In this edition

  • Event: Gippsland Women in Horticulture Advance (Ellinbank, VIC)
  • Event: TIA open day and potato diseases forum (Forthside, TAS)
  • Resource: New VegNET video – The threat and management of CGMMV
  • Event: BFVG AGM and levy consultation (Bundaberg, QLD)
  • AUSVEG update: Office closure on Tuesday 7 November 2017
  • Resource: Mental health profile – Black Dog Institute
  • Workshops: Food safety field days (VIC, QLD)
  • Industry update: Toro continue AUSVEG Strategic Partnership
  • Survey: 2017 Global Innovations in Horticulture feedback form
  • Industry update: Monsanto sign up to AUSVEG Strategic Partnership
  • Resource: New vegetable retail sales analysis available
  • Workshops: The future of apprenticeships (VIC, QLD)
  • Industry update: Willow-leaved lettuce glyphosate resistance confirmed
  • Economic update: Back to basics
  • Industry update: Disaster assistance for QLD central coast producers
  • Permit update: PER84261 (Pyriproxifen on broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage & cauliflower)
  • Minor Use permits
  • Hort Innovation project opportunities
  • The week’s top stories

Vegetable feature article

Event: Gippsland Women in Horticulture Advance (Ellinbank, VIC)

The first-ever conference for Gippsland Women in Horticulture is being held to explore three dimensions of horticultural production: water, waste and wellness.

The morning session for the event will be devoted to individual speakers addressing the whole conference on issues of leadership, wellness and collaboration, with speakers including Nicole Griffin (Gippsland Water), Dr Nicola Watts (East Gippsland Food Cluster), Fiona Owen (Gippsland Women’s Health) and Jill Briggs (Rural Training Initiatives).

The afternoon session will be a great opportunity for group discussions on key areas of interest like irrigation, organics, biosecurity, mental health, leadership, innovation and the new generation of horticulture. These discussions will be facilitated by women with topic expertise, including AUSVEG National Manager – Science and Extension Dr Jessica Lye.

Time/date: 10:00am–3:00pm, Thursday 23 November 2017
Location: DEDJTR Ellinbank, 1301 Hazeldean Road, Ellinbank VIC

For more information, please see the event flyer. To register for the event, please see the event website.

Funding to facilitate this event has come through the VegNET project in East Gippsland as part of a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund. It is also being supported by the Commonwealth Bank, with attendees asked to contribute $30 per head to cover catering costs.

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Potato feature article

Event: TIA open day and potato diseases forum (Forthside, TAS)

Open day

Industry and community members are invited to join the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA) as it showcases the innovative research being undertaken to enhance the productivity, profitability and sustainability of agriculture in Tasmania.

TIA’s Forthside Vegetable Research Facility is the site of cutting-edge agricultural research. Some of the work to be showcased at this event includes research into systemic downy mildew in poppies, industrial hemp trials and investigations into soil health and management for optimum crop yield.

Time/date: 8:30am–1:30pm, Tuesday 14 November 2017
Location: TIA Forthside Vegetable Research Facility, 124 Forthside Road, Forthside TAS

The open day will also feature presentations from guest speakers with a focus on precision technology, including Ryan McMahon (Remote Aviation Australia) and Tim Neale (DataFarming).

For more information, see the event website, or read an article in The Advocate about the open day.

Potato diseases and soilborne health issues forum

Industry members are invited to attend a forum to hear an international perspective on potato diseases and soilborne health issues. The forum will be held at TIA’s Vegetable Research Facility at Forthside, and there is an opportunity for a field walk to learn more about a current biofumigation trial.

Speakers will include Dr Bob Larkin (United States Department of Agriculture), Professor Richard Falloon (Plant & Food Research New Zealand) and Associate Professor Calum Wilson (TIA).

Time/date: 2:00pm–4:30pm, Tuesday 14 November 2017
Location: TIA Forthside Vegetable Research Facility, 124 Forthside Road, Forthside TAS

For more information, see the event website.

Resource: New VegNET video – The threat and management of CGMMV

Applied Horticultural Research (AHR) has produced a new series of videos communicating research and development outcomes and giving growers practical information about important on-farm processes as part of the strategic levy investment project VegNET, which is part of the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.

