Support for
Growth

Bernard Salt, one of Australia’s leading social commentators and business analysts, will deliver the Forum’s opening address looking at the unfolding trends impacting Australian society, including key Covid-19 challenges and opportunities, from labour and employment to consumer expectations.

If you walk into any Australian major retailer, apples and pears continue to occupy considerable real estate and online consumers can find more than a dozen loose and packed options.

With retailers driven by the profit per square metre, an increasing range of apple and pear varieties, other fresh produce categories stepping up to deliver consistent quality and longer seasons, and consumers changing how they shop – do we need to change to maintain and grow our strong position?

In this session, we explore emerging trends for retail and what it means for fresh produce – and specifically apples and pears. What needs to change, and how can we ensure apples and pear continue their dominance of retailers’ shelf space and consumers’ shopping baskets?

Speakers:

For more than a decade, Australian apple and pear growers have increased their plantings of an ever-expanding range of managed varieties. While some varieties have succeeded, growers have also spoken of selecting a new variety based on incomplete information, rushed due diligence – and FOMO.

Join us as our experienced variety owners and managers lift the hood and show us what it takes to succeed with a managed variety from the orchard all the way through to domestic and global markets.  What is working well and what can we look forward to in this space?

Speakers:

Where will the momentum of 2020 tech adoption see us in 2030?
Matt Pryor, Tenacious Ventures

Ripe Robotics and the quest for robotic fruit picking.
Hunter Jay, Ripe Robotics

Monash Apple Retrieving System.
Dr Chao Chen, Monash

Advances in automated harvesting.
Growers panel featuring Brad Fankhauser, Mitch McNab and Mark Trzaskoma

Green Atlas – enabling precision orchard management.
Steve Scheding, Green Atlas

Data driven decision making: effect of netting on plant stress, fruit growth and irrigation requirements.
Mark Heyward, Phytech

Managing quality

Managing Fruit Quality on High Value Varieties- Harvista®, Retain®, or Both?
Craig Kahlke, Cornell University, USA

Protecting your orchard from unwelcome visitors

Biosecurity presentation
Rose Daniel, APAL

AP19005 – Developing smarter and sustainable pear orchards to maximise fruit quality, yield and labour efficiency.
Dr Ian Goodwin, Agriculture Victoria

AP19003: Advancing sustainable and technology driven apple orchard production systems.
Dr Alessio Scalisi, Agriculture Victoria

AP19006: Improved Australian apple and pear orchards soil health and plant nutrition.
Sally Bound, Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture

Updated and online – making the most of the new IPDM Manual.
Emily Crawford, Agriculture Victoria

AP19002: Strengthening cultural and biological management of pests and diseases in apple and pear orchards.
Greg Lefoe, Agriculture Victoria

PIPS3 Panel discussion

Buffer zones & spray drift – what are they and why are they important.
Dave Rumbold, National Working Party on Pesticide Management

National Residue Survey – minimising risk and maintaining reputation.
Jenna Garwood, NRS

Orchard sanitation – What have we learned & what can we do better?
Bronwyn Koll, Yarra Valley Agribusiness

Using trapping technology to manage fruit flies.
Nancy Schellhorn, RapidAim

Maximising access for welcome visitors to a protected orchard

Does orchard netting affect insect visitation to apple flowers at Stanthorpe, QLD?
Jeremy Jones, UNE