

tas loo tin ke gs pr d cla oduc co rity ts mp Wo ar tas r k i tme A g ch ng ntal rowt ssesstes an h isin me ge g ca e nt s G foo teg xam de proje tructuaram o d rie ples s N scri cts red ides ch etwor ption reaas ev ara kin al d cte g jud ing t couate ur s gin ris e g tic

assessment of EVOO and TO and ensure the consistent delivery of a quality product

This is an important step-up and requirement for the Australian olive industry, as show judging and the results provide significant promotion of the best Australian olive products in the domestic and international markets. Hence, it is a pre-requisite to have competent, qualified judging panel to deliver the job effectively.

Chief stewards from international, national and state competitions could co-ordinate this training (funding permitting) with support from Hort Innovation and the Australian Olive Association.

It is important to connect state olive councils with a national framework of training and a formalized program to upgrade skills across the industry.

Working closely with individual state bodies provides access to local expertise, promotes existing available knowledge and greatly assists in the co-ordinating of a relevant training program.

The unprecedented events of 2020 drought, bushfires and now COVID-19 - have shown that resilience, connectivity and networking are much-needed skill sets in the modern horticultural industry. These unexpected situations disrupt and test the industry’s ability to deliver various programs. Therefore, future projects will also need to build capacity to provide continuous training in virtual sessions.

The full version of Dr Paul Mukhopadhyay’s final report for project OL17003 - Australian olive industry sensory training program will be made available on the Hort Innovation website – www. horticulture.com.au.

30

Heads-up: future R&D project activities We’re currently doing it at distance using video technology but there’s still plenty going on in terms of olive industry levy R&D activities.

Here’s a run-down of what’s already on the schedule for coming months, so you can keep your eyes out for notices and get involved:

IPDM project grower survey The final element of the two-year project, the survey will be run in late September 2020.

Olive Industry Strategic Review This important review of industry opportunities and challenges, goals and objectives, will take place in late 2020.

Healthy Soils Field Days

The national program of interactive field days has been re-scheduled for late February to early April 2021, when it is hoped COVID restrictions will be more relaxed.

Boort Processing Workshop Due to its reliance on harvest timing for the practical element, this comprehensive workshop with experts Pablo Canamasas and Peter and Marlies Eicher is planned to be run again in April 2021, again subject to COVID restrictions.

We’ll update as details are confirmed here in the quarterly R&D Insights, and via the Grove Innovation and Friday Olive Extracts e-newsletters.

Industry events are also posted on the OliveBiz website - www.olivebiz. com.au.

IPDM project outputs now available Pest and disease experts Dr Robert Spooner-Hart and Len Tesoriero have travelled the country over the past two years as part of the olive R&D project An integrated pest and disease management extension program for the olive industry (OL17001).

The objective of the project is to provide Australian olive growers with access to current, practical information and instruction for implementing integrated pest and disease management (IPDM) strategies in their groves. And with the project nearing its end, a broad range of information, outputs and associated links is now available on the OliveBiz website, to download, read and/or watch, including:

on-line tutorials on IPDM theory

and practice, and key olive pests and diseases;

flyers on key olive pests and diseases, including exotic biosecurity risks;

Revised Field Guide to Olive

Pests, Disorders and Diseases in Australia;

Olive IPDM Manual.

The information, and how to access it, was presented in a webinar with Spooner-Hart and Tesoriero on

1 September - IPDM Project Resources & How to Access Them.

A recording of the webinar is now available for viewing on the OliveBiz website - www.olivebiz.com.au - under the Projects dropdown, where you’ll also find the full range of IPDM resources.

Pests & disease

New Xylella hosts see plant import regulations - and biosecurity protection - increased Further biosecurity measures were brought into effect on 3 August to manage the threat of the bacterial pathogen Xylella (Xylella fastidiosa) entering Australia through imported nursery stock.

Australia currently remains Xylella-free and the actions are being carried out by the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment under emergency measures put in place to protect against the entry of Xylella fastidiosa (and all of its sub-species) and X. taiwanensis, including a range of import requirements for various plant species.

New host species

The new measures reflect the ongoing work being undertaken to identify the host plant range for Xylella. The known range is expanding, therefore additional plant families and genera were added to the regulatory controls required to reduce the likelihood of the pathogen’s entry into Australia.

The emergency measures will now be applied to nine additional plant families and 59 genera within BICON (Australia’s Biosecurity Import Conditions system), increasing the total number of regulated plant families from 89 to 98.

Ongoing review

Since the emergency measures were introduced in 2015, the department has continued to review the application of existing conditions to ensure that they are fit-for-purpose and effective in managing identified biosecurity

NUMBER OF PLANT HOST SPECIES FOR XYLELLA 700

600

EFSA 2020 update (all sub-species)

500

400

300

EFSA 2015 (all sub-species)

200

Host list, University of Berkeley, California

100

0 2012

2013

2014

2015

risks. Import conditions are subsequently being revised to ensure that the emergency measures are appropriately targeted to the original list of 89 regulated plant families, with updates to genera within those existing families resulting in: • 39 genera requiring additional measures for Xylella • 17 genera no longer requiring regulatory measures for Xylella, as they do not belong to a regulated plant family; the import conditions will therefore be removed for these.

Evidence of new risks posed by Xylella will

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

be monitored and assessed on an ongoing basis, with import conditions updated again if and when appropriate in the future.

Affected material

The changes and requirements affect all genera and species within affected plant families for material imported as nursery stock, including tissue cultures, rooted plants, bud-wood and cuttings, but not to imports of seeds as they are not known to transmit Xylella.

Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 31

Pests & disease

Xylella fastidiosa: background Xylella is a serious plant bacteria and Australia's top priority plant pathogen. It affects a large number of common plant species, including many major horticultural crops, and has the potential to severely impact both our agricultural and horticultural industries, and the environment.

The disease originated in the Americas and has spread to Europe, initially found in Italy and with recent detections in France, Spain, Portugal and Israel. While not yet confirmed, disease symptoms in grapes and almonds in Iran are also most likely due to Xylella infection.

It has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in tree and crop losses, particularly through the decimation of olive groves across Puglia, Italy and vineyards in California.

In addition to having a large host range, Xylella is easily spread by sap-feeding insects and the propagation of infected plants. It is not currently present in Australia but if it gets in and established here it will be practically impossible to eradicate.

