October 2023
AGM and info day – Friday October 13
Have you booked your spot at Citrus SA’s AGM and info day to be held on Friday, October 13 from 9:30am at the Riverland Exhibition Centre?
Topics will include an eye-witness account of the devastation of the Florida citrus industry from Huonglongbing (HLB), how you can have your farm assessed for carbon credits, infrared soil moisture monitoring, a fruit fly update and the latest in research from the NSW DPI. Please RSVP here by October 9 for catering purposes.
Adelaide Show – fresh citrus more popular than ever
It was another epic year at the Royal Adelaide Show for the team at Citrus SA.
Mark, Anthony, Louise, Kirsty and their team of volunteers reported that sales of cut fruit and cups of freshly squeezed juice were up about five per cent.
This equates to over 13,400 cups of juice!
Check out our Facebook page for some pics of all the action.
SIT opening
There was some good news in the fight against fruit fly last month with the official opening of the expansion of the Sterile Insect Technology facility at Port Augusta.
The three-million-dollar project will allow for double the production of sterile Queensland Fruit Flies at the facility from 20 to 40 million flies a week. It was funded under the Federal Government's $30 million Building Resilience to Manage Fruit Fly package, with additional contributions from PIRSA and Citrus SA. Most of the sterile flies produced at Port Augusta will be sent for release in the Riverland as part of the response to the current outbreaks. The program reduces the fruit fly population by mating the sterile flies with wild flies, resulting in no fertile offspring. Citrus SA chair Mark Doecke and executive officer Frances Asher attended the official opening.
Mark says since the opening of the original facility in Port Augusta in 2016, the use of SIT in subsequent Q-fly responses has played a crucial role in managing fruit fly outbreaks within South Australia.
“This doubling of capacity will not only help to eradicate fruit fly within the Riverland but will also help in ensuring South Australian to keep its all-important fruit fly free status, contributing significantly towards retaining market confidence in our premium produce,” he said.
“Citrus SA looks forward to continue to work with PIRSA in maximizing the use of this cutting-edge SIT resource.”
Our Facebook page has pics of the opening.
Netting grants program extended
The SA Horticulture Netting Infrastructure Grants program has been reviewed and has now been expanded to all regions of SA. Previously the program was restricted to the Riverland council regions and the Adelaide/Outer Adelaide/Adelaide Hills regions. Applications now close in May 2024 or when all funds are allocated.
Read more: SA Horticulture Netting Infrastructure Grants Program
Production Calendar - October
Hedging, Pruning and skirting: Pruning is a proven practice to increase fruit size, produce premium fruit by improving the pack-out percentage and reduce skin damage/ blemish. It also improves water distribution, chemical coverage and pest management. It is important to review the crop load of all patches this past season and determine a pruning strategy for each patch depending on crop load and expected blossom this season.
Foliar nutrient spray and fertigation: It is important to apply a foliar spray after fruit set to balance nutrition and supply trace elements in the tree and to improve fruit size.
Pesticide controls: Critical timing to control LBAM, Mealy Bug, Thrips, Katydid, Scales, Aphids, Spined citrus Bug and Citrus gall wasp. It is important to keep track of CGW emergence to ensure control strategies are as effective as possible.
Increase Fruit set sprays: Now is the time to consider fruit set strategies based on the previous seasons crop load. Please consult with your packing shed/GLO/consultant for rates, etc.
Irrigation: This is critical during flowering and fruit-set, regular maintenance of infrastructure and monitoring of soil moisture is critical to ensure trees are not stressed.
Weed control: Knockdown herbicides or residual herbicides as required.
Fruit fly prevention:
During harvest:
• When picking bins arrive on your property ensure that they are clean and free of fruit and other pests or diseases. (If the fruit is found check for sting marks and larvae if either is found contact PIRSA). If bins aren’t clean report back to the packing shed. Dispose of any fruit correctly as it is a possible host or pathway.
• Ensure contractors (pickers) don’t move fruit onto your property from other blocks
• Ensure contractors (pickers) don’t move fruit between blocks even if they have the same owners
• Ensure pickers don’t remove fruit from the picking site or move fruit between sites.
• Be aware of where your pickers have come from, have they previously been in an endemic area?
Post harvest:
• Maintain block hygiene, and remove any unwanted trees that is, unused trees (perennially not picked), poor yielding, wrong varieties, and rogue trees in the wrong place.
• Keep weeds down by regular slashing
• Ensure all fruit trees around pickers' quarters, offices, and other buildings are also included in the property hygiene
• Pick and prune all legacy fruit trees so that you can touch every branch
• Pick any fruit on trees that are used for windbreaks such as lemons and olives
• Remove all invasive pest plants and possible hosts such as Prickly Pear and Olive trees (see Murray Lands, landscape board)
• Pick, Prune Protect
• Plan for the market access for the following picking season