Australian Berry Journal – AUTUMN 2026 - Edition 26

Specialised crop protection and production solutions for horticulture agnova.com.au

Suppliers of high-quality polytunnels and crop protection systems elitetunnels.com

Suppliers of high-quality coir substrates for sustainable crop growth atlantiscoco.com

Distributor of high-quality growing media for berry cultivation globalaxis.com.au

The leading global provider of end-to-end smart irrigation solutions netafim.com.au

Unique Eco Flat Wing steel trellis system for optimum berry production ecoberry.co.nz

Industrial automation design, build and installation services automationtechniques.co.nz

Expert irrigation and greenhouse solutions, design and installation services. irribiz.com.au

Experts in greenhouse technology and horticultural automation solutions powerplants.com.au

Leaders in spraying equipment and crop protection technology croplands.com

Offer Tasmanian farmers, growers, and contractors quality solutions with support. marshallmachinery.com.au

Australian provider of specialty fertiliser and crop protection inputs tanuki.com.au

Sustainable, innovative crop nutrition and protection solutions for horticulture agspec.com.au

Smart, sustainable irrigation solutions backed by global expertise rivulis.com

Leading supplier of pots and containers for horticulture gardencityplastics.com

A leading provider of specialist fumigation services trical.com.au

Innovative crop protection solutions that support healthy, productive berries corteva.com/au

Supplier of high-chill strawberry runners and plug plants jclmfarming.com.au

End-to-end custom refrigeration solutions and support approachrefrigeration.com.au

Protected cropping systems for global berry growers haygrove.com

AI-powered blueberry grading that boosts profitability cailu.ai

Innovative cocopeat growing media for sustainable crop production ecomix.com.au

Innovative global fruit and vegetable sorting solutions unitec-group.com Sustainable peat and coir growing media specialists legrogroup.com botanicoir.com Australian biological and residue-free sustainable crop solutions agreva.com

Australian leader in advanced fruit grading technology gpgraders.com

CEO's Report

Rachel Mackenzie | 0408 796 199 | rachelmackenzie@berries.net.au

When

is a building on your farm not a farm building, and why does it matter?

This is not a trick question, but a critical distinction that has implications for protected cropping across Australia. In New South Wales, at least, recent Planning and Environment Court determinations have found that polytunnels are not classified as 'farm buildings' for planning purposes. As a result, where intensive horticulture does not require development approval (DA) in a particular local government area, polytunnels do not require a separate DA either.

Now, for those of you who are not in NSW or don’t use protected structures, you may be thinking this is not relevant or pretty niche, but consider the consequences if every new farm using polytunnels (or nets) required a DA, or you needed a DA every time you moved polytunnels from one part of your farm to another. The compliance burden would be huge! This issue gets to the heart of the ongoing challenges we have as a sector that grows in more populated coastal regions and raises important questions about the ‘right to farm’ and even food security. It also highlights the value of having an industry body to ‘fight your corner’ on some of these more complex issues.

The legal status of polytunnels (and nets) has been a live issue in the Coffs Harbour region for the last few years and came to a head in December 2024 when Coffs Harbour City Council (CHCC) issued a development control order to a Bonville raspberry grower to cease erecting polytunnels on the basis that they were ‘farm buildings and required development consent (a DA). Obviously, the implications of this were enormous for the individual grower, but they were even more significant for the sector as a whole. We sought clarity from the NSW government but were told that it was a legal issue requiring a determination in the NSW Land and Environment Court, which meant the grower in question had to appeal the decision at an individual level.

With some funding support from the ABGA and RABA, the grower and the legal team at Holding Redlich successfully appealed the decision. The Commissioner determined that tunnels are indeed buildings, but in the eyes of the law, they are not ‘farm buildings’ as they are integral, not separate, to the growing of the raspberries. This then means that under NSW Planning legislation, they do not need development approval if the primary use of intensive agriculture is permitted without consent. The clearest parallel is that if a supermarket obtains a DA to build a supermarket, then it does not have to obtain a separate DA for the car park, as it is integral to the supermarket, even though a stand-alone car park would require a DA.

The key takeaway is that in NSW Local Government Areas where intensive horticulture is permitted without consent, you do not need a DA for the erection of tunnels. This does not take away the right of councils to set development controls for certain uses, including intensive horticulture, provided they go through the appropriate consultation process and provide an adequate evidence base for the decision. The Coffs Council had the right to appeal the decision only on a point of law and voted not to do so.

Significant thanks must go to the Nagra family for their willingness to take this up on behalf of the industry and to Costa for their technical support in accurately describing polytunnel structures and detailing the complexities of Rubus production.

It should also be noted that this is not the end of the story, and it is important we work with local governments across Australia to ensure that requirements for berry production are proportionate and reasonable, but also that we are ‘good neighbours’ and a valued element of rural and regional communities.

Chairman's Report

Anthony Poiner | 0412 010 843 | anthony@smartberries.com.au

The Crown Jewel: Berries Maintain Top Spot Amidst Market Maturity

Welcome to the first edition of the Australian Berry Journal for 2026. The recently released 2024/25 Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook shows the reported value of the horticulture sector grew 6% to $18.4B.

Within this, berries remain the largest category with overall value of farmgate sales remaining virtually steady at $1.4B (which equates to $1.6B at the wholesale level, and I estimate close to $2B in retail sales) over the year. Total volumes were down 6% due to various weather events we have discussed in the journal previously, but countering that, pricing was up 6% on average. The berry category leads citrus and table grapes as the next largest sectors in dollar value.

The change in price and volumes versus the previous year highlights how important the supply/demand curve is for fresh produce. Total volume contracted to 120,314 tonnes - a 6% drop - yet the value rose, meaning per-kilogram prices were significantly higher. Blueberries hit a record $532.2 million in value driven by a loss of production due to weather events in northern NSW which caused seasonal shortages, and increased the average wholesale price from $18/kg to $26/kg (largely driven by some extreme spikes in mid2025). Strawberries followed at $529.8 million; although volume retracted by 13% from the prior year, their value actually increased by 3%. The Rubus sector reached $319.1 million, with blackberries gaining traction as a high-value niche. Across the category, growers are prioritising genetics for sweetness and firmness over sheer yield to maintain these premium margins.

Horticulture exports grew an exceptional 13% on the previous year to a total of $3.4B which is almost 20% of total value. In berries, the ‘export gap’ remains the

industry's most striking contrast. While berries lead in domestic value, we lag in global trade: table grapes export 60% of their production and citrus exports 38%, while berries still export less than 5%. This makes our export value growth/decline a critical watchpoint. Total export volume fell by 17% to 3,478 tonnes, and while strawberry export value rose 6% to $36.8 million, the broader category saw a 7% decline in blueberry export value due to the weather-restricted volumes.

Our international standing presents a more complex challenge. Australia is a ‘boutique’ player in a global market valued at over $42B USD. While we celebrate our local success, global giants like Peru export over 400,000 tonnes of blueberries alone. Australia’s high labour costs - estimated at $3.00/kg for harvesting compared to less than $0.80/kg in South America - mean we cannot compete on volume or price. This ‘high-cost’ reality was reflected in the export value growth/decline data; total export volume for the category fell by 17% to 3,478 tonnes, and while strawberry export value rose 6% to $36.8 million, the broader category saw a decline in blueberry export value by 7% due to limited volume.

In order to grow exports, we need to fix a way to compete. Given we are high-cost compared to other country competitors, this will have to be based on clean, green provenance, quality of product compared to other sources, and supplying at times when others are less able. At Berries Australia we will continue to work towards opening new markets, but the industry must focus on finding our points of difference in these new markets over the coming years.

Brett Fifield, Hort Innovation, Chief Executive Officer

Australian growers are some of the hardest-working people in our country. We say this often, and we see it every day. Despite challenges such as labour shortages and rising costs, they show up, adapt, and continue producing some of the freshest and safest produce in the world.

That same strength is reflected in the latest Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook, released in late February and available at bit.ly/HSH-24-25. It tells a story of perseverance and record-breaking performance across much of Australian horticulture.

The Handbook shows in 2024/25, Australian Horticulture reached its highest production value ever recorded at $18.4 billion, with fresh horticulture exports climbing to $3.5 billion. These are more than just big numbers on a page. They reflect the grit of growers who have weathered complex conditions, not just to feed Australia, but also reach international consumers with an appetite for Australian-grown.

Across fruit, vegetables and nuts, we saw record values, stronger farmgate returns and improved market conditions. Almonds, avocados, table grapes, nursery, potatoes, citrus, parsley and other herbs, melons, and tomatoes all contributed to a broader uplift.

Exports surged on the back of stronger trade relationships, market access, improved seasonal conditions and a renewed demand for high-quality Australian produce from Asia and beyond. Record export results for almonds, citrus, pistachios, and watermelons demonstrate what is possible when growers, exporters and the broader industry work in partnership to elevate quality, consistency and market access.

Growing the industry the right way

Last year, I wrote about why growing horticulture to $21 billion by 2030 is essential - not as a numeric milestone but as a pathway to stronger profitability, greater market resilience and more sustainable farm businesses.

The data released recently reinforces that message. We are not chasing growth for headlines.

Relationships, consistency remain one of our greatest assets

One of the standout messages from this year’s export results is the importance of relationships and consistency. Our strongest export gains came from markets where long-term partnerships have been nurtured, where trust has been built, and where Australian products are not just welcomed but sought after. This is a reminder that growing exports is about people as much as it is about produce.

Through programs focused on market development, capability building, and industry-to-industry connections, Hort Innovation will continue to support the relationships that enable Australian growers to succeed on the global stage.

A moment to acknowledgeand a moment to act

The chapters within the Handbook do give something to feel positive about. But they also offer clarity and some signals about where to go next. To build on where we are now, the opportunity is to keep:

• Investing in innovation that boosts yields, reduces costs and strengthens sustainability

• Expanding market access, deepening trade relationships and understanding consumers

• Supporting growers through evidence-based decision-making tools

• Building the workforce and skills the future demands

• Promoting the role of horticulture in healthy lifestyles

• Protecting our biosecurity advantage

If we stay focused on grower profitability, the consumer and industry sustainability, and continue to invest strategically, Australian horticulture will be positioned not only to reach that $21 billion horizon, but to do so with confidence. At Hort Innovation, our purpose remains clear: to grow the industry, not for the sake of growth, but for the prosperity, sustainability, and longterm future of Australian growers.

R&D and Biosecurity

Dr Angela Atkinson, Research & Development and Biosecurity Manager 0499 645 836 | angelaatkinson@berries.net.au

This March, the latest round to identify R&D priorities through the Berry Advisory Mechanism will begin with the Ideation Workshop on 18 March in Melbourne. The workshop is being held this year in conjunction with Hort Innovation’s Strategic Horticulture Investment Framework (SHIFt) consultation. SHIFt will replace the current Berry Strategic Investment Plan, which ends on 30 June, 2026. The new investment plan developed through SHIFt is due for release in June. Hopefully, many of you completed the survey put out by Hort Innovation last year to capture industry priorities, or were involved in on-farm consultations with Hort Innovation as part of the SHIFt process. Outcomes from the survey and grower engagement will help to inform the Ideation workshop discussions.

R&D concepts identified through this workshop help us develop projects with Hort Innovation to present to the berry industry panels, which make the final decision on levy funding.

Please get in touch if you would like to be involved in any of the advisory panels.

The R&D projects endorsed last year are underway. These projects include residue trials to generate data for the extension of 15 minor use permits across the berry industry, efficacy trials for new permits for mite control in strawberries and Rubus, the continuation of the National Bee Pest Surveillance project managed by Plant Health Australia and the mid-term review of the berry industry development and extension project.

Potential projects identified through the advisory mechanism process are not always suited to funding through the berry levies, for instance, it may be something that would be better as a cross-industry project. There are other avenues available to enable these sorts of projects, such as the Hort Frontiers process, which, while still part of Hort Innovation, does not use levy funds.

Berries Australia also engages with many research institutes working on projects funded through other sources, such as Australian Research Council linkage grants and Co-operative Research Centres (CRCs), to identify potential areas for collaboration.

Since the last edition of the journal, a couple of Hort Frontiers projects have been put out to open tender. These projects usually involve developing and/or trialling technology solutions, and the end goal is usually a

commercial outcome that can be implemented on farm. The majority of the funding comes from commercial partners and research organisations, with the remainder being non-levy funds through Hort Innovation.

The new projects are:

AS25005:

Smart energy in

protected cropping - Reducing costs and emissions

This project aims to identify and trial innovative energy solutions that significantly reduce operational costs and improve energy efficiency in protected cropping systems.

AS25001:

Accelerating on-farm

efficiency and safety through innovation

This project aims to enhance operational efficiency through technology-driven labour solutions, reduce injuries in high-labour horticulture and enable commercial pathways and scalable adoption of proven technologies.

Biosecurity

Through Plant Health Australia, the strawberry and Rubus industries have been involved in several pest incursions, including the detection of Red Dwarf Honey Bee in the Burrup Peninsula in Western Australia, ongoing surveillance and detection of exotic fruit flies in the Torres Strait, and detections of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in several states.

Since the last journal update, Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP) was detected in Victoria. TPP is a pest that affects Solanaceous crops such as tomatoes and capsicums. Movement of host crops like tomatoes was restricted to other states, and unfortunately, Victorian strawberries were identified as carrier produce by Queensland, as the psyllid could potentially be carried on the calyx of the strawberry. This meant movement of strawberries from Victoria to Queensland would be halted until a suitable phytosanitary protocol was approved. Sandy Shaw, our Vic & SA IDO worked around the clock with Agriculture Victoria and growers to ensure processes were put in place as quickly as possible to minimise disruption, and that any protocols to allow continued market access were as workable as possible for the industry. Berries Australia is continuing to work with state biosecurity departments to improve the situation going forward.

Climate and crop

Western Australia

Helen Newman, Berry Industry Development Officer

0428 335 724 |

Helen.Newman@dpird.wa.gov.au

Spring 2025 wrapped up with overall average to above average rainfall across most berry growing regions, and average to slightly above average temperatures, a nice finish to the cool season after the record-breaking winter rainfall. Figure 1 shows how spring 2025 compares to previous years.

Well-above-average rainfall and average-to-coolerthan-average temperatures were recorded in southern growing regions during November. Some strawberry growers noted larger-than-usual fruit (still very tasty!), potentially due to these weather conditions. Perth was less pleasant, with generally below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures (1-2 °C above average).

December was warmer than average across all regions, with maximum temperatures up to 3.3 °C warmer than usual. Very little to no rain was received in the south, while Perth received a small amount mid-month, enough to briefly settle the dust in some areas. With solar irradiance at its annual peak, windy conditions, and warmer-than-average temperatures, growers had to bring their A-game to keep on top of crop stress and fruit quality during December.

January was mostly dry across the berry-growing regions, with average to slightly above-average temperatures.

Industry news

A second round of bilingual chemical user's training was held in November in Gnangara. Ten strawberry growers (alongside vegetable growers) successfully completed accredited training delivered by VEG Education through a joint berry and VegNET-funded project.

Dumisani Mhlanga, Industry Service Manager for Berries at Hort Innovation, visited WA in December to meet with growers to understand industry needs. Dumi was VERY impressed with the passion and professionalism of WA growers and has invited more WA growers to participate in the Berry Strategic Investment Plan 2026 - 2030 Workshop on 18 March 2026 in Melbourne.

HUGE 100L Drone demo

Drones are getting bigger, faster and smarter. The DJI T100 drone was demonstrated at Glavocich Produce in Wattleup at a vegetablesWA-hosted event. The T100 has a maximum speed of 70km/hr(!), 100L spraying capacity, 150L spreading capacity (for dry products), and can transport loads (e.g. fruit, building materials) of up to 100kg. The drone uses advanced navigation and obstacle avoidance technologies, including LiDAR, millimetre-wave radar, and a Penta-Vision system.

New South Wales

Gaius Leong, Berry Industry Development Officer 0484 055 748 | gaius.leong@dpi.nsw.gov.au

As an IDO at Berries Australia, my role isn’t generally to promote products. I provide objective, science-based information with measurable outcomes to help growers improve farm performance, profitability and sustainability.

In August 2025, Protected Cropping Australia (PCA) released a media statement about a new calcium fertiliser introduced to the Australian market. What makes this an absolute game changer for fertigated horticulture is the fact that the product is virtually free of sodium, chloride, sulphate, and - you guessed it - nitrate. It has been a longstanding issue in horticulture that the supply of calcium comes with a ‘by-product’ attached. These ‘by-products’ were often in excess of plant growth requirements or affected other growth parameters, so most of them ended up in the leachate or were detrimental to plant growth. This issue has resulted in reduced fertiliser use efficiencies and mounting environmental concerns.

The new product supplies approximately 30% calcium in the form of calcium formate. Calcium formate (Ca(HCOO)2 ) is a calcium salt of formic acid that has gained increasing attention in agriculture as a potential fertiliser and soil amendment. Traditionally used in the construction, feed, and chemical industries, calcium formate has been explored for its dual role as a source of calcium nutrition and as an organic acid derivative that may influence soil chemical and biological processes.

Calcium formate is a water-soluble compound that, upon dissolution, dissociates into calcium ions (Ca²+) and formate ions (HCOO-). The calcium component contributes directly to plant nutrition, while the formate ion is readily biodegradable and can be metabolised by soil microorganisms, ultimately converting to carbon dioxide. Unlike traditional liming materials such as calcium carbonate, calcium formate has a relatively mild and short-term effect on soil pH.

This makes it suitable for soil production situations where calcium supplementation is needed without significantly altering soil acidity. The formate ion may stimulate microbial activity by acting as a carbon source, potentially enhancing nutrient cycling.

However, its rapid decomposition also limits long-term soil conditioning effects.

For substrate production, it offers excellent compatibility with common ‘A tank’ fertilisers such as calcium nitrate, potassium nitrate, and iron chelates. It also reduces the risk of phytotoxicity, especially in salt-intolerant crops or when the source water has a high salt index. The environmental benefits are massive with reduced nitrate leaching.

Despite its increasing commercial use, dedicated peerreviewed field studies specifically isolating calcium formate’s fertilisation impact are scarce relative to classic calcium fertilisers (e.g., calcium nitrate or chloride). Much of the accessible literature combines or compares sources rather than evaluating pure calcium formate effects. Early studies and commercial formulations indicate its ability to improve calcium nutrition and fruit quality, with advantages over some traditional calcium salts in reducing salt injury and nitrate content.

As such, its potential benefit to the berry industry cannot be ignored, especially for ammonium-based crops such as blueberries. The lack of nitrate-free calcium sources has often led to excess nitrate being delivered to the crop in preference to calcium nutrition. The use of calcium formate will enable the industry to achieve even greater nutrient-use efficiencies. Over the past year, more industries have seen the benefits and have moved towards its adoption. During my visit to QLD’s strawberry industry, I saw early adopters already incorporating the product into their fruiting programs.

The potential for this to be an integral part of industry best practice has also seen the CCC berry research team incorporate the product into their blueberry field trials. This will hopefully provide practical agronomic feedback and greater confidence to the industry moving forward.

Queensland

Wendy Morris, Berry Industry Development Officer 0484 272 963 | qldberryido@berries.net.au

It’s been a largely unremarkable summer in Queensland, for which we are grateful, given the struggles of our southern grower neighbours. I was speaking to Nathan Baronio from Eastern Colour, who has taken on the responsibility for overseeing the joint industry ‘Berry Basket’ marketing activities, when he mentioned the importance of keeping berries front of mind. The more consumers are reminded of how delicious, nutritious and affordable berries are, the more likely they are to consume them.

This is important for understanding the aims of marketing campaigns and, on a lower level, what growers and IDOs can do to promote berry consumption.

In late 2025, I was contacted by a Bundaberg berry grower who was seeking assistance in promoting the region’s pick-your-own farms. This seemed incredibly daunting, as I have no experience in this space. I knew Bundaberg had a lot going for it – the region strongly supports its growers (as evidenced by Mayor Helen

Blackburn attending our Bundy March event), and we have a range of proactive, forward-thinking, and diverse growers. Every berry crop is grown in the region, some in the ground, some on tables, some protected, and others traditional.

‘Seconds’ are frequently repurposed into compost, ice cream, jam and freeze-dried fruit. Whether you want an ice cream that is heavenly and heavy enough to negate the need to eat lunch, a curious new jam or vinegar, or a coffee so strong that you’ll be lying awake at midnight cursing your caffeine intolerance, Bundy is the place to go.

In March, I’ll be meeting with growers and Bundaberg Tourism to discuss what local growers are aiming to achieve and explore practical strategies to help turn those goals into action. The outcomes will be used as a ‘test case’ for other berry promotions, but most of all, we trust that anything we do with ‘some’ growers will benefit everybody.

On the topic of working together as a community, in early February, Dominic Reisig, Professor and Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University, gave growers a real-life example of how good stewardship and resistance management benefit growers and their community. A recording of this webinar is available now in the Berries Australia Resource Library by visiting bit.ly/BA-RL and searching ‘resistance management’. This is just the first in our 2026 webinar series.

The Australian Berry Journal is a long read, so here are a few snippets of information I collected over the last three months that may be useful!