In this video, vegetable growers from the Northern Territory speak about the real and present threat of cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV), and talk about the biosecurity measures they’ve adopted to protect their crops.

To watch this video, visit the AHR website.

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Event: BFVG AGM and levy consultation (Bundaberg, QLD)

As part of the Bundaberg Fruit & Vegetable Growers (BFVG) AGM and Christmas party, Hort Innovation is hosting information and Q&A sessions for the Avocado, Macadamia and Vegetable Funds.

Attendees will hear the latest updates on some key levy investments in the Funds from the people who are involved in the projects, and will also have the opportunity to ask Hort Innovation questions about their levy funds.

Time/date: 2:15pm–4:30pm, Friday 17 November 2017
Location: BFVG, 23 Enterprise St, Bundaberg QLD

For more information on the levy consultations, please see the event flyer. For more information on BFVG events, including the AGM and Christmas party, please see its website.

AUSVEG update: Office closure on Tuesday 7 November 2017

The AUSVEG office in Melbourne will be closed on Tuesday 7 November 2017 due to the Melbourne Cup public holiday in Victoria. The office will re-open on Wednesday 8 November.

Due to the public holiday, next week’s AUSVEG Weekly Update will be published on Wednesday 8 November.

Resource: Mental health profile – Black Dog Institute

There are a range of mental health services available for Australians to access help at any time of day. A number of resources are listed on the AUSVEG website, and profiles of these organisations will be featured in the AUSVEG Weekly Update.

Black Dog Institute is a world leader in mental health research and specialises in rapidly turning research outcomes into mental health resources, online self-help tools and education.

Its website holds a wealth of information on a range of topics, including: mental health and wellbeing; self-tests for depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder; e-mental health tools; getting help and helping others; webinars and community presentations; how to obtain a referral for its assessment clinic; and telehealth services for adolescents and adults.

For more information on the Black Dog Institute, please see its website.

If you require emergency assistance, please contact 000.

Workshops: Food safety field days (VIC, QLD)

The Australian Research Council (ARC) Industrial Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) for Food Safety in the Fresh Produce Industry, based at the University of Sydney, is hosting workshops for growers in Werribee and Gatton.

The workshops will address risk factors leading to contamination of agricultural irrigation water, water sampling strategies and mitigation options, and Professor Channah Rock, Associate Professor at the Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science at University of Arizona, will share her expertise on environmental water quality.

Werribee
Time/date: 1:00pm–3:30pm, Thursday 2 November 2017
Location: Fresh Select, 610 Duncans Road, Werribee South VIC
Registration for this workshop is essential – please click here to register.

Gatton
Time/date: 10:00am–1:00pm, Thursday 9 November 2017
Location: QDAF Gatton Research Facility (Conference Room), Warrego Highway, Lawes QLD
Registration for this workshop is essential – please click here to register.

Professor Rock is working with ARC ITTC researchers and students to develop a risk-based model for E. coli and Salmonella in irrigation waters in Australia. For more information on the food safety ARC ITTC, please click here.

Industry update: Toro continue AUSVEG Strategic Partnership

AUSVEG is pleased to announce that Toro Australia, a leading supplier of irrigation products to the agricultural industry, has renewed its support for the Australian vegetable industry.

Toro Australia provides turn-key solutions for agricultural crop management. A leading supplier of irrigation products, Toro is committed to providing innovative solutions alongside exceptional customer care, and first established a Strategic Partnership with AUSVEG in 2015.

AUSVEG looks forward to continuing to work with Toro Australia to ensure the vegetable industry benefits from their irrigation expertise through this partnership.

For more information on Toro Australia, please visit its website.

Survey: 2017 Global Innovations in Horticulture feedback form

Following the success of the 2017 Global Innovations in Horticulture Seminar, industry members now have the chance to have their say on presentations from the seminar, as well as on future content for the 2018 seminar.

The 2018 seminar will take place during Hort Connections 2018, and will be held at the Brisbane Convention Centre on 20 June 2018. This seminar will feature nine of the world’s top experts on topics relating to innovative horticulture tech and science, and is delivered by AUSVEG through a strategic levy investment under Hort Innovation’s Vegetable Fund.

