The Australian Cashew Industry An Information System A report for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation by Noel J Grundon February 2000 RIRDC Publication No 00/15 RIRDC Project No CSL-1A © 2000 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. ISBN 0 642 58045 6 ISSN 1440-6845 "The Australian Cashew Industry – An Information System” Publication No 00/15 Project No. CSL-1A. The views expressed and the conclusions reached in this publication are those of the author and not necessarily those of persons consulted. RIRDC shall not be responsible in any way whatsoever to any person who relies in whole or in part on the contents of this report. This publication is copyright. However, RIRDC encourages wide dissemination of its research, providing the Corporation is clearly acknowledged. For any other enquires concerning reproduction, contact the Communications Manager on phone 02 6272 3186. Researcher Contact Details Dr Noel J Grundon CSIRO Land and Water P.O. Box 780 ATHERTON, Qld 4880 Phone: (07) 4091 8800 Fax: (07) 4091 3245 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.tfrc.csiro.au RIRDC Contact Details Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Level 1, AMA House 42 Macquarie Street BARTON ACT 2600 PO Box 4776 KINGSTON ACT 2604 Phone: 02 6272 4539 Fax: 02 6272 5877 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.rirdc.gov.au Published in February 2000 Printed on environmentally friendly paper Canprint Foreword Cashew is a high-value tropical nut that contains a nutritious kernel used extensively in confectionary. ii Australia is a major importer of cashew kernel, but has sufficient soils suitable for growing cashew in tropical northern Australia to become a net exporter of nuts and/or kernels. At the RIRDC Review of Cashew R&D in 1996, the Australian cashew industry expressed a strong need for a manual of ‘best estimate’ management strategies adapted to Australian conditions. In order to address this need, RIRDC commissioned a project to gather information from Australian cashew researchers, the local industry, and relevant overseas literature, and to incorporate that information into an Australian Cashew Industry Information Support System, made up of four components: • A comprehensive database of the cashew literature published since 1979 of both Australian and overseas origin; • A review of Australian cashew literature; • A manual of ‘best estimate’ management strategies aimed at benefiting existing and new growers by encouraging good management decisions that lead to sustainable economic returns with minimum long term risks to the environment; and • A mechanism for regularly updating the manual and maintaining contact within the Australian cashew industry. This report describes the development of the Information Support System. The three major outcomes of the project are attached as separate appendices: 1. Cashew Literature Database: 1979-1998 contains about 1250 citations collated into 53 subject matter areas; 2. Review of Australian Cashew Literature is the result of critically reviewing the published literature of Australian cashew research, and attempts to place that information in the context of overseas information; and 3. Cashew Information Kit is a publication of the Queensland Department of Primary Industries Agrilink Project and contains cultural information for cashews adapted to Australian conditions. It is the outcome of an information gathering workshop attended by key resource personnel drawn from the major Australian research institutions and the Australian cashew industry. This report, a new addition to RIRDC’s diverse range of over 450 research publications, forms part of our New Plant Products research program which aims to facilitate the development of new industries based on plants or plant products that have commercial potential for Australia. Most of our publications are available for viewing, downloading or purchasing online through our website: • downloads at www.rirdc.gov.au/reports/Index.htm • purchases at www.rirdc.gov.au/pub/cat/contents.html Peter Core Managing Director Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation iii Acknowledgments I wish to acknowledge the advice and leadership given by the late Dr Elias Chacko. As leader of the CSIRO Cashew Multi-Divisional Project within the CSIRO Tropical Agri-Exports Project, Dr Chacko initiated the concept of an Australian Cashew Growers’ Manual. The undertaking and successful completion of this project has been a team effort by people from the Australian cashew industry, and research personnel from CSIRO, QDPI, QDNR, NTDPIF, and AGRIC. WA. The institutional support provided by these organisations is acknowledged. Financial support has been provided by RIRDC, CSIRO Land and Water, and the Agrilink Project of QDPI, and this is gratefully acknowledged. I am especially grateful to the following people for their advice, discussions, contributions and assistance at various stages of the project: Literature database – • John Leonardi, CSIRO Plant Industry, Darwin, who provided much of the reference material on the floral biology of cashew; • Shaun Hood, QDPI, Nambour, who provided many of the references on insect pests and pest management; • Ian Duncan, Sydney, who provided the reference material in the ‘grey literature’ published in India and Africa; and • Joe Ascenso, Lisbon, Portugal, who provided the reference material in the ‘grey literature’ from South America. Cashew Manual – Special thanks go to Irene Kernot, QDPI, Mareeba, who organised the Information Gathering Workshop and was the coordinating author of the manual; • John James, Agrilink Project QDPI, Nambour, who facilitated the Information Gathering Workshop; • The participants of the workshop who became the authors of the manual – • Pat O’Farrell, QDPI, Mareeba; • John Armour, QDNR, Mareeba; • Sam Blaikie, CSIRO Plant Industry, Darwin; • Ian Duncan, Australian Cashew Company, Sydney; • Andrew Hinton, QDPI, Mareeba; • Shaun Hood, QDPI, Nambour; • Vinod Kulkarni, NTDPIF, Berrimah; • John Leonardi, CSIRO Plant Industry, Darwin; • Peter Shearer, Cashews Australia, Dimbulah; and • Nick Richards, AGRIC. WA, Kununurra. iv Contents Foreword.................................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................................. iv Abbreviations.......................................................................................................................................... vi Executive Summary .............................................................................................................................. vii 1. Introduction..........................................................................................................................................1 2. Objectives..............................................................................................................................................1 3. Methodology .........................................................................................................................................1 3.1 Literature Database.......................................................................................................................1 3.2 Overview of Cashew Literature....................................................................................................2 3.3 Australia Cashew Growers’ Manual ............................................................................................2 3.4 Updating the Manual ....................................................................................................................3 4. Results and Discussion.........................................................................................................................3 4.1 Literature Database.......................................................................................................................3 4.2 Overview of Cashew Literature Relevant to Australia: 1979-1998 .............................................6 4.3 Australian Cashew Growers’ Manual ..........................................................................................6 4.4 Mechanism for Updating the Manual...........................................................................................6 5. Implications ..........................................................................................................................................7 6. Recommendations ................................................................................................................................7 7. Intellectual Property ............................................................................................................................8 8. Communications Strategy ...................................................................................................................8 9. References .............................................................................................................................................8 Appendix 1. .............................................................................................................................................10 Appendix 2. ...........................................................................................................................................133