• GLP-1 usage is gaining traction in Australia. GLP1s mimic a natural hormone in your body that tells your brain you are full, slows down digestion, and helps manage blood sugar. Originally developed to manage diabetes, these medications are highly effective for weight loss because they make you feel satisfied with less food. 51% of Aussies would consider using them, and 15% of households have someone on GLP-1 treatment. The anti-obesity

medication effect is going global, and is expected to have significant impacts on takeaway foods, sugar and alcohol consumption. This may provide an opportunity for the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables to grow.

• Varroa mite is spreading throughout Australia, and it is expected that ‘free’ pollination will soon become a thing of the past. Is your farm prepared?

• An employer can’t transfer their WH&S duty of care to someone else (i.e. an employee). We know there have been recent incidents at berry farms, and we ask that you please be careful to protect your employees and yourself.

Lastly, the IDO’s have something secret in the works. All I can say for now is that it’s Berry Practical, and designed for growers who are less interested in the future theories and more focused on what can be done here and now to improve their farm practices and profitability. Bookmark 17-18 September 2026 in your diary & stay tuned for more details!

Victorian Strawberry Industry Development Committee

Victoria & South Australia

Sandy Shaw, Berry Industry Development Officer 0408 416 538 | vicberryido@berries.net.au

A cool and rainy November and December (Christmas at home in wintery California was warmer than Christmas in Melbourne!) was followed abruptly by a series of scorching summer heat waves.

As a result, production across all berry categories remained below regular volume for November and December and didn’t hit full swing until January. Despite the lower yield, the crop coming through was large and of premium quality. Some light-hearted media on berry size was a bright point and an excellent public education opportunity. It’s always nice to see growers’ extensive knowledge and humour – which is part of what makes my job so fun – highlighted for others to see.

As is often the case, come January, heat waves produced significant plant stress with a corresponding drop in size and quality. Unfortunately, the heat, combined with several high-wind events, created ideal conditions for bushfires. In addition to a dozen major fires, smaller blazes — while they didn’t generate headlines — still caused damage. Several berry farms were directly affected, and most Victorians had someone they knew who was affected.

Victoria has established a robust bushfire support scheme.

Anyone needing assistance is encouraged to reach out to an Agriculture Recovery team member at phone number 136 186 or email recovery @agriculture.vic.gov.au.

Staff can assist with property assessments, recovery applications, and returning to normal operations.

Find more information at https://agriculture.vic.gov. au/farm-management/emergency-management/ bushfires/On-farm-bushfire-recovery-resources

Even growers outside bushfire areas will feel the effects for months to come. The Longwood fire occurred upstream of key water sources, and downstream growers, especially those drawing directly from rivers and streams, should increase water quality testing. Particulates and debris from the fires will make their way downstream after every major storm for months to come.

Much of my time over recent months has been devoted to the Tomato Potato Psyllid (TPP) response. New interstate market access requirements for strawberries were implemented as a result of Victoria losing pest-free status for TPP. Strawberry growers were required to implement new inspection protocols quickly and abruptly mid-season to maintain access to some interstate markets.

Despite the chaos, there has still been time for visiting researchers and growers. Highlights of recent visits included the ISHS International Irrigation Symposium hosted at Tatura Smart Farm, a tour of Melbourne University’s Centre for Plant Excellence space berries program, and reconnecting with colleagues back in California, where the berry production may be quiet, but the nurseries and breeding programs are as busy as ever.

Thanks to Hort Innovation, three growers were given the chance to attend the ISHS International Irrigation Symposium at Tatura Smart Farm, and our competition winners were Kishan Patel (Queensland Berries), Amanda Andresen (Clyde River Berry Farm) and Jesser Mendez (OzGroup).

Like many across the south, I’m hopeful we move through autumn without further major fires and return to steadier conditions soon. A return to normal programming for everyone will be much appreciated after the last few months.

Jacob Calabria from the Centre for Plant Excellence displays some of his tissue culture transformations on our tour of the Centre for Plant Excellence

Photo credit: Sandy Shaw

R&D Manager Angela Atkinson tries a Fragaria vesca for the first time at the Centre for Plant Excellence at Melbourne University

Photo credit: Sandy Shaw

Tasmania

Simon Neil, Berry Industry Development Officer 0400 100 593 | berryido@fruitgrowerstas.org.au

The summer months have been a serious test for growers across the state, and most would agree it hasn’t come easily.

A very wet, cool spring carried straight into early summer, with November rainfall 36% above average across the state and daytime temperatures well below average, limiting good picking windows and increasing disease and canopy management pressure.

December then became a stop-start month: drier overall across Tasmania but with persistent showers in many central and southern districts and some of the coldest December nights in decades. It’s exactly the sort of the pattern that complicates fruit set, harvest timing and labour planning.

And of course, the wind! Gusts were recorded over 135 km/h in November, and some stations marked their highest December gusts on record. More than one grower has suffered the morale-destroying experience of repairing significant tunnel and netting damage only to see it wrecked again a week later.

As we bid late 2025 a heartfelt “don’t let the door hit you on the way out”, farms are doing what they always do: fixing what broke, taking stock of what the season delivered and getting on with it. For many, that means an unusual January rhythm; still picking, still packing, and in some cases still waiting for blocks that would normally have peaked before Christmas to fully come on. The preChristmas window is always the commercial bullseye, so it’s hard not to feel the sting when fruit arrives late.

Oddly enough, that’s also where Tasmania’s strengths begin to show. Once the mainland moves through its peak, our cooler, steadier conditions often allow a longer, more reliable tail to the season.

For growers who can hold quality and keep fruit moving, there’s a real opportunity for Tasmanian berries to keep filling shelves well beyond the point where many mainland regions are winding down with picking, in some systems extending deep into autumn.

Heading into the new year, the mood on many farms is a mix of fatigue and stubborn optimism. The repairs are frustrating, the extra disease pressure has demanded discipline and labour planning has been harder than it should be, but the season is not over, and there’s still fruit to move. As we write this in late January, many growers are shifting from “survive the week” thinking to a clearer focus on finishing well: tightening up harvest and quality control, keeping crops clean and salvaging margin where they can. It’s not the season anyone ordered, but it’s still a season that can be closed out with professionalism and pride.

On my side, the last few months have been hands-on with bringing the Coir Reuse and Recycling Project to a close, and you can expect a full report in the Winter edition of this journal. In parallel we’ve continued regular farm engagement across the state, hosted technical exchanges (SEE PAGE 24 for my article on the visit by Scottish agronomist Alix Stewart) and helped facilitate a late-spring tour with Hort Innovation’s Dumi Mhlanga to connect directly with Tasmanian growers and help them set their priorities for future R&D and extension work.

Over the coming months my priority is to keep the feedback loop tight: capture what this season has taught us, share it in a way that is genuinely useful and keep feeding the recurring questions back into our extension and project work. If there’s a theme you’d like to see tackled, whether it’s tunnel resilience, disease decisionmaking, labour efficiency or the realities of late season marketing, please get in touch. The mainland is winding down but Tassie is just finding its stride. Let’s make the late season count.

Pollination Post VarroaWhat Does it Really Mean for Berries?

Wendy Morris, Berry Industry Development Officer, Queensland

On 16 December, Berries Australia hosted a pollination webinar featuring Bianca Giggins from AHBIC, Emeritus Professor Ben Oldroyd from the University of Sydney and commercial beekeeper/grower Richard Klaus from NZ.

This webinar was designed to help berry growers understand the realities of Varroa destructor and what its spread means for pollination and horticulture. The speakers outlined how Varroa has moved through Australia so far, drawing on early observations and comparisons with New Zealand’s experience. They emphasised that spread is often faster and more complex than expected, influenced by bee movement, environmental factors, and human activity.

A major concern is the decline of feral (wild) honey bee populations as Varroa becomes established. This decline could significantly reduce ‘free’ pollination services that many growers have – knowingly or unknowingly –relied upon. In New Zealand, feral colonies collapsed rapidly, and growers had to adapt to more structured pollination planning.

General advice for Australian growers is:

• strengthen your relationship with beekeepers

• understand hive quality indicators

• budget more for managed hives

• improve on-farm pollination conditions

With funding received from the Queensland Department of Primary Industries’ Community Bee Innovation Fund (CBIF), Berries Australia will deliver a project over the coming 18 months to strengthen the relationship between the berry industry and

beekeepers and build a mutual understanding of the factors affecting hive health on farm.

The Community Bee Innovation Fund grant program aims to boost Queensland's bee biosecurity, increase bee-related business resilience and protect our environment, economy, industries and communities from the impacts of Varroa mite (Varroa destructor).

The funding received by Berries Australia through the grant program will fund the ‘Better Berry Bees’ project, which aims to further increase grower knowledge about hive health, management and pollination services, while also improving beekeepers understanding of the berry industry including on-farm practices.

A mutual understanding of each industry and the factors affecting hive health will ensure that growers can confidently evaluate services provided by beekeepers, and beekeepers are confident that hive health is being maintained on-farm, with growers aware of what to report on if problems arise. It is anticipated that building relationships and mutual understanding between growers and beekeepers will lead to better pollination outcomes, healthier hives, and increased sharing of information/data between the parties.

Workshops, focus groups, and the development of resources such as information sheets, short videos, and case studies will be among the project's key deliverables. There will also be the opportunity for growers to participate in additional training on hive health, pollination and trials of hive monitoring technology for on-farm hives.

Resources available in the Berries Australia Resource Library at bit.ly/BA-RL

The Pollination Guide is an excellent resource; to download the guide search ‘Pollination Guide for the Australian Berry Industry 2024’

In December, Berries Australia hosted a webinar with AHBIC which explored the critical challenges and future implications of pollination in a post-Varroa landscape. To watch the recording search ‘pollination webinar’.

Berries Australia Board Member: Gavin Scurr

Jane Richter, Communications Manager, Berries Australia

Piñata Farms Managing Director Gavin Scurr is a seasoned fresh produce grower and widely respected industry leader, recognised for his hands-on leadership, farming innovation and long-term commitment to quality Australian produce. With a career spanning multiple horticultural sectors, Gavin brings a deep understanding of both on-farm realities and whole-of-industry strategy to the Berries Australia Board.

Gavin heads the management team and board of directors at Piñata Farms, one of Australia’s most diversified and progressive fresh produce businesses. His leadership is firmly grounded in practical farming experience, shaped by decades spent expanding production systems, managing climate and labour risk, and building resilient supply chains across multiple growing regions.

Piñata Farms was established in the early 1990s by brothers Gavin and Stephen Scurr at Wamuran in southeast Queensland, building on a strong family history in pineapple production. Under their leadership, the business grew to become Australia’s largest pineapple producer before deliberately diversifying into other crops as market dynamics and import pressures evolved.

That diversification proved pivotal. Over time, Piñata expanded into mangoes, strawberries and raspberries, steadily transforming into a multi-crop, multi-region enterprise capable of supplying high-quality fruit across extended seasonal windows. This strategic approach to risk management and supply continuity remains a defining feature of the business today.

Piñata Farms entered the berry category in 2000, initially producing winter strawberries in south-east Queensland at Wamuran. While the move into berries represented a significant shift from traditional field crops, Gavin recognised early the importance of protected cropping, substrate systems and precise moisture management to achieve consistent quality and yields.

As the berry business matured, Piñata expanded into new regions to extend its supply window. A strawberry operation was established at Stanthorpe in Queensland to produce summer fruit, and raspberry production was later introduced at both Queensland sites.

A major milestone came with Piñata’s expansion into Tasmania, strengthening summer raspberry supply and supporting year-round production. The Orielton site in Tasmania was selected for its cooler coastal climate, secure water access, strong biosecurity advantages and proximity to labour and logistics infrastructure. Today, Tasmania forms an integral part of Piñata’s national berry program, contributing to consistent supply and quality outcomes across the year.

Piñata Farms is also the production partner of joint-venture company BerryWorld Australia, formed through a strategic partnership with the UK-based BerryWorld Group. Under this arrangement, Piñata focuses on growing exclusive BerryWorld strawberry and raspberry varieties in Australia, while BerryWorld Australia manages marketing, brand development and consumer engagement.

This partnership has enabled ongoing varietal refinement and adaptation to Australian growing conditions, supporting improved fruit quality, shelf life and consistency for domestic and export markets. It has also strengthened Australia’s position within global berry supply networks while maintaining a strong focus on local production.

Gavin’s influence extends well beyond Piñata Farms. He is a former Chairman of the Australian Mango Industry Association (AMIA), where he played a key role in advancing industry collaboration, market access and grower advocacy. He currently serves as President of Raspberry and Blackberry Australia (RABA) and was formerly Chair of the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance (AFPA), contributing insight across berry and broader fresh produce policy and supply-chain issues. Gavin is also a member of the pineapple industry’s marketing advisory committee, reflecting the breadth of his experience across tropical, subtropical and temperate production systems.

As a member of the Berries Australia Board, Gavin brings a commercially grounded, whole-of-industry perspective shaped by decades of operating at scale. He understands the importance of aligning research investment, market development, biosecurity and workforce planning with the practical needs of growers.

Gavin is a strong advocate for collaboration between industry bodies, researchers and government, and for ensuring that strategic decisions deliver tangible benefits at farm level. His experience across multiple commodities and governance roles enables him to contribute constructively to long-term planning while keeping outcomes realistic, relevant and achievable.

The berry industry's strength lies in collective input. I encourage growers to get involved in the decision-making process to ensure a stronger, more vibrant industry for the next generation.

With a career defined by innovation, resilience and leadership, Gavin Scurr continues to play an influential role in shaping the future of Australia’s berry industry and the wider horticultural sector. Thank you, Gavin.

From Paddock to Post: Why We Need Your Farm Stories More Than Ever

Jane Richter, Marketing & Communications Manager, Berries Australia

Since August 2025, the latest iteration of the Berry Basket marketing campaign has continued to build momentum nationwide across digital and outdoor channels. Our summer out-of-home activity has been displayed across 1,589 digital screens and has reached more than 7.9 million primary grocery buyers, with strong visibility during peak berry season. Social activity has been building, and our December boosting campaign showed that a small but targeted investment in paid Meta spend can deliver strong reach and engagement results, with the right content.

Overall, the campaign is doing what it’s designed to do: keep Australian berries front of mind when shoppers are making buying decisions.

But here’s the honest truth. We have a real problem. We’ve hit a content wall.

What today’s consumers want is not polished ads or stock photos – they want to see real people, real farms and real stories. They want to see the hands that pick their fruit. They want to understand where their berries come from.

They want home-grown Aussie authenticity. And that’s where we need you.

Consumer behaviour has shifted. Shoppers are increasingly sceptical of overly staged marketing and big shiny adverts. They scroll straight past genericlooking images. But show them a grower walking through strawberry rows at sunrise, a picker laughing with a big handful of juicy raspberries, or a close-up of piles of blueberries fresh off the plant, and they stop.

Why? Because trust is built through transparency. And we know that emotional connection drives purchasing decisions.

Your farms are our most powerful marketing assets. The soft sunlight in your blueberry tunnels. The pride in

your team of blackberry pickers. The quiet early mornings amongst the raspberry canes. The wonderful chaos of peak strawberry harvest. These are the moments that make berries human and can make humans choose berries over other fruit and snack options.

And right now, we simply don’t have enough of this type of content, or the budget to get out across the country to capture it all for ourselves!

This isn’t about glossy magazine spreads. In fact, some of the best-performing social media content is shot on a phone. What we do need is volume and variety. Different regions. Different seasons. Different faces. Different farm styles.

And here’s the opportunity: your staff are already carrying the best content tool ever invented; their smartphones.

Harnessing your team to capture everyday farm moments could transform how the berry industry shows up online. A quick photo during harvest. A short video walking through the crop focusing on the bountiful berries waiting to be picked. A snapshot of perfect fruit before packing and dispatch.

Multiply that across the country, and suddenly, we have a living, breathing, national story that consumers can and will connect to. Consumers are hungry for authenticity. They want to know: who grew this, what the farm looks like, and whether there are real people behind this berry punnet?

You can answer those questions better than any marketing agency ever could.

So, here’s the ask: we want you to encourage your team to show us your patch; capture those special on-farm moments and share them with us for use on the Fresh Aussie Berries social channels. Every image helps us strengthen the emotional connection between growers and consumers. This isn’t just marketing fluff. It’s longterm demand building.

The more connected consumers feel to Australian berry growers, the more resilient our market becomes.

What Makes Great Farm Content?

What to Include in Your Pictures

• Real people (faces are powerful — but get explicit permission)

• Harvest moments (picking with clean or gloved hands, packing, quality checking)

• Close-ups of fresh berries on the plants or in clean hands that make you want to eat them right now

• Seasonal conditions (frost, sunrise, rain after harvest – but all focused on the crop itself)

• Smiling staff or team moments with lots of fresh berries on show

• Behind-the-scenes glimpses of daily farm life, focusing on the joyful side and always loaded with berries

Things to Avoid

• Any branded packaging (punnets or trays) showing your company brand – this is an industry-wide campaign, not a one-farm brand campaign

• Rubbish, clutter or messy work areas visible in the image

• Chemical drums, spray tanks or spray equipment or anything else that could be misinterpreted out of context

Best Format for Social Media Channels

• Portrait (vertical) orientation preferred

• High resolution (avoid blurry or pixelated images)

• Natural lighting where possible (avoid flashes)

• Short video clips with or without sound (8-15 seconds) are complete gold, and we can edit great finished reels from lots of good raw material

Bonus Tips

• Early morning or late afternoon light looks best

• Wipe the phone camera lens before shooting

• Take multiple shots and let us have them all

• Authentic beats perfect every time!

• Who is in the picture (full names)

• Farm Business where the pictures are taken with Suburb & State

• Any little mini-stories that bring the images to life

Inbound Trade Mission Strengthens Engagement with Asia’s Berry Buyers

Jesse White, General Manager – Asia, Berries Australia

In mid-January, Berries Australia participated in a Tasmanian governmentled inbound horticulture trade mission aimed at strengthening commercial relationships and showcasing the export capability of Australia’s fresh produce sector, including berries.

The delegation included importers and retailers from China, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, highlighting the strategic importance of Asia as a growth region for Australian horticulture. The multiday program provided delegates with direct exposure to Australia’s production systems, quality standards, biosecurity frameworks and supply-chain capability.

Berries Australia was represented by Jesse White, General Manager – Asia, who engaged with delegates throughout the program. Site visits covered a broad range of commodities, including berries, apples, cherries and vegetables, demonstrating both the diversity of Tasmania’s horticultural sector and its integration within Australia’s national fresh produce industry.

Berry-focused visits included Tru-Blu on the Cygnet Coast, Tasmanian Berries in Exton, and Costa’s Sulphur Creek berry operation, where delegates gained first-hand insight into Tasmania’s cool-climate growing conditions, production systems and premium fruit outcomes. Across the delegation, there was strong interest in Australian blueberries, with particularly high engagement from buyers representing China and the Philippines.

The presence of senior industry stakeholders, including a representative from the China Chamber of Commerce of Import & Export of Foodstuffs, Native Produce & Animal By-Products (CFNA) and buyers from leading Chinese retail platform Ding Dong Fresh and Vietnam, reinforced the commercial relevance of the program and the importance of ongoing progress on market access.

A highlight of the mission was a Tasmanian fresh produce networking showcase held on Wednesday 14 January, attended by the Deputy Premier, Trade Minister and Acting Premier of Tasmania, The Hon Guy Barnett MP. The event provided a valuable forum for informal discussion between growers, exporters, buyers and government representatives.

The mission was hosted by the Tasmanian Government Department of State Growth and coordinated in partnership with Fruit Growers Tasmania, demonstrating the value of close collaboration between industry and government. Inbound trade missions remain a critical tool for Australia’s berry industry, supporting relationship-building, strengthening market confidence, and positioning Australian berries for sustainable growth across Asia.

A Scottish Perspective: Alix Stewart Visits Tasmania’s Berry Sector

Simon Neil, Berry Industry Development Officer, Fruit Growers Tasmania

In late November 2025, Fruit Growers Tasmania hosted agronomist Alix Stewart of Angus Growers (producer organisation for Angus Soft Fruits, Scotland), creating an opportunity for direct knowledge exchange between Tasmanian berry growers and an experienced producer and breeder from a long-established international industry player. Alix was in Australia as part of broader work in drone-assisted pollination technology with Singapore-based company, Polybee, and the timing provided a valuable chance to showcase a representative cross-section of Tasmania’s berry sector.

Leaving early, we followed the Derwent River to meet Richard Clark at Westerway’s Raspberry Farm. This was an excellent chance to talk about valueadded production, and Alix and Richard discovered a geographic common point of interest; Richard and his father Rob Clark had both spent much time in the same eastern corner of Scotland that Alix hails from, and they were soon chatting about common acquaintances like they’d known each other for years.

Climbing up into the Tasmanian Midlands, we dropped in to see Jack Beattie from JCLM Farming. This was a fantastic opportunity to discuss new varieties and genetics on either side of the antipodes, and we were honoured to enjoy a much-needed cup of tea in the farmhouse.

From there, we began the beautiful scenic drive through the Lake Lands, heading north towards the fertile valley of the Deloraine region, stopping in to show Alix quality Rubus cane propagation at Deloraine Canes. We were both deeply impressed by the professionalism and immaculate presentation of the Creswell family farm there. After the cold grey drizzle of the Midland range, the sundrenched farm was just beautiful, and we enjoyed a long, leisurely stroll amongst the rows chatting with Stacey.

