Facilitating the development of the Australian strawberry industry (BS15002, BS15003 and BS15004)

What was it all about?

Together, these three investments ran from 2016 to 2019 to form an industry development program that improved Australian strawberry grower’s knowledge and skills, facilitated the adoption of innovation and R&D outcomes, and supported practice change to ensure the profitability and sustainability of the industry.

You can download their final reports here:

• Faciliating the development of the Australian strawberry industry (BS15002)
• Facilitating the development of the Australian strawberry industry - subtropical regional delivery (BS15003)
• Facilitating the development of the Australian strawberry industry - temperate regional delivery (BS15004)

The national project Facilitating the development of the Australian strawberry industry – national oversight and communications (BS15002) produced and maintained key industry communication channels during this period, including…

• The Strawberry Innovation website for industry news and R&D communications
  
  
• The quarterly national industry newsletter Simply Red, with current and past editions available here
  
  
• The monthly national e-newsletter The Punnet, with current and past editions here

The two regional projects (BS15003 and BS15004) worked in conjunction with the national program to deliver additional activities such as workshops, grower groups, farm walks, field days, study tours, case studies and industry analysis. Specifically, they funded the positions of industry development officers (IDOs).

The industry development program produced a wide range of resources for strawberry growers which are available in the ACT NOW section below.

ACT NOW

Access all the resources produced by the industry development program…

• An updated Strawberry Good Practice Guide was released with a focus on land, soil and water management.

• You can also download related fact sheets and case studies below:
  
  
  • Land and soil management
    • Managing your soil – Taking soil tests
    • Keeping soil in its place – Improving soil cover and managing drainage
    • Managing your soil – Crop rotation and soil amendments
    • Grower profile – John Hasan, Wandin VIC
      
      
  • Water management
    • Irrigation water quality for strawberries
    • Using recycled water for strawberry production
    • Grower profile – Paul Mancarella, Silvan VIC
      
      
  • Pest management
    • Managing foliar and fruit diseases in strawberries
    • Managing chewing and biting pests in strawberries
    • Managing soilborne diseases in strawberries
    • Managing sucking pests in strawberries
      
      
  • Postharvest handling
    • Postharvest diseases and disorders of strawberries
      
      
  • Export
    • Developing Asian markets for Australian strawberries
    • Export supply chain - Queensland strawberries to Hong Kong
      
      
  •  Other
    • Transitioning to protected cropping
    • Silicon for strawberries
    • Organic strawberries
    • New technology in strawberry production
    • Strawberries - Growing the crop in WA
      
      
• An identification poster for Queensland fruit fly, designed to be hung in packhouses or spray sheds. 
  
  
• Listen to webinar recordings on the following topics:
• Fruit fly management in strawberries
• Spotted wing drosophila preparedness
• Transitioning from soils to substrates in strawberry production
• Accessing export markets – opportunities and shared lessons for strawberries

• This video on strawberry irrigation and nutrient management in protected cropping, produced in October 2017.
  
  
• Download the integrated pest management (IPM) app developed by the project which features pest and disease identification.
  
  
• ASBP varietal information summary cards.