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On-farm Evaluation of Grafted Wildflowers for Commercial Cut Flower Production OCTOBER 2012 RIRDC Publication No. 11/149 On-farm Evaluation of Grafted Wildflowers for Commercial Cut Flower Production by Jonathan Lidbetter October 2012 RIRDC Publication No. 11/149 RIRDC Project No. PRJ-000509 © 2012 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-1-74254-328-4 ISSN 1440-6845 On-farm Evaluation of Grafted Wildflowers for Commercial Cut Flower Production Publication No. 11/149 Project No. PRJ-000509 The information contained in this publication is intended for general use to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable regions. You must not rely on any information contained in this publication without taking specialist advice relevant to your particular circumstances. While reasonable care has been taken in preparing this publication to ensure that information is true and correct, the Commonwealth of Australia gives no assurance as to the accuracy of any information in this publication. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), the authors or contributors expressly disclaim, to the maximum extent permitted by law, all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any act or omission, or for any consequences of any such act or omission, made in reliance on the contents of this publication, whether or not caused by any negligence on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, RIRDC, the authors or contributors. The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the views in this publication. This publication is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. However, wide dissemination is encouraged. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the RIRDC Publications Manager on phone 02 6271 4165. Researcher Contact Details Jonathan Lidbetter NSW Department of Primary Industries Gosford Primary Industries Institute Locked Bag 26 Gosford NSW 2250 Email: jonathan.lidbetter@industry.nsw.gov.au In submitting this report, the researcher has agreed to RIRDC publishing this material in its edited form. RIRDC Contact Details Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation Level 2, 15 National Circuit BARTON ACT 2600 PO Box 4776 KINGSTON ACT 2604 Phone: 02 6271 4100 Fax: 02 6271 4199 Email: rirdc@rirdc.gov.au. Web: http://www.rirdc.gov.au Electronically published by RIRDC in October 2012 Print-on-demand by Union Offset Printing, Canberra at www.rirdc.gov.au or phone 1300 634 313 ii Foreword Several major Australian native perennial flower crops which are new to cultivation fail to reach their potential when grown in a commercial situation because of inherent problems with their root systems. These problems include susceptibility to root diseases, poor root systems, lack of vigour and an intolerance of a wide range of soil types. Alternatively, difficulties with clonal propagation of some species, such as (Geleznowia verrucosa) Yellow Bells, limit supply or restrict growers to the use of variable seedling propagated material. Inappropriate wild harvest of some native species has placed them at risk and has been stopped or is increasingly limited by environmental legislation. Therefore there is an imperative to find a solution to the supply limitations of some new crops. Budding or grafting is routinely used for many other horticultural crops to overcome these problems. The findings from this project contribute valuable information for the development of the wildflower industry through the use of grafted wildflowers for cut flower production. Flower growers, plant propagators and consumers will benefit from the uptake of the results in this report. This report covers the costs and benefits of using grafted plant material for commercial production, the species currently available as grafted plants and their performance both in terms of graft compatibility and field performance. In addition on farm survival, yields and seasonality as well as postharvest considerations are reported. Pests and disease are discussed with a focus on the genus Corymbia enabling the flower grower to more easily identify these problems. A detailed study on the nutritional requirements of Corymbia maculata is reported to improve clonal propagation of rootstocks in this important genus. Identification of the genera Pimelea, Corymbia, Verticordia and Eremophila as target genera for future work is a key recommendation of this research. Financial support for this project was provided by RIRDC. In addition, financial and technical support was provided by Vaughans Australian Plants and financial support and field trialling by flower growers Tim Bailey and Karen Burns (Crooby Cottage