To round out the visit, our last stop was at Berried in Tas, where Barry Winspear (kind and enthusiastic despite the late hour!) showed us their rip-roaring strawberries and Rubus canes. Despite the trying season with too much wind and not enough sunshine, there was plenty of excellent fruit on the rows. Alix and Barry chatted about on-farm innovations in wastewater management, the importance of happy workers, and the challenges of modern precision horticulture.

After a long day touring the state, we said our goodbyes in Launceston. The following day, Alix travelled to Hillwood Berries to meet the team and compare notes on their drone-assisted pollination trials. She then met

with Ecomix at Burlington Berries, and on her final day in Tasmania caught up with Bitwise Agronomy, before taking a couple of days to explore some of Australia ahead of her return flight to Scotland. As I drove home to Hobart, I reflected that the tour had been a success; we had enabled practical grower-to-grower exchange and strengthened the relationships that make future collaboration (whether local, or across the world) worth doing.

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Improving Management of Leafrollers in Rubus and Blueberry

Dr. Saleh Adnan, Research Horticulturist, Entomology, NSW DPIRD

Leafroller pests are becoming an increasing problem for berry growers along Australia’s east coast. While light-brown apple moth (LBAM) has been a long-standing issue, mango flower webworm (MFW) and orange fruit borer (OFB) are now emerging as the most damaging leafrollers in Rubus and blueberry crops.

Larvae of these pests feed on young leaves, shoots, flower buds and developing fruit, reducing plant vigour, fruit set and yield. Damage can also open the door to secondary pests and diseases, further affecting fruit quality and market access. And because leafroller larvae are mostly hidden within rolled leaves, early infestations can be difficult to detect, and monitoring tools for MFW and OFB are currently limited, making it hard to track pest activity and decide on control actions effectively.

Hort Innovation have recently funded the project ‘Improving management of leafrollers in Rubus and blueberry (MT24009) from berry industry levies, with contributions from the Australian government. This project is being delivered by NSW DPIRD and aims to support growers with better knowledge and improved decision-making tools that fit within existing integrated pest management (IPM) programs.

Seeing high leafroller pressure on your farm? Get in touch with project lead Saleh Adnan — the team is keen to visit, sample and help.

saleh.adnan@dpird.nsw.gov.au 0449 801 437

What is the project doing?

This project is undertaking a series of laboratory and field assessments to improve our understanding of when leafrollers occur in berry crops, which plants they use as hosts, how much damage they cause at different crop stages, and how natural enemies may help suppress their populations.

On-farm monitoring

Regular field monitoring is underway at eight commercial berry farms in northern NSW (four Rubus and four blueberry sites). Crops are being checked fortnightly during the production season and monthly during the off-season to track leafroller activity across the year.

At each visit, leafroller larvae are counted and grouped by size to understand population build-up over the season. Larvae are classified into five instars based on body length and head capsule size (See Figure 1). Freshly rolled leaves are also recorded alongside crop growth stage to assess pest pressure and potential crop impact.

Understanding alternative hosts

Nearby horticultural crops, including macadamia, avocado, nursery plants, citrus, lychee and mango, are also being surveyed where they occur close to berry farms. This work aims to determine whether surrounding vegetation serves as reservoirs for leafroller populations that move into berry crops.

Natural enemies

Surveys for beneficial insects are being conducted at the same time as pest monitoring. Rolled leaves are collected, and larvae are reared under controlled conditions to check if any potential parasitoids emerge from field-collected larval populations. Egg parasitoids are also being assessed using sentinel egg techniques in commercial berry blocks. Also, any sick or dead larvae showing signs of decay are being collected and screened to identify potential entomopathogenic microbes associated with larval death. Together, this work will help inform better-timed monitoring and support more effective, sustainable leafroller management for berry growers.

What does the monitoring show so far?

Leafroller pressure is highest during vegetative growth and early flowering.

Across raspberry and blueberry crops, the number of rolled leaves has been greatest during vegetative flush and bud–bloom stages, then declined steadily as fruit developed and matured. This indicates that early crop growth stages are the most vulnerable to leafroller damage.

Young larvae dominate early in the season, larger larvae later on

Seasonal monitoring shows a higher proportion of early instar (small) larvae in spring, shifting to larger instars through summer and autumn. This pattern highlights the importance of early detection, when larvae are smaller and easier to control.

Crop differences are evident

Blueberries showed comparatively higher numbers of rolled leaves than raspberries during vegetative flush and bud development, suggesting that crops and their growth stage influence leafroller activity.

Figure 2. Field samplings for assessing leafroller population and impact in commercial berry farms in northern NSW Photo credit: Saleh Adnan, NSW DPIRD

What does this mean for growers?

• Focus monitoring and scouting early in the season, particularly during vegetative flush and pre-flowering

• Early intervention is critical, as small larvae are more responsive to control options

• Improved timing of monitoring tools will help reduce unnecessary sprays and support IPM programs

Laboratory rearing of leafrollers

Following field sampling, adult leafroller moth colonies were established and are being maintained under laboratory conditions at the Wollongbar Research Station in northern New South Wales. Colonies were initiated using wild larvae collected from freshly rolled leaves, with regular introduction of new field-collected material to maintain genetic diversity.

In the laboratory, leafrollers are kept under stable temperature and light conditions and provided with suitable food sources. Adult moths are maintained in cages, allowed to mate naturally, and egg batches are collected for further rearing. These colonies allow the project team to closely study leafroller life history traits and behaviour under consistent conditions.

Pheromone collection

Female moths are used to collect pheromone samples during their peak calling period. Pheromone glands are being carefully extracted and preserved for laboratory analysis. These samples will be analysed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) to identify potential pheromone compounds, which will support the development of improved monitoring and management tools for leafrollers in berry crops.

Acknowledgements

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the berry industry research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

How the ACCC Can Help Berry Growers in Small Business

Jane Richter, Communication Manager, Berries Australia

Running a berry farm is no small feat. Between managing staff and supply chains, navigating complex contracts, and meeting customer expectations, Australian small business growers face daily challenges that go well beyond the berry patch. That’s where the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) steps in.

The ACCC, Australia's competition watchdog, has long recognised the importance of small business in the Australian economy and that includes growers like you. In fact, small business remains one of the ACCC’s enduring priorities. With the recent launch of their new small business web hub, berry growers now have a practical, centralised portal designed to make it easier to understand and uphold both your rights and responsibilities in a competitive market.

The ACCC’s updated small business hub offers a wealth of practical resources tailored specifically to the needs of small operators, including farmers. One of the most valuable tools on the site is the small business toolkit, which provides clear, accessible guidance on topics that matter like how to spot and challenge unfair contract terms. This issue is currently a major enforcement priority for the ACCC, and one many growers may encounter when negotiating with larger retailers, suppliers or service providers.

The toolkit helps you understand your rights and responsibilities under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and the Australian Consumer Law, so you can make sure you're doing the right thing when dealing with customers, competitors, and suppliers.

Growers who feel they’ve been treated unfairly can easily report their concerns through the ACCC’s Infocentre. This reporting system is designed to be

straightforward and responsive, helping you raise red flags about misleading conduct, supplier pressure tactics, or other problematic business practices. While making a report to the ACCC helps provide benefits to consumers and small business, unfortunately they do not use it to help you directly resolve your individual issue with another business as the ACCC doesn’t investigate individual complaints, unless these relate to a mandatory code of conduct.

The ACCC is responsible for enforcing the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct which from 1 April 2025 is mandatory for large grocery businesses, meaning that all suppliers to large grocery businesses are automatically covered now by this code. The businesses currently matching the ‘large grocery business’ definition include Aldi, Woolworths, Coles and Metcash.

The code sets up a framework for grocery supply agreements (which must now all be in writing) between a supplier and a large grocery business for the supply of all grocery products including fresh produce.

A grocery supply agreement is not just the principal agreement and documents made under that agreement. It includes all contracts or agreements between a large grocery business and a supplier that relate to the supply of groceries, including purchase orders, freight or promotion agreements.

A grocery supply agreement must be in writing. Failure to comply with this obligation will make the large grocery business liable to civil penalties. A grocery supply agreement must set out:

• any delivery requirements

• the circumstances in which the large grocery business can reject groceries

• when suppliers will be paid, and circumstances in which payment may be withheld or delayed

• the duration of the agreement, if the agreement is intended to operate for a limited time

• any quantity and quality rules

• the circumstances in which the agreement may be terminated

Large grocery businesses that fail to comply with any component of the code may now be liable to substantial civil penalties.

If a supplier has a dispute, they can contact the large grocery business about it directly. A supplier can also:

• contact the large grocery business’s code mediator

• ask the code supervisor to review the code mediator’s process in investigating and resolving the complaint, if the supplier isn’t satisfied with the outcome

• seek mediation or arbitration of the dispute

• seek independent legal advice at any time

Suppliers may seek information about the code and available dispute resolution processes from the code mediator appointed by the large grocery business.

If you see any potential non-compliance with the code, you can also report it to the ACCC. They are always interested to hear from suppliers about their experiences under the Food and Grocery Code of Conduct.

While it is not a dispute resolution body, the ACCC welcomes information from suppliers about their experiences under the code. If a potential breach is identified, the ACCC can investigate and may take enforcement action where appropriate. Find out more at www.accc.gov.au/business/industry-codes/foodand-grocery-code-of-conduct/enforcement-of-thefood-and-grocery-code

The ACCC also works extensively behind the scenes through advocacy and education, helping improve overall market fairness for businesses like yours. The new small business hub also holds updates on recent developments affecting small businesses and easy access to industry codes of conduct relevant to farming and food production, including the Horticulture Code of Conduct.

Berry growers operate in a fast-moving, competitive environment, where changes in regulation, pricing pressure, or supplier terms can catch you off guard. The ACCC’s small business hub can help you stay ahead of these challenges. Bookmark it, visit regularly, and make it your go-to source for updates and guidance that apply to your business.

For more detail, visit the ACCC’s small business page at www.accc.gov.au/business/small-business and explore the article ‘What We Can and Can’t Do for Small Business’ at www.accc.gov.au/about-us/accc-role-andstructure/service-charter/what-we-can-and-cant-dofor-small-business

You can also view the full Food and Grocery Code of Conduct at www.accc.gov.au/business/industrycodes/food-and-grocery-code-of-conduct

If you run a small business or advise small businesses, it’s a good idea to keep up with all the latest news and events by joining the ACCC’s Small Business Information Network (SBIN) at www.accc.gov.au/about-us/news/ sign-up-to-newsletters/small-business-informationnetwork

The ACCC exists to ensure a fairer, more transparent playing field, giving small business berry growers the tools to thrive, compete, and grow.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) are Australia's national competition, consumer, fair trading and product safety regulator.

Read About My Real-World Scam Experience (So You Don’t Have One)

Jane Richter, Communications Manager, Berries Australia

• Stop. Does something seem off? If in doubt, stop and take a breath

• Check. Ask someone you trust or contact the organisation directly, using their official details

• Reject. Hang up on the caller, delete the message or email, and block (and report) the contact

• Secure: Change your password, enable MFA

I’m embarrassed to admit that I have recently been the victim of a scam. To put it bluntly, I clicked a link I shouldn’t have, and it cost me over $1,500 that I will never get back.

I consider myself reasonably tech-savvy. I run my own business almost entirely online and deal with a myriad of digital systems every day. I’m a multi-factor authentication fanatic, I’m far from careless online, and I’m usually sceptical of anything that feels even slightly off. And yet, on 21 December, I still got taken to the cleaners by a scammer from Uzbekistan!

The scam didn’t arrive waving red flags. It looked routine.

A familiar name (an overseas hotel I have a genuine booking at in March 2026), familiar language, and a request that didn’t seem unreasonable in the moment (we just need to reconfirm your booking). There was urgency in the request but not panic. Authority, but not aggression. Everything sat just inside the bounds of ‘normal enough’ to keep me moving instead of stopping and reflecting on the origin and legitimacy of the request.

That’s how many scams work. They don’t rely on stupidity; they rely on momentum.

At the time, I didn’t feel like I was taking a risk. I felt like I was being responsive and efficient. By the time I realised what had happened, the damage was already done.

What followed was worse than the financial loss.

First came disbelief, then a deep sense of embarrassment. There’s a strong instinct to stay quiet after something like this, especially when you think you should have known better. I’ve now been through the next phase: anger. I’m angry at the scammers, at the banking systems that didn’t catch it, but most of all at myself for not slowing down and thinking twice before acting.

Why am I sharing this?

I need to channel my sense of shame into something useful. I’m telling my story so that you don’t have to walk the same uncomfortable path I’ve been on since it happened. And I want to share what I’ve learned, including pointing people to the many free, practical resources available if you find yourself in the same position, either as a private individual or as a small business.

Scams thrive in silence.

The idea that ‘savvy people don’t get scammed’ is not only wrong, but it also actively helps scammers by keeping victims quiet.

What happened?

I fell for a classic ‘impersonation’ scam. I was contacted via WhatsApp by someone who claimed to be from a hotel where I have a genuine booking – made via Booking.com – for a stay in a foreign country in March 2026. The message I received included the correct dates of my stay, the full property name and address, and it came to my number with my name, so the scammer obviously had all of my personal information. It coincided with the expiry date of the credit card that I had used to make the booking, and I made the expensive(!) assumption that it was reasonable for the ‘hotel’ to ask me to reconfirm my card details, given my card was about to expire.

Add a sprinkle of ‘urgency’ – I was given 24 hours to respond, or my booking would be cancelled – and it was the perfect recipe to part this fool from her money. I’ll save you the gritty details, but nonetheless, they caught me in a moment when I was emotionally distracted, multitasking, and failed to sniff a rat!

And because I thought I was responding to a legitimate request, even my multi-factor authentication addiction didn’t save me; I authorised multiple payment attempts which have left me $1,500 out of pocket, with six lots of international transaction charges to add insult to injury!

Our digital devices are woven into everyday life. Phones, tablets and computers are how we work, communicate, shop, bank and stay connected. For most of us, they’re the first thing we check in the morning and the last thing we look at before bed.

Scammers know this. They’ve learnt to exploit the way we use technology and to reach Australians through the channels we trust most: SMS, messaging apps, email, social media and online advertising.

The result is that almost any digital message now carries some level of risk. A simple text saying you missed a call can be the hook that leads to malware download. A convincing online advertisement can funnel you into an investment scam. Even messages that appear harmless or routine can be the starting point for fraud.

The uncomfortable reality is that spending time online means exposure. If you use digital devices, you will encounter scammers, fraudsters and people trying to access your personal or financial information. The challenge isn’t avoiding the internet, it’s learning when to slow down, question what you’re seeing, and what to verify before you act. And it is being aware of the assistance that is right at hand here in Australia if you do happen to let your guard slip.

Scams don’t target a ‘type’ of person. They hit people of all ages, backgrounds and income levels. There’s no safe category you fall into just because you’re experienced, educated or careful. At some point, everyone is vulnerable. Scams work because they look legitimate and arrive when you’re not expecting them. They’re designed to blend into everyday life, not stand out from it. Scammers constantly adapt, using new technology, new products and major events to build believable stories that feel timely and real.

They don’t need you to be careless. They just need you to be busy, distracted, or trying to get something done. That moment is often enough to convince you to hand over money, information, or access before you realise what’s really happening.

Resources

Find out more about scams, cybercrime and identity theft

• www.accc.gov.au/consumers/consumer-protection/ protecting-yourself-from-scams

• www.scamwatch.gov.au/types-of-scams

• moneysmart.gov.au/banking/banking-and-credit-scams

• www.idcare.org/learning-centre

• www.afp.gov.au/crimes/cybercrime

• www.cyber.gov.au/report-and-recover/so-you-thinkyou-have-been-hacked

• www.actnowstaysecure.gov.au/cyber-safe-actions

What I Wish I’d Known ...

Urgency is the biggest red flag of all

Anything that pressures immediate action is designed to short-circuit your judgement. Legitimate organisations will allow time for verification. If the message says you have a very limited time to respond, then listen to the warning siren that is going off in your head; don’t ignore it!

Verification isn’t rude — it’s essential

A double-check in my Booking.com App, a quick phone call, or an email to the hotel directly to check would have stopped this instantly. Genuine requests will always stand up to scrutiny.

Familiarity can be faked

Names, logos, writing style, and tone are easy to copy. Familiar does not equal safe. My scammers had created a payment portal that used all the branding, logos, colours and fonts used by Booking.com even down to the little favicon in the browser tab, and that’s the kind of attention to detail that I can’t help having a begrudging admiration for!

Process matters more than politeness

Scammers rely on people not wanting to question authority or slow things down. If it doesn’t feel right, dig your heels in and contact the ‘business’ through a separate, trustworthy channel to check its legitimacy.

Silence only helps the scammer

I can tell you that the shame feels very real, but talking about it is how awareness spreads, and damage is reduced. It strips the scammers of some of their power, and I’m all for that.

Help! I’ve been scammed! What to Do (Individuals)

If you suspect a scam, speed matters. Don’t wait to be sure.

1. Stop and contain it immediately

• Do not click any more links or reply to the message

• Disconnect the affected device from the internet if malware is suspected

• Take screenshots or save emails, texts, links and payment details

2. Contact your bank straight away

• Call your bank’s fraud team immediately

• Ask them to freeze accounts, stop pending payments, replace bank cards and flag future transactions

• Change your online banking password from a clean device

NOTE: Your bank should always be your first call if the scam involves a financial transaction or the potential that your accounts can be accessed without your permission

3. Change passwords and secure accounts

• Change passwords for email, banking, social media and any linked services

• Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) where available

• If a work email was involved, notify your employer immediately

4. Get expert support

• Contact IDCARE idcare.org or 1800 595 160

• They provide free, confidential support for Australians impacted by cybercrime, and step-bystep recovery plans tailored to your situation

• They also offer a free device cleaning service, which enabled me to be certain that my phone had not been compromised in any way

5. Report the scam

• Make a Cybercrime report at cyber.gov.au/report-and-recover/report

• Report the incident to Scamwatch.gov.au

• This helps authorities track scam trends and warn others

• Reporting is important even if money can’t be recovered

6. Look after yourself

• Feeling embarrassed, angry or shaken is normal

• Talk to someone you trust

• Silence only benefits scammers - reporting and sharing helps reduce harm

Help!

I’ve

been scammed! What to Do (Small Businesses & Farms)

For farms and small businesses, scams often hit harder because they disrupt cash flow, relationships with suppliers, and trust. Always act fast and document everything.

1. Stop transactions and secure systems

• Contact your bank’s business fraud team immediately

• Freeze affected accounts, cancel bank cards and halt pending payments

• Disable compromised user access (email, accounting, payroll)

2. Preserve evidence

• Save emails, invoices, payment instructions, SMS messages and links

• Keep logs of times, amounts, account numbers and contacts

• Don’t delete anything until advised

3. Contact IDCARE for business guidance

• IDCARE also supports small businesses with a range of free services

• Contact IDCARE at idcare.org or 1800 595 160

• They help assess business impact, reputational risk and recovery steps

• Particularly valuable if payroll, supplier payments or invoices were affected

4. Report the scam formally

• Report the incident to Scamwatch.gov.au

• Make a Cybercrime report at cyber.gov.au/report-and-recover/report

• ReportCyber is run by the Australian Cyber Security Centre and is the official channel for cybercrime affecting businesses

5. Notify internal and external stakeholders

• Alert staff so the same scam doesn’t spread internally

• Contact suppliers or customers if invoices or payment details were compromised

• Transparency early is far better than cleanup later

6. Review and strengthen processes

• Introduce or reinforce payment verification procedures (e.g. call-back checks, MFA)

• Separate payment approval and processing roles where possible

• Train staff and family members involved in the business to pause and verify

Remember, scammers don’t target the careless. They target the busy, the helpful, and the responsible. The best defence isn’t just better technology, it’s giving yourself permission to pause, verify, and ask questions without apology.

Scams don’t just take money, they shake confidence and erode trust. Acting quickly, using the right support services, and talking about what happened are the best ways to limit damage and protect others.

If sharing my experience can help just one person take a pause before clicking or paying, I’ve already made a difference.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for Dummies

What is MFA?

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a second layer of security for your accounts.

Instead of relying on just a password, MFA requires two or more factors to verify that you are really you. Even if a scammer gets your password, MFA can stop them from getting into your account.

Think of it like this:

Password = the key and MFA = the deadbolt

Both are needed to get through the door.

How MFA Works

When you log in:

1. You enter your password

2. You’re then asked to confirm your identity using something else

3. Only after both are verified do you get access

That second step is what blocks most account takeovers.

MFA Methods from Strongest to Weakest

1. Hardware Security Keys (Gold Standard)

• Physical devices you plug in or tap to approve logins, like a Yubico (YubiKey) or a Secure Key from a bank

Why are they excellent?

• They are immune to phishing, there are no codes to steal, and they are extremely reliable.

2. Authenticator Apps (Strongly Recommended)

• These apps generate time-limited codes on your phone. They do not rely on SMS, which makes them much harder to intercept.

• Common options used in Australia include Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator and Authy

Why are they good?

• They work offline, are not tied to your phone number and are resistant to SIM-swap scams

3. App Push Notifications (Very Secure)

• Instead of entering a code, you approve a login attempt via an app notification. These are often used by Microsoft accounts, Google accounts and many banks and business platforms

Why are they good?

