In this section:
Citrus Postharvest Program
Delivering postharvest decay, food safety and market access solutions for export citrus
Peter Taverner, Nancy Cunningham and Karolina Steciuk
Aims
The change in global market trends mean that the citrus industry in Australia is expanding its emphasis into fresh fruit markets. This research program aims to provide on-going technical advice on safe and sustainable production to the citrus packing industry. In some instances, advice can be adapted trough current knowledge. However more often, this project aims to partake in new research and adjust this to commercial experience in Australia.
Issues addressed
- Decay control: developing standards for early season fruit and for different fungicide applications as well as for arresting mould sporulation in overseas markets.
- Product evaluation: new products will be evaluated for efficacy and compatibility with other currently used chemicals.
- Market access: system approaches (such as high pressure washing and postharvest oil use) will be developed further to control non fruit fly pests such as Lightbrown apple moth (LBAM). This program will also have the capability to respond to newly emerging pests such as thrips and Fullers Rose weevil (FRW).
- Extension activities: citrus packers identify workshops, seminars, surveys and newsletters such as the Packer Newsletter as extremely useful as tools for decision making in packing sheds and are flexible and responsive national issues and important regional problems.
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Benefits to the citrus industry
These issues are to be addressed in an integrated manner. Practices that achieve more than one outcome will be developed and promoted. An emphasis of safe and sustainable production is necessary to satisfy QA protocols (e.g. EuroGAP) directed by global retail companies. Market access problems must be addressed to minimise our reliance on methyl bromide. A combination of field control and packingshed measures will be more effective. Packers will benefit from an integrated approach to achieve a combination of outcomes.