The emergency measures for Xylella were therefore implemented in November 2015 to broaden and strengthen Australia’s biosecurity requirements that safeguard against its entry.

Increase expected

National Xylella Preparedness Program Manager Craig Elliott said the change in host range is part of global risk studies, and is commonly seen when monitoring plant pathogens.

“As a part of ongoing risk assessment, the European Food Safety Authority updated their list of known plant species susceptible to Xylella fastidiosa early this year to 595 plant species (up from 563 species) from 275 genera. This risk assessment is based on literature searches of studies of Xylella infection of plants globally,” he said.

“It’s not unexpected to see the number of host plant species increase for Xylella.

Frequently, when a pathogen enters a new area, we will see the number of known host species increase as the pathogen is exposed to those species for the first time or infection in those species is observed for the first time.

“An example of this occurred when Myrtle rust (Austropuccinia psidii) entered Australia: its arrival in Queensland in 2011 saw the number of host species dramatically increase in a very short time as field surveillance identified more and more host species. Even now, almost 10 years after it first arrived in Australia, the full host range is not known.

“We suspect that the arrival of Xylella in Australia will result in a similar increase in the host range as Australian natives are exposed for the first time and are identified as potential hosts. We do know that some Acacia and Grevillea species are hosts, based on observations of their infection in overseas locations, so it is highly likely that a number of other Australian native species are also at risk.”

Risk remains high A growing host range increases the risk of transmission should Xylella enter Australia. Grapes are one of the most well-known hosts, with early visible signs including the shrivelled berries on these vines in California’s Napa Valley.

32 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

Elliott said that this update doesn’t change the risk of a Xylella incursion to Australian olive growers.

Pests & disease

This vineyard in the Sonoma Valley, California shows the devastating impact of a Xylella incursion, with infected vines removed to reduce the viral load and lessen the chance of further spread by feeding insects. Given the proximity of vines and olives in many Australian growing regions, this could happen to you!

“We have seen the effect of Xylella on olives and we cannot let that happen here.

“Growers need to remain extremely vigilant for the signs of any disease and have strong biosecurity in place to protect their businesses and the industry in Australia: we have seen that infection can remain undetected for a number of years, making containment and eradication extremely difficult. “Growers can be encouraged by trials in Italy that have identified some resistance to the effects of Xylella fastidiosa pauca in the Leccino and FS17 cultivars but this comes with the cautionary message that resistance does not mean immunity, nor does it mean that the effects aren’t causing some impact to plants and production.

“Our understanding of Xylella, and how it may be evolving, is still growing, so we need to remain on guard and work to ensure Xylella is kept out of Australia for as long as possible.”

See, Secure, Report … ASAP! Remember that with no cure for Xylella infection, early discovery is the key to control and early action is the only way to ensure eradication.

So keep an eye out in your grove and if you see symptoms of Xylella, its exotic insect vectors or anything else unusual, report it to the Exotic Plant Pest Hotline 1800 084 881 - immediately.

You’ll be put in touch with the department of primary industries or agriculture in your state or territory, and given advice on handling the specimen and what to do next until an officer can investigate.

Stop the spread

More information, and the BICON listing of affected plant families and genera: www.agriculture.gov.au/import.

Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 33

Pests & disease

Disease detection: the “nose” have it!

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service has recently revealed a new weapon in the fight against bacterial plant diseases like Xylella fastidiosa. It’s furry, loves a pat and is also a great companion.

HLB aka citrus greening

In September 2019, huanglongbing - aka HLB or citrus greening was found in residential citrus trees in southern California. HLB shares a number of characteristics with Xylella: it’s caused by a bacterium; spread by insects or infected plant material; there is currently no cure for the disease; and it causes premature defoliation of the tree, among other nasty symptoms. Unlike Xylella, however, there are often no visible signs of HLB for months or even years after infection, by which time the spread and devastation are massive.

“Research by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found the canine-detection method to be 99% accurate” Prevention via containment

Containment of the infected trees was the only way to prevent an epidemic in the citrus-producing region so, thinking outside the square, the Farm Bureau of Ventura County brought in a team of detector dogs trained specifically to find HLB bacteria. Starting at the edges where the disease would first accumulate, they worked their way through the 3500-tree grove, eventually identifying 200+ infected trees.

“The dogs were able to distinguish the citrus greening pathogen from a variety of other citrus pathogens” Speed and accuracy

USDA-funded research by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found the canine-detection method to be 99% accurate. It also substantially speeds up the process of disease identification and disease control, taking minutes per grove compared with minutes per tree for human visual examination and sampling, with further time and expense needed for laboratory testing. The latter also often

Detection dogs are already at work in citrus groves in California and Florida.Photo: courtesy USDA.

requires multiple samples from each suspect tree, whereas a detector dog can ‘diagnose’ a tree from a minute initial infection.

The dogs were also able to identify infected trees within two weeks of inoculation with the infection, and were able to distinguish the citrus greening pathogen from a variety of other citrus bacterial, viral, fungal and spiroplasma pathogens, including closely-related species.

Canine future for crop protection

The researchers believe that the method will become the way forward for efficient crop protection, with dogs trained to detect an increasing range of agricultural infections and diseases.

Yet another reason why these remarkable creatures deserve their title of “man’s best friend”!

Note: The canine-detection method was validated in blind tests by USDA ARS in collaboration with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, with results published in February this year in PNAS, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - www.pnas.org.

34 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

Pests & disease

Sentinel 2 at the South Australian Research and Development Institute's Waite campus.

Pest surveillance takes to the air in cross-industry collaboration Along with regulatory action and new detection methods, successful pest and disease management relies on access to accurate and timely information for on-farm decision makers. The iMapPESTS program aims to provide a co-ordinated system that can rapidly monitor and report the presence of high-priority airborne pests and diseases affecting major agricultural sectors. Program communicator Shakira Johnson explains how it all comes together through the provision of enhanced and co-ordinated surveillance, diagnostics and reporting tools. iMapPESTS

iMapPESTS: Sentinel Surveillance for Agriculture (or iMapPESTS for short) is a national program of research, development and extension designed to put actionable information relating to pest and disease dynamics into the hands of Australia’s primary producers, industries, and governments. The timely delivery of this information will support enhanced on-farm pest management, biosecurity response efforts and proof-of-freedom claims.