• They are fast and user-friendly, harder to fake and alert you immediately to suspicious login attempts

Remember: If you get a push you didn’t request, deny it - someone has your password, so you need to change it immediately to a secure option.

4. SMS One-Time Codes (Better Than Nothing)

• A code is sent to your phone number via text message.

Why is it weaker?

• It is vulnerable to SIM-swap scams, messages can be intercepted or redirected, and it is often targeted by impersonation scams

• Use only if App-based MFA isn’t available.

5. Email Codes (Low Security)

• A code is emailed to you.

Why is it risky?

• If your email is compromised, MFA is useless and this is often exploited in phishing attacks

• It’s better than nothing, but not ideal.

What a MFA does not do

✗ Won’t stop you clicking a scam link

✗ Won’t protect you if you approve a fake login

✗ Isn’t a replacement for common sense

It does dramatically reduce the damage if credentials are stolen.

Top tips

• Use authenticator apps wherever possible

• Protect your email account first as it’s the gateway to everything else, especially if you use a Password Manager embedded in your Google or Microsoft account

• Never share MFA codes with anyone, ever, no matter who asks

• Treat unexpected login prompts as a warning sign to change passwords and contact the account provider to check you are employing the best security they currently offer

• Back up MFA recovery codes and store them securely (offline)

Passwords alone are no longer enough. MFA is one of the simplest, cheapest, and most effective ways to protect yourself and it stops a large percentage of scams dead in their tracks.

If you use email, online banking, cloud services or accounting software and you don’t have MFA turned on, it’s the one change you can make right now after hearing my sorry tale that will make you significantly safer in today’s online world.

Berries Australia is launching an exciting new event for growers in 2026:

Berry Practical

Designed in direct response to grower feedback, Berry Practical will deliver hands-on, farm-ready knowledge from industry experts across two focused days. Think of it as a smaller, more practical extension of BerryQuest, with an emphasis on information you can take home and apply immediately.

Wherever you grow berries, this is an opportunity to sharpen your skills, connect with industry peers, and gain insights that make a real difference on farm. More details coming soon.

Berry Practical

Day 1

• Practical presentations

• Live demonstrations

• Trade show

• Networking drinks

Day 2

• Guided bus tour visiting industry-relevant farms and businesses around the Yarra Valley

BerryQuest International 2027 is heading to the Gold Coast! 27

Get ready, BQI27 is set to land on the iconic Gold Coast from 2-5 August 2027, bringing you multiple action-packed days of learning, innovation and connection. From hands-on farm tours to conference sessions featuring an unmatched line-up of Australian and global speakers, plus a vibrant trade show and plenty of chances to catch up with fellow growers, this is the berry industry’s biggest event and you won’t want to miss it.

BQI27 IS WHERE THE BERRY WORLD COMES TOGETHER.

Save the date, book the flights, and start planning your Gold Coast getaway!

Making the Most of Investments in Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA)

Wendy Morris, Berry Industry Development Officer Queensland, Berries Australia

Many of us have toured farms that have just implemented new technologies. There are powerful new pumps, state-of-the-art tunnels, and fruit growing lush and ripe in their perfectly controlled environment. The successes are easy to spot and are heavily touted, but when it comes to sharing the difficulties and regrets of a new project, the discussions are decidedly shorter.

With Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) growing rapidly and largely funded by sophisticated investors with diverse business structures, it hasn’t been just a series of success stories and triumphs. There have been numerous failures, primarily in vertical farming but also in other environments where flawed design, overly complex or unsustainable growth models have led to poor outcomes.

Talking about this openly and frankly can be difficult. As one grower put it – ‘I had to learn the hard way, I’m not telling the competition how to avoid my mistakes!’

However, the presenters at this year’s Protected Cropping Australia Conference had no qualms about sharing what patterns they’d noticed in both successful and unsuccessful ventures.

Over Capitalisation, Contingency and Cash Flow

Prior to the COVID pandemic, money was abundant (the cost of capital was low), and investors were seeking new and novel ways to invest. Agriculture has proven itself a stable asset class in times of a worldwide crisis1 and benefited heavily from the influx of cash. Since then, the level of investment has dropped, and funds aren’t quite so freely available, but investment into CEA continues. Sophisticated investors with a diverse range of business structures are funding business expansions, technical upgrades, and new entities.

If you choose to enter a relationship with a financing partner, understand that it should be more of a marriage than a transaction; it’s imperative that they have the ability to support you. Remember, banks and investors need to manage risk and may decide to strategically adjust their loan portfolios by reducing exposure to certain types of risks – not something you want to have happen mid-project!

When developing a budget, acknowledge that base financial models don’t often reflect real life cashflow, and poor timing or unexpected delays can cripple a business. Likewise, it’s foolhardy to run a tight financial ship based on yield and price expectations as in the world of horticulture, there are no guarantees. Your investor may need to support you for longer than initially intended. Is this something they are capable of (and willing) to do?

Lastly, every project needs a contingency fund, and this fund shouldn’t be ‘money that we can access at a pinch if things go wrong’ but ‘money that we fully expect to spend on the unexpected’.

Who’s on your team?

Nobody knows everything, and it’s unlikely your existing team have the necessary expertise. While it may ordinarily be sufficient to hire for character and train for skills, when undertaking a new project with

new technology, it’s essential that everyone knows exactly what they are doing. Acknowledge skill gaps and fill them with a strong and experienced team. Develop a project and business plan. Ensure that contracts are clearly scoped. During new developments or facility expansions, your Project Manager will perhaps be the most important person on your team, so ensure you have selected a qualified individual to lead the project.

Site and Layout

An existing site or farm is a tempting prospect, but will you have access to water, electricity, labour and transport networks? What about the local climate? Will this make your investment more complex and costly than it needs to be (think about trying to cool in a hot and humid region, costly and complex)?

Once you’ve selected a site, plan your layout. Take into consideration not only the cost of earthworks, but also the cost of running water and electricity to the project. What about site access, are you likely to require road or intersection upgrades? Have you thought about the often-ambiguous prospect of fire protection?

And don’t forget staff movement. Can staff safely and easily move from one area of the site to another? How far are they from essential facilities like toilets and rest areas? Where are your machinery and fertiliser storage sheds? Given that labour is a major cost for farms, consider how quickly your staff can move between areas without wasting potentially productive time.

Pollinators are another important consideration. With berry crops either benefiting from, or requiring, pollination, what pollinators will you be selecting, and how efficiently will they perform in a new environment? Honeybees are known to struggle to orient themselves under tunnels, so hover flies, drone flies, and stingless bees may be a more suitable option.

How much is too much? And what isn’t enough?

Have you been cautious during the tendering process, and identified what the ‘bells and whistles’ are and what is 100% necessary for the project to succeed? Compare the return on investment (ROI) for the basic package vs. the upgraded one. It’s easy to fall into the position of buying kilograms (yield), but not considering the bottom-line impacts!

Overinvestment vs future proofing is a delicate balancing act, however with AI technology on the rise, autonomous tractors and advances in mechanical pickers, it’s sensible to take a holistic view of emerging technologies to help find a happy medium.

Lastly, be cautious of the term ‘turnkey’ and you won’t be caught needing to purchase batteries or accessories to make your investment functional. There are very few, if any, vendors or suppliers that can truly deliver a turnkey project inclusive of all aspects (think about factors like road upgrades, fire services, utilities connections, civil works etc.)

Sustainability

Sustainability isn’t simply about going green, and you certainly can’t go green when you’re in the red! Economic solvency is essential for meaningful environmental action, and profitability must come first.

How will your investment manage rising electricity and labour prices? Perhaps an investment in solar or mechanical harvesting will pay dividends. It doesn’t always have to be big and grand; you can shift to a more sophisticated IPDM program that reduces chemical inputs or work with water treatment solutions to reuse drain water, for example.

Understand the Consumer

Vertical farms have achieved mixed success levels. Designed to protect crops from weather conditions and provide predictable harvests, they were unequipped to deal with perhaps their biggest barrier – energy costswhich prevented them from being competitive with mainstream farming. Consumers, particularly those who have relatively low incomes, are highly influenced by the cost of produce2

An interesting study from the University of South Australia3 identified that many consumers repeat purchases of fruit and vegetables in the same way that they repeat purchases of packaged goods. Brands with a smaller market share not only have fewer buyers, but have buyers who are less loyal. It’s therefore sensible to understand that any niche products will need a marketing campaign to increase penetration rather than increasing consumption amongst existing buyers. If your project will be producing a niche product, do you have a sufficient marketing budget and a comprehensive marketing plan?

Want to know more?

The information in this article was drawn from Levi Nupponen’s presentation at the Protected Cropping Australia Conference 2025. Protected Cropping Australia offers access to past conference content in their members’ only portal. Individual membership is $55 inc GST per annum, and $242 inc GST for corporates.

Levi Nupponen, Managing Director of Agrology Pty Ltd, leads an innovative consultancy providing technical solutions and strategic support to the agribusiness sector.

With over 20 years of expertise in protected cropping, Levi is a skilled horticultural scientist with executive training from INSEAD.

To contact Levi for more personalised advice, visit www.agrology.com.au

References

1 Sippel, S.R. (2022). Agri-investment Cashing in on COVID-19. In: Stead, V., Hinkson, M. (eds) Beyond Global Food Supply Chains. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi. org/10.1007/978-981-19-3155-0_3

2 https://wagrower.vegetableswa.com.au/ collections/wa-grower-spring2023/whatconsumers-want

3 https://find.library.unisa.edu.au/discovery/ fulldisplay/alma9916242307001831/61USOUT HAUS_INST:ROR

Considerations When Choosing the Design and Type of Protected Cropping Structures

Simon Clark, Agrinova Australia/New Zealand

This article provides an overview of factors to consider on the use and design of protected cropping berry structures and making sure that these structures are right for you, your budget, climate and crop

Australia’s berry growers are facing ever-increasing challenges from unpredictable weather; hailstorms, heavy rain, strong winds, heatwaves and frost can all wreak havoc on delicate fruit. Protected cropping structures offer a smart and proven solution, shielding crops from environmental stress while improving fruit quality, consistency, and yield.

To get the most value from these systems, it is essential to select a structure that aligns with your crop type, climate, production goals, and budget.

Why Use Protected Cropping?

Protected cropping structures provide benefits that extend well beyond basic weather protection

• Weather resilience: Shields crops from hail, wind, frost and excessive rainfall

• Pest and wildlife control: Reduces damage from birds, bats, and certain insects

• UV Protection: Reduces sunburn on fruit

• Microclimate creation: Reduces evaporation, improves temperature control, and lowers water use

• Improved fruit quality: Less bruising, cracking, and marking by reducing or eliminating damage from hail, rain, and wind

• Yield consistency: Increases control of growing climate, therefore increasing control of environmental factors like watering and fertigation

• Reduced fruit Splitting: Shelters the crop from heavy rainfall

By creating a more stable and sustainable growing environment, protected cropping can potentially enable earlier harvests, extend picking windows, improve pack-out rates - all of which help growers meet market demand and maximise returns.

Custom vs. Off-the-Shelf Structures

Not all structures suit all situations. A design that performs well in Far North Queensland will rarely perform optimally in Tasmania’s cooler, lower-humidity climate. That’s why custom-designed structures are often the smarter choice. They can be tailored to your crop type, variety, and local conditions, without unnecessary features that can drive up costs.

For example, structural height affects temperature. The higher we go in height and the further north we go, the stronger we must build the structure to cope with not only the wind loading on a taller structure but also the increased wind ratings required further north. This all adds cost, which a grower further south can avoid.

While custom solutions can appear more expensive initially, they often deliver greater long-term value than an off-the-shelf product that is not designed to match your particular crop and climate. A carefully considered custom structure can create an environment allowing higher yields, improved fruit quality, reduced losses, and the ability to hit the market when prices are highest.

A semi flat roof climate/rain cover structure for better airflow and heat dissipation with a bungee connection method designed to reduce any structural load by releasing any hail safely into the interrow

3 in 1 system incorporating clipped hail release style netting for hail and bird protection, trellising and climate/ rain covers shown here in the stored position with the protective black covers fitted

All photos credit: Agrinova

Shade Factors and Covering Material Selection

Colour and transparency are not just for aesthetics. It also has a major influence on the following factors

Shade factors

It’s not just the aperture (the size of the open space between the threads) and the type of weave that affects the shade factor, the colour of the net has a role in this as well. Different netting suppliers will have different specs for their colours. Black net will tend to have a 30-50% higher shade factor than white net. White net has transparent ingredients in the filaments as part of its manufacturing process. There is an ever-increasing range of different Tunnel/Greenhouse Films and netting fabrics available on the market, so it pays to check different manufacturers and match the shade requirements for your particular crop, variety and region. Shade will have a major influence over your crop yield and timing, and excess shade can slow the fruit ripening.

Diffusion

This can also have an influence on your crop's yield and timing, so diffusion is another factor that will need to be taken into consideration when it comes to material selection. As noted above, both white and translucent netting incorporate transparent filament materials, resulting in greater light diffusion compared to black netting, helping light penetrate more evenly throughout the canopy. Also, with netting, the higher the grams per square metre (Gsm), the greater the diffusion. If you are after Diffused Light, it pays to carefully check the netting's full specifications.

Material Lifespan and Durability

1.

Tensile Strength

It’s not just the thickness (µm or Gsm) of a film or netting that represents its strength. Factors such as tensile strength also come into play here. For example, we have seen 180µm film specifications vary from a tensile strength of 22-28 MPa (megapascal) depending on formulation and manufacturing quality. The higher the strength, the better, as it helps prevent film tearing and resist hail damage to the film.

2. UV Stabilisation

As outlined above, UV stabilisation plays a key role in the ongoing strength and longevity of covering

materials. A clear example is the difference between black and white netting. Black netting typically lasts longer, as it contains natural elements such as carbon within its formulation, which act as an additional UV stabiliser. In contrast, white and translucent materials rely more heavily on added UV inhibitors, and in some cases, these inhibitors may already be included at their maximum effective percentage.

Initial and Ongoing Cost Factors

It’s important to choose a high-quality, reputable brand and purchase the right structures and materials, as the labour costs to replace inferior materials will far outweigh the additional cost of using good-quality materials in the first place. A good quality net over a netting structure should last for a minimum of 10 years.

It is also important for us to consider a couple of other cost factors before we commit. Firstly, what our future costs on this structure will be, such as any of the materials, their lifespan, replacement costs and the amount of labour required to replace these components. Secondly, how do I properly maintain these structures to keep these costs down without devaluing my investment? It is highly recommended to have this conversation with any supplier before committing to a new structure, as it is like any good car - if you look after it and keep it serviced, it will look after you.

Design Features That Add Value

Modern protected cropping systems can integrate multiple functions - such as netting, rain/climate covers, and trellising - into a single structure. This reduces labour and material cost savings and helps make the installation quicker and less complex, and therefore more cost-effective.

To give us more control over temperature, humidity, pest protection, pollination, shading and weather protection within the structure, custom structures can have the following additional features added, such as:

• Openable roofing

• Openable side walls in either net or film materials

• Removable or openable additional shading

• Be built at a height and style that will influence the temperature within the structure

These additional features can allow earlier or extended harvests, potentially capitalising on premium pricing, better yields, and reduced losses across the season.

Other factors to consider before a purchase

Pollination

Consider how you will handle your pollination needs before you start setting up your structure. For example, for a blueberry structure that is netted, are we going to install hives inside the structure (some Beekeepers tend to frown upon this method) or are we going to leave the hives outside the structure?

For the latter, it is imperative that we have some way that the bees and other pollinating insects can access the crop. This can be done in several ways, such as larger-aperture netting on the side walls (Beekeepers recommend 20mm or greater), roll-up netting that we leave open at certain times of the year, bee-access windows with markers to guide bees into the structure, etc.

Climate

Not every season is the same, so to have a structure with the ability to open and close roof films when it’s too hot, and netting to be deployed or retracted as conditions change, will also result in a yield and fruit quality increase and give you more flexibility in the climates you can operate in.

Structural Strength

It is also imperative to choose a structure that can stand up to the weather conditions in your area, as you never know when that next storm is going to hit. Any good, protected cropping structure supplier and builder should be able to provide wind ratings and warranty information. They should also be able to provide advice on the optimal placement of structures.

Cost-Saving Design Tips

To maximise return on investment, consider these design efficiencies:

Simple shapes:

Square or rectangular layouts are more cost-effective

Uniform row spacing:

Reduces material waste and simplifies construction

Greenfield sites:

Easier to build on open land without existing crops

Scale matters:

Larger structures often reduce per-unit costs

With thoughtful planning and tailored design, protected cropping structures can transform berry operations.

They provide protection where it matters most, enhance fruit quality, and support more consistent and profitable production, season after season.

Guard your crop from sun, hail and rain with smart, integrated protection.

• Complete protection – Trellis, hail net, and rain cover in one system.

• Durable design – Built to withstand extreme weather conditions.

• Maximise yield and quality – Reduce damage and improve crop performance.

• Proven worldwide – Trusted by growers in over 40 countries

GET IN TOUCH

Tané Howe Head of Operations - AU/NZ +61 483 213 617 | tanehowe@agrinova.au

Biostimulants: When Is It Right to Apply a Biostimulant?

Sandy Shaw & Simon Neil, Berry Industry Development Officers

• This article introduces the concept of using the stress interruption framework for decision-making on-farm

• Think of biostimulants as stress-interrupters, not yield boosters

• Effectiveness depends on environment and timing and can help to close the gap between potential and actual yield

There has been an explosion in the volume and variety of biostimulants available on the market in the last 15 years. The annual market growth rate for biostimulants is ~15%, while the annual growth rate for standard fertilisers is ~1-2% per year.

There is a lot of information to absorb in the biostimulant category (SEE PAGE 49 for an overview of what a biostimulant is, and PAGE 52 for an overview of things to keep in mind when navigating the biostimulant marketplace).

The scientific understanding of and research on biostimulants have not kept pace with market developments, so our understanding of how they work lags behind the availability of biostimulants as a product category. Despite a sharp increase in scientific studies over the last decade, our understanding of the basic functions of biostimulants still needs further study to definitively determine their modes of action. Due to the category's size and diversity, biostimulants have multiple modes of action, most of which are not yet fully understood. This is a large category, with complex processes underpinning it. In order to make decisions on-farm, two frameworks may be helpful to growers deciding if they want to incorporate biostimulant applications:

1. Biostimulants work best within the category of mitigating plant stress. They are most often stress-interrupters

2. Biostimulant effectiveness is heavily influenced by environmental interactions

Basics of plant stress and yield potential

Every crop has a yield and quality potential set by genetics, environment, and available resources. In any given growing period, stress events occur that prevent the crop from reaching its full yield potential, taking bites out of it and causing actual yields to fall below the potential.

Growers rarely achieve their peak production every year. Throughout the year, small stressors chip away at yields, creating a gap between actual and potential yield.

Plants respond to stress very conservatively. Whenever a stress is perceived their first response is to cease new reproductive processes (decreasing productivity and yield) so that the remaining fruit can survive to maturity. Plant stress leads directly to declines in yield and quality.

The stress interruption framework posits that biostimulants mitigate plant stress, preventing small stressors from causing a loss of productivity. Biostimulants, in theory, enable plants to tolerate stress.

How does a plant know it’s under stress, and how do biostimulants help with that?

Plants perceive their environment through sensors in the outermost layer of the root and leaf epidermises, which detect heat, salinity, nutrients, and other factors. Changes in environmental conditions can trigger a signalling process. The plant uses these signals to change its behaviour, creating a cascade of genetic conversions. Many biostimulants function at that point of signalling for genetic conversion, where a plant converts a signal into a response. Many biostimulants seem to work by targeting how a plant perceives its environment.

Biostimulants can be tools that help crops hold performance under stress and use resources more efficiently. As a consequence of growing better, plants utilise water and nutrients more effectively, maintaining productivity. Biostimulants may either directly interact with plant signalling or stimulate bacteria, yeast, and fungi in the microbiome to produce molecules beneficial to the plant. The benefit of the biostimulant is primarily in preventing the plant from diverting energy into stress response mechanisms, which would cause drops in yield and quality.

The importance of stress interactions

Always, when you’re dealing with crop stressors, you’re dealing with interactions between the crop and its environment, but also different vectors of the environment interacting with each other. Common interactions include temperature, water, soil moisture content, soil structure, salinity, nutrition, duration & intensity of stress, chill factors, etc. These are all environmental factors that interact with the plant and with each other. When an imbalance in one of these environmental factors causes a negative reaction in the plant, we call it abiotic stress.

Do

biostimulants

work without environmental stress?

The short and unsatisfying answer: science isn’t sure, and more research is needed. It may be that the plant has been exposed to a stressor not perceived by the grower, which a biostimulant application has alleviated.

An imbalance in any one vector would create stress on the plant, but an imbalance between them, or an imbalance in several can create a factorial vector of different stressors and conditions. Abiotic stress occurs in all cropping systems but can be most severe when several stressors interact.

Effectiveness of biostimulants varies with environment

Biostimulant effectiveness is highly variable. Although some of this can naturally be attributed to the wild west style marketing of the sector (biostimulants have the unfortunate reputation of being the modern-day agricultural equivalent of snake oil), it is also because biostimulants are so dependent on interactions that they’re not entirely predictable.

