edition 39 march 2011 katherine—irrigation · pdf fileedition 39 march 2011 inside this...

March 2011 Edition 39

Inside this issue:

National EPP

Training Program 2

Our record breaking

February—BoM 3

RD & E Mango

Workshop Photos 4

RD & E Mango

Priority List 5

Classifieds 6

What to expect

this dry—BoM 7

Train Safe Chainsaw

& 4x4 Courses

8

Katherine—Irrigation Workshop

NTHA CONTACTS 15 Coolalinga Village Shopping Centre Stuart Highway Coolalinga 0835 PO Box 2207 Palmerston NT 0831

Phone 08 89 83 3233 Fax 08 89 83 3244 Email

[email protected]

The Katherine Irrigation Workshop was recently held on the 6th of April at

the Katherine Research Station. A large contingent turned out to enrich

their knowledge of top end soils, mulching, and irrigation practices.

The onsite research facilities proved to be a practical view of what has

been developed to improve irrigation efficiency, nutrient and land

management for Top End intensive farming systems.

Cliff Hignet—Soil Hydrologist (above) Mal Bennett - DoR Agronomist (above)

Workshop participants (below)

NTHA COUNCIL

Tom Harris President Citrus

Jan Hinzte Vice President Cut Flower

Geoff Selems Public Officer Mango

Fergus Higson Treasurer Nursery

Haig Arthur Director

Emerging Industries

David Boehme Director

Emerging Industries

Peter Marks Director Mango

David Higgins Director

Katherine Region

John Etty Director Organics

Alan Pedersen Director Organics

Ben Hoffmann Director Cut Flowers

Charmaine Carter

Director Tropical Exotics

Daniel Herrick Director

Tropical Exotics

Jane Dellow Director Nursery

The views expressed by contributors to this magazine may not reflect the views of the Northern Territory Horticultural Association and the NTHA gives no warranties to the products and services advertised herein. To contribute editorial or purchase advertising space please contact the NTHA.

All editorial and advertising is published at the discretion of the NTHA.

NORTHERN AUSTRALIA GROWER

National EPP Training Program

Plant Health Australia (PHA) conducts a National Emergency Plant Pest (EPP) Training Program. The aim of the program is to familiarise industry personnel with key elements of the Emergency Plant Pest Response Deed (EPPRD) and PLANTPLAN, to ensure that if an incursion occurs, all responsible Parties are familiar with their roles and responsibilities. In addition, all signatories to the EPPRD are required, where possible, to use trained and accredited personnel in

an EPP response.

Training available through this program includes:

• The Biosecurity Awareness Workshop (overview of the EPPRD and PLANTPLAN)

• Workshops for members of industry boards or with key decision makers

• Short EPPRD awareness training at Member meetings

• On-farm general biosecurity awareness

• Industry Liaison Coordinator and Officer training

PHA’s Biosecurity Online Training To complement the face-to-face training currently delivered through the Na-tional EPP Training Program, PHA has developed Biosecurity Online Training (BOLT). BOLT aims to make biosecurity training more accessible and provides a

valuable reference source for PHA Members.

Currently, only the Plant Foundation Module is available via BOLT. This module provides an overview of the biosecurity system, together with the response ar-rangement in place if a new pest is detected. The module can be completed in

an hour or two.

Access to BOLT is free and available to anyone with an interest in biosecurity.

First time users should read the joining instructions assistance.

http://www.planthealthaustralia.com.au/index.cfm?objectid=5BF67DF0-FBB3-C1F8-72DCCB3DBB572D81

and here you can create an account to get started and get access to BOLT

http://pha.canopi.com.au/pha/index.asp

NTHA COUNCIL

Jan Hintze

President

Cut Flowers

Murray Linton

Vice President

Mangoes

Tom Harris

Treasurer

Citrus

Mark Smith

Public Officer

Bananas

……………..

