September 2023
AGM and info day – Friday October 13
The 2023 Citrus SA AGM and info day will be held on Friday, October 13 from 10am at the Riverland Events Centre. Guest speakers will include Waikerie citrus grower Noel McPherson who has recently returned from Florida. Noel will talk about his trip and the impact of Huonglongbing (HLB). Dr Theunis Smit from Carbon Friendly will speak on how a farm can be assessed as carbon friendly and sell any credits from the exercise. Jay Holata from Athena IR Tech will hold a presentation on Infrared moisture monitoring. Riverland Fruit Fly Committee member Tim Grieger will give an update on the current fruit fly situation. Steven Falivene from NSW DPI will talk about some of the current projects and research being undertaken in citrus. The day will include morning tea and lunch (no cost). Please RSVP for catering purposes by Monday, October 9 to Kerrie by email contact@citrussa.com.au
Orange juice myths busted
In recent years orange juice has received some negative press due to its perceived high sugar content. But researchers at Nutrition Research Australia have been able to provide data from a study, which shows there’s a need to look at the whole product and the benefits it can provide. Tim Casserati is the director of translational science at Nutrition Research Australia and says while vitamin C might be the obvious and most well-known health benefit from 100 per cent orange juice – it also contains many micronutrients and anti-inflammatory properties.
“When we look at the data for 100 per cent juices – all juices, what we find is there is actually more benefit than there is harm,” he said.
“The strongest evidence is that there’s benefits for heart health and anti-inflammatory effects.
“Some of the benefits for heart health was a reduction in blood pressure and also a reduction in inflammatory markers.
“When we think about juice we automatically think, high sugar, low fibre but when we actually dive into what’s in juice, it’s an incredibly complex mixture of a range of different plant chemicals.
“We know that it has good micronutrients profiles so that’s comparable to whole fruit so that’s things like vitamin C, folate, potassium – we know that these micronutrients can support health.
“Vitamin C has many effects in the body, it can support immunity, while potassium can help lower blood pressure so these micronutrients are high in juice and can play a role in health.”
Mr Casserrati says juice also contains bioactive compounds, particularly polyphenol.
‘These are compounds found in plant foods like fruits and vegetables that give them their flavour and colour and they’re often known as antioxidants, but they have a lot more function in the body than antioxidants,” he said.
“They can have pre-biotic affects which means they can feed the good bugs in our guts, they also can have heart protective properties, anti-diabetic properties or support our brain health.
“Interestingly, 100 percent orange juice is one of the richest sources of these polyphenols in our diet.”
You can listen to the whole conversation with Tim Casserrati on our podcast, available on all podcast platforms - The Citrus Segment.
Adelaide Show
The Citrus SA team is enjoying another busy Royal Adelaide Show. The event is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the quality citrus fruit we produce in SA. Mark, Anthony, Louise, Kirsty and the team have been run off their feet selling cut fruit and freshly squeezed juice. If you’re heading to the Show, make sure you pop in and say g’day. Thanks to all our volunteers who make this happen.
Dareton Field Day, Wednesday, September 13
The field day will showcase the latest research and development of canopy management (trellis and pruning), pests (red scale and gall wasp), exotic disease threats and more.
The keynote speaker will be Camilo Carces, an agronomist currently working in the Grower Services department of MFC. In Spain he grows citrus and consults with growers with the company IOland. He will share the key practices in Spain which produce good yields of quality fruit.
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries speakers will include Nerida Donovan on protecting Australia from exotic diseases, Tahir Khurshid on HLB rootstocks for Australian assessment, Jianhua Mo on Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research project and its benefits as well as a Fullers Rose Weevil, Citrus Gall Wasp and Red Scale Update. SP Singh will talk about citrus microbial food safety and John Golding will cover the post-harvest project and how it improves outturns. Dave Monks will give a variety update and Robert Hoogers will discuss water management challenges. Steven Falivene will talk about the practical implications for plant monitoring devices in citrus.
Horticultural Innovation Australia’s Adrian Englefield will update growers on the Citrus Fund update and Citrus Australia will hold a presentation on labour hire challenges. Kevin Cock from Sunraysia Citrus Growers will give a fruit fly update and talk about the industry services available to assist growers.
Wednesday, September 13
Dareton Research Institute
1998 Silver City Hwy, Dareton NSW
8.30am - 5pm
FREE tickets available here
Click here to view the program.
If there is enough interest from SA growers, Citrus SA will organise a bus for growers to attend the field day. Please email Kerrie on contact@citrussa.com.au to register.
September production tips
Pruning: Annual pruning programs are likely to be well underway. Those who prune usually see a vast improvement in class one fruit pack outs, particularly if we encounter a windy spring resulting in marking in last season’s fruitlets.
Fertilizing and Fertigation: Soil temperatures are starting to warm up so it’s time to start broadcasting fertilizer to cover the spring flush. Those on drip irrigation or micro jets should also begin fertiliser programs. Foliar applications can also be applied in late August to ensure a healthy spring flush.
Weed Control: Once fruit has been harvested it is important to control weeds to reduce the competition for water and nutrients, especially during the spring flush period.