Editor ' s Note
Season of change
Welcome to our first anniversary issue of the new-look Australian Stonefruit Grower . As the last few plums disappear off the supermarket shelves it is probably a good time to think about the season just gone .
Jenny ' s picture ?
It has certainly been eventful , with the ongoing struggle to control fruit fly without chemicals , new markets in China and both droughts and flooding rains – in the case of the NSW / Queensland border , within a very short range of each other .
This issue features an interview with Israeli stonefruit grower Jon Nathan from the Golan Heights . It is hard for us in Australia to imagine what it must be like growing fruit in such a hotly disputed area , within view of the Syrian border . However , his concerns are much the same as many Australian growers : managing pests , difficulties with the weather , effective use of scarce irrigation water and the availability and cost of labour . Perhaps what is striking are not the differences , but how much remains the same .
We also discuss a couple of new technologies ; using UV light to attract and kill fruit flies , and postharvest application of 1-methylcyclopropene or SmartFresh .
Most will be familiar with backyard bug-zappers . These can attract and kill all sorts of unwelcome evening visitors . So what about fruit flies – can they attract them too ? New research by Macquarie University has examined whether fruit flies are attracted to different types of light . The results suggest that UV light could indeed provide a new way to monitor flies , especially if combined with other attractants . SmartFresh is used extensively in the apple and pear industries to maintain firmness during storage and shelf life . It has revolutionised how we manage apples . In Australia , SmartFresh is registered for plums and nectarines . However , harvest maturity and variety greatly affect the results . Understanding how SmartFresh works will help growers and packers decide whether it is a saviour or a surplus .
Finally , many thanks to those who have already filled out the Summerfruit Australia Communications Survey . Your responses and opinions will help determine how your industry communicates with you in the future , including emails , website and the continuation of this magazine .
If you haven ’ t already completed the survey , it ’ s still available at https :// www . surveymonkey . com / r / Summerfruit . It ’ s your levy money – make sure it gets spent on the things you want .
-Jenny Ekman summerfruit . com . au April 2017 | Australian Stonefruit Grower 3