Australian Fruitgrower Autumn 2020 • Vol 14 • Issue 1 DMF feasible, scale a must Harvest labour options Getting sterile Qflies on the job faster Time is ripe for getting harvest maturity right 2020 APAL Awards for Excellence Do you know someone who constantly strives to improve our industry and should be recognised? Recognise the outstanding achievements of our industry’s most successful growers, researchers, people and businesses working across all areas of the supply chain. The 2020 APAL Awards Categories • Lifetime Achievement Award • Grower of the year • Women in horticulture • Young grower of the year Nominations • Researcher of the year now open! • Exporter of the year • Marketer of the year Nominations will close Monday 6 April 2020. For further information please visit: UPDATE apal.org.au/2020- APAL Industry Forum 2020 has been apal-awards- cancelled due to Government forexcellence restrictions on events in the foreseeable future. APAL will be providing an update on the direction of our upcoming conferences and activities in the coming weeks. CONTENTS A P A L NEWS POST-HARVEST CEO Report ...............................................04 News – Strategic Marketing Panel . .05 06 FEA TURE 10 End-to-end integrity: protecting the Time is ripe for brand getting harvest Fighting the fakes . .08 maturity right Alternative approaches to storage treatments . .14 RAISING T H E BAR : R&D - LED INSIGH T S I N T O S M A R TER GROW T H 28 Sterile flies, LABOUR caffeine and Keeping up with changing labour options . .16 Qfly control S T A T E R O UNDUP Reporting vital to biosecurity . 31 State roundups . .19 Certification trials show growth advantage . .32 Scald control: beyond DPA . .33 FUTURE BUSINESS Back to the future: building on 50 years’ gains . .35 Harvest efficiency and safety opportunities . .40 DMF feasible, but scale is a must . .24 International apple and pear research update . .42 Quiz and crossword . .43 PUBLISHER M A N A GING EDI T OR GRAPHIC DESIGN C OPYRIGH T Apple and Pear Australia Alison Barber Vale Graphics All material in Australian Fruitgrower is copyright. NO material can be reproduced Limited (APAL) is a not- E [email protected] E [email protected] in whole or in part without the permission for-profit organisation that of the publisher. While every effort is made A D VER TISING FRON T C O VER to ensure the accuracy of contents, APAL supports and provides services accepts no liability for the information. to Australia’s commercial apple The publisher accepts no WA grower Mat Fox and pear growers. responsibility for the contents (see page 10) DISC L AIMER Australian Fruitgrower Suite G01, 128 Jolimont Road, of advertisements. All Photo: Victoria Baker East Melbourne VIC 3002 advertisements are accepted Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited in good faith and the liability BOOKING DEADLINES (Hort Innovation) and APAL make no T (03) 9329 3511 representations and expressly disclaim F (03) 9329 3522 of advertising content is the Winter 2020 all warranties (to the extent permitted by apal.org.au responsibility of the advertiser. law) about the accuracy, completeness, Ad bookings– 17 Apr 2020 or currency of information in Australian Marc Wilson – Gypsy Media Editorial copy – 17 Apr 2020 Fruitgrower. Reliance on any information provided by Hort Innovation and APAL is M 0419 107 143 Spring 2020 entirely at your own risk. Hort Innovation E [email protected] and APAL are not responsible for, and will Ad bookings– 17 Jul 2020 not be liable for, any loss, damage, claim, Editorial copy – 17 Jul 2020 expense, cost (including legal costs) or other liability arising in any way, including from any Hort Innovation, APAL or other Wherever you see this logo, the initiative is part of the Hort Innovation person’s negligence or otherwise from your use or non-use of Australian Fruitgrower, or Apple and Pear Fund. Like this publication itself, it has been funded from reliance on information contained in by Hort Innovation using the apple and pear levy and, in the case the material or that Hort Innovation or APAL provide to you by any other means. of R&D, with contributions from the Australian Government. Some projects also involve funding from additional sources. ISSN 1447-5618 A P A L . ORG . A U AFG AUTUMN 2020 | 3 C E O REPOR T This figure obviously cannot include the human toll. As well as the personal injury, there is a Supporting growers psychological toll on all who experienced the terror of bushfire. in challenging times Two things struck me during our visits: the overwhelming scale of the devastation, and the $3075 PHILIP TURNBULL – APAL CEO strength of the communities – something that Price paid for the first box of they should be incredibly proud of. Efforts to bring Batlow Apples new season Gala at a charity auction for those growers and their communities together, for bushfire relief. them to support each other, are vital for the ongoing recovery. Fire came on top of an already challenging couple of years due to drought, hailstorms, excessive