Science and Research Updates - Horticulture

The Australian vegetable industry has acknowledged the work of Yanco-based NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) scientist, Sandra McDougall, at its annual awards ceremony.

Citrus growers in eastern Australia now have greater access to the Japanese market as a result of research by the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

Convenience foods are an "extraordinary" driving force for the fresh fruit and vegetable market, according to speakers at the Australasian Postharvest Conference.

Onions that are mild in favour and suitable for eating raw are to be labelled as mild under a new classification system arising from NSW DPI research

Consumers are driving new technologies and innovations in the way fresh fruit and vegetables are prepared for market, according to the organisers of the Australasian Postharvest Conference being held in Terrigal this week.

Like any "ugly duckling", there’s often something unique and interesting under the surface. So it is with custard apples, a sub-tropical deciduous fruit grown on the NSW north coast.

Australian citrus research has taken on a new dimension, employing state of the art camera technology at Dareton research station to calculate the sweetness and dry-matter of citrus fruit.

Australian knowledge and expertise is being used to increase citrus production in Pakistan, with direct benefits for Australian growers.

It's worth three-times its weight in gold, but that hasn’t stopped tea tree producers lining up to get their hands on some.

The NSW Government has announced that $4 million has been set aside this financial year to develop a new horticulture research centre at Somersby on the Central Coast.

Broccoli, eggplant, cabbage and capsicum grown with compost made from recycled garden offcuts have produced equivalent yields to those cultivated by conventional farm practices, but without a build-up of phosphorus.

While integrated pest management (IPM) is internationally accepted as the best approach to prevent new insects and diseases moving into vegetable crops, too few experts or resources exist to initiate specific IPM projects for all vegetables.

A new beetroot research project aims to double production and improve quality and consistency.

Gosford researchers are examining quarantine treatments that can be applied to ensure exported fruits are free of Queensland fruit fly.

Consumers are looking for 'quality, speed, safety and nutrition in fresh produce', according to DPI postharvest researcher, Dr Jenny Ekman.

The most economically important fruit fly species can now be identified from their DNA ‘signature’, a development which could avert future devastating outbreaks.

Australia’s vegetable industry is roughly twice as efficient in its use of water as it was a decade ago, according to a new national report.

Cooking demonstrations of Asian vegetables are helping to bridge the marketing “missing link” and encourage consumers to buy Asian vegetables.

Essential oils may hold the key to controlling post-harvest diseases in fresh fruit and vegetables.

Chemical use in many vegetable-producing greenhouses could at least be halved in the next three years as a result of a new NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) research project.

Harvesting macadamia nuts more than once a month can yield $250 a tonne extra for growers through improved quality, says a study on 40 farms.

The authors of a new report, Production of Organic Vegetable Seeds and Seedlings, are recommending that producers form co-operatives to facilitate the supply and purchase of organic seed and seedlings.

Shoppers can be confident that fruit has been produced using pesticides only when absolutely necessary, courtesy of the first-ever integrated pest and disease management manual for Australian summer fruits.

A cucumber called gac, a berry known as gow gee, and a wild pepper are among 26 Vietnamese plants which may have commercial potential in Australia.