The Citrus Segment

Interested to know what happens behind the scenes at Citrus SA. After each committee meeting (held on the fourth Tuesday of each month), join chair Mark Doecke and Kerrie Robertson as they discuss the issues and activities of the committee over the past month. In this chat we talk about the season ahead, Freshcare audits, fruit fly management and the annual operations plan. We also ask for growers...

Wondering what happens behind the scenes at Citrus SA? After each committee meeting,  join chair Mark Doecke and Kerrie Robertson as they discuss a few of the issues, progress and activity of the committee over the past month. 

Fruit fly outbreaks are increasing across the Riverland – but the fight continues. In this episode of the Citrus Segment, we speak with Citrus SA chair Mark Doecke and Summerfruits SA chair Jason Size to hear where things are at in the management and control of the pest. For more fruit fly information visit the PIRSA website 

It will come as no surprise to growers that albedo breakdown is quite widespread this season across the three major growing areas. At a Citrus SA seminar late last month, former citrus researcher Michael Treeby said it was improbable that every grower in the Riverina, Sunraysia and the Riverland forgot to apply preventative treatments this season. So, what is causing it? “The effect of season appe...

Sterile Queenland Fruit Fly are being grown out at the McCormick Centre in Renmark, ready for release across the Riverland, to help in the fight against the pest. Fruit Fly coordinator Brett Kennedy took us on a tour of the facility recently and I asked Brett to explain the process.

Don Thorp has spent decades working in the horticultural spray application sector and is the owner and director of Horticultural Spraying Specialists . Citrus SA brought Don to Waikerie, through EE Muir and Sons, to conduct a spray technology workshop for growers.

Ben Haslett runs his family owned orchard business, Woolenook Fruits, near Paringa in South Australia. He grows citrus, wine grapes, sugar plums and almonds. He is also a Nuffield Scholar, and has an honours degree in science from the University of Adelaide and the University of California, Davis. Earlier this year he was asked to speak at the ABARES National Outlook Conference to provide his expe...

In this episode we discuss the importance of workplace hygiene – in the orchard and the packing shed in the face of the Covid 19 pandemic. Our guest is Steve Burdette, technical manager for Nutrano at Abbotsleigh in Queensland, member of the Approved Employers Association and former chair of Citrus SA. You can find more information about the fact sheet discussed by emailing contact@citrussa.c...

In this episode of The Citrus Segment we talk to Steven Falivene from the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries about frost mitigation strategies and weather forecasting services. Is it worth paying extra? 

In recent years, Citrus SA has been working with Primary Industries and Region’s SA to identify and address the increased risk of fruit fly becoming established in the Riverland. Earlier this year, new regulations were introduced into the SA Plant Quarantine Standard to require that fruit bins coming from interstate be checked and certified as clean. Under SA’s strict biosecurity measures, this al...

Knowing what is the next up and coming citrus variety which tastes good, looks great and most importantly will be well received by markets is always difficult to gauge. The New South Wales Department of Primary Industries at Dareton has a range of citrus trials underway to demonstrate new varieties to growers so they can make educated decisions. Each June, Citrus SA hosts a trip across the border...

The United States still doesn’t have the full picture of the effect Huánglóngbìng or Citrus Greening Disease is having on production. That’s according to Nate Jameson who owns Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery in Florida. Nate said once HLB enters a country, there’s little hope of eradication due to the long lead time between infection and detection.  HLB has had a massive impact on Florida’s economy...

This interview was recorded at a fruit fly forum held in the Riverland in 2018. Andrew Finlay is a stone fruit grower from Stanthorpe in Southern Queensland – the native state of the dreaded fruit fly. They've always had to deal with the pest but in 2014, the game changed and it became even tougher. 

This interview was recorded at a fruit fly forum held in the Riverland in 2018. Joelene Williams is from the Greater Sunraysia Pest-Free Area development committee and is a stone fruit grower and packer. Joelene talks about how Queensland Fruit Fly became established in the Sunraysia and what South Australia can do to avoid a similar situation. 

This is the official podcast of Citrus SA Inc.