The program is led by Hort Innovation, through funding from the Australian Government as part of its Rural Research and Development for Profit program, as well as investment from plant industry Research and Development Corporations (RDCs). In addition, in-kind contributions from national and international partner organisations have been received, including the South Australian Research and

Development Institute (SARDI), Agriculture Victoria (AgVic) and Rothamsted Research (UK).

Over a five-year period (2017-2022), the iMapPESTS program is investigating advanced pest and disease surveillance and diagnostics technologies, including custom-designed and built mobile surveillance units (‘Sentinels’) that incorporate specialised trapping equipment and technology.

Sample capture

The Sentinels are deployed in trials at various locations around the country and capture airborne samples that are examined to identify high priority pests and pathogens. The data and information generated by the surveillance trials are shared with industry through various communication channels and extension activities, an activity

Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 35

Pests & disease

“The suite of Sentinels is set to expand over the remainder of the year ...”

Sentinel trapping and weather devices: each unit utilises a composition of traps and other features to cater for different environments and industry requirements.

being led by AUSVEG in collaboration with the extended research and industry network.

Diagnostics

While the Sentinels trap airborne pests and pathogens, researchers are trialling new and emerging diagnostic tools that aim to speed up the delivery of accurate information on what exactly is captured.

In addition to speeding up accurate reporting of target pests, the iMapPESTS diagnostics collaboration is using high throughput sequencing (HTS) to investigate ways to report on a wider range of insects captured by the Sentinels, including pests and beneficials.

These techniques have the potential to monitor for pests and vectorborne diseases of biosecurity interest to the industry, such as the

vector of Xylella fastidiosa, the glassy-winged sharpshooter.

Another element of the diagnostics research involves analysis the of the gut contents of high priority pests to better understand their feeding habits, such as the plants they may take refuge in once a crop is harvested, or their preference for one crop over another.

User dashboard

AUSVEG are currently working with SARDI, AgVic and Data Effects to create a dashboard for users to access the outcomes of the Sentinel surveillance and will seek feedback from industry to shape it into a valuable tool to improve pest and disease management.

Sentinel 2 trial: Langhorne Creek, South Australia

The iMapPESTS collaboration deployed its second mobile surveillance unit, Sentinel 2, in a crop of Brussels sprouts at Langhorne Creek. The Langhorne Creek trial commenced in mid-July 2019 and monitored airborne pests and pathogens until early September.

The region is most well-known for its vineyards, however there are a variety of crops grown in the area including potatoes, carrots, lucerne and chickpeas.

Sentinel 2, like the prototype Sentinel, features several suction traps on board, including two high volume air samplers to trap airborne spores, a two-metre insect trap and a six-metre insect trap, with a network of smart lure trap devices stationed close by. During the trial, airborne samplers and lure traps targeted high priority targets such as onion thrips (Thrips tabaci), western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) and light brown apple moth (Epiphyas postvittana).

Identifying what’s in the air around the crop Stop pests and diseases at the gate!

The first line of defence against pests and diseases is keeping them out of your property. You can help stop them at the gate with these eye-catching Farm Biosecurity signs, available through the Australian Olive Association’s online shop.

The signs are a 5mm Corflute panel measuring 600 x 900mm, UV laminated, with four eyelets for attachment.

The cost is $40 per sign plus postage.

For delivery within Australia, order now at www. australianolives.com.au/pos-material. For overseas shipment, please email quantities and parcel delivery address to Liz Bouzoudis at secretariat@australianolives.com.au.

Molecular testing can deal with large numbers of samples rapidly and accurately. Yet molecular tests for many of the pests and pathogens we experience do not yet exist. The iMapPESTS program therefore includes the development of more diagnostic tests using next-generation sequencing by Agriculture Victoria (AgVic), Sugar Research Australia and University of Queensland.

The early trials have highlighted the importance of a combination of traditional methods of identification (morphological identification) and modern techniques, as the research investigates the capacity for molecular ID and quantification of in-field samples.

It is important that we use both traditional and modern methods: molecular tests will only identify species for which they have been developed; morphological identification can identify any pest but is

36 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

Pests & disease

Entomologists inspecting trap samples at SARDI.

very time consuming, particularly in mixed population samples like those collected by the Sentinel.

Capture for pattern data

The pests collected by the two-metre and six-metre suction traps on the sentinel can also be compared to gain insight into what might be hanging around in the paddock at two metres, versus what is captured on a regional scale at six metres into the air column. This tall trap generally captures smaller insects caught up in higher wind currents and larger migratory insect. The lower numbers in the twometre trap indicated good pest control.

Visualising patterns of individual pest and pathogen occurrences, together with weather data, will help researchers and decision makers build an understanding of pest and population dynamics.

The pest and pathogen data is married to corresponding environmental data from the time of trapping and shared via the iMapPESTS website (ref: www.imappests.com.au/langhornecreektrial).

diagnostic tests for key insect pests and pathogens across industry sectors.

The iMapPESTS team will work with growers and industry representatives to understand the best way to communicate and visualise the dynamic pest and pathogen information for endusers. Growers and anyone involved in plant pest management are encouraged to visit the iMapPESTS website for more information, or to get in touch.

More information

Contact iMapPESTS Engagement and Adoption Co-ordinator Shakira Johnson - 0433 937 564 or shakira.johnson@ausveg.com.au Further details can also be found at the iMapPESTS website: www.imappests.com.au and you can follow the project on Twitter: @iMapPESTS. QR code for the iMapPESTS website:

Future deployments

The current suite of three Sentinels are being deployed in growing regions around Adelaide, including Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale, Virginia and the Riverlands.

The suite of Sentinels is set to expand over the remainder of the year, with Sentinels 4 and 5 launching this spring and a final unit to be unveiled in early December. They will range in size, deployment method (trailer, skid, modular unit) and composition of traps and other features. These features are being explored to cater to different environments and industry requirements, and will be deployed at strategic locations around the country in 2021 for trialling.

Project aim: 2022

By the end of the project in 2022, the team hope to have a demonstrated a proof-of-concept surveillance system that is suitable for different regions and supported by the appropriate rapid

This project is supported by Hort Innovation through funding from the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment, as part of its Rural R&D for Profit Program and funding from 16 partner organisations. Project number: ST16010.