They rely on a series of complex interactions with other environmental factors, both to work and to show an effect. Targeting a specific stress and a specific stress window gives growers the best chance of seeing an effect from biostimulants.

Every grower has had the experience of trying a product that worked well one year, only to see no difference the next.

The specific combination of stress events may have been present one year but not the next. In order to make an effective decision when purchasing a biostimulant, it’s important for growers to scrutinise the stress they're trying to mitigate, assess whether they’re likely to encounter it, and factor in other interactions that could exacerbate or mitigate that stress before turning to biostimulants.

So, growers can ask themselves: Using what we know about the processes plants undergo when they experience stress, are there places where we can intervene with the right product at the right time to prevent that stress from compromising yield or quality?

Figure 1. Yield loss throughout the season is a result of accumulated stressors, which divert plant energy to stress responses and mitigation. Many biostimulants interact with the plant at the point of signalling a stress, interfering with the plant's perception and response to stress and reducing negative consequences from the stress response. Figure adopted with permission of one of the authors from 'Biostimulants in agriculture'. Frontiers in Plant Science

References:

Brown, P. (2025). Biostimulants:Their Function and Effective Use in Modern Agriculture

Brown, P. and Saa, S. (2015). Biostimulants in agriculture. Frontiers in Plant Science, [online] 6 - 2015. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2015.00671

Acknowledgements

This article is based on a lecture delivered by Dr Patrick Brown of the University of California, Davis, who graciously allowed the adaptation of his presentation to this journal format. We thank Dr Brown for his generosity in allowing us to adapt his presentation and for reviewing this article for accuracy.

Biostimulants 101: What Are They and How Do They Work?

Sandy Shaw & Simon Neil, Berry Industry Development Officers

• This article provides an introduction to biostimulants

• Biostimulants are defined by what they do, not what they are or contain

• The action mechanisms are complex and still being researched, so it is advised to trial for yourself on your farm before you trust efficacy claims

What is a biostimulant?

Biostimulants are defined as a category based on their function, not their composition. There's a huge diversity in what they do and how they act on plants. There is currently no legislative framework in Australia that defines biostimulants, but Fertilizers Australia’s voluntary Biostimulant Code of Practice defines biostimulants in the following way:

“A plant biostimulant is a substance(s), microorganism(s), or mixtures thereof, that, when applied to seeds, fertiliser, plants, the rhizosphere, soil or other growth media, act to support a plant’s natural nutrition processes independently of the biostimulant’s nutrient content. Plant biostimulants improve one or more of the following:

• nutrient availability, uptake, or use efficiency,

• tolerance to abiotic stress such as drought, salinity, or disease.

• consequent growth, development, plant vigour, crop quality or yield.”

• You can read Fertilizer Australia’s full voluntary Biostimulant Code of Practice at bit.ly/Bio-Cop

In this definition, the biostimulant category is classified predominantly by its effect on the plant, rather than its composition. It’s a noisy category, with many claims about performance and benefits. There is a wide variety of products in the category, with a range of material sources and complexities, and spanning a range of modes of action, with more are being added all the time.

What are the categories of biostimulants?

Microbial based biostimulants

Microbial strains, such as Bacillus and Trichoderma, which are usually sold as soil amendments claiming to alter the soil microbiomes or as foliar fungicide prevention. This is a rapidly expanding segment of the biostimulant market.

Algaes or plant extracts

Probably the original biostimulant, seaweed extracts from various algae species have been marketed as solutions to almost every problem in agriculture. Seaweed extracts often have a diverse and complex molecular makeup, and it can be difficult to determine what the key active molecule is.

Complex carbon-based biostimulants

Humic and fulvic acids are the best-known members of this category, which also includes biochars, composted waste, and liquid extracts of the previously listed. Added to the soil as plant stimulants, bioavailability facilitators, and nutrient solvents.

Protein Hydrolysates

Peptides and amino acids that are manufactured from protein sources, both animal and plant-based (for example, fish extract).

Figure 1. Representation of the various mechanisms by which the major classes of biostimulants are known to influence nutrient use efficiency in plants Figure illustrated by Christopher Sisniegas, Meerae Park and Jennifer Schmidt for ‘Biostimulants for Sustainable Crop Production’ and reprinted here with the permission of one of the authors

Defined molecules purified from minerals, plants, animals, microbes, or obtained by synthesis

A large category encompassing non-humic organic molecules, such as chitin, chitosan, and polyphenols, and non-nutrient minerals, such as silicon.

These categories are defined more fully in Fertilizer Australia’s voluntary Code of Practice

How do they work?

Although it has exploded as an area of focus for research, we have just scratched the surface of understanding how biostimulants work.

The field suffers from a lack of understanding of underlying principles, and a lack of robust, independent field trials. Research on how biostimulants work and if they even work in different crops and conditions is ongoing.

Based on current knowledge, biostimulants can have the following effects:

• stimulate stress tolerance or protective mechanisms (defences) in the plant, increasing the plant’s tolerance of abiotic stressors

• increase nutrient availability by either directly or indirectly breaking down nutrients, stimulating soil production of those nutrients, or fixing them into the soil from the atmosphere

• stimulate root growth and therefore improve uptake

• increase plant uptake by increasing either transport proteins or assimilation enzymes within the plant (like putting more trucks on the road and building more depots to receive them)

Under the right conditions, biostimulants may protect plants from additional stress, potentially resulting in healthier crops, increased yield, improved quality metrics like firmness, shelf life, uniformity and premium packout.

References

Brown, P. (2025). Biostimulants:Their Function and Effective Use in Modern Agriculture.

Fertilizer Australia (2025). Biostimulant Labelling Code of Practice. [online] Available at: https://fertilizer.org.au/biostimulant/biostimulant-cop.

Rouphael, Y., du Jardin, P., Brown, P., De Pascale, S. and Colla, G. eds., (2020). Biostimulants for sustainable crop production. Cambridge, UK: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing.

How to trial a biostimulant (without kidding yourself)

If you want to test whether a particular biostimulant is worth a few thousand dollars a season, why not run a simple on-farm trial that can actually show a difference?

1. Pick one target: Choose a stress risk window you can reasonably predict (like heat at flowering, or EC creep during fruit fill)

2. Set up a basic comparison: Treat one block and leave a comparable block untreated. If you can, repeat the comparison across a few rows to reduce any ‘good patch vs bad patch’ effects

3. Hold everything else steady: Keep the same irrigation, fertigation, canopy management, and picking standards across your treated and untreated rows

4. Record one metric that pays: Pick a commercial outcome you care about: percentage of first-grade pack out, rejects by reason (softness, size, blemish), or a simple shelf-life check, and record data against this outcome

For more in-depth advice on designing your own on-farm trials, visit the industry Resource Library at bit.ly/BA-RL and search ‘DIY Research on-farm’ to see the article from the Australian Berry Journal, Spring 2021 edition

Acknowledgements

This article is based on a lecture delivered by Dr Patrick Brown of the University of California, Davis, who graciously allowed the adaptation of his presentation to this journal format. We thank Dr Brown for his generosity in allowing us to adapt his presentation and for reviewing this article for accuracy.

Biostimulants: Getting the Best Out of the Wild West

Sandy Shaw & Simon Neil, Berry Industry Development Officers

• Australia does not regulate the efficacy or claimed efficacy of ‘biostimulant’ products for sale in Australia so it’s important to understand that biostimulants are a complement, not a cure-all

• This article provides a practical approach to using biostimulants

• Be specific, sceptical and evidence-driven and focus on commercial return, not plant appearance

Australia does not regulate biostimulants, and there is no requirement for biostimulant products to prove their efficacy the way that regulated products like pesticides or fertilisers do. So, what questions should growers ask and what things should they keep in mind to keep their expectations realistic when working with biostimulants?

Why use biostimulants at all?

The only thing we can expect from the future is the unexpected, with increasing unpredictability in weather patterns and variable conditions. There has been an increase not only in the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, but also in the resulting abiotic crop stress, which can decrease crop quality and yield. Thoughtful use of biostimulants can help mitigate abiotic stress, serving as an additional tool alongside irrigation, crop protection, soil management, and other important tactics for preventing crop stress.

Nail the Basics First

Don't let biostimulants distract from fundamentals: irrigation reliability, drainage, sensible EC management, balanced nutrition, robust IPDM, and soil or media management will still be the main factors that influence your yield. If a biostimulant product works, it usually helps a good system maintain performance when conditions are less than perfect.

If those systems are robust and you’re still seeing a gap between your potential and actual yield, there’s room to experiment with biostimulants.

Set up for success

The most effective use of a biostimulant is to apply it before an anticipated stress event to help mitigate crop impact. By alleviating stress during the event, this should mean the crop will continue on with its normal growth and development (and yield).

For example, in many substrate systems, there is very little buffering capacity. This makes the substrate more sensitive to rapid shifts in moisture and EC. These rapid shifts can be predicted and anticipated if you have proper sensor monitoring set up.

Biostimulants may or may not have an effect. You need to have the information available to you (weather, water, other stressors) to make an informed decision and determine whether you’re willing to spend a few thousand dollars on the product. You need to be able to calculate whether the stress event will occur and whether you think it’s worth the time, money, and effort to invest in biostimulants to try to mitigate the stress effect.

Ask yourself these three questions:

1. Which specific stress interaction issue is this solving?

2. When should I apply the product to ensure I precede the risk window where that stress will occur?

3. If this treatment works, what effect will it have on yield or quality, and will it be a large enough effect to be worth the investment?

Get Specific

Biostimulants are an incredibly diverse range of products. You have to get specific about what you want the product to achieve, how you want it to do that, and when you want it to happen. What problem exactly do you want to solve? Know that before you buy and apply.

Really, really specific

Biostimulants are not a one-size-fits-all solution, and their effectiveness is site-specific to the plant, the environment, and the target action. Biostimulants are less predictable because they’re more dependent on interactions, so really drill down with your salesperson about how the product works and whether it has been tested in your conditions and on your crop. Work with a company that understands your specific site history and is aware of your specific challenges.

Ask the biostimulant salesperson to tell you exactly what problem their product solves. They should know the nuances of your crop enough to be able to tell you specifically within your crop, your needs, and your challenges, what problem their product will solve. If they can’t do that, then walk away.

Some biostimulants provide very general benefits which may work similarly across different crops. Be mindful of if success in your crop looks like success in the tested crops. A product which stimulates vegetative growth could be wonderful for wheat at germination, but unsuitable and - in fact downright undesirable - for berries midproduction.

Be skeptical of cure-alls

No product will solve all problems. If a product claims to solve cold, heat, ripening, damp, etc., etc. walk away. Those are all different biological processes, and there’s no way one single product can address every one. In the context of fertilisation programs, a biostimulant

is a complement to a good fertilisation program, not a replacement. They improve nutrient uptake, but you still have to put the nutrients there to be absorbed.

Temper your expectations

Biostimulants act best in facilitating protective responses to modest stress. A biostimulant won’t save your plants during prolonged weather events like the millennium drought, but they have the potential to alleviate the effects of moderate stress, like short periods of excess temperatures or small periods of water deficit.

Are the promises logical?

Take a moment to consider whether the product's promises meet logical expectations. For example, a hectare of soil (30cm deep) at 2% organic matter contains around 80–90 tonnes of organic matter. Adding 10–50 kg of a humic product cannot "rebuild" that soil structure. Is that 10-50 kg realistically going to significantly alter the environment of your soil, or is it a teaspoon in an ocean? Scientists now think that humic acid works by forming a mild irritant to the surface of the plant, triggering that plant's stress response system. This makes more logical sense than a small input into the soil fundamentally changing the structure.

Lab experiments don’t always reflect field reality

Cropping systems are complex systems and not always replicable on an agar plate. A single microbe growing on an agar plate is not representative of a soil environment, where it competes and interacts with hundreds of other microbes. The interactivity of different stress factors also isn’t replicated.

Because of the costs and complexity of rigorous field trials, the majority of the studies and promotional materials you’ll see are likely to be lab-based. The results may look impressive in the lab but cannot be guaranteed until efficacy is demonstrated in the field.

Always ask for the conditions under which the data was collected: was it lab or field-based? In a petri dish? Potted plant? Trial field? Did the environmental conditions reflect yours? These specifics will help you determine how much you trust the data to be applicable to your particular needs.

Be aware of publishing bias

Meta-studies are the gold standard of scientific rigour. They collect the results from multiple trials and analyse the results as a block. However, what gets analysed in a meta-study must first be published in a scientific journal.

Scientific publications show a strong bias toward publishing only positive results. A 2024 meta-study of ~180 field trials comparing ~1000 biostimulants found a generalised increase in yield response across biostimulant types. But it’s almost impossible to publish papers with null or negative results, so there’s a bias inherent in the published literature. Similarly, in a commercial sense, companies may have done a trial 25 times and are showing you the one time it worked.

The general indication across the studies is that some products do work but always be cautious. Always ask: how many trials have you done on this product? How many times have you gotten this result?

Do your best to verify product efficacy

Since biostimulants are unregulated and don’t need to provide proof of efficacy, there’s plenty of product variation out there. Formulations change sporadically, products don’t always contain the components they claim, and some of these products will never work, no matter how well you time it. The reality is that this is still an emerging industry, and probably only about 10% of the biostimulant products out there are effective.

The ones that work and are applied effectively can be extremely successful, but it is advised to be cautious and sceptical unless you’re presented with compelling evidence. Work with companies that are looking indepth at the biology and targeting specific stress points in the cropping cycle, and who are more than happy to show you the data.

If you do end up investing in a biostimulant that doesn’t work out, then the good news is that the only likely downside is that you’ve wasted some money. Most biostimulant trials show that applications that don’t work have no effect on the crop, and very few have any negative effects.

Real world example: Phosphorus Solubilisation

Phosphorus is not as easily soluble as other key elements, and products which help convert more phosphorus in the soil into a soluble form for crop uptake is a source of interest to many growers. In 2021, researchers performed a metastudy (a collection and review of all papers and data on a certain subject) which looked at the results of 724 studies looking at products which promoted phosphorus availability by converting it to a soluble form. 629 of those studies were lab based, which on average showed 75% improvements in phosphorus availability. 95 of those studies were field based. As soon as the experiments became field based, the improvements dropped like a stone – showing averages of 20% improvements in phosphorus availability.

Of the 724 studies, only 95 were field based and of those only 14 used yield as a measure of effectiveness. Only 5 of the 724 studies showed any positive effect as measured by an increase in crop yield. This doesn’t mean the other studies are bad, or not scientifically rigorous – it just means they’re not necessarily directly applicable to a grower. If you were presented with those odds, would you invest in the product?

Keep in mind your bottom line

While healthier plants are a positive sign, they don't always pay the bills. For example, while extensive root systems are vital for absorbing water and minerals, growing excessive rooting structures in nutrient-rich, fertigated substrate systems can be an energy cost that doesn't always translate to extra fruit yield.

Ultimately, yield and quality improvements are what growers want out of their product. Focus on the commercial outcomes.

Summary of questions to ask yourself:

• Are all my basics up to scratch?

• What problem do I want to solve?

• What stress interaction does that problem create?

• How do I specifically target that stress interaction?

• When is that stress interaction likely to occur?

• When should I apply the product to ensure I precede the risk window where that stress will occur?

• Does the data available to me suit my crop and conditions?

• Do I know how this data was generated?

• If this treatment works, what effect will it have on yield or quality and will it be a large enough effect to be worth the money?

References

Brown, P. (2025). Biostimulants:Their Function and Effective Use in Modern Agriculture. Colla, G., Hoagland, L., Ruzzi, M., Cardarelli, M., Bonini, P., Canaguier, R. and Rouphael, Y. (2017). Biostimulant Action of Protein Hydrolysates: Unraveling Their Effects on Plant Physiology and Microbiome. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.02202. Li, Jing, et al. “A Meta-Analysis of Biostimulant Yield Effectiveness in Field Trials.” Frontiers in Plant Science, vol. 13, 2022, article 836702, https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.836702

Li, J.-T., Lu, J.-L., Wang, H.-Y., Fang, Z., Wang, X.-J., Feng, S.-W., Wang, Z., Yuan, T., Zhang, S.-C., Ou, S.-N., Yang, X.-D., Wu, Z.-H., Du, X.-D., Tang, L.-Y., Liao, B., Shu, W.-S., Jia, P. and Liang, J.-L. (2021). A comprehensive synthesis unveils the mysteries of phosphate‐solubilizing microbes. Biological Reviews, 96(6), pp.2771–2793. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12779.

Rouphael, Y., du Jardin, P., Brown, P., De Pascale, S. and Colla, G. eds., (2020). Biostimulants for sustainable crop production. Cambridge, UK: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing.

Acknowledgements

This article is based on a lecture delivered by Dr Patrick Brown of the University of California, Davis, who graciously allowed the adaptation of his presentation to this journal format. We thank Dr Brown for his generosity in allowing us to adapt his presentation and for reviewing this article for accuracy.

Mega Trends Shaping the Consumer Landscape

Helen Newman, Berry Industry Development Officer, Agricultural Produce Commission WA

• Grant Dusting, a social researcher and the Director of Strategy at the internationally recognised research organisation McCrindle, spoke at the WA Horticulture Update in October 2025

• Grant delivered a data-packed presentation, sharing insights into the megatrends shaping the consumer landscape in Australia

• This article summarises key messages from his presentation

Australia is growing very quickly, expected to reach a population of 28 million in 2026! Much of this population growth comes from overseas migration, which accounted for 81% of Australia’s population growth in 2024.

In WA, 36% of Perth residents were born overseas, and 50% of the population is either born overseas or has parents born overseas One in five Perth residents (20%) use a non-English language at home, and migration patterns have shifted from historically European (and English-speaking) to Asian-centric. This diversity is reflected in the customer base and needs to be considered by marketers in any promotional campaigns.

Mega Trend 1: Expanding consumer lifecycles

The consumer base is expanding in both directions, getting older and younger at the same time. It’s expanding upwards because people are living longer and have purchasing power for longer. It’s expanding downward because young people and children are exerting greater influence on household spending than ever before.

In Australia, 55% of families agree their grandparents often buy day-to-day items for children; 77% of families with dependents agree their children strongly influence what they buy. This means that brand engagement can be built early, as children are influencing purchasing decisions.

Mega Trend 2: Hyper global and re-engaging locally

We live in an era of hyper-globalisation, and yet people are re-engaging locally at the same time. The challenge for today’s companies is to have the systems that can allow you to leverage a global audience (where that’s relevant) while maintaining engagement with local customers. When consumers were asked why they chose to purchase from a local company, the top reason was to support the local economy or community, followed by a desire to see or try the product in person. There are generational differences, though, particularly among the emerging Gen Z population, where ethical labour practices, fair wages, and access to locally made, unique, or artisanal products are also priorities.

Mega Trend 3: Values driven decisions

Increasingly, particularly among younger generations, people say their values drive their decisions. There is a whole range of factors people bring to a purchasing decision. They are wondering about sustainability, environmental impact, circular economies, and how to support local and small businesses. Since COVID, there has also been a stronger emphasis on lifestyle; people are making purchasing decisions with their lifestyle in mind, not just functionality and productivity.

Source: Megatrends shaping the consumer landscape report (mccrindle, 2025)

Price is still important, though. Consumers have their values, but they are also seeking value because they want their money to go further. Seventy-seven per cent of consumers say they are extremely or very concerned about the rising cost of living, yet there is also a trend towards buying boutique, artisan, and premium products. When thinking about how to market to today's and tomorrow’s consumers, your core market segment will be the overlap between individual (consumer) values and your own company values. This is where you can get the most resonance.

Source: Megatrends shaping the consumer landscape report (mccrindle, 2025)

People don't just buy what you do, they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe. Simon Sinek, Start with Why

This is why companies invest in social media and videography: telling your story and getting people to buy into it matters to a growing number of people. They don’t just buy the product; they want to know the backstory. They're interested, and it feels good to support a good company or a quality, locally made product.

What to do with this information

All this information and change can be overwhelming, so Grant provided a four-step roadmap for how a business can think about and successfully engage with the future.

Be multifactorial, not just linear. The future is not just an extrapolation of what’s happening now. Think about what the possible futures may be and how to prepare for them now. Multiple factors (customer expectations, climate, workforce, etc.) inform this, giving you a more holistic picture of where things are heading. It’s not ‘the future’ but ‘possible futures’.

Observe the tides, not just the waves. Fads come and go and will continue to do so. Trends may be slower moving but are here to stay. Fads gain attention, trends are transformational.

Think generational, not just statistical. You can do all the analysis around the ‘what’ (e.g. consumer data), but you need to keep people front of mind (the ‘why’). Remember who you are talking about - generational analysis puts a face to the future. Getting out and interacting and talking to people and is an excellent way to road-test your assumptions and validate data.

Be practical, not just theoretical. Think about what’s timeless, how we know people behave. Ground predictions in an understanding of how people behave.

Source: Consumer paradoxes: Trends and Counter Trends Shaping Customer Behaviour (mccrindle, 2025)

If you found this article interesting, there are more infographics, articles, and reports available on the mccrindle website mccrindle.com.au

Generational consumer profiles

How Much Light Is Too Much?

Helen Newman, Berry Industry Development Officer, Agricultural Produce Commission WA

Light is essential for growth in berry crops. As light increases, so does growth and yields. There comes a point, though, where increases in light levels have the opposite effect, where they decrease or stop growth and reduce yields and fruit size. This turning point is influenced by genetics and environmental conditions such as air temperature, CO2 concentrations, and water and nutrient availability.