Click here to have your say on the topics covered in the 2017 seminar and contribute to the future direction of the seminar.

Funded positions are available for vegetable levy paying growers to attend the event in 2018. Growers who are interested in attending or who are looking for further details can e-mail innovation@ausveg.com.au to express their interest in receiving a funded position.

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Industry update: Monsanto sign up to AUSVEG Strategic Partnership

AUSVEG is pleased to announce that Monsanto, one of the world’s leading vegetable seed and crop protection chemical producers, has signed up to support the Australian vegetable industry through a Strategic Partnership with AUSVEG.

Monsanto is one of the world’s leading companies focused on sustainable agriculture. It discovers and delivers innovative products that support farmers, and is focussed on three core goals for 2030: producing more, conserving more and improving lives.

AUSVEG is eager to work with Monsanto to deliver benefits to the vegetable industry through this partnership. For more information on Monsanto, please visit its website. Interested growers can also visit the Seminis website for information on vegetable seed production.

Resource: New vegetable retail sales analysis available

New reports with fresh vegetable retail sales analysis for the year to September 2017 are now available for free to levy-paying vegetable growers. These reports provide valuable information on key sales indicators like purchase frequency and volume, spend amount, retailers’ share of the market, and buyer demographics.

Individual commodity reports are available for a range of vegetables, including Asian vegetables, beans, broccoli, cabbage, capsicum, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, fresh salad, kale, leek, lettuce, pumpkin, sweet corn, sweetpotato, and zucchini.

Through a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund, Hort Innovation has engaged Nielsen to carry out this consumer research to allow the Australian vegetable industry to better understand the shopping habits of Australians.

Click here to e-mail AUSVEG and request an individual commodity report, or just ask for all reports! These reports are free and available to any representative from an organisation that pays the vegetable research and development levy.

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Workshops: The future of apprenticeships (VIC, QLD)

Through the Department of Education and Training, the Australian Government is sponsoring a series of forums to discuss the future of apprenticeships. Three forums have already been held, and a further four will be conducted by PhillipsKPA during 2017–18.

These workshops will include ‘keynote’ presentations supported by a panel discussion, and then an open forum involving around 50 invited participants. The remaining forums will cover:

  • The educational model that underpins apprenticeships (14 December 2017, Melbourne)
  • Regulation of apprenticeship (15 February 2018, Brisbane)
  • Programs and support for apprenticeships (23 March 2018, TBC)
  • Synthesis of previous material and discussions (May 2018, TBC)

The input of organisations involved in the architecture of the national VET system will be important to the success of the forum series and a number of IRCs with a significant interest in apprenticeships have been invited to participate in the forums. To register interest, please contact apprenticeshipforums@phillipskpa.com.au.

Industry update: Willow-leaved lettuce glyphosate resistance confirmed

Two populations of the broadleaf weed willow-leaved lettuce (Lactuca saligna) in Western Australia have been confirmed to be resistant to the key herbicide glyphosate in vegetable production.

Willow-leaved lettuce, also known as wild lettuce, has increased in abundance during the past 10 years due to a widespread shift in the industry to glyphosate-based weed control. The resistance was confirmed in a commercial horticulture crop in the Gascoyne irrigation area.

For more information, see this communication by the Australian Glyphosate Sustainability Working Group (AGSWG). For more information on efforts to promote the sustainable use of glyphosate in Australian agriculture, see the AGSWG website.

Economic update: Back to basics

Indoor food gardening is evolving into a mainstream movement. Led by fresh herbs, it has expanded into categories such as mushrooms, head lettuce, edible flowers and tomatoes. This trend is supported by wider food consumer market settings, such as:

Interest in cooking: Results from the latest MealpulseTM survey show that 52 per cent of households love to cook, while 59 per cent like to try new food ideas. Having interesting herbs and other ingredients close to hand encourages budding home chefs and entertainers to experiment with flavour profiles and decorative plating.

Fresh is best: The average number of shopping trips has settled at 4–6 per week, which suggests that freshness is an attribute that is receiving greater focus from consumers. ‘Fresh’ is typically synonymous in consumers’ minds as being of higher quality, and it can’t get any fresher than picking your own. Small plant kits make indoor food gardening easier, more convenient and accessible to consumers with smaller houses, or those with limited outdoor and garden space.