Issue 117 â&#x20AC;˘ September 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor â&#x20AC;˘ 37

Grove Management

2020 seasonal wrap up: a grower’s perspective Bruce Spinks, Wollundry Grove Olives, Wagga Wagga

Bruce Spinks is a regular contributor to Olivegrower, most recently sharing the experiences and results of the ongoing rejuvenation pruning program at Wollundry Grove. The heavy pruning coincided with a severe drought and water shortages, and has provided the opportunity to observe and learn from both grove practices and the changing weather conditions. Here Spinks shares his reflections on the very challenging harvest year as it unfolded.

This cropping year was an interesting one (probably the understatement of the year), both from an olive growing perspective and the reactionary measures that developed to the different emergencies of the late 2019-2020 year.

Yield

Fruit wise, we have gone from basically a two-year drought and hot, dry summer to a quite cool, slow ripening period and a rain-fed, happy grove at the end. Yield wise, it is up on expectations and my estimates in quantity and in oil yield.

On the downside, we had to work hard and belt the fruit off the trees with a stick with the shaker going, just to shift it off the trees. So, to put it mildly, harvest was a bit of a slog. On the plus side, most of the fruit was removed one way or another.

Disease After recent good rains the rows are a hive of activity, both with the breakdown of the dense mulch and healthy legume growth.

The low disease pressure in the grove was a big positive going into the late rain wet period, with fungal-affected fruit virtually nonexistent. On other groves in the region this was not the case, as fully ripe susceptible varieties were quickly expressing substantial amounts of anthracnose. It may have been hard to justify my fungal spray

There’s a lot going on below the surface too.

38 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

Grove Management

Termites are part of the ‘crew’ recycling the pruning waste.

Other recyclers bring up soil from below and deposit it on top of the mulch layer.

program throughout the year, given the hot dry conditions and the stressed trees, but the end results at the sharp end of the season justified a proactive, preventative fungal control program.

Managing fruit production

As a processor, I have also been in the privileged position of observing how other people managed producing fruit this year. This has left a few questions to answer.

One of the first observations to note was when I was presented with the same variety fruit for processing, with a similar maturity index, on similar dates. The fruit was similar in size, and also picked locally, but there was huge oil percentage variation between our fruit and theirs.

Using Wollundry Grove as the benchmark of 14%, we were processing the same fruit from a different grove at 7.5% oil yield.

Nutritional inputs

This may be explained by the nutritional inputs that have been applied through the growing season but the other issue is that some of those inputs, where applied, really didn’t add to the bottom line.

This could be because of dry soils, where spreader applications would not have had any uptake, or due to not addressing the existing major nutritional imbalances.

Low extraction

Then it also got me thinking about some of the notoriously lowyielding varieties that I am processing for oil: do they have to achieve such low oil extraction that the result is almost uneconomical? What can the grower do during the growing season, with their existing trees, that may improve their yields? Is a variety like South Australian Verdale going to always give low oil percentages, (regardless of all the processing aids used) or can it be tweaked enough to express more oil?

Harvest timing

Timing of harvest is something that has to be balanced out, taking into consideration bird damage, disease pressure on certain varieties,

moisture, maturity index, etc. Additionally, with processing a lot of small groves and hobbyists, the balancing process also includes people’s holiday plans.

On reflection, we probably should have processed a bit later this year, as the oil percentages were still improving without a loss of polyphenols. And as it turned out, it was a slow harvest with the difficult fruit removal, so we did end up capturing some of that additional oil.

With the April rain events that happened this year, the season went into a cooler cycle which slowed the fruit maturity down (the exact opposite of the last two years), which again highlighted all the variabilities that we have to factor in before we can make a hard decision on start dates.

Grove condition now (August)

Birds have been having a field day on all the left over fruit and the rain events have kept rolling through. With June’s recorded 85mm and the prediction of a wet spring, it’s setting the scene for a bumper crop across all agricultural commodities.

It is as though everything is in a rapid catch-up phase with this extra moisture and activity. The grove is putting on a lot of growth, so besides upping the fungal controls, additional fertilizer will be going on. Worm numbers through the soil have taken off and all our mulches, spread through the grove, are quickly disappearing.

There are still people pruning groves and burning up the tops but they need to get down on the ground and see what is actually happening. I’m not an organic grower, just one who utilises whatever's cheapest to get the desired results, and mulching your prunings is one of the smartest things you can do for your soil and your trees.

I would be anticipating a large olive crop for next season so it is important that, even at this time, we are working towards achieving that goal of not only getting lots of fruit, but ensuring it’s clean, disease-free fruit.

More information: www.wollundrygroveolives.com.au.

Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 39

Grove management

Typical bark damage caused by deer in the grove at night.

A deer story Alan Smith, Shalumar

Hungry critters are an issue in many groves, and keeping them out is often an ongoing battle. For Hunter Valley grower Alan Smith that battle was with deer but he’s finally found a great solution which keeps both his trees and the local wildlife safe. Alan has shared his story with fellow Olivegrower readers, providing resourceful inspiration for others also dealing with pesky grove intruders.

At Shalumar for the last 15 years we have had deer periodically coming into the olive grove at night and stripping chunks of bark of the younger trees, with some ending up almost ringbarked. This seemed to be more common in winter.

So we countered with tree guards: we adapted what is apparently oyster cage material to make the guards. This partially solved the problem, but there is always the upper part of the tree exposed. So the problem continued to bubble along at a low level.

The matter came to a head when a particularly bold deer took a great liking to Madame’s roses, and a lot of the other parts of the garden. The garden became a war zone, with this deer and the friends he bought in steadily trashing the place.

We had one win, with the help of a game camer. We rigged up a snare, tied back to our ancient apple tree: at 2 am the camera reveals a very indignant deer firmly tangled in our trap. The locals claim this is probably the first instance of trapping a deer in the lower Hunter Valley!

The bold, rose-loving deer caught in a snare trap.

The deer fence plan

However, we knew the problem was not going to go away. So the deer fence plan was hatched.

Our fences are for cattle: five wires, two

40 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

electrified, three earthed, using star posts at 10 to 12 metre intervals, with strainer posts of 80mm NB steel. A strong rugged fence for cattle, jumped with grace by deer!

Consulting Google, it seemed a 1.7 metre

Grove management

The deer fence, showing the strainer post and some wombat digging attempts.

high fence, with a hinge joint lower part, would make the grade for our sized deer.

Star post extenders are available to achieve 1.7 metres, the challenge was how to raise the strainer posts. Removing these was not an option: they are set in concrete.

Joining sleeve

The steel post at 80NB has a nominal bore of 80mm for the medium strength grade, and this has an external diameter (OB) of 88.9mm. The next pipe size up is 90mm NB: so the plan hatched was to use the 90mm pipe as a joining sleeve.

