News

New 'Best Practice' Guide for Dried Fruit Growers

Tue, 14 Apr 2015 14:12:00

Dried Fruits Australia has released the second in a series of three “best practice” guides for growers as they bed down vines from one of their best seasons for high quality dried fruit.

The Post-Harvest and Winter Best Practice Guide is being distributed from this week through the major processors Sunbeam and Australian Premium Dried Fruit.  The guides are aimed at optimizing fruit quality and encouraging grower investment in the industry. 
“Our initial Pre-harvest and Harvest guide released in January has been really well-received by growers,” said DFA Chairman Mark King.  “They appreciated that the guide provided timely reminders and in some cases, new information, about their decision-making at critical points.
“This last season we have produced some of the highest percentages of light-colored fruit in many years.  Of course a lot of that has to do with weather, which was perfect for drying this year.  But it’s also due to individual growers making the right decisions throughout the season,” he said.
DFA Industry Development Officer John Hawtin said the guides outline the current recommended best-practice for key decision-making for each phase of the production cycle.
“In this instance, on ensuring vines are ‘put to bed’ in the best-possible condition and that pruning is done in such a way to maximise the quality and quantity of the next crop,” he said.
“The final guide, later this year, will concentrate on the budburst and the spring growing cycle to pre-harvest preparations, which will be distributed to growers in September.”
The information in the guides has been prepared with the input of a growers’ working group.  The guides are to be used in conjunction with the DFA ‘Dried Grape Production Manual’ and a separate spray diary that provide very detailed information as a basis for production decisions.
“These new guides are really a hand summary of the best practice elements of each production phase, and we hope they will assist growers to maximise the quality of the fruit they produce,” Mr Hawtin said.
“They’re an easy-to-read snapshot of key production elements and practices – and growers can go back to the production manual or spray diary to get more detailed information.”
The information in the guides is based largely on industry knowledge and experience, as well as a review of recent literature and research by former Senior Research Scientist in Horticulture at DEPI Mildura, Dr Karl Sommer. 
The project is funded by Horticulture Innovation Australia using the dried grape industry levy and funds from the Australian Government.