Monday, 11 February 2019

A research project led by leading Australian universities is testing which horticultural species in our future urban landscapes will thrive or struggle in the face of a changing climate.

Climate change is an issue that can affect the entire horticultural sector, especially the nursery industry, where the commercial objective is to sell healthy plants that have a long and productive life.

Known as “Which Plant Where” the research project is being conducted by Macquarie University and Western Sydney University, with funding from Hort Innovation’s Green Cities Fund.

The project involves testing a range of plants under various climatic conditions in a controlled environment, as well as conducting “Living Labs” to monitor plant growth and survival rates in a real life setting.

A living lab is now underway at the Underwood Reserve in Summer Hill, Sydney. Provided by the Inner West Council, researchers will monitor the performance and associated benefits of recently planted trees and shrubs in the reserve over time.

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Monday, 11 February 2019

Looking at the ‘return on investment’ for production nurseries that implement a structured and effective pest management and monitoring program is the key focus of a new levy funded project.

Known as ‘Improving Pest Management’ (NY17009) the project is funded by Hort Innovation using nursery industry levies and funds from the Australian Government.

It is being led by Nursery & Garden Industry Australia (NGIA) with assistance from independent agricultural economists and pest scouts. The project intends to run for three years and cover two key areas, including:

• A literature review on neonicotinoids and alternative chemicals for grower use with a report due in March 2019; and
• A two-year (2019/2020) economic analysis on integrated pest management (IPM), with on farm trials and a cost-benefit analysis of the IPM principles of crop monitoring and site surveillance.

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Name: Brown mulberry longhorn beetle, Apriona germari

Brown mulberry longhorn beetle is not present in Australia but is widespread in the Asian region. It only feeds on living trees (but these may be healthy or stressed) and its potential effect on Australian native plants is not known.

The beetle is most likely to arrive in imported timber and wood used for pallets, or other packing materials from Asia. Look out for larval tunnels in the wood up to 15 mm wide, sawdust-like frass falling from damaged timber, and oval-shaped exit holes. Diligence is particularly essential with imported material from India and China where it has been reported as a major pest of mulberry and poplar plantations.

In Australia, many woody species within the Moraceae, Salicaceae and Ulmaceae families may be affected, including elm, fig, mulberry, poplar, pear, citrus, rosewood, hawthorn, lagerstroemia, mulberry, walnut, and willow, as well as other tree species. More

Name: Bean spider mite Tetranychus ludeni

Similar to: Two-spotted mite

Description

Egg: Minute, globular, almost transparent, can have reddish tinge.

Immatures: Similar to two-spotted mite.

Adult: Approximately 0.5 mm long with 8 legs, uniformly dark red, distinguishing it from two-spotted mite which is yellowish-green with two dark spots. In cooler climates the red overwintering phase of two-spotted mite is a lighter red than that of bean spider mite.

Damage: Feeds on underside of leaf and sometimes on upper surface. Leaves become mottled and bleached. Severe infestations can cause premature leaf fall. Damaging populations develop quickly in warm, dry conditions.

For further information please refer to the industry Pest ID Tool – http://pestid.com.au/

An initiative of the Nursery Levy funded National Nursery Industry Biosecurity Program (NY15004) and ‘Building the resilience and on-farm biosecurity capacity of the Australian production nursery industry’ Project (NY15002).

A review of the nationally recognised Tree Stock standard is now complete. Assessed by Standards Australia, an updated edition of AS 2303:2018 ‘Tree stock for landscape use’ is now available for public purchase.  

Through industry consultation and the strategic investment of nursery levy funds, ‘Evaluation of nursery tree stock parameters’ (NY15001) project was able to yield a productive and tangible outcome for industry.

The standard enables the assessment of above and below ground characteristics of tree stock, to be supplied for landscape use. While not mandatory, this standard is widely used by suppliers and purchasers of containerised trees across Australia to increase the likelihood of successful plantings. More