We took a 500mm length of 90mm NB, cut 15mm out of it down its side, and then clamped this tight to the 80mm NB pipe.

Four bolts later we had an extension on the strainer post. We took these posts up to 1.8 metres in total height.

The only extra complication is the gate hinges: these need to be above and below the sleeve.

The hinge lock used is the 1150mm height: 1000mm is on the fence and 150mm is flat on the ground on the side the deer will come from. All existing star posts were bashed down to a height of 1000mm before adding the extenders.

Materials

The deer fence reuses the five wires of the existing cattle fence: two top wires, then two electrified wires, then one wire which locks

Star post fence extender.

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Grove management

Farm gate extension to 1.7m.

Strainer post extension sleeve installed.

“At the three-month mark we have no new bark damage on the trees at all.”

Project costing Material costs (excl GST) per 100 metres are: • Barb wire 100m $22 • Fence extenders (9) $65 • Hinge joint 115cm high $215 • Star post clips $6 • Netting clips $6 • Total excl GST: $314 Strainer pipe costs for us are $25 per meter of both 80mmNB and 90mm NB when bought in the normal 6.5m lengths.

Labour costs …

$???

42 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

the fence extender on to the star post and holds the top of the hinge joint.

The bottom of the hinge joint is held in place with a strand of barb wire. We strain the hinge joint with the tractor, but any tow bar will do the job.

So extra materials needed for this fence are: hinge joint, one strand of barb wire, star post extenders, 90mm NB pipe and some 80 mm NB, plus assorted clips for attaching the wire.

Labour

Doing all this fence work is fiddly: probably five hours of labour per 100 meters of fence, plus 1.5 to 2 hours preparing any strainer post extensions needed.

Gate

We also extended one gate as a proof of concept. No-one seems to sell a nice deer gate. This went on the obvious pressure point in the fence, however we have not done any more gate conversions as the deer seem to be at bay.

Grove management

The wombat gate, aka large dog door insert.

Wombats at war

The new fence went up over a month or two, all became well with the world again, and the roses bloomed beautifully.

Then the wombats issued a complaint, starting their campaign with a dozen major under-fence excavations. We countered with stone weights on the horizontal fence and old tree stakes on the ground.

Skirmishing continued, with the wombats running a war of attrition.

The solution

A search of Bunnings produce a dog gate designed for a screen door. We installed two large size dog gates in the hinge joint, minus any fly screen, at the point of most excavations. Then with the game camera focused on the gate, we waited.

Two weeks later we were rewarded with footage of our wombats using the gate: problem solved. As an aside, no other animal has been recorded using the gates so far. For the wombats, they enter in the south gate and exit at the north gate on their night patrols.

Success, at last

At the three-month mark we have no new bark damage on the trees at all, the wombats are happy, the garden is growing, and all is well with the world.

So it has been quite a journey, and a fiddly job, but the results have been most gratifying.

Issue 117 â&#x20AC;˘ September 2020 â&#x20AC;˘ Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor â&#x20AC;˘ 43

Managing oil quality

Q&A: Cleaning olive oil storage containers Towards the end of the 2020 processing season AOA OliveCare® Code of Best Practice Administrator Peter McFarlane received a very topical query about the correct procedures for cleaning storage containers used for olive oil. It’s an issue faced by most producers, and vitally important for ensuring oil quality, so it was suggested that we share the response with other Olivegrower readers.

Allen Baird, Village Olive Grove, Grindelwald, TAS Q. Do you know of any good published information on cleaning olive oil tanks and drums? We use plastic drums to transport the oil from the processor and then rack off into stainless steel tanks. I seem to be forever cleaning drums and tanks, and hope that I am doing so correctly. Any advice?

A. Peter provided the following practical, user-friendly information from WA producers York Olive Oil Co (who are happy for us to share it too!):

Cleaning oil containers

Extra virgin olive oil must be stored in clean containers. If it’s put into containers containing traces of stale oil it will pick up the rancid flavour and be ruined.

Therefore containers, especially plastic 10 and 20 litre drums, should be cleaned as soon as they are empty and before bad flavours can permeate the plastic.

We recommend using caustic soda, which is available from all supermarkets.

Use 55g (2 tablespoons) of caustic soda per litre of cold water. Put 1 litre of the mix into your drum and give it a good shake with the top on. Drain and repeat. Then rinse thoroughly with clean water THREE times.

Allow the container to dry with the top off and store it out of direct sunlight.

If cleaned and stored correctly your drums will give you many years of service.

Q. I had seen the advice from the York Olive Oil Co, but was a bit wary about using caustic soda. Is that the best method? What about dishwashing detergent and rinsed with washing soda (sodium carbonate) and then with water?

A. Peter referred this one to international processing expert Pablo Canamasas, who responded: “I would never stay away from using caustic soda for cleaning any EVOO container (whether it is stainless steel, plastic, etc).

Caustic soda is the best de-greaser for the kind of dirt that EVOO generates in containers or equipment.

“There may be some caustic soda products with additional additives to loosen up dirt, but common caustic soda should be good enough.”

More on storage in plastic

McFarlane added a couple of additional points around the use of plastic containers for olive oil storage.

“Whilst it is common practice for olive growers to transport oil from their processor to their oil storage tanks in food grade plastic IBC’s, these containers should also be thoroughly cleaned as traces of old rancid oil will taint the new oil and ruin its EVOO classification.

“It’s important to also note that plastic containers should only be

All containers used for oil or olives should be thoroughly cleaned: traces of old rancid oil will taint new oil and ruin its EVOO classification; ferments of freshly picked olives are easily spoiled by lingering bacteria.

used for very short term storage or transportation of olive oil because plastic doesn’t protect oil from oxygen and light. This in turn will accelerate oxidation of the oil, reducing quality and potential shelf life.”

Note: caustic soda is classed as a Class 1A Hazardous Chemical by Safe Work Australia.

It can cause skin corrosion/irritation and serious eye damage/irritation, and must be handled and stored correctly. Before using, download and read the manufacturer’s Material Safety Data Sheet, and follow all instructions carefully.

Reference: www.yorkoliveoil.com.au.

Got an issue in your grove? A tricky question about processing, packaging, or some other aspect of your olive business?

The Olivegrower & Processor team is here to help - and we’ve got all the right connections.

