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Greenhouse industry benefits from SARDI led study tour
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Media release - 7 March 2011 A group of Australian greenhouse growers, pathologists and industry personnel have returned from a SARDI organised study tour to Europe. Participants learnt new approaches and techniques to adopt in their own enterprises as well as innovations in pest and disease management that could benefit the Australian greenhouse industry as a whole. Senior Research Officer with SARDI Kaye Ferguson says the visit was valuable experience for everyone even though the interests of the group were diverse. “The pathologists in the group gravitated towards the crops, seeking symptoms of exotic diseases, spotting biological control agents and trying unsuccessfully to take photos of busy bumblebees,” she says. “On the other hand the growers preferred to photograph trolleys, mechanisms on vents, drainage systems under slabs, crop support systems and packaging cartons and crates – capturing the innovations that could make big changes to their daily work.” An example of this was a simple ‘gutter’ system seen at several greenhouses in The Netherlands and Spain. The growers also purchased pruning knives, clips for training plants and spray wands unavailable in Australia. The group learnt of several disease management products unavailable in Australia and saw integrated pest management (IPM) working on an area wide scale in greenhouses in southern Spain. “For growers, seeing IPM working in greenhouses and climates similar to their own is invaluable. They understand more about what it takes to make it successful and start to believe it could be achieved on their own farms,” Dr Ferguson says. The trip was funded by voluntary contributions from participants with matched funding from Horticulture Australia Limited. Dr Ferguson runs research projects in foliar disease management and hydroponic production of greenhouse vegetable crops. |
SARDI Senior Research Officer Kaye Ferguson |
Further information contact Kaye Ferguson 8303 9627 or SARDI Communications Terry Price 8303 9433 or 0423 292867.
South Australian grower Andrew Braham discussing polypipe system |
Tomato demonstration house, Steenbergen. |