Haig Arthur

Mangoes

John Etty

Organics

Ben Hoffmann

Cut Flowers

Will Lloyd

Table Grapes

Bob Saundery

Citrus

David Boehme

Vegetables

Jerry Hemphill

Organics

David Higgins

Regional Rep

Jane Dellow

Nursery

Han Shiong Siah

Tropical Fruits

Ruth Cormack

Melon Industry

Teena Sandford

Nursery

Kerry Eupene

Tropical Fruits

Ian Baker

Regional Rep

NTHA CONTACT

Phone 08 898 83 3233 Facsimile 08 89 83 3244

PO Box 2207 Palmerston NT 0832

Email [email protected]

www.ntha.com.au


Our record breaking February

The current La Niña is one of the strongest we have observed since reliable records began in 1876. During La Niña years, northern and eastern Australia tends to receive above average rainfall, and this season has been no exception. Adding to the already wet

conditions, heavy rain from the slow moving Tropical Cyclone Carlos broke several records and made February an exceptionally wet month. The first two weeks of February had already received above average rainfall with 165 mm falling by the 14th at Darwin Airport. The daily rainfall record was broken when 367.6 mm of rain fell in the 24 hour period to 9 am on 16 February. The previous wet-test day was recorded on 3 January 1997 when Tropical Cyclone Rachel brought 290.4 mm of rain. The 3-day rainfall total (15 to 17 February) was 684.8 mm, breaking the pre-vious 3-day record established between 8 and 10 December 1998 when Severe Tropical

Cyclone Thelma brought 462.0 mm of rain. February also had the wettest week on record. In the 7-day period from the 13th to 19th Darwin Airport measured 847.4 mm, the previous record was 615.8 mm set between 6-12 January 1991. By the end of the month Darwin Airport had accumulated 1110.2 mm of rain breaking the previous

monthly record of 1013.6 mm set in March of 1977. Other stations also broke February daily rainfall records on the 16th including Leanyer (344.2 mm prior to the rain gauge overflowing) and Karama (191.7 mm). Humpty Doo (836.7 mm), Berrimah (800.2 mm), McMinns Lagoon (862.9 mm), and Darwin River

Dam (829.2 mm) all exceeded their records for total February rainfall. The month ended only 5.8 mm short of surpassing the wettest wet season on record.

(This record was broken on 4 March.)

Figure 1 Top End 3-day rainfall totals for 15 February 2011 to 17 February

NTHA CONTACT

Phone 08 898 83 3233 Facsimile 08 89 83 3244



www.ntha.com.au


RD & E Mango Workshop

The ABC Country Hour broadcasting live from the Mango Workshop,

Stacy Milner interviews Murray

Linton. (above)

Kezia Purick and Peter Marks (right)

Joel Lisonbee presented for BoM on the weather and

its effects on growers and harvests. (left)

The 2011 RD&E Mango Workshop was held on March 17 & 18 at Tou’s Garden in Acacia Hills. The two day

event was hosted by the Department of Resources with guest speakers from various

specialised areas including Peter Johnson from Western

Australia. People travelled from as far as Queensland to hear what research and development has

been undertaken in the Mango Industry. By all accounts this

was a very successful event.

NTHA CONTACT

Phone 08 898 83 3233 Facsimile 08 89 83 3244



www.ntha.com.au

Northern Territory Mango Industry - Workshop 17th & 18th March 2011

This is a list of the RD&E priorities from the workshop. By asking a range of questions I think we were able to gauge where

the perceived needs of the NT industry lie...

• Maintaining first grade fruit quality along the supply chain by reducing mango degradation between farm and customer. This will be achieved by supply-chain interventions to develop better practices in both the domestic and export markets.

• Continuing the national mango genetic improvement program, with the aim of producing smaller and more efficient trees and disease tolerant root stocks.

• Ongoing RD&E in insect pest management. This includes research into IPM systems – i.e. R&D into new pesticides as well as identification and promotion of insect predators; as well as ongoing R&D into the potential for area-wide management systems against fruit fly. Other spe-cific insect pest priorities included developing improved management strategies against plant hoppers, leaf hoppers, thrips and longicorns beetles; investigating and extending practices that will delay build up of resistances to pesticides; and researching preventative insecticide treat-ments for protecting young mango trees against termites.

