Through Hort Innovation investments on behalf of growers and the Australian government, the National Citrus Repository Program has been established as an ‘insurance policy’ to protect Australia’s citrus industry against destructive, incurable diseases. The repository houses more than 120 publicly-owned true-to-type ‘foundation tree’ variety clones so growers can access clean, disease-free planting material for assured quality and yield protection.
According to Hort Innovation’s Australian Horticulture Statistics Handbook 2022–23, the nation’s citrus production of 815,750 tons was valued at $977.1 million for that year. Almost 30% of production was fresh exports, valued at $441.1 million.
“If we didn’t have the repository and we experienced an outbreak of an exotic disease such as huanglongbing or citrus variegated chlorosis, the impact would be enormous in terms of cost to growers and industry, access to markets and the effect on consumers and regional communities,” said Ben Callaghan, Hort Innovation research and development manager. “By providing growers with immediate access to clean planting material that is certified disease-free through this biosecure repository, we can create a buffer against such potentially devastating repercussions … This repository is an invaluable resource. It is a working insurance policy for industry.”
An impact assessment of the previous iteration of the ‘Protecting Australia’s citrus genetic material’ investment from 2018–21 reported multiple positive impacts from the project, including:
- Reduced risk of productivity losses and cost of replanting from the introduction and spread of graft-transmissible diseases
- Reduced risk of higher chemical usage to manage insect vectors associated with some graft-transmissible diseases
- Continued supply of affordable citrus for consumption, and community spillover benefits from a profitable citrus industry
At the conclusion of the 2018–21 investment, 70% to 80% of citrus plantings were using clean and true-to-type material sources from the repository program. Through the program, a minimum of one tree of each citrus variety is held in insect-screened greenhouses at Dareton and Menangle in New South Wales. Having repository houses situated in two different regions provides security of material.
Through the current Hort Innovation investment, the National Citrus Repository Program is maintaining high health status foundation trees as a source of budwood for industry. Budwood from the foundation trees is used by Auscitrus (an industry non-profit organization) to create daughter trees and multiply large supplies of buds for industry.
New varieties can enter the program after pathogen testing and elimination if no known diseases are detected.
Through the previous investment, two new varieties were added to the repository based on commercial potential assessed by Auscitrus or community/industry interest. They were an imported mandarin variety (Shiranui) added in 2020 and a local pomelo variety (K15) added in 2019.
Growers can purchase varieties from the repository through Auscitrus.
Source: Hort Innovation
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