Higher CO2 concentrations, cooler air temperatures, and optimal water and nutrient availability increase the amount of light that plants can utilise and tolerate. Berry crops typically have low light saturation points compared to other commercial horticultural crops.

Light saturation point

Plants are good at adapting to changing light levels. Berry crops respond to light in a way that is typical of ‘C3-type’ plants (Figure 1). As days become sunnier in spring, they make changes in their leaves to utilise the increasingly available light. As light levels increase, a point is reached where it stops being the limiting factor for growth. This is called light saturation point. At this point, plants reach maximum photosynthetic capacity. Increases in light intensity beyond this can lead to more energy being absorbed by the leaves than can be used and this leads to stress.

Plants avoid stress by shedding excess light energy captured in their cells as heat. When light stress becomes unavoidable, as temperatures increase and leaves can no longer shed excess energy as heat, they tolerate stress by concentrating damage in leaf proteins. Damaged proteins can be replaced, however, when light intensity is extremely high, damage becomes irreversible.

Light saturation points for berry crops are generally low (less than 1000 μmol.m2.s) compared to other commercial horticultural crops. This means that berries are more prone to stress, damage and yield penalties

at higher light intensities. Figure 2 shows radiation intensity over a typical day in February on a Victorian berry farm. Light levels recorded that day exceeded 1000 μmol.m2.s (which equates to around 500 W/m2) from 9am to 6pm. Shade screening for at least part of this period will have been beneficial to the crop, particularly where temperatures were above 25-30oC.

• Light saturation point is measured in micro moles per metre squared per second (μmol.m2.s) and is a measure of radiation intensity over the Photosynthetically Active Range (PAR 400 – 700nm)

• PAR light makes up approximately 45% of the total light spectrum

• The PRIVA light sensor used in Figure 2 measures radiation intensity over the entire light spectrum (300 – 3000nm) in Watts/m2, so the 1,300 W/m2 peak seen in at 1.30pm equates to approximately 585 Watts/m2 PAR

• 1 Watt/m2 equals approximately 4.57 μmol. m2.s (Thimijan & Heins, 1983)

• The peak light intensity at 1.30pm is therefore approximately 2,673 μmol.m2.s (585 x 4.57), much higher than the expected light saturation point of berries. Temperatures at this time of day are also often outside the optimum range which limits the plant’s ability to shed excess light as heat

Figure 1. Light response curve and how typical C3-type plants avoid and tolerate light stress

Adapted from Yamamoto (2016)

Figure 2. Outdoor radiation levels recorded by a PRIVA light sensor on a sunny February day in Victoria. Readings are in Watts per square metre (W/m2). Passing clouds created the sharp dips seen in the afternoon.

Although light has a clear link to photosynthesis, other factors such as CO2 levels, temperature, and nutrition also affect photosynthesis and influence the light saturation point. Higher light saturation points can be achieved in CO2-enriched environments and/or in controlled environments where cooler temperatures are maintained. Like light response, berry plant responses to these factors vary depending on the crop growth stage.

Temperature response is interesting to consider alongside light response, as they are closely related and can both be manipulated (to some extent) by shading. Figure 3a shows the general temperature response curve for C3-type plants. Figure 3b shows an example of how optimum temperatures for photosynthesis shift with the crop cycle. In this example, optimum growing temperatures for northern highbush blueberry ‘Duke‘ varied between 25 and 28°C. Studies on strawberries suggest that the optimum temperatures for most Australian-grown cultivars vary between 20 to 25°C (Menzel, 2023; Menzel, 2024ab).

Berry light response curves

Light response curves found in research papers from around the world are presented here. Results from studies that tested light response under ambient CO2 concentrations (~350-400 umol.mol-1) or close to ambient are shown as they better reflect outdoor growing conditions. Care must be taken when interpreting these curves as temperature and humidity conditions during the testing may not reflect your growing situation.

Strawberries

Studies in the 1980s suggested that light saturation points for strawberries ranged from 800-1000 μmol.m2.s. More recent studies in controlled environments have seen light saturation points as high as 2000 μmol.m2.s under ambient CO2 levels and maximum temperatures up to or less than 25°C. Figure 4 shows examples of light response curves recorded in a range of these studies.

NOTE: In the field, where it is difficult to maintain optimum temperatures (particularly in warmer climates), lower, more pronounced light saturation points would be expected as plants are less able to dissipate excess light as heat.

Blueberries

Light response curves in most of the studies of blueberries I was able to find suggest that light saturation is reached somewhere between 400 to 600 μmol.m2.s. These studies were conducted in a variety of growing conditions but tested light response at maximum temperatures of 25oC or less. Figure 5 shows examples of blueberry light response curves recorded in a range of these studies.

Figure 6 shows results from a study yet to be published that was conducted on northern highbush blueberries by Michigan State University. This study measured light response at different growth stages and found that there was very little difference (not statistically significant) between light response during flowering and fruiting. Interestingly, light saturation points closer to 1000 μmol.m2.s were recorded in this study. More details on this study can be found in this webinar presented by Dr Josh Vander Weide: https://youtu.be/8xcM96HMq7k?si=X32 WgbnM6FGvMjKQ

Blackberries

Light response studies in Rubus were a little tricky to locate. Figure 7 presents the results of research undertaken in a 5-year-old variety trial of blackberry plants located at the Musser Fruit Research Center in South Carolina. Plants were ground-grown with in-row white plastic mulch. Average humidity during the trial period ranged from 53 to 96%, and maximum temperatures ranged from 27.5 to 28.9°C. The study found that the photosynthetic response of the floricane leaves varied between varieties and growth stages, with light saturation points ranging from 661 to 1613 μmol.m2.s.

Closing Comments

While there is quite a bit of variation in light saturation points between studies, it can be said that light levels received by berry crops across Australia frequently exceed saturation point. Solar radiation peaks in late December each year (around the summer solstice) and at midday each day, however ambient temperatures do not follow the same pattern. A link to examples of this are provided at the end of this article. When planning, it is useful to look at the interaction between solar radiation and temperature patterns to identify when plants are unable to shed excess light as heat (i.e when radiation levels are above saturation point and temperatures are higher than optimal (25-30°C)). This can help you to determine the optimal timing and placement (e.g. at what sun angle) of shade treatments for your crop.

Figure 3a. Temperature response curve of typical C3-type plants (Yamori et al., 2014)

Figure 3b. Temperature response curves of Duke blueberries growing in Michigan (USA) during flowering, pre-harvest and post-harvest (Rett-Cadman & Weide, unpublished)

Example strawberry light response curves

Figure 4. Strawberry light response curve examples

5. Blueberry light response curve examples Example blueberry light response curves

Light response curves of field-grown 'Bluecrop' northern-highbush blueberries at different growth stages

Source: Li & Weide, unpublished

Figure 7. Light response of four commercial blackberry cultivars (Apache, Natchez, Navaho, and Von) before harvest (solid circles), at peak harvest (open circles), and after harvest (solid triangles) Source: Lykins et al., 2021.

Read about berry shading options in the Autumn 2025 edition on PAGES 42–50 ‘Strategies to keep plants comfortable when it’s hot’ at bit.ly/ABJ-Hot-Plants or scan the QR Code

References

An, H., Zhang, J., Zhang, L., Li, S., Zhou, B., & Zhang, X. (2023). Effects of Nutrition and Light Quality on the Growth of Southern Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) in an Advanced Plant Factory with Artificial Lighting (PFAL). Horticulturae, 9(2), 287. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae9020287

Choi, H. G., Moon, B. Y., & Kang, N. J. (2016). Correlation between Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) Productivity and Photosynthesis-Related Parameters under Various Growth Conditions. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7, 1607. https://doi.org/10.3389/ fpls.2016.01607

Ferree, D.C., Stang, E.J. (1988). Seasonal plant shading, growth, and fruiting in ‘Earliglow’ strawberry Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, 113, 322–327.

Li, S., & Weide, J. (unpublished). Ground covers shape canopy microclimate and fruit quality components in a blueberry orchard. Michigan State University. Results presented in recorded webinar: Using temperature & light response curves to study blueberry/ strawberry response to the environment https://youtu.be/8xcM96H Mq7k?si=X32WgbnM6FGvMjKQ

Li, X., Zhao, J., Shang, M., Song, H., Zhang, J., Xu, X., Zheng, S., Hou, L., Li, M., & Xing, G. (2020). Physiological and molecular basis of promoting leaf growth in strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) by CO2 enrichment. Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment, 34(1), 905–917. https://doi.org/10.1080/13102818.2020.1811766

Long, J., Tan, T., Zhu, Y., An, X., Zhang, X., & Wang, D. (2024). Response of blueberry photosynthetic physiology to light intensity during different stages of fruit development. PLoS ONE, 19(9), e0310252. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310252

Lykins, S., Scammon, K., Lawrence, B. T., & Melgar, J. C. (2021). Photosynthetic light response of floricane leaves of erect blackberry cultivars from fruit development into the postharvest period. HortScience, 56(3), 347-351.

Menzel, C. (2023). A review of fruit development in strawberry: high temperatures accelerate flower development and decrease the size of the flowers and fruit. Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology 98, 409-431.

Menzel, C. (2024a). Climate change increases net CO2 assimilation in the leaves of strawberry, but not yield. The Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology 99, 233-266.

To see more example daily radiation patterns recorded in Muchea in WA, download this PDF from the Resource Library at bit.ly/ABJ-Radiation-WA or scan the QR Code

Menzel, C. (2024b). Temperatures above 30oC decrease leaf growth in strawberry under global warming. Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology 99, 507-530.

Mochizuki, Y., Iwasaki, Y., Funayama, M., Ninomiya, S., Fuke, M., Nwe, YY., Yamada, M., & Ogiwara, I. (2013). Analysis of a High-yielding Strawberry (Fragaria ×ananassa Duch.) Cultivar ‘Benihoppe’ with Focus on Dry Matter Production and Leaf Photosynthetic Rate. Japanese Society for Horticultural Science, 82 (1): 22–29. https://doi.org/10.2503/jjshs1.82.22

Petridis, A., Van Der Kaay, J., Chrysanthou, E., McCallum, S., Graham, J., & Hancock, R. D. (2018). Photosynthetic limitation as a factor influencing yield in highbush blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) grown in a northern European environment. Journal of Experimental Botany, 69(12), 3069–3080. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ery118

Rett-Cadman, S., & Weide, J. (unpublished). Temperature plasticity of leaf photosynthesis and thermotolerance in northern highbush blueberry Michigan State University. Results presented in recorded webinar: Using temperature & light response curves to study blueberry/strawberry response to the environment https://youtu.be/8xcM96HMq7k?si=X32WgbnM6FGvMjKQ

Tagawa, A., Ehara, M., Ito, Y., Araki, T., Ozaki, Y., & Shishido, Y. (2022). Effects of CO2 enrichment on yield, photosynthetic rate, translocation and distribution of photoassimilates in strawberry ‘Sagahonoka.’ Agronomy, 12(2), 473. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12020473

Yamamoto, Y. (2016). Quality Control of Photosystem II: The Mechanisms for Avoidance and Tolerance of Light and Heat Stresses are Closely Linked to Membrane Fluidity of the Thylakoids. Frontiers in Plant Science, 7, 1136. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2016.01136

Yamori, W., Hikosaka, K., & Way, D. A. (2013). Temperature response of photosynthesis in C3, C4, and CAM plants: temperature acclimation and temperature adaptation. Photosynthesis Research, 119(1–2), 101–117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-013-9874-6

Improving Labour Use Efficiency in Rubus Production

Insights from ‘Opportunities to improve labour use efficiency through automation and improved management practices (RB21003)’

Jane Richter, Communications Manager, Berries Australia

• Labour efficiency gains start with management and planning, not machinery

• There is no one-size-fits-all solution: match changes to your farm’s scale, systems and risk appetite

• Data-driven decision-making is essential to improving productivity and justifying future investment

Labour remains the single largest cost and constraint facing Australia’s raspberry and blackberry growers. As the Rubus industry has grown in both scale and value, its reliance on manual harvesting and labourintensive production systems has intensified pressure on farm viability. The project ‘Opportunities to improve labour use efficiency through automation and improved management practices (RB21003)’ funded by Hort Innovation using the raspberry and blackberry research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government, set out to tackle this challenge by identifying where meaningful gains can be made and how growers can realistically adopt solutions.

The project used a four-stage, industry-engaged approach:

• Intent and scoping – establishing project governance and objectives

• Explore – grower interviews, farm visits, surveys and time-and-motion studies

• Validate – solution ideation workshops, technology scans and grower validation

• Deliver – in-person workshops, solution assessment and final reporting

This approach ensured findings were grounded in real grower experience and validated by industry participants. Rather than searching for a single technological fix, the project recognised a critical truth: labour challenges differ widely between farms. Factors such as scale, production system, region, ownership structure and risk appetite all shape how labour is used and what improvements are feasible. As a result, the project focused on understanding grower diversity and aligning solutions accordingly.

Why labour efficiency matters

The Australian Rubus industry is heavily dependent on hand-picking to meet fresh market demand. Labour costs are influenced not only by wage rates, but also by picker efficiency, workforce retention, crop design, harvest timing, post-harvest handling and management capability. Small inefficiencies across these stages quickly compound into major cost pressures.

The project found that while many growers are open to innovation, adoption stalls when solutions are poorly matched to farm context, lack a clear return on investment, or require capabilities that farms don’t currently have. Improving labour efficiency, therefore, is as much about better decision-making and management practices as it is about automation.

A segmented approach to solutions

One of the project’s most important contributions was the development of grower segments and behavioural archetypes. These profiles help explain why growers respond differently to the same challenge and why adoption of new practices varies across the industry.

Four broad grower segments were identified based on scale, ownership structure, crop diversity and technology use. Within these segments, six behavioural archetypes were developed, including growers who prioritise evidence before investing, those driven by technology and data, and those motivated by people, community or environmental outcomes.

Understanding these archetypes matters because solutions that work for one group may not suit another.

For example, growers with a low risk appetite are unlikely to invest in unproven automation but may readily adopt improved workforce planning tools if backed by strong data. Conversely, early technology adopters may be willing to trial new systems if they see a pathway to long-term productivity gains.

Where the biggest opportunities lie

Through interviews, on-farm observation, time-andmotion studies and grower workshops, the project identified five key focus areas where labour efficiency gains are most achievable:

Workforce composition and management

Retaining experienced workers delivers some of the greatest productivity gains available to growers. Reducing turnover, improving training, and better aligning roles with worker capability were consistently highlighted as high-impact, low-regret actions.

Crop profiling and forecasting

Rubus crops often experience rapid increases in production over short periods. Poor visibility of these production curves leads to mismatches between labour supply and harvest demand. Improving crop profiling enables better workforce planning and reduces reactive decision-making.

Harvest efficiency

Small changes in picking systems, fruit flow, tray handling and field layout can significantly affect picker output. The project emphasised the importance of measuring where time is lost during harvest and systematically addressing inefficiencies.

Non-harvest labour

Activities outside harvest windows - such as maintenance, crop setup, pruning and packhouse operations - represent a substantial portion of total labour costs. These areas are often overlooked despite offering opportunities for process improvement and better scheduling.

Crop design and waste reduction

Crop genetics, planting density and canopy design directly influence yield, picker speed and fruit quality. Poor alignment between crop design and labour capability increases waste and reduces overall efficiency.

Acknowledgements

Technology: promise with caveats

The project conducted a broad technology scan, assessing automation and digital tools currently available or emerging internationally. While there is genuine potential for technology to improve labour efficiency, the project found that most solutions are not yet “plug and play” for Australian Rubus farms.

Five priority solution pathways were identified for further development and investment, including:

1. data-driven workforce planning tools using crop analytics

2. improved recruitment and picker assessment methods

3. computer-vision systems for quality assessment

4. autonomous or collaborative robotics to reduce non-picking tasks

5. targeted trials of proven technologies matched to suitable grower segments

Crucially, the project emphasised that technology adoption must be accompanied by behaviour change, skills development and clear business cases. Without these, even technically sound solutions are unlikely to deliver real-world benefits.

Practical outcomes for growers

The project does not prescribe a single roadmap for all growers. Instead, it provides a framework for making better-informed decisions, grounded in evidence and tailored to individual farm contexts. For many growers, the most immediate gains will come from:

• improving workforce retention and training

• better aligning labour to crop demand

• refining harvest systems and fruit flow

• using data to support planning rather than relying on intuition alone

More advanced automation and robotics may play a larger role over time, particularly as technologies mature and costs decline, but they should be viewed as part of a broader productivity strategy rather than a standalone fix.

Growers can read the full final report by visiting the Berries Australia Resource Library at bit.ly/BA-RL and searching for ‘RB21003’

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the Raspberry & Blackberry research and development levies and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture. The Project Team at TGD would like to thank the industry representatives, industry/regional development officers and other industry key stakeholders who provided valuable insights during the course of this project. They would especially like to extend their thanks to the following organisations and the individuals within who assisted this research:

Berried in Tas, Berries Australia, Burlington Berries, Costa Group, Driscoll’s, Hillwood Berries, OzGroup, Perfection, Piñata Farms, Queensland Berries, Tasmanian Berries, Westerway Berry Farm and Fruit Growers Tasmania

An Integrated Approach to Managing Caterpillar Pests in Subtropical Raspberries

Dr. Saleh Adnan, Research Horticulturist Entomology, NSW DPIRD

This article forms part of the work being carried out under the project ‘Integrated pest management approaches to address pest challenges in raspberry and blackberry (RB21000) funded by Hort Innovation using the raspberry and blackberry research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government and in-kind contributions from NSW DPIRD. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

• Caterpillar pests are an increasing challenge for subtropical Rubus growers

• Damage trend monitoring showed that integrated treatments were particularly effective at flattening damage peaks

• No single tool is enough to manage caterpillar pests reliably in subtropical raspberries

Why caterpillars are becoming a bigger issue

Caterpillar pests are an increasing challenge for subtropical Rubus growers, particularly from spring through late summer. In raspberries, larvae can damage plants from early vegetative growth right through to fruit ripening, feeding on leaves, buds, flowers and green fruit.

Amongst the caterpillars impacting Rubus production in subtropical areas, Helicoverpa armigera, Helicoverpa punctigera, and Spodoptera litura remain the most challenging pests to manage. These pests are highly mobile, have multiple generations per season, and can quickly build damaging populations under favourable conditions.

Chemical control remains the primary management option for most growers. However, increasing resistance pressure, limited spray windows, and concerns around beneficial insects mean there is growing interest in integrated pest management (IPM) approaches that reduce reliance on insecticides while maintaining effective control.

Deploying IPM into practice in subtropical Rubus

During the 2024–25 and 2025-26 seasons, field trials were conducted in a commercial raspberry farm at Corindi, NSW, to evaluate how different IPM tools could be combined to manage caterpillar pests more effectively.

The trial focused on integrating three key strategies:

1. Mass trapping using pheromones

2. Release of egg parasitoids

3. Conservation biological control using flowering plants

The aim was not to reduce reliance on insecticides largely, but to reduce pest pressure early, slow population buildup, and limit crop damage during critical growth stages.

Mass trapping: reducing pressure early

Commercially available species-specific Pheromone traps were used to mass-trap male moths of Helicoverpa armigera, H. punctigera, and S. litura. By reducing male moth numbers, mating success and subsequent egg laying can be suppressed.

Traps were placed within raspberry tunnels at canopy height and monitored fortnightly. In addition to suppressing populations, the traps provide valuable early warning of moth activity, allowing timely decisions around parasitoid release and other interventions. Throughout the season, moth activity showed clear peaks, reinforcing the value of pheromone traps as both a monitoring and a management tool.

Egg parasitoids: targeting the pest before damage starts

The egg parasitoid Trichogramma pretiosum was released fortnightly once moths were detected in traps. These tiny wasps parasitise moth eggs before larvae emerge, preventing feeding damage altogether.

Releases were timed to coincide with moth activity, ensuring parasitoids were present when egg laying occurred. This approach targets pests at their most vulnerable stage and fits well with reduced-spray programs.

Flowering plants: supporting beneficial insects

Flowering plants were introduced into tunnels as part of a conservation biological control strategy. Species included zinnias, marigold, buckwheat and sunflower, selected for their ability to provide nectar and pollen resources for beneficial insects.

These plants were established during the vegetative stage of raspberry growth and spaced along rows within tunnels. The goal was to support parasitoids and other natural enemies, helping them persist and function more effectively within the crop.

Data collection

Non-destructive inspections were conducted on 10% of raspberry plants within each treatment module at fortnightly intervals to record larval abundance and assess caterpillar damage. Adult moth populations were also recorded fortnightly using pheromone traps. Caterpillar damage was assessed on leaves, buds, flowers, and green fruits during vegetative and reproductive stages using a whole-plant damage scoring system adapted from Williams et al. (1989)

Caterpillar damage severity under different management treatments

What did we see in the crop?

Pheromone trapping clearly showed that Spodoptera litura was the dominant moth species throughout the season, with sharp population peaks in late December and January. These peaks align with periods of increased crop risk, particularly during flowering and early fruit development.

In contrast, Helicoverpa armigera and H. punctigera were present at much lower levels, although they were detected consistently across the season. This reinforces the value of pheromone traps not only for control, but also for early detection, even when pest pressure appears low.