• RD&E for improving disease management systems to reduce fruit spoilage. Research will focus on developing optimal treatment regimes using existing and new chemistry.

• Ongoing refinement of mango defect monitoring and analysis, with particular reference to benchmarking the performance of different varieties, as well as comparing defect incidence with husbandry practices.

• Ongoing RD&E into crop manipulation – i.e. inducing early flowering, prevention of flower abor-tion, extending flowering length and reducing early fruit drop; especially as to how these inter-ventions might apply to new varieties.

• RD&E into better understanding tree canopy management, especially in regard to new varieties.

• Initiating R&D into both harvesting systems and technologies to reduce future industry costs.

• • Forming R&D partnerships with universities and commercial agribusi-

ness.

• Improving farmer profitability by effective extension of best practices relating to:

- tree husbandry,

- nutrition,

- water use efficiency,

- harvesting systems equipment, and; - appropriate chemical use to prevent ineffective chemical applications, or potential residue issues.

• Extension of best practice management around management of vertebrate pest species within and around orchards i.e. feral pigs, wallabies, dingoes and magpie geese.

• Extension relating to better understanding weather and climate systems and their implications to management.

Warren Hunt Industry Development & Extension Leader Department of Resources


Mango RD&E Priority List

FOR SALE

Kubota B3030 4WD tractor and

LA403 front end loader attachment. Includes registered tandem trailer. As new, only 35 hours use. $30,000 Inspection available at Dinah Beach. Phone 89811344 (Greening Aust)

Page 7 NORTHERN AUSTRALIA GROWER

Classifieds

Advertising in the

Northern

Australia Grower is

FREE for NTHA members.

Contact Tricia on

08 8983 3233 or

[email protected] for

further information


What to expect this Dry Season—BoM

Last years dry season was not as dry as usual, in fact, it was exceptionally wet for a dry season. A

large contributor to wet conditions in the southern parts of the NT last year was a negative Indian

Ocean Dipole (IOD), which enhanced cloud band activity over the Alice. In addition, near the end

of the last dry season a La Niña pattern began to build in the Pacific, which added to the warm,

wet conditions over the Top End.

This year the IOD is no longer negative and the La Niña conditions have weakened, which may

mean a return to near-average conditions for the upcoming dry season. What does this mean in

the NT? On average, across the NT, the May to September dry season receives about 40 mm of

rainfall. The average daily maximum temperature for this period is 30-33 ºC across the Top End

and 21-24 ºC around Alice Springs. The average daily minimum temperature ranges from 15-21

ºC in the Top End and 3-9 ºC in the Alice.

The dry season is known for fine conditions; however, extreme weather is still possible. The fol-

lowing are a few extreme events that have happened in past dry seasons: The coldest tempera-

ture ever recorded in the Northern Territory was -7.5 ºC on 17 July 1976 at Alice Springs. The

highest dry season temperature was at Kidman Springs where the maximum temperature

reached 42.0 ºC on 30 September 2000. On 3 May 1977 Minjilang had a rainstorm that brought

nearly 300 mm of rain. Another heavy rain event happened on 19 May 2004 at Yirrkala Tropical

Gardens when 284.4 mm of rain fell. There was also a storm on 2 July 1986 that poured 142.2

mm on Brunette Downs.

While there is uncertainty in any long-range forecast, some indicators give an idea of what the

next season may be like. Current indicators suggest the 2011 dry season may have near average

conditions.


Train Safe Training—Chainsaw & 4x4 Courses

Train Safe NT can provide Nationally Accredited courses:

Operate & Maintain Chainsaws Two (2) day course

28th. & 29th. April $490 per person

Advanced 4WD & Recovery

Two (2) day course 3rd. & 4th. May

$490 per person


Ph 8985 6829 M 0435 182 042

www.trainsafe.net

Nationally Recognised Training PO Box 40535 Cas uar ina NT 0811 P / 08 8985 6829 M/ 0435 182 042

Regis te red Tra in i ng Organ i sat ion Prov ide r No. 70038 ABN 14383506257

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