Let us know what you’re pondering over, battling with or downright bamboozled by, and we’ll speak with industry experts to try and find the answers. Then we’ll share them with you and your fellow Olivegrower readers in coming editions – because if it’s got you stumped, no doubt there’s a bunch of others out there wondering about the same thing!

Email your queries to Editor Gerri Nelligan at editor@olivegrower.com.au and we’ll be in touch to get it sorted.

44 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

Olive business

Mental health and ‘resilience’ National Farm Safety Week is held each year to raise awareness of farm safety issues across Australia. Farm Safety Week 2020 ran from July 20-25, with a theme of “Farming for a Future” and a focus on risk assessment and awareness, planning and mitigation – all so relevant in a year marked by drought, bushfire, floods and a pandemic, as is the additional strong focus on mental health awareness and support. Here’s some great discussion on the topic from the team at Farmsafe Australia.

The last 12 months have been, to put it bluntly, a tough year.

Drought, bushfires, floods, global pandemic ... a word that has been tossed around a lot over the last few months is ‘resilience’. When referring to ‘resilience’, the connotation is often ‘toughness’.

Resilience is defined as the ability to recover quickly from a challenge. And it’s easy to understand why we often talk about human resilience in the face of natural disasters.

But it seems that resilient people are often painted as people who just ‘brush it off’ or ‘get back up again’ easily. They aren’t.

And that idea is killing us. Literally. Farmer suicide is on the rise and we don’t even have the stats yet to analyse the effects of the recent disasters.

In the face of continued adversity, there is no doubting that our ‘resilience’ has been worn down. A March 2017 research report from the Rural Flying Doctors states that “Some researchers have suggested that the ‘rural masculinist paradigm,’ whereby rural males are ‘made’ to be physically and emotionally tough and strong, and are able to solve any problem as ‘no obstacle can beat them’, has been normalised, even though it is not an accurate representation of rural men (Kõlves et al., 2012).

“The suicidal vulnerabilities attached to the rural masculinist paradigm are suicide risk factors which research has more uniquely linked to farmers,” such as the unrelenting workload associated with running a farm, difficult financial and living conditions, and a perceived lack of control over factors linked with success, such as weather or government policy (Kõlves et al., 2012, p. 12).

Such factors can contribute to feelings of powerlessness amongst farmers, and suicide may be perceived as the action required to solve the negative emotions (Kõlves et al., 2012).”

That is a terrifying statement. Farmers are killing themselves because they have been culturally shamed into believing that it is a better action than showing vulnerability. We need to stop expecting farmers to just ‘brush it off’ or ‘pick themselves back up’, even if they are the toughest people we know.

What we need is real rural mental health assistance for farmers and their families.

We need individual coping strategies; not a one-size-fits-all approach. There is no denying times are tough in the city, but the pressures of urban dwelling are different to the pressures of country life.

The World Health Organisation defines mental health as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community. Years of drought, raging bushfires, flash floods and global pandemics

are not ‘normal stresses of life’ and make it quite difficult to ‘work productively and fruitfully’ on the land.

Australian farmers have been living in hyper-vigilant states of awareness for months. Waking up to dust storms, or blankets of smoke, flash floods after years of drought or the news of border closures and economic upheaval has wreaked havoc on our nervous systems.

There are incredible initiatives out there that are doing a really important work to bring awareness and support to our farmers.

The Naked Farmer, Sober in the Country, Mate Helping Mate, and Are You Bogged Mate, are all working hard to ensure that the long-held stigma that surrounds mental health discussions is removed for good.

So in these tough times, ask yourself what works for you - is it talking to your husband or talking to your wife? Is it taking a day off to go fishing? Is it girthing up the saddle on your stock horse and hitting the hills? Is it a cup of coffee with that friend you never have time to catch up with? Is it missing the morning meeting so that you can take your son or daughter for school drop-off? It might be a trip to the doctor, just to check in.

Taking some time for yourself, to do what you need to do, is worth every second lost on the farm if it means you are alive tomorrow.

If it takes a friend, or your pets, or a sport - or even if it takes the whole community to ‘pick you back up’ - reach out.

Resilience isn’t always linked to toughness.

You can be tough while struggling to make it through the day. Honestly, that probably makes you even tougher because you are still in the fight. Resilient people are just people who have systems and strategies in place to help them deal with the challenges and adversities that come with living on the land.

That’s it.

So remember, when the going gets tough ... the tough can still ask for help.

If you require immediate support, please call Lifeline Australia - 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue - 1300 22 4636.

More: www.farmsafe.org.au.

Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 45

Olive business

Smartphone, blockchain technologies to open new frontier in fight against food fraud

by Alex Whiting Food fraudsters have found myriad ways to trick shoppers - from cheap horsemeat sold as beef to conventional apples labelled as organic. But new rapid testing and tracing technologies may help turn the tables on food crime.

The stakes are high for producers of expensive foods, which are particularly vulnerable to fraud. These include extra virgin olive oil, saffron, and organic produce.

“People do not like to be cheated,” said Michel Nielen, professor of analytical chemistry at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands.

“Once they start to face cases of organic products being fraudulent, for example, then they will be much more hesitant in general to pay additional money for organic products.”

It can take days or even weeks for laboratories to check for the presence of pesticides or antibiotics on samples collected in fields, abattoirs and shops.

By the time results come in, the goods may already have been sold and eaten.

“We want to create a fundamental change in the world of food monitoring,” says Prof Nielen, who co-ordinates the FoodSmartphone project which is developing ways to detect food quality and safety using smartphones.

The project is finding ways to bring the laboratory to the field with technology that can be used by everyone, from food inspectors to truck drivers, retailers and shoppers.

“Even consumers should be empowered to do food quality and safety checks”.

Test

The team is developing a device which can be attached to a smartphone to test food for the presence of allergens and pesticides. The device will be able to detect if a product is organic or not, and whether it is safe.

Other hand-held testing technologies are also being developed. With so many people testing food much more data will become available, says Prof Nielen.

“Consumers should be empowered to do food quality and safety checks” - Prof Michel Nielen That means governments and industry will be able to react faster to a breaking issue and know more precisely which parts of the food chain to close down.

But they will also have to respond to a lot of issues raised on social media and in the general press by non-experts who have tested food and reached the wrong conclusions.

“There is a high risk that people will develop a mistrust in (official) food testing and monitoring,” Prof Nielen said.

