Nursery industry participants have the chance to travel to other countries and learn new information, technology and skills to benefit the Australian industry.

Hort Innovation has partnered with the Churchill Trust to offer three Churchill Fellowships annually for the next four years, each valued at around $26,000, to give Australians the opportunity to travel overseas to conduct research in their chosen field that isn’t readily available here.

The Fellowships are open to any horticulture industry participants, including those in the nursery industry, who have an idea for a research project that can benefit the sector. More

Month: January 2018

Pest: Asian citrus psyllid – Diaphorina citri

Importance: Exotic, report any psyllid observed damaging citrus

Description: Eggs: are laid on tips of growing shoots on and between unfurling leaves. They are about 0.3 mm long, elongate, almond-shaped, thicker at attachment point and the other end is pointed. Fresh eggs are pale, but then turning yellow and finally orange at time of hatching.  Nymphs: always found on new growth, and move in a slow, steady manner when disturbed. They are about 0.25 mm long when hatched and grow to about 1.6mm. More

Nursery industry participants across the supply chain are invited to three important days of industry news, information, innovation and networking at the 2018 Nursery Garden Industry National Conference & Exhibition, to be held in Hobart 19-21 February 2018.

The conference will provide the industry with an opportunity to see grower levy dollars at work. Hort Innovation will be on hand as the principle R&D partner, to present key findings from current projects and explain how these are beneficial to the productivity and profitability of Australian production nurseries.

Below is a break-down of levy-funded projects and initiatives taking place at the conference. More

Through the industry’s National Nursery Industry Biosecurity Program (NY15004), a strategic levy investment under Hort Innovation’s Nursery Fund, levy funds and Australian Government contributions are used to apply for and renew minor use permits.

Pesticide companies submit pesticides for registration with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA), which is the regulatory body for agricultural chemicals in Australia. Because of its ‘minor crop’ status the nursery industry generally sees limited registrations. This is because with a small market size, there are often not adequate commercial returns on the research and development investment required to register the chemicals.

To overcome this, industry is able to register for minor use permits to enable legal use of agrochemicals in minor crop situations such as nursery crops. Access to a diversity of  chemical groups means that growers are able to have a variety of options when it comes to effectively managing pests and the build of up of chemical resistances. More

Steve Blyth

Nursery & Garden Industry Australia (NGIA) has recently appointed Mr. Stephan (Steve) Blyth as the Biosecurity Certification Officer under the National nursery industry biosecurity program (NY15004).  Steve has tertiary qualifications in horticulture, conservation and land management as well as being a qualified ChemCert trainer and Lead Auditor. This is complimented by his genuine business experience in nursery production.

The role of the Biosecurity Certification Officer is to provide implementation and certification services to production nurseries working under the BioSecure HACCP Program plus contribute to other project themes such as biosecurity preparedness and awareness.  Furthermore, the position will have a role in linking to the Western Australian government’s tomato potato psyllid Transition to Management program through linking to the Nursery Production Farm Management System. Steve will be based in Perth, Western Australia, with the aim of working with growers in the key production areas across Western Australia and the Northern Territory. More

Month: December 2017

Pest: Broad mite – Polyphagotarsonemus latus

Broad mites causing deformed growth on Asian bell (Radermachera sinica)

Importance: Common and major nursery pest

Description: Egg: Transparent, less than 0.1 mm long, oval-shaped, surface characteristically covered in white bumps (stipules). Found mostly near veins and in depressions in leaves. Immatures: Whitish in colour with a distinct white stripe along the dorsal surface.Adult: Very small, barely visible to naked eye. Oval-shaped, mostly translucent but with a yellow-green tinge. Males are slimmer and are often carried by the female with the rear legs.

Damage: Adults are found mostly on underside of young apical leaves and in flowers.  Leaves become bronzed, russetted and distorted with down-curling margins, stems can be flattened. Fruit may be misshapen and russetted. More