The strong seasonal fluctuations seen in S. litura highlight why regular monitoring is critical. Without traps in place, these rapid increases in moth activity could easily go unnoticed until larval damage is already visible in the crop.

Plots using integrated strategies (Treatments 1 and 2) had the lowest levels of damaged plants. Treatments 1 and 2 also had a much higher proportion of plants in the lowest damage categories. Most damage in these plots was minor and unlikely to affect yield or fruit quality.

By comparison, Treatment 3 and untreated control (standard farm management) had a much higher proportion of damaged plants. Also, Treatment 3 and untreated control had a greater proportion of plants with moderate to severe damage. These higher damage scores represent more extensive leaf loss and feeding on buds and green fruit, which increases the risk of less crop set as well as yield loss.

Plots that combined mass trapping, parasitoid release and flowering plants consistently recorded:

• Lower caterpillar damage scores

• Slower increases in damage during peak pest periods

• Reduced larval numbers compared with single-tool approaches

Damage trends over the season showed that integrated treatments were particularly effective at flattening damage peaks, which is critical during flowering and early fruit development when crops are most vulnerable.

What does this mean for growers?

This work highlights that no single tool is enough to manage caterpillar pests reliably in subtropical raspberries.

However, when pheromone trapping, biological control and habitat support are combined, they can significantly reduce pest pressure and crop damage.

• Pheromone traps are valuable for both monitoring and reducing moth populations

• Timely parasitoid releases can prevent damage before it starts

• Flowering plants can help sustain beneficial insects within tunnels

• Integrated approaches can reduce reliance on insecticides, especially during high-risk periods

Looking ahead

Ongoing research is focused on identifying the key natural enemies associated with selected flowering plant combinations and determining how these biological control agents can be strategically integrated with existing pest management programs.

With increasing pest pressure in subtropical production systems, the adoption of practical and compatible IPM approaches will be essential to sustain crop productivity, minimise disruption to beneficial arthropod communities, and support the long-term sustainability of berry production.

More About This Project

Integrated pest management approaches to address pest challenges in raspberry and blackberry (RB21000)

This project is a 5-year investment focused on strengthening integrated pest management (IPM) systems for Australian raspberry and blackberry growers, with practical outcomes designed to improve profitability and sustainability.

Key actionable outputs include the development of innovative, environmentally sound pest management programs that protect and enhance both naturally occurring and introduced beneficial insects through conservation biological control tailored to modern Rubus production systems. The project also aims to promote cultural practices that reduce pest establishment, giving growers additional non-chemical management tools.

Rubus growers can expect expanded biological control options, supported by improved understanding of natural enemy biodiversity and the conditions that help beneficial species establish and persist. The investment also hopes to deliver evidence-based decision support tools to guide pest and beneficial monitoring, intervention timing, and product selection, helping streamline on-farm decision-making.

Importantly, the program aims to build industry confidence in IPM adoption, ensuring growers have practical knowledge and research-backed strategies suited specifically to Australian Rubus production systems.

Several updates from this project have already been published and you can find these all in the Berry Industry Resource Library at bit.ly/BA-RL by searching 'RB21000'

For more information, please contact the Project Lead: Dr Jon Finch | University of Tasmania | jonathan.finch@utas.edu.au

Progress on Bumble Bees as Commercial Pollinators in Australia

Progress on bumble bees as commercial pollinators in Australia: update on risks and opportunities (PH23001)

Dr James Makinson, Research Fellow in Crop Pollination and Apiculture, Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University

The buff-tailed bumble bee (Bombus terrestris), a bumble bee species native to Europe, is now a ubiquitous feature of the Tasmanian countryside since its arrival in the island state in 1992. In Australia, it is declared an invasive species, having most likely arrived here via New Zealand, where it was introduced for clover pollination in the late 1800s. Due to its status as an invasive species, the possession and managed use of bumble bees is outlawed in Australia under a federal ban.

Despite this ban, wild bumble bees are thriving in the Tasmanian landscape, with individual colonies often producing 100s of queen bees by the end of summer, and these queens become the progenitors of new colonies in the springtime after hibernating for the winter.

In contrast, within their native range, wild bumble bee colonies appear to produce on average far fewer queen bees. Despite this disparity in reproductive rate, bumble bees appear to be much more abundant on crops such as raspberries in their native range than on the same crops in Tasmania.

For example, in one study of raspberry pollinators in the UK, bumble bees made up approximately 60% of floral visitors. In contrast, our preliminary results in Tasmania suggest they are much less common visitors of this economically important crop. So, what is going on?

Over the past year and a half, researchers from Western Sydney University, James Cook University and the University of Tasmania have been scouring the Tasmanian countryside to understand the good, the bad and the ugly of the wild bumble bee population in Tasmania. We want to take an unbiased snapshot of the potential ecological impacts, and the onfarm pollination benefits this wild bee population is providing to the island state.

At the end of our 4-year study period, we will present to relevant stakeholders in industry and government, information on what they are doing in Tasmanian farms and ecosystems, and whether their wild populations can be supported in contexts where they are wanted (around farms), and suppressed where they are a potential nuisance (sensitive ecological communities).

We are currently in the middle of our first main field season of data collection, and so far, we are finding the following:

• The location of Springtime queen bee foraging activity is a strong indicator of where summertime colonies will be present. Therefore, the availability of spring-flowering plants around farms is likely to strongly influence whether bumble bees turn up at the crop once it starts flowering. For example, non-native plant species such as Ecchium sp. and blueberries appear to be a valuable springtime floral resource for queen bumble bees.

• Similarly, the availability of late autumn and winter forage sources may be determining where queen bees overwinter, and therefore where they emerge in spring. Native plant species such as the Silver Banksia (Banksia marginata) appear to provide an important pollen and nectar source for bumble bees and other native pollinators during this lean period.

To promote wild pollination services on farms, both from bumble bees and native pollinator species, it is important that floral resources are available year-round to sustain wild insect populations. Denuded landscapes that are only punctuated by a single period of floral resource availability, the flowering of your crop, are not likely to promote and sustain the presence of the insects critical for healthy wild pollination services.

Further updates will be shared in this journal as the project progresses.

Acknowledgements

The project ‘Progress on bumble bees as commercial pollinators in Australia: update on risks and opportunities (PH23001); is funded through Hort Innovation Frontiers with co-investment from Western Sydney University, James Cook University, University of Tasmania, the Rubus Levy Fund and contributions from the Australian Government.

All photos credit: James Makinson

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Indoor Vertical Farming of Strawberries: What Have We Learned?

Jane Richter, Communications Manager, Berries Australia & Helen Newman, Berry Industry Development Officer, Agricultural Produce Commission WA

• Indoor vertical farming of strawberries can work commercially, but primarily as a premium product, not as a replacement for field or protected cropping at scale

• Energy costs are the dominant economic and environmental constraint, making location and power source critical

• Automation and management capability matter as much as technology, with labour efficiency gains often coming from systems integration rather than robotics alone

• Strawberries are significantly more complex than leafy greens, increasing capital, operational risk and learning curves

Indoor vertical farming has attracted significant global investment over the past decade, promising year-round production, consistent quality and reduced reliance on labour, land and chemicals. While leafy greens have dominated early commercial success, strawberries have increasingly been identified as a potential high-value crop suited to vertical systems. A growing body of published research, commercial case studies, and industry reports now allows a clearer assessment of whether indoor vertical farming of strawberries is commercially viable and under what conditions it may work.

Where is vertical strawberry farming most advanced?

While interest is global, commercial maturity is concentrated in a small number of countries with specific structural advantages.

Japan

Japan is widely regarded as the most advanced market for indoor strawberry farming. High domestic strawberry prices, strong consumer demand for premium fruit, and

limited arable land have driven adoption of controlledenvironment systems. Several Japanese operations successfully produce strawberries indoors at commercial scale, often supplying gift, hospitality and specialty retail markets. A key success driver is that Japanese consumers are willing to pay for quality, flavour and appearance.

United States

The US hosts the most visible venture-backed vertical strawberry projects, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas. Companies such as Oishii (spanning more than 237,500 square feet in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, their largest farm is located adjacent to an expansive solar field, utilising solar energy to help power operations) and Plenty® (opened its first strawberry farm in 2024 in Virginia) have demonstrated that indoor strawberries can reach commercial markets, albeit at premium price points.

Partnerships with major berry marketers have focused on year-round consistency and proximity to consumers. The key success drivers are access to capital, branding capability, and proximity to large metropolitan markets.

Europe (Netherlands and Nordic countries):

The Netherlands and the Nordic countries have strong expertise in controlled-environment systems, particularly in greenhouse systems. Fully indoor vertical strawberry farming exists but remains limited, often integrated with renewable energy or district heating systems to manage costs. The key success drivers are energy efficiency innovation and advanced horticultural engineering.

Middle East

The Middle East has invested heavily in vertical farming due to water scarcity and dependence on imports. While strawberries are produced indoors, most operations remain in early commercial stages and rely on subsidised energy or strategic food-security investment rather than pure market economics. The key success driver in this market is food security rather than short-term profitability.

What are the pros and cons of strawberries in vertical farming systems?

Strawberries sit at the upper end of complexity for indoor vertical farming. Lessons from global experience highlight clear advantages and equally clear constraints.

Advantages

Premium yield per square metre: Strawberries offer far higher revenue potential than leafy greens, making them one of the few fruit crops capable of supporting indoor production costs

Year-round, climate-independent supply: Vertical systems remove seasonal variability, allowing consistent production regardless of weather, pests or extreme climate events

Exceptional fruit quality control: Precise control over light, temperature, humidity and nutrition enables uniform size, appearance and flavour which are all attributes valued in premium markets

Reduced water use and chemical inputs: Recirculating hydroponic systems significantly reduce water use and largely eliminate the need for conventional pesticides

Constraints

High energy demand:

Lighting and climate control account for most operating costs. In most regions, electricity price and carbon intensity determine both profitability and sustainability outcomes

Biological complexity: Strawberries require pollination, careful fruit set management and longer crop cycles than leafy greens, increasing management intensity and failure risk

Capital and operational intensity: Initial capital expenditure is high, and returns depend on consistent execution, skilled staff and continuous optimisation

Limited scalability at commodity prices: Current evidence shows indoor strawberries struggle to compete with field or protected cropping on price, particularly during peak seasonal supply

Is vertical strawberry farming a good fit for Australia?

Australia presents a mixed but nuanced case for indoor vertical strawberry farming.

Where it may fit

Premium urban markets: Large metropolitan centres with affluent consumers may support premium indoor strawberries, particularly where freshness, flavour and local provenance are valued.

Supply-gap periods: Vertical systems may complement existing production by supplying strawberries during shoulder seasons or periods of climatic disruption, but is this sufficient to justify the capital required to build the infrastructure?

Regions with access to low-cost or renewable energy: Sites with on-site solar, renewable power agreements or waste-heat integration improve both economic and environmental performance.

Where caution is warranted

Competing with open-field and protected cropping: Australia’s established strawberry industry benefits from efficient field and tunnel systems with far lower energy costs.

High electricity prices: Without structural energy advantages, operating costs can quickly outweigh revenue gains.

Labour and technical capability: Indoor farms require different skill sets, blending horticulture, engineering and data management, all capabilities which must be built and retained.

The global experience with indoor vertical strawberry farming shows measured success rather than transformation. The model works best where:

• retailers and consumers will pay for quality and consistency

• energy costs are controlled

• automation and management are well integrated

• production complements, rather than replaces, conventional systems

For Australia, vertical strawberry farming is unlikely to become a mainstream production model in the near term. However, targeted applications - premium supply, risk management and innovation - may offer value, particularly when aligned with existing industry strengths. As with all emerging systems, the strongest lesson is clear: technology alone does not guarantee success; commercial discipline, market alignment and cost control matter most.

CASE STUDY: GUSH, Canada

Ophelia Sarakinis, founder of GUSH, shared insights from her indoor vertical strawberry farm in Montreal, Canada, during the February edition of ‘Strawberry Café’, the monthly forum of information exchange from the Ohio Controlled Environment Agriculture Centre in the USA.

After years of research and development, GUSH recently finished the transformation of a former textile factory into a state-of-the-art vertical farm capable of sustainably producing delicious, pesticide-free strawberries, 365 days a year.

GUSH timeline from prototype farm to commercial fruit production

GUSH has a footprint of 8000 square foot (743m2), with three separate growing rooms housing around 15,000 plants (total) in an 8-tier, recirculating Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) growing system.

June-bearer cultivars with 90 day cropping cycles are used to maintain year round production, with plantings staggered across the three growing rooms. Current yields average 250–350 g per plant. June-bearers were selected for their predictable, single-cycle yield curve, which simplifies supply chain planning compared with the variable flushes of day neutrals. Shorter crop cycles and the use of separate growing rooms reduce operational risk and streamlines pest and disease management, as each room can be disinfected between cycles.

General

operating parameters

currently used at GUSH:

Power cost: 5-8c per kilowatt hour (subsidised for food production)

Lighting (PPFD): up to 350–400 μmol/m²/s

Daily Light Integral (DLI): 21 mol/m²/d (but can’t have too much in an indoor setting)

Light spectrum: 16% blue, 43% green, 38% red, and 3–5% far-red (6% is too much). There was discussion around the potential of adding UV

CO2: enriched but rate not specified

Temperature strategy: starts cycle cooler (16°C) with dim light; ends cycle warmer (21°C) with full light intensity; if pushing long photoperiod (22 hours), keeps temperature around 19°C and drop to 10°C at night

Humidity: generally maintained under 75%; lowered to 60% if needed

Water temperature: target 18–19°C (this is very important in this system)

pH: maintained at around 5.5 – 5.8

EC: pushes higher for flavour; range 0.8 – 2.0; goes higher at the end of the crop cycle (found 2.5 was too harsh)

Reservoir management: 20% dumped daily to prevent nutrient/compound build-up in the recirculating system

Irrigation: continuous flow to reduce failure risk with on/off switching

Nutrient management: A/B solution with a stable recipe (after years of testing); previously did frequent foliar analysis to adjust

Pollination: bumblebees

Ophelia’s tips for other growers:

Don’t cut corners on lighting; light uniformity is critical. Poor light uniformity in earlier setups (one light for two gutters) contributed to severe albinism (pale, dry, sour, unmarketable fruit) and major yield losses. Adding more top and side lighting doubled yields and improved quality, but it wasn’t just “more light”; it was better distribution that mattered.

Far-red needs a “sweet spot”. Too little far-red spectrum light caused stunting. Too much caused overly long trusses (snapping/kinking), tall plants shading lights, and more albinism. Best outcomes were seen at around 3–5% farred which created shorter plants with good truss length.

Long days can work. Inspired by rumours of 24-hour photoperiods, 22-hour photoperiods were tested, and no negative effects were observed; plants grew faster, and fruit energy improved. Temperatures are kept slightly cooler (19°C) with the 22-hour photoperiods, so the plants aren’t pushed too hard.

Labour and tier-height reality. Staff dislike working on ladders and lifts, so upper tiers were consistently neglected. Potential solutions might be reducing the height from 8 down to 4–5 tiers (like some other vertical farms) or adopt robotics.

Even airflow is important. A strong HVAC system helped avoid major humidity problems. Plenum air vents in the ceiling between each alley, with alternating alleys of airsupply air-return, keep air moving vertically. Inter-canopy fans between each tier move air horizontally, preventing stagnation in the canopy and evening out the airflow.

IPM in indoor vertical is different. Many greenhouse IPM approaches didn’t translate well indoors. Insecticides and fungicides, including fungi and bacteria-based products, cannot be used in vertical farms in Canada, so there is a heavy reliance on biosecurity, biostimulants, and beneficial insects. Staff wear head-to-toe protective gear, but plant material (nursery stock) is still the biggest ingress risk. Insect pests haven’t been a major issue, but aphids often show up, and ladybugs work surprisingly well for them. Other beneficials, such as lacewings, Californicus, and Cucumeris, are kept on standby.

Plant supply: the recurring bottleneck. Indoor vertical systems need a timely supply of very clean (disease-free) plant material with consistent chilling hours. Tray plants are commonly used because they are high-energy and have good flower initiation, but they come with disease and substrate recipes you can’t control. Phytophthora, Pythium, and Fusarium can be managed with a cocktail of beneficial fungi, but there is no solution for Neopestalotiopsis apart from clean planting material. Some successful vertical farming companies do their own in-house propagation.

System choices: Nutrient Film Technique (NFT ) pros and cons. NFT may not be optimal, but it is workable and optimisable. It was chosen instead of substrate to minimise weight in the suspended gutters and to facilitate easier filtration and recirculation of water. Substrate from tray plants created filtration headaches (disc filters don’t handle substrate well) so plants are placed in ‘nylon pantyhose’ style containment bags.

Interested in joining the Strawberry Café?

Dr. Chieri Kubota and Mark Kroggel have an online café series for Controlled Environment Agriculture strawberry enthusiasts: ‘Strawberry Café’.

This monthly forum for information exchange is designed for those currently engaged in strawberry production.

When: Last Thursday of Month, starting at 11 AM US Eastern Time

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Cost: Free – Please sign up to be a member to receive more information at bit.ly/BA-STR-Cafe

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The Rise of White and Blush Strawberries

Wendy Morris, Berry Industry Development Officer, Queensland

White and blush strawberries may look like something out of a fairytale, but their story is rooted in science, patience, and a desire to bring something genuinely new to Australian consumers and growers. Their journey begins not in a lab, but in the wild.

In 2014, breeders imported seed from Fragaria chiloensis, a naturally occurring white, wild strawberry species sourced from the USDA ARS National Clonal Germplasm Repository. These wild plants produced tiny, soft, snow-white berries with an unexpectedly intense flavour and beautifully branched flower trusses.

The fruit was delicious but far from commercially viable. So began a multi-year breeding effort to backcross the wild plants and their offspring to established ASBP red strawberry varieties. The goal was ambitious: to retain the wild berry’s pale colour and exceptional flavour while dramatically improving size, firmness, and shelf life. Slowly, generation by generation, the team shaped a strawberry that was both novel and commercially market-ready.

Why create a white or blush strawberry?

The motivation behind these unusual berries is both practical and visionary.

Creating a new market segment

Unlike apples, where consumers can choose between many distinctly different varieties like Pink Lady, Granny Smith, or Fuji, strawberries rarely carry variety names on their packaging. This makes it difficult for shoppers to make informed choices or develop preferences. White and blush strawberries offer a visually distinct alternative, something instantly recognisable, with its own flavour identity and eating experience.

Supporting growers, especially smaller ones

These unique varieties open the door to a niche, premium market. Growers - particularly small-scale producerscan offer something special, consumer-focused, and potentially higher-value. It’s a chance to stand out in a crowded market where the lowest production cost isn't the only factor in commercial success.

What makes them genetically different?

The genetic story is simple: they’re the result of crossing wild white Fragaria chiloensis with commercial red strawberries, selecting for pale colour and exceptional flavour while improving commercial traits. The genetics are the foundation of everything that follows.

As part of the project ‘Genetics of fruit sensory preferences (AS19003)’, an investment of Hort Innovation Frontiers, trained sensory experts evaluated the new varieties. Their verdict: these berries are bursting with tropical, jammy, berry, and floral notes. They’re intensely aromatic, very sweet thanks to high brix levels, and offer a flavour experience that catches people off guard, in the best possible way!

What do consumers think?

Consumer taste panels have responded enthusiastically. White and blush strawberries scored highly for overall liking, especially among adventurous eaters who enjoy trying new things. Their novelty isn’t just visual, the flavour difference really delivers.

Breeding challenges

When introducing something unfamiliar, first impressions matter. Breeders prioritised consumer traits above all else: flavour, appearance, and shelf life had to be exceptional before anything was released.

Now that these foundations are solid, the focus is shifting to refining production traits: yield, fruit size, and truss architecture, while preserving the eating qualities that consumers are saying they love.

The varieties show promising resilience:

White/pink variety SW20 317 ASBP

• Tolerant to Fusarium Wilt

• Moderately tolerant to Charcoal Rot

• Moderately susceptible to Colletotrichum Wilt and Powdery Mildew

Blush variety SB17 230 ASBP

• Tolerant to Charcoal Rot and Colletotrichum Wilt

• Moderately susceptible to Fusarium Wilt and Powdery Mildew

Both handle rain well, an important trait for Australian conditions.

Sunlight plays a starring role in the end colour of each berry. Where the sun hits the fruit, a soft pink blush develops, and shaded areas remain pale or white. Under protected cropping, where light is more diffuse, the berries tend to develop a more even, lighter colour. Either way, they’re striking and very different from the strawberries Australian consumers are used to.

For the breeders behind these varieties, the excitement is personal. Watching someone bite into a white or blush strawberry for the first time, and seeing their surprise at the sweetness and flavour, is a reward in itself. It’s a reminder that innovation in agriculture isn’t just about science; it’s also about delighting the consumer, and ultimately, delighted consumers come back and buy again.

Growers who have trialled the varieties, along with consumers and marketing agents who’ve tasted them, have offered glowing feedback. Many say the flavour reminds them of wild strawberries from childhood. There is some understandable caution about how consumers will react once the fruit hits the broader market. But with strong marketing and public education planned by Australasian Plant Genetics, confidence is high that these berries will find their place and their fans.