Authenticity: Linked to a nostalgia for simpler times in the past, heirloom varieties and home-grown vegetables are often considered higher quality and more flavoursome. Food provenance continues to resonate with consumers, and they are increasingly seeking a connection with their food. Indoor food gardening kits enable consumers to produce their own ingredients, giving them a direct connection with their food’s origin story.

Reducing waste: Growing fresh ingredients at home allows consumers to use a variety of fresh ingredients in the exact quantities they need. For the year ending June 2017, 69 per cent of consumers agreed they would buy a smaller portion if it saved them generating at-home waste.

This pattern of ‘grow-your-own’ food may meet some household needs, but it’s unlikely to expand to satisfy all household produce consumption. This could be a way for vegetable growers to introduce new products or varieties, as well as expand their consumption platform.

This article was provided by Freshlogic as part of a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.

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Industry update: Disaster assistance for QLD central coast producers

Primary producers affected by severe weather and flooding that struck the Queensland central coast from 16–19 October 2017 are eligible for assistance under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements (NDRRA).

Primary producer assistance has been activated for the local government areas of Bundaberg, Gladstone and North Burnett, including freight subsidies and concessional interest rate loans.

For more information, please see the DisasterAssist website.

Permit update: PER84261 (Pyriproxifen on broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage & cauliflower)

Please note that PER84261 (pyriproxyfen for silverleaf whitefly on broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage and cauliflower), previously mentioned in the Weekly Update published 17 October, has been amended.

The permit’s initial date of operation is 11 October 2017, not 13 July 2014 as previously listed. For more information, please see the amended permit.

Minor Use permits

Permit ID Description Dates in operation Permit holder States
PER84743 Active: Sulfoxaflor
Crops: Fruiting vegetables (including peppers, eggplant & tomatoes; excluding sweet corn), root & tuber vegetables (including potatoes and sweet potatoes)
Pest: Tomato potato psyllid		 24-Oct-2017
to
31-Oct-2022		 Hort Innovation All states except VIC
PER84531 Active: Methoxyfenozide
Crop: Sweet corn
Pests: Lepidopteran pests, including Helicoverpa spp.		 25-Oct-2017
to
31-Oct-2020		 Hort Innovation All states

All efforts have been made to provide the most current, complete and accurate information on permits. However, AUSVEG recommends that you confirm the details of any permits at the APVMA website.

Users are advised that while the pesticide can be applied legally under the APVMA minor use permit, there can be a significant delay until the maximum residue limit (MRL) gazetted by the APVMA is adopted in the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Until this occurs the MRL may not be recognised and a zero tolerance may be imposed for residues of the pesticide resulting from its use according to the APVMA permit.

Please be aware that in the absence of a MRL in the Food Standards Code, the use of the pesticide according to the permit may result in the suspension of the produce in the marketplace. Please check the FSANZ website or the Australian Government ComLaw website to confirm if there are MRLs established by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code.

Please consult APVMA documentation before applying any product to your crop. For more information contact the APVMA on (02) 6210 4701 or Growcom on (07) 3620 3880.

If an adverse experience occurs as a result of using the permit, please fill out a Non-Performance Reporting Form for Horticultural Pesticides and return to jodie.pedrana@horticulture.com.au. To download a Non-Performance Reporting Form for Horticultural Pesticides, please click here.

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Hort Innovation project opportunities

Project code Project title Closing date
VG17005 Document discovery portal 5pm (Sydney time)
Friday 17 October 2017
HN17000 Development of new nutrient-dense, value-added fruit and vegetable products 5pm (Sydney time)
Monday 13 November 2017

Hort Innovation advertises opportunities to become a delivery partner on research, development and marketing projects for Australian horticulture on its website and on tenders.net.

Join Hort Innovation’s delivery partner mailing list to receive email notifications of new opportunities by registering through its delivery partner registration form.

The relevant documentation for each opportunity is available on tenders.net. To access this information, you will need to become a member by registering on the tenders.net registration page.

The week’s top stories