heat, flying fox and bird infestations. Our Stanthorpe, Queensland, growers experienced their driest period ever, struggling to keep orchards alive, let alone to produce a crop. 280mm For growers still working through drought, Jan/Feb 2020 rainfall please reach out to APAL or your state body so we Stanthorpe can help you identify support available. Post-harvest seminar The start of 2020 has been 258mm APAL’s January Post-harvest Seminar in Shepparton Entire 2019 rainfall challenging for many apple was well-attended. Stand-out sessions from Laava Stanthorpe and pear growers and their Commercial Strategy Director Gavin Ger, and Deakin University Research Fellow, Rose Elphick-Darling communities. Despite these discussed the growing challenge of traceability in both the Chinese market and the Australian supply chain. challenges, early indications Another key theme was the latest research are that Australian consumers into post-harvest treatments and the importance of meeting customer and consumer expectations in 90 will enjoy a high-quality crop both export and domestic markets. + Country markets within Thanks to Platinum event sponsor Tie Up of apples and pears in 2020. the Pink Lady® commercial Farming. network Netting program Although February rains brought some relief, As mentioned in the Summer issue, APAL is ramping 300 many growers are still dealing with the impacts up its lobbying efforts and has had success with the of prolonged drought and the aftermath of Exporters licensed worldwide National Netting Program. by APAL to export Pink Lady® unprecedented bushfires. South Australian and Victorian apple and pear The summer bushfires hit the Australian apple growers will soon be able to access funding to install industry hard, with three key growing regions affected: new or replace damaged netting. We’re excited that the Adelaide Hills (SA), Batlow (NSW) and Bilpin (NSW). Western Australia and New South Wales have also APAL has made a submission to government agreed to take part in the scheme. We continue to outlining the damage and requesting support to help lobby the government to ensure the program is growers directly impacted to replant their orchards introduced equitably across the nation. as quickly as possible. APAL staff visited the regions to understand the Pink Lady agreement reached extent of the damage, including orchards that were burned and those that were destroyed by radiant In late December, APAL signed an agreement with heat. The fires destroyed trees, netting, trellis and Brandts Fruit Trees (BFT) and Pink Lady America irrigation systems. (PLA). It means APAL is the master licensee for all It is estimated that 210 hectares have been product moving in and out of the US/Mexico, with damaged, affecting 23 growers, with Batlow (154ha) the exception of product exported from the US/Mexico the worst impacted. to Canada which will remain the licensing domain We estimate the damage at up to $72 million of PLA. Canada however remains a territory owned and have advised Government of the costs of and managed by APAL. establishing a modern high-density orchard and the This agreement will provide significant time and expense required to get these orchards to opportunities for the Pink Lady® brand, giving it the full production. opportunity to be a truly global brand. AFG 4 | AFG AUTUMN 2020 A P A L.ORG . A U NEWS New Strategic Nardia Stacy, Pomewest Marketing Panel A Strategic Marketing Panel (SMP) has been The collaborative group established as a new, dedicated channel for ongoing includes a diverse mix of industry consultation and strategic input into levy- panellists including: – Bruce Rosengarten funded marketing initiatives delivered through the (Chairman A&P SMP) Hort Innovation Apple and Pear Fund. – Cathy Zeppieri (Chief The role of the SMP is to develop a strategic Marketing Officer, TAS marketing plan against which Hort Innovation will Foods Limited) implement annual marketing activity. The objective – Nardia Stacy (Executive of the SMP is to deliver increased consumption in the Manager, Pomewest) domestic market and growth across export markets. – Mitchell McNab (HV McNab/Chairman, Due to the implementation of the SMP the current Fruitgrowers Victoria) apple and pear Strategic Investment Advisory Panel – Cameron Carter (Sales (SIAP) will now move from an R&D and Marketing Manager, Seeka Australia) focus to a pure R&D advisory focus only. – Phil Turnbull (CEO, APAL) The skills based SMP will provide the – Andrew Hooke (Chief relevant expertise and capability required to help Operating Officer, APAL) advise on initiatives and guide the apple and pear – Matt Brand (CEO, Hort marketing program. The panel is made up of Each member of the SMP brings rich Innovation) growers, independent marketing experts, APAL experience and expertise to the panel to ensure that – Justine Coates (General and representatives from Hort Innovation, which the apple and pear industries have strong marketing Manager, Marketing & manages the investment of the industry levy.