Acknowledgements

The Australian Strawberry Breeding Program has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the strawberry research and development levy, with matched funds from the Australian Government, and co-contributions from the Queensland Government through its Department of Primary Industries.

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Australian Blueberries Celebrate Market Access to Vietnam

Jenny Van de Meeberg, Head of Trade, Berries Australia

In December 2025, Australia and Vietnam formally celebrated the opening of the Vietnamese market to Australian blueberries after Vietnamese authorities granted market access earlier in October. Events were held in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, including an official welcome event organised by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) on behalf of Berries Australia.

The celebrations marked the first time Australian blueberries were officially approved for export into Vietnam, following years of technical negotiations and biosecurity assessments by both countries.

Berries Australia CEO Rachel Mackenzie provided an overview of the Australian blueberry industry, followed by individual businesses giving a snapshot of their commercial offering.

The Australian industry was represented by four companies – Perfection Fresh, T&G Berries, Driscoll’s, and The Berry Collective – who were all successfully registered for export with DAFF for the end of the 2025 season. To the delight of the Vietnamese audience, the exporters were able to showcase freshly harvested fruit that had been airfreighted to Vietnam for the celebration. For many buyers, this was their first opportunity to taste blueberries from Australia.

Technical market access requires significant investment from industry and could not have been achieved without the contributions to the voluntary blueberry levy fund, which is then matched by Australian government funding.

Blueberries became the eighth Australian fruit category authorised for export to Vietnam (joining grapes, oranges, mandarins, cherries, peaches, nectarines and plums).

Berries Australia believes the celebrations marked the opening of an exciting, commercially impactful opportunity for the Australian industry, with exports to Vietnam projected to be worth around AUD$5 million in the first year, potentially rising to AUD$30 million over five years as market demand grows. Vietnamese consumers are seen as a good fit for Australian fruit given the growing middle-class demand for premium, high-quality fresh produce.

Officials from both sides emphasised that the milestone reflects strong bilateral cooperation in agriculture and trade and strengthens long-term agri-trade relations between Australia and Vietnam.

The celebrations generated Vietnamese media coverage, including major Vietnamese outlets publishing stories about Australian blueberries entering the market. Vietnamese news portal Thương Hiệu & Công Luận ran an article on 10 December 2025 headlined “Việt quất Australia chính thức có mặt tại thị trường Việt Nam” (“Australian blueberries officially present in the Vietnamese market”), highlighting the Ho Chi Minh City event and framing it as a continuation of earlier celebrations, including Hanoi, with industry and government representatives present.

Furthermore, there was national press coverage with VietnamPlus (Vietnam’s official English-language news service) publishing broader trade news, noting that the blueberry deal (alongside reciprocal pomelo exports) was marked by formal ceremonies indicating coverage of both agriculture and international cooperation in the mainstream press.

Berries Australia would like to thank the Australian government and Hort Innovation for their support in achieving this important outcome.

For more information on the event, or if you are interested in exporting blueberries to Vietnam, please contact export@berries.net.au

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From Wild Berries to Superfood Stardom: The Blueberry’s Global Rise

Wendy Morris, Berry Industry Development Officer, Queensland

For thousands of years, Native Americans enjoyed blueberries as part of their everyday lives. Thanks to their natural shelf life, blueberries were an important food source, eaten fresh during the season and dried for later use. Beyond food, almost every part of the plant had a purpose: roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit were used in medicinal remedies, while boiled blueberries provided dye for fabrics, textiles, and even body paint.

When European colonisers arrived, they quickly took a liking to blueberries. However, it took several centuries before blueberries were grown commercially. That changed thanks to USDA botanist Frank Coville, who discovered that Vaccinium species thrive in very acidic soil. Cranberry farmer Elizabeth White read Coville’s work and immediately saw the potential, offering land on her farm for research and trials. Their collaboration paid off, and by 1912, the first cultivated blueberry crop was grown, and in 1916, the first commercial harvest was sold.

Even then, blueberries didn’t instantly become a household favourite. It wasn’t until around 2008, when researchers began calling blueberries a “superfood” due to their exceptionally high antioxidant levels, that demand really took off. In 2008, Americans ate less than one pound of blueberries per person. By 2021, that number had jumped to more than 2.5 pounds, and it’s still rising.

Back in Australia, interest in growing blueberries began in the late 1970s. Early growers faced plenty of challenges, from sourcing suitable plants to battling local pests and diseases. On top of that, most Australians had never even seen a blueberry. In 1976, when Ridley Bell brought 12 trays of fresh blueberries to the Footscray Markets, traders had no idea what the fruit was or how to actually eat it!

Pioneers Margaret and John Tucker helped change that by hosting what is believed to be the first meeting of the Blueberry Growers Association at their Victorian home in March 1978. Fellow grower Karel Kroon contributed a guiding motto for the Association: ‘Education (including providing recipes and helping consumers understand the fruit), Quality, and Flavour’. You could argue that this is just as relevant nearly half a century later.

The latest 12 months of data available through the Hort IQ platform, funded by Hort Innovation using multi-industry strategic levies and contributions from the Australian Government, shows the berry category is now consumed at least 2-3 times per week by 54% of households, and this is only topped by bananas (72%) and apples (66%).

The global growth shows no signs of slowing. A recent Rabobank report suggests blueberry production will continue to expand and diversify. While top markets are consuming more, there’s still plenty of room for growth as blueberries reach new households in new markets.

Major exporters such as Peru, Morocco, Chile, and Canada continue to increase production. Mexico is facing rising cost pressures, while Europe is grappling with labour shortages and regulatory challenges. Australian growers are also looking outward, with export access to Vietnam granted in late 2025. Until now, most Australian blueberries have been exported to Hong Kong.

Australian blueberry consumption grew slowly at first, then picked up speed in the early 2000’s, mirroring trends in the US and around the world. Today, the average Australian enjoys about 980 grams of blueberries each year, according to the Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2024/25.

According to the International Blueberry Organisation, Africa is set to play a bigger role in the global supply chain. Zimbabwe, for example, has increased production from 0 to 7,000 metric tonnes in just 10 years. Its Southern Hemisphere season harvest gives it a valuable window to supply markets ahead of many Northern Hemisphere producers.

Around the world, blueberry consumption keeps climbing. In 2010, the BBC reported that blueberries had overtaken raspberries in popularity in the UK. Demand is strong in major European countries like the Netherlands and Germany, and continues to grow in places such as China and Thailand. Still, the United States remains the world’s biggest blueberry fan.

So, what makes blueberries such a success? A winning combination of snacking convenience, health benefits, smart marketing, long shelf life, and great taste certainly helps. New varieties are constantly being developed, and global trade means blueberries are available almost year-round, keeping them top of mind for consumers.

To ensure their continued success in our domestic market, though, it’s essential that blueberries not only build year-round availability but also deliver consistently excellent eating quality, value for money and shelf life. After all, even a superfood has to taste good.

Making sense of market data: what’s available to berry growers and why it matters

Australian berry growers have access to more market intelligence than ever before. From consumer purchasing behaviour to export flows and domestic production trends, these data sets help growers make better decisions about what to grow, where to sell, and how to position their fruit in an increasingly competitive market.

Understanding how each source fits together is key.

Consumer insights: understanding demand through Hort IQ

Hort IQ, delivered by Hort Innovation, brings together national consumer and retail data into a single, easyto-use platform. It provides insights into the Australian retail landscape, the drivers of fruit and vegetable purchasing decisions, how buying habits are changing, and how consumers perceive different products.

For berry growers, this type of data is especially valuable when planning varietal changes, packaging formats, branding, or promotions. Knowing why consumers choose berries — whether it’s health, convenience, price, or provenance — allows growers and marketers to align production and marketing decisions with real demand, not assumptions.

Access is available to eligible people engaged in growing, marketing, selling, and developing Australian horticulture via the Hort IQ portal. Find out more at www.hortiq.com.au

Hort IQ is funded by Hort Innovation using multi-industry strategic levies and contributions from the Australian Government.

Export intelligence: global and weekly trade data for berries

Global export data for berries is sourced from Global Trade Atlas (GTA), a market-leading system that draws on official import and export statistics from countries worldwide.

The data is updated dynamically in the Export Hub and allows trade to be examined at a detailed HS code level, giving growers and exporters a clear view of global trade flows, competitor activity, market price trends and emerging markets.

Please join the Berries Australia Export Group at https://berries.net.au/home/export to receive email updates on trade-related issues and access to the Export Hub on the Berries Australia website. Joining the Export Group is only open to Australian berry growers, and the service is free.

It is important to note that not all berry commodities have technical market access to every destination shown in trade dashboards. Growers and exporters should always cross-check access conditions using Manual of Importing Country Requirements (MICOR) found at https://micor.agriculture.gov.au/Pages/ default.aspx

This data has been made available using funds from the Hort Innovation Strawberry, Raspberry & Blackberry and Blueberry Funds with contributions from the Australian Government.

Domestic production & market context: the Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook

The Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook for the year ending 30 June 2025 is now available at bit.ly/HSH-24-25 and has been produced under the multi-industry levy investment project ‘Horticultural Statistics Handbook 2024-27 (MT24019)’.

For berry growers, the Handbook provides valuable context on production volumes, farm-gate and wholesale values, state and territory shares of production, and domestic versus export market balance.

Available as an interactive online dashboard, mobile-friendly format, and PDF, it allows growers to benchmark their sector, track long-term trends, and understand how berries sit within the broader horticulture landscape.

Taken together, these data sources give berry growers a clearer line of sight from paddock to plate — and beyond Australia’s borders. Consumer data explains why berries are bought, trade data shows where opportunities exist globally, and production statistics provide the foundation for assessing supply, value, and competitiveness. Used well, market data supports smarter investment, reduces risk, strengthens export planning, and helps ensure the berry industry remains responsive to both domestic and international market signals.

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Increasing Native Pollinators Around Blueberry Farms

Melinda Simpson, Blueberry Industry Development Officer, NSW DPIRD

• Pollination is important to produce many crops, including berries

• European honey bees are useful pollinators of blueberries, but native bees and other pollinators also play a role

• By supporting a mix of pollinators on-farm, growers can improve fruit set, increase berry size and uniformity

The spread of the Varroa mite has increased pressure on both managed and wild honey bee populations, making pollination less predictable and highlighting the importance of supporting alternative pollinators on-farm. International research across more than 40 crops has shown that wild pollinators can significantly improve fruit set compared with systems relying on honey bees alone. The strongest outcomes occur when both honey bees and native pollinators are present (Garibaldi et al., 2013), highlighting the value of integrated pollination strategies over single-species reliance.

Why pollination matters in blueberries

Blueberries have a distinctive bell-shaped flower that often requires buzz pollination (rapid wing muscle vibration) to release pollen from the anthers. Many native bees, including carpenter bees, blue-banded bees, and teddy bear bees, can vibrate their wing muscles to “buzz” the flower, dislodging large amounts of pollen in a single visit. Honey bees, by contrast, have limited access to the recessed anthers and typically collect smaller pollen loads per visit.

While highbush blueberry varieties can self-pollinate, cross-pollination generally improves both fruit set and berry size. Rabbiteye varieties, which are largely selfinfertile, are highly dependent on insect-driven crosspollination for commercial yields.

Understanding Australia’s Native Bees

Australia is home to more than 1,700 species of native bees, broadly grouped into social and solitary species, each with distinct behaviours and habitat needs.

Social Bees – Stingless Bees

Stingless bees (genera Tetragonula and Austroplebeia) live in colonies and are well suited to warmer, wetter regions, including much of north-eastern NSW. Their small body size allows them to forage directly inside blueberry flowers, making frequent contact with both anthers and stigmas. Studies have shown that combining stingless bees with honey bees can increase individual blueberry weight by up to 70% compared with using either species alone (Kendall et al. 2022).

Solitary Bees

Solitary bees make up the majority of Australia’s native bee species and include:

• Blue-banded bees – fast-moving buzz pollinators that nest in soil and clay structures

• Carpenter bees – large, powerful buzz pollinators that nest in soft timber

• Reed bees – cavity nesters that commonly use hollow plant stems, including raspberry canes

• Teddy bear bees – ground-nesting buzz pollinators widely distributed across eastern Australia

• Furrow bees (Lasioglossum spp.) – medium-sized ground nesters that carry large pollen loads

Each group contributes differently to pollination, and diversity across species helps ensure pollination continues under a wide range of weather and flowering conditions.

Figure 1. Having both honey bees and native bees provides the greatest increase in yields

Source: Australian Native bees, adapted from Garibaldi et al. (2013)

Figure 3. Examples of some of Australia’s many solitary bee species

Table 1. Solitary native bee species and the states and territories where they can be found

Practical ways to encourage native bees on farm

1. Placing Stingless Bee Hives

Stingless bee hives can be placed permanently or seasonally within berry blocks. As their flight range is typically around 500 metres, hives need to be positioned so all target crop areas fall within foraging distance. Permanent hives perform best in landscapes with year-round floral resources, such as a mix of crops, bushland, and garden species.

2. Providing Artificial Nesting Sites

Many solitary bees respond well to simple, low-cost nesting structures:

• Reed bees: Cut sections of raspberry canes or other pithy stems (200–250 mm long), bundled together or placed in PVC pipes, and mounted around the orchard.

• Carpenter bees: Drill holes (3–13 mm diameter, 120–150 mm deep) into untreated timber blocks or provide soft, dead branches for tunnelling.

• Blue-banded and teddy bear bees: Create clay or mud bricks using local soil and place them in dry, sunny, sheltered positions. Starter holes help attract nesting

These structures can be installed along headlands, fence lines, or near flowering strips to link nesting with food resources.

3. Hedgerows and Flower Strips

Vegetation planted around crop edges and within the wider farm landscape plays a key role in sustaining pollinators outside peak flowering periods. Research shows that pollinator visitation rates can drop sharply more than 500–600 metres from natural vegetation, making the on-farm habitat particularly valuable.

Recommended plant groups include:

• Banksia and Grevillea

• Eucalyptus and Melaleuca

• Leptospermum and Callistemon (bottlebrush)

• Native daisies, sedges, and ground covers

Selecting species suited to local conditions improves establishment success while supporting regional biodiversity.

4. In-Field Management Practices

• Maintain grassy or flowering ground cover between rows where practical

• Reduce mowing frequency in unmanaged areas to allow flowering and reseeding

• Retain older trees and vegetation corridors to provide nesting hollows and landscape connectivity

Even small changes in field-edge management can significantly increase insect activity within the crop.

Native bees are not a replacement for honey bees; they are a valuable complement that helps create a more stable and reliable pollination system across changing seasons and conditions. By supporting a mix of pollinators on-farm, growers can improve fruit set, increase berry size and uniformity, and reduce reliance on a single pollinator species, while also meeting growing market and community expectations around sustainability and stewardship.

With ongoing uncertainty about honey bee availability, investing in native pollinators offers a practical, low-cost way to protect both productivity and resilience. Through a combination of habitat plantings, simple nesting structures, and thoughtful field management, growers can build diverse pollinator communities that continue to support strong berry performance well into the future.

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Boosting On-Farm Biodiversity with Direct Seeding in Berry Systems

Melinda Simpson, Blueberry Development Officer, NSW DPIRD

As Australia’s berry industry navigates increasing pressure from pollination uncertainty, rising input costs, and long-term soil health challenges, growers are exploring practical, scalable ways to improve both above- and below-ground system performance. On a 100-acre mixed-berry farm in Brooklet, Northern NSW, grower Jascha Saeck has been trialling direct seeding as a means of increasing on-farm biodiversity while rebuilding soil function in ageing blueberry blocks.

Grower: Jascha Saeck, Blueberry Fields

Location: Brooklet, Northern NSW

Crops: Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries

Farm size: 100 acres

Years in operation: 20

This case study explores the decision-making process, implementation, and early outcomes of introducing pollinator and green manure species into established blueberry inter-rows using a narrow direct drill seeder, a system designed to work within the constraints of permanent berry plantings.

The Challenge

Like many berry growers, Jascha has traditionally relied on managed honeybees to support crop pollination. Since the arrival of Varroa mite in Australia, access to hives has become more difficult and costly, raising concerns about the long-term reliability of this approach.

At the same time, the farm’s inter-rows were largely grass-dominated, offering limited floral resources or habitat for native pollinators and beneficial insects such as predators and parasitoids. As a result, the system was not fully leveraging the natural processes that drive pollination, suppress pests, and build biodiversity.

Adding to this complexity, several blueberry blocks were approaching the end of their productive life. Jascha wanted to build soil fertility and structure before replanting, but needed a low-disturbance approach that wouldn’t interfere with his existing blueberry rows.

Exploring the Options

Jascha assessed several methods for introducing greater plant diversity into the inter-rows, weighing up cost, practicality, and performance in a permanent cropping system.

• Broadcast seeding was attractive from a cost perspective, but uneven seed placement, high competition from existing grass, and poor seed-to-soil contact limited its potential for reliable establishment

• Contract seeding services offered professional equipment and reduced labour demands, but availability, cost per pass, and machinery width made this option impractical in mature blueberry rows

• Drone seeding showed promise for rapid coverage and minimal soil compaction, particularly in wet or difficult terrain. However, limited penetration into dense grass and reduced precision in seed placement meant it was unlikely to deliver consistent results without significant ground preparation

After evaluating these approaches, Jascha identified a narrow direct drill seeder as the most suitable option, combining precise seed placement, minimal soil disturbance, and compatibility with existing row spacing.

Practice Implemented

Jascha’s criteria were clear: the system needed to support both pollination and soil improvement, fit within narrow inter-rows, operate with minimal tillage, and be repeatable across multiple seasons without reliance on external contractors.

A Cosmo Bully® seven-disc direct drill seeder was selected due to its compact design and ability to operate in relatively compacted soils. With a 1.4 m seeding width and an overall width of 1.9 m, the unit was narrow enough to pass between established blueberry rows while targeting the flat section of the inter-row.

Key features included:

• A front cutting disc to slice through surface residue

• A seed placement disc for accurate delivery

• A ground compaction wheel to improve seed-to-soil contact

• Dual seed trays with adjustable seeding rates

Heavier springs were added to improve disc penetration in firmer soils.

Jascha selected 2 seed mixes to test with the direct seeder:

1. Pollinator/insectary mix: buckwheat, crimson clover, mustard, tillage radish, chia and field peas. This mix is designed to attract native pollinators, predators, and parasitoids

2. Green manure winter blend mix: Tetila ryegrass, rye corn, vetch, lupins, chia, oats, cow pea, tillage radish, clover, leafy turnip, and brassica. This mix is designed to build organic matter and cycle nutrients

Seeding was carried out in inter-rows, headlands, and on mounds earmarked for future replanting. Jascha experimented with timing relative to mowing and trialled light scarification (a very low mow) to improve seed-to-soil contact and reduce grass competition.

Results and Observations

Pollinator-friendly species such as buckwheat, clovers, and field peas established quickly in prepared areas, producing abundant flowering. While no formal monitoring was conducted, Jascha observed increased activity from native bees, hoverflies, and other beneficial insects in seeded zones.

These observations suggest that even relatively small increases in floral diversity can enhance onfarm biodiversity and potentially improve pollination resilience. However, further monitoring would be needed to quantify the impact on crop yield and pollination services.

The green manure mix produced noticeable biomass, particularly from vetch, lupins, rye, and tillage radish. After these crops die off or are mowed, the plant residues are expected to contribute organic matter and improve soil structure, water movement and nutrient cycling ahead of replanting.

Deep-rooted species such as tillage radish appeared to improve soil friability in some mounds, creating channels that may assist future root development. While these observations were informal, they point to early improvements in soil structure and workability.

Establishment Challenges

Performance varied significantly across the farm. Where grass competition was reduced through timely mowing or light scarification, establishment was strong, and vegetation shifted from unproductive grass to a more diverse, functional ground cover.

In contrast, compacted wheel tracks and high-traffic areas consistently underperformed. In these zones, the seeder struggled to achieve adequate penetration, and competition from grass limited germination. Jascha noted that future work may need to explore targeted decompaction, alternative equipment settings, or species better adapted to compacted soils.

Grower Reflections

Jascha views direct seeding as a promising tool for building long-term system resilience in permanent berry plantings, particularly when surface preparation and timing are carefully managed.

One of the key lessons was that grass competition is the single biggest barrier to success. Light ground preparation — such as a low mow or shallow scarification — made a substantial difference in establishment, even within a minimum-tillage system.

Equipment choice also proved critical. While the narrow direct drill seeder was the only practical option for mature inter-rows, fine-tuning seed rates, spring tension, and timing was essential for achieving consistent results.

On the pollination side, Jascha was encouraged by the visible increase in flowering diversity and beneficial insect activity, noting that the real benefits are likely to accumulate over multiple seasons rather than appearing in a single year.

His advice to other growers is to start small, trial a range of species, and focus first on areas with the greatest likelihood of successful establishment before scaling up across the farm.

The key is finding the sweet spot between mowing the existing inter-rows and sowing the pollination or green manure seed mix. If the grass is too competitive, germination drops significantly. Even light preparation, like a low mow or scarification, can make a big difference.

Once germination occurred many species established quickly in prepared areas, producing abundant flowering

Acknowledgements

This project was funded under the Storm and Flood Industry Recovery Program, jointly supported by the Australian and NSW Governments through the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangement. It is a collaboration between the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and Berries Australia.

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