46 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

One way to prevent this is for designated agencies to judge the quality of smartphone measurements, as more food testing technologies come on the market, he adds.

Predict

Other researchers are also testing big data algorithms to see how well they can predict food fraud.

They monitor potential triggers for food scams, which include harvest size, climate, political situations, food markets and the value of products.

Analysing the triggers helps them predict which parts of the global food chain are most likely to be targeted by fraudsters.

Breweries, for example, buy barley and malt from different parts of the world depending on the weather, to avoid the risk of mould contaminating their grain. That means fraudsters targeting breweries will try to mislead buyers over the country of origin.

“You need to have excellent knowledge of global food supply chains to predict which parts of the food chain are most vulnerable in any given year,” said Prof Nielen.

Food safety and anti-fraud agencies should be able to start using this algorithmic technology in the next three years, he says.

Olive oil

Fruity, peppery flavours and the scent of cut grass, tomato and artichoke are some of the sensations which characterise top quality - extra virgin - olive oil. A tingle down the

Olive business

back of the throat is a sign it is full of healthboosting antioxidants.

But counterfeit versions comprise one of the biggest sources of agricultural fraud in the EU, says the Oleum project, which is developing ways to tackle the issue.

Sub-standard olive oils can be mislabelled as extra virgin, blended with other vegetable oils, or the country of origin faked in a market where Italian oils come at a premium. Extra virgin olive oil from Italy costs about €340 per 100kg, compared with €197 from Spain, according to the International Olive Council.

Europe produces 70% of the world’s olive oils.

Maintaining a good reputation is vital for consumer confidence, says Tullia Gallina Toschi, co-ordinator of the Oleum project and professor of food science and technology at the University of Bologna.

“Crucially we need internationally agreed methods and standards for testing olive oil for fraud,” she said.

“If Italy and China use different ways to test the same olive oil, for example, and have different results, then consumers will lose trust in the product.”

Europe has strong regulations governing the production and supply of olive oil.

“But it’s not enough. We need to do more to (develop) new methods of control, to speed them up,” she said.

“Laboratory controls can take hours, but Oleum is trying to develop methods that can screen an oil in minutes.

“And then in future it will be extremely important to develop a strategy using blockchain,” she added.

Traceability

Traceability is key, and blockchain technology will be important to track the oil from the olive grove to its point of sale, and include information about its quality from laboratory tests.

“We need to work with honest producers to try to agree a uniform method that will give the consumer a way to check the authenticity or quality of the product from the label,” said Prof Gallina Toschi.

“Producers are asking for this.”

Europe is starting to work on full traceability models which Prof Gallina Toschi hopes can be rolled out internationally within the next

10 years. Many other countries, including the United States, have their own controls and regulations for olive oil.

“In this case it’s extremely important to work hard for harmonisation. Since we have the bulk of the market, we need to protect a lot of products. So we need to be very patient in convincing other (regions),” she said.

More information on the anti-fraud projects referenced is available on the Cordis website: FoodSmartphone - www.cordis. europa.eu/project/id/720325; Oleum - www. cordis.europa.eu/project/id/635690.

The research in this article was funded by the EU. It was originally published in Horizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine www.horizon-magazine.eu - and is republished under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence - www.creativecommons. org.

New FoodTrack access boosts industry insights Australian healthcare and food industries now have direct access to FoodTrack, an online resource of national food, labelling and nutrient information databases.

Jointly developed in 2014 by the CSIRO and the Heart Foundation, FoodTrack data will be available via the online analytics platform Nutritics.

Updated annually, FoodTrack contains highly accurate, audited nutrition data for nearly 45,000 food and beverage products, capturing at least 90% of all fresh and packaged foods sold across the four major Australian supermarket chains – Aldi, Coles, IGA and Woolworths.

CSIRO Researcher and Dietitian Xenia Cleanthous said food producers can conduct custom-analytics using FoodTrack data.

“This allows them to identify current market trends, new

opportunities or gaps in the market, as well as track changes in the nutritional composition of food products, to inform product development,” she said.

“Public health agencies can also use the information to guide public health nutrition strategies. Current and detailed information on the composition of Australia's food supply is essential to support accurate assessment of dietary intake – both at individual and population levels. Until recently, direct access to this information hasn't been available in a single, consolidated analytics platform."

The project aims to “empower the world to make better food choices, by making food and recipe information more accessible and valuable using innovative technology." Let’s hope that means it will include information on the comparative healthiness of EVOO for eating and cooking.

Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 47

Olives and health

Health round-up Continuing our regular round-up of the latest relevant health research from around the world, to keep you up to date and in the know…

Stay sharp by eating EVOO and the MIND diet Research has confirmed that eating certain foods, and avoiding others, can slow brain aging by 7.5 years, and lessen the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease. With that in mind (get it!), university researchers developed the MIND diet to promote consumption of foods that positively impact brain health.

Short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, the MIND diet is a hybrid of two existing eating styles, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and the Mediterranean diet. Both have decades of research and proven health benefits behind them, covering a range of conditions, however the MIND diet is aimed specifically at improving brain function and preventing, or delaying, dementia.

There are currently no strict guidelines for how to follow the MIND diet in terms of quantities etc; you simply eat more of the 10 promoted foods and eat less of the five foods recommended to limit.

Interestingly, the latter are limited because they contain saturated fats and trans fats.

The 10 foods the MIND diet encourages contain some predictables like fruit and vegetables - particularly berries and leafy greens – along with nuts and olive oil. The researchers specifically recommend using olive oil as the primary cooking fat and, significantly, as a replacement for butter and margarine.

As one of the five foods to limit, the recommendation is to eat less than 1 tablespoon of butter and margarine daily.

So it’s pretty clear: for your best chance of stay mentally sharp and dementia-free as you age, swap out butter, margarine and other unhealthy fats for EVOO. Source: www.mayoclinic.org.

You can eat olive oil and not get fat (within reason) We all know that eating excessive amounts of fat causes weight gain. But we also have increasing evidence that, as with car lubricants, ‘oils ain’t oils’ and the argument about good dietary fats and bad ones has been well proven.

That’s certainly the case when it comes to olive oil and body weight, with numerous studies linking the Mediterranean diet (MD), with its emphasis on olive oil as the primary fat source, to favorable effects on body weight. In particular, the research data shows that the higher the adherence to the traditional Mediterranean diet, the lower the likelihood of weight gain and obesity - and vice versa.