Wildflowers), Malcolm and Jeanette Baldwin (Ellinbank Nurseries), Tom Crossen (Crossfield and Associates), Jeff Grace (The Protea Patch), Harry Kibbler (Adei Wildflowers), Gordon and Carol Meiklejohn (Brimstone Waratahs), Craig and Angie Scott (East Coast Wildflowers), Jonathan Steeds and Olga Blacha (Southern Cross Native Flora), Brian and Pat Sundin (Sandyn Manor Flowers) and Trevor and Pam Winfield (Rosemont Flowers). This report is an addition to RIRDC’s diverse range of over 2100 research publications and it forms part of our Wildflowers & Native Plants R&D program, which aims to improve the profitability, productivity and sustainability of the Australian industry. Most of RIRDC’s publications are available for viewing, free downloading or purchasing online at www.rirdc.gov.au. Purchases can also be made by phoning 1300 634 313. Craig Burns Managing Director Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation iii Acknowledgments This project has been a collaborative effort with the support and input of numerous individuals, companies and agencies. I would particularly like to express my thanks to Phillip Vaughan of Vaughan’s Australian Plants http://www.vaughansnativeplants.com/ for his continued financial and technical support of the project, whose extensive knowledge and expertise in the area of grafting native Australian plants has been invaluable. Great thanks to the number of flower growers involved as part of the project who provided financial and in kind support including: • Tim Bailey and Karen Burns, Crooby Cottage Wildflowers, Falls Creek, NSW • Malcolm and Jeanette Baldwin, Ellinbank Nurseries, Ellinbank, Vic • Tom Crossen, Crossfield and Associates, Donnybrook, WA • Jeff Grace, The Protea Patch, Broulee, NSW • Harry Kibbler, Adei Wildflowers, Kempsey, NSW • Gordon and Carol Meiklejohn, Brimstone Waratahs, The Oaks, NSW • Craig and Angie Scott, East Coast Wildflowers, Mangrove Mountain, NSW • Jonathan Steeds and Olga Blacha, Southern Cross Native Flora, Somersby, NSW • Brian and Pat Sundin, Sandyn Manor Flowers, Kempsey, NSW • Trevor and Pam Winfield, Rosemont Flowers, Horsham, Vic I also acknowledge the support of many Industry and Investment NSW staff for the support of this project including a number based at Gosford Primary Industries Institute and more broadly within the organisation. These include: • Pauline Cain, Mark Bullot and Antoine Martin for the smooth running of the trial site at Somersby and experiments at Narara. • Len Tesoriero and his pathology team for disease diagnosis especially including Fiona Lidbetter and Leanne Forsyth. • Debbie Kent and Danuta Knihinicki for assistance with mite identification • Lowan Turton, Debbie Kent, Jenny Ekman, Gordon Meiklejohn, Craig Scott, Bettina Gollnow and Ross Worrall for provision of some of the photographs used in this report. • Paul Milham for his guidance and long and detailed discussions on nutrient availability to plants • and Rod Kavanagh, John Golding and Len Tesoriero for their contributions to the final report. I would also like to thank Digby Growns formerly of the Western Australian Department of Agriculture and Food for his input during the early stages of this project. iv Abbreviations Al aluminium Ann. annum B boron BAP 6-benzylamino-purine BSP base saturation percentage c. approximately Ca calcium CEC cation exchange capacity CGR calculated gypsum requirement Cl chlorine CLR calculated lime requirement CNR cumulative net return Cd cadmium Co cobalt Cu copper EC electrical conductivity ECEC effective cation exchange capacity EDTA ethylene di-amine tetra-acetic acid Fe iron ICP-OES Radial view Inductively Coupled Plasma – Optical emission Spectrometry IBA 1H-indole-3-butyric acid K potassium N nitrogen Na sodium Mg magnesium Mn manganese Mo molybdenum Na sodium ND not determined NH4 ammonium NO3 nitrate NSW New South Wales P phosphorus Pb lead PO4 phosphate S sulphur SO4 sulphate SD standard deviation SW south-west WA Western Australia Zn zinc v Abbreviations of Units cm centimetre(s) ºC degrees Celsius g gram(s) h hour(s) ha hectare(s) kg kilogram(s) kPa kilopascal(s) L litre(s) m metre(s) mg milligram(s) mL millilitre(s) mm millimetre(s) mM millimolar min minute(s) ppm parts per million %(w/v) percentage weight per volume s second(s) t tonne(s) µL microlitre(s) µm micrometre(s) µM micromolar vi Contents Foreword ............................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments................................................................................................................................. iv Abbreviations ........................................................................................................................................