The new Citrus Plant Protection Guide 2025-26 from Australia’s New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (NSW DPIRD) is available online.
The seventh edition of the guide provides up-to-date information on all aspects of managing pests and diseases in citrus orchards and includes updates on NSW DPIRD projects. Some of the projects are funded by Hort Innovation using the citrus research and development levy and contributions from the Australian government.
HIGH-EFFICIENCY SYSTEMS
NSW DPIRD Director of Horticulture Alison Anderson said information about a five-year research project into high-efficiency orchard systems will be of particular interest to growers.
“Rising production costs and increasingly complex labor arrangements are encouraging the need for innovative orchard systems,” Anderson said. “We’re exploring various growing methods to not only improve orchard productivity but also for potential robotic picking technologies in the future.”
CLIMATE CHANGE
The effect of climate change on growing navel oranges in NSW is highlighted in an article about different growth stages and their suitability to changing climatic conditions. This work is from the NSW DPIRD Climate Vulnerability Assessment project.
“The positive news is that the climate in all major navel orange-growing regions in NSW is expected to remain highly suitable by 2050 under a changing climate,” Anderson said. “However, as temperatures rise, growers may need to consider improving on-farm irrigation efficiency and installing netting to reduce the risks of sunburn on fruit.”
MORE RESOURCES
The recently completed citrus integrated pest disease management Extension program aims to increase knowledge about key insect pests and citrus diseases in the orchard. The program produced an extensive range of learning resources, including fact sheets, videos, posters and a field guide. Links to the resources are provided in the article.
The guide also includes the latest on NSW DPIRD’s contribution to tackling the global biosecurity threat of HLB, along with updates on the Citrus Variety Evaluation Program being held at Dareton and Western Australia.
Options learned from the four-season W. Murcott mandarin best canopy management project, which aimed to improve long-term yield and reduce alternate bearing, also appear in the guide.
Source: NSW DPIRD
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