Another study, involving over 7,000 Spanish college students over a 30-month study period, looked specifically at the association between olive oil consumption and the likelihood of weight gain or the incidence of overweight or obesity. It found that eating a lot of

olive oil was not linked to increased weight.

And an additional study found that participants following a Mediterranean-style diet with a high intake of olive oil for three years had both increased levels of blood antioxidants and a reduction in body weight.

So while there’s obviously a limit on how much of any fat is too much - and that’s greatly dependent on your lifestyle as a whole - the science tells us that eating a good amount of olive oil isn’t likely to stack the kilos on - and in some people and circumstances, moderate intake may even help take some off.

Source: www.healthline.com.

Keep ageing muscles strong with EVOO + vitamin D A reduction in muscle mass is commonly accepted as a normal part of ageing, as is the frailty and increased risk of falls which go with it. But Italian researchers have found that it doesn’t have to be that way, with a combination of EVOO and vitamin D proven to increase muscle fibre thickness.

Published in the journal Nutrients, the research saw sedentary rats supplemented with vitamin D and fed either a regular diet or a highfat extra virgin olive oil diet (HFEVO). A control group received no supplementation or dietary change.

Both vitamin D supplemented groups showed a significant increase in muscle fibre thickness compared with the control group, with the effect greater in the HFEVO group.

A parallel trial found that rats fed vitamin D and a high-fat butter (HFB) diet displayed muscle fibre thickness similar to that of the control group. Interestingly, rats fed the HFB diet only (with no vitamin D) suffered muscle fibre deterioration, with significantly higher levels of inflammatory molecules present and drastically reduced levels of insulin growth factor.

The researchers say the findings suggest that a combination of vitamin D, consumption of healthy fats and avoidance of saturated fats may help slow the progress of muscle loss in ageing.

Source: www.nutraingredients.com.

Get all the latest olive news from across the globe delivered FREE to your inbox: Register for Friday Olive Extracts at www.olivebiz.com.au

48 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

Products and services

Mobishear: innovation and service - by Aussie farmers, for Aussie farmers Innovation on the land is something Arnd and Heidi Enneking know a lot about.

As experienced and passionate farmers they have faced and found the solutions to countless challenges on the land: 20 years of constant change from climate impacts, technology and markets has seasoned this pair to be constant innovators.

Now, with their own brand of Mobishear Australia, they are working to bring their innovative solutions to their fellow farmers.

Cutting the cord

One challenge that came up time and again on the Enneking’s Eyre Peninsula farm was working out in the field with cumbersome, corded equipment.

“The cords just turned even the most routine task into an ordeal,” Arnd said.

“We needed something that could be used anywhere and kept handy in the motorbike ready to go. But there was nothing like that available.”

It was this need to find a better way that led to the development of the Mobishear range of specially selected heavy-duty 100% cordless agricultural tools.

“Our cordless tools are definitely not lightweight domestic units,” Heidi said.

“They are designed to last. For example, the cordless secateur can cut through branches up to 37mm in diameter, and goes up to 12 hours before it needs a charge.

“It just seems crazy to us now that tools like pruning snips and portable shearing handpieces should have cords. Could you imagine using a corded drill nowadays?”

Tried and tested

Their daily life as farmers didn’t just spark the initial idea; it also influences everything they do as a business. The units are “torture tested” in the applications they are designed for and then any areas for improvement are identified and addressed.

And Mobishear know that when you find a good tool, you want it to stick around. They back each unit with a 2-year warranty, and supply a range of spare parts and know-how to customers who need to service or repair their units - all backed by a dedication to customer service that is second to none.

“We know that in farming there are never enough hours in the day, and we know that your equipment needs to be ready when you need it,” said Arnd.

“No one wants to be waiting for weeks for parts or have to argue with someone in a call centre if things go wrong.

“Mobishear tools won’t break down easily - they’re designed tough.

We want our customers to get years of service out of our products.

But if things do break, we don’t want our customers to have to bin something just because it needs a bit of maintenance.”

Old-fashioned ag industry service

This commitment to service is a product of their years of experience in the agricultural industry. After finding that after-sales service was fast becoming a thing of the past, they have made it their mission to go over and above for their customers.

“We really just want to provide the kind of service we would like to receive ourselves,” Heidi said.

“We believe it’s not just about providing a great product; it’s things like our Australia-wide free shipping that make a difference.

And the fact that our customers know that if they need help there is another Aussie farmer reading their email or taking their call, who understands them and is ready to sort their issue out.”

As Mobishear like to say, it’s 100% innovation, 100% service - by Aussie farmers, for Aussie farmers.

More information: www.mobishear.com.au.

Contact: Arnd 0421 062 697, Heidi 0409 289 532 or email sales@ mobishear.com.au.

Issue 117 • September 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 49

your calendar of olive events

What’s on

2020 Sep

19 September Judging, 2020 Australian International Olive Awards www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia. com.au

Oct

5 October Results emailed to entrants, 2020 Australian International Olive Awards www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia. com.au 10 October Olives NZ 2020 Conference – Wellington, NZ www.olivesnz.org.nz 10 October 2020 NZ EVOO Awards Dinner – Wellington, NZ www.olivesnz.org.nz 15 October AOA AGM via Zoom (members only) secretariat@australianolives.com.au 16 October 2020 Australian International Olive Awards Virtual Presentation www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia. com.au

12-16 October 2020 AOA National Olive Conference – Virtual Edition www.nationaloliveconference.com.au

2021

19 October Results emailed to entrants, 2020 WA Olive Awards – Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition www.oliveswa.com.au

Mar Jun Sep

23-25 March Soil CRC Participants Conference www.soilcrc.com.au

Oct

October – Dates TBC 2021 National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition - Devonport, Tasmania www.nationaloliveconference.com.au

7-9 June Hort Connections 2021 – Brisbane, Qld www.hortconnections.com.au September – Dates TBC 2021 Sydney Royal Oil & Olives Competition www.rasnsw.com.au

Planning an event - virtual or physical? Let us help spread the word.

Email your event details to Gerri at editor@olivegrower.com.au and we’ll add them to our industry calendar.

Advertiser index Client

Page

Pieralisi Olive Oil Packaging Services Modern Olives NSW DPI Oil Testing Service Sicma

50

2 5 7 9 11

National Harvesters Mobishear Australia Australian Olive Association Braud Australia

Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117

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