Profile Michael Treeby

Michael Treeby has worked in many areas of the dried grape industry, from growing to research and industry development. The current team leader of Agriculture Victoria’s Horticulture Production Science research group sheds light on his career and the changes he’s seen along the way.

How long have you been involved in the dried fruit industry? What is your family history in the industry?

Both my grandfathers were soldier settlers at Red Cliffs following WWI, and my parents in turn owned and ran my paternal grandfather’s original allocation. My wife and I purchased that block and ran it in partnership as a wine/dried grape enterprise from about 1992 until the present. We completely re-developed the dried grape part of the property first on the Christmas tree trellis and then over to the swing arm. We only produce Sunmuscat.

How did your career begin and what path did it take?

I studied agricultural science at La Trobe, and after a brief stint with the Victorian Department of Agriculture (as it was known then) I returned to La Trobe and completed a PhD there on plant mineral nutrition/physiology in 1986. I was a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Institute for Plant Mineral Nutrition at Hohenheim University near Stuttgart in West Germany for two years before being awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship to work with CSIRO Horticulture at Merbein. I transitioned from that to a Research Scientist and was at CSIRO until 2007. That year I took up a position with NSW DPI at Dareton.

I came back across the river in 2015 to lead the Agriculture Victoria research group here at Irymple.

What industries have you researched in?

Citrus, table grapes and wine grapes, and more recently temperate nuts with a strong focus on almonds. I was also involved for a time at CSIRO on high pressure processing of fruit as a means of preserving fresh fruit quality.

What key areas of the dried grape industry/production have you researched over the years?

Vine mineral nutrition − particularly nitrogen because it is most often the most limiting nutrient in our sandy soils − and how to manage vine nutrition to ensure that the vines can take full advantage of the advanced trellising system and vineyard layouts being used. What changes within the dried grape industry have you seen throughout your career? The adoption of mechanised production systems based on vigour imparting rootstocks and advanced trellising systems. I’ve also observed that the strong “gadget day” ethos of sharing ideas/innovations remains strong.

Reflecting on your career so far, what moments or achievements have been highlights? Others can make that judgement.

What do you see for the future of the dried grape industry? A highly productive mechanised industry profitably and reliably producing sought-after premium dried vine fruit for discerning customers around the globe. v

Pictured: Michael Treeby is Agriculture Victoria’s Horticulture Production Science research group team leader and is on both the dried grape and table grape Strategic Investment Advisory Panel.