AOIA Gold What a feeling
2020 December
Awards results, Aust & NZ 2020 National Olive Conference Cyber security Irrigation and yield
To be held in NSW, VIC, SA, WA, QLD, TAS Highlighting the role and management of healthy soils in producing healthy trees and lifting grove productivity Program and presenters Keynote presenters John Barton, Charton & Bang Research & Development, and Andy Gulliver, C-Wise will build on their 2020 AOA Virtual Conference webinar, taking their focus on soil biology and improving soil health out into the grove. They’ll also demonstrate how to make and incorporate compost. Other presenters will vary from state to state, making the most of local expertise in the fields of composting, grove soil and leaf survey and analysis, grove nutrition programs, grove canopy management and grove monitoring/remote sensing. This will include demonstrations by specialist service providers of the latest technology to monitor, test, and measure vital soil parameters and tree health. Common grove management practices, issues and innovations will also be discussed by the day’s experts and field day hosts, with opportunity for Q&A and group discussion.
For full program details, visit www.olivebiz.com.au/2021-soil-field-days
Dates and Venues • • • • • •
Sunday 14 February 2021 – Lentara Grove, Exeter, TAS. Registrations close 5/02/2021. Sunday 21 February 2021 – Lisadurne Hill Olives, Rushworth, VIC. Registrations close 12/02/2021. Sunday 28 February 2021 – Peninsula Providore Farm - Nangkita Olive Grove, Tooperang SA. Registrations close 19/02/2021. Sunday 7 March 2021 – Hunter Valley NSW - Hunters Dream Estate, Pokolbin NSW. Registrations close Friday 26/02/2021. Sunday 14 March 2021 –aFthonia Farms (Organic in conversion), Hampton (via Toowoomba), QLD. Registrations close Friday 5/03/2021. Sunday 28 March 2021 – Preston Valley Grove, Lowden (via Donnybrook) WA. Registrations close 19/3/2021.
Note: All events are subject to any COVID-19 restrictions/cancellation which may apply at the time. Cost: Members & levy payers: $40 inc GST, Other $50 inc GST.
TO REGISTER VISIT: www.olivebiz.com.au/2021-soil-field-days OR CONTACT LIZ BOUZOUDIS: secretariat@australianolives.com.au, 0478 606 145.
This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation olive research and development levy, co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.
Contents
Contents Incorporating Australian Olive Industry Journal Published by the Australian Olive Association Ltd Publisher Australian Olive Association Ltd Executive Editor Greg Seymour ceo@australianolives.com.au Managing Editor Gerri Nelligan editor@olivegrower.com.au Advertising Gerri Nelligan editor@olivegrower.com.au Production Sandra Noke production@olivegrower.com.au Subscriptions A one-year subscription (four issues) is: Aust $44 (AOA member discount rate $40), NZ $56 (ONZ member discount rate $52) and international $100. Visit www.olivebiz.com.au to subscribe. Circulation & Advertising Enquiries editor@olivegrower.com.au Contributions Articles and other contributions are welcome and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Photographs are best received as high resolution jpg files via email, and as separate attachments not embedded. Printing Lane Print & Post Adelaide Australian Olive Association ABN 57 072 977 489 PO Box 6661, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 Australia Ph: (+61) 0478 606 145 E: secretariat@australianolives.com.au ISSN 1448-5486 Conditions The opinions expressed in Olivegrower & Processor are not necessarily the opinions of or endorsed by the editor or publisher unless otherwise stated. All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. All material in Olivegrower & Processor is copyright © Australian Olive Association Ltd. All rights reserved.No part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, the published will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.
December 2020 Issue 118
News Sweet smell of IOC success for Modern Olives lab Geographical spread for 2020 AIOA Best in Show awards AIOA - Promotion and marketing tools 2020 Australian International Olive Awards Best of Show and Champion Winners Logistics in the COVID-19 era … IOC names Cobram Hojiblanca Southern Hemisphere’s best Chapman River takes WA Best of Show
4 5 10 12 13 14 15
Feature Flinders Island Olives: winds, wombats, wallabies and AIOA Best AIOA success “all about the fruit”
R&D Insights – Hort Innovation
17 20
23
2020 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference Virtual Conference weaves information web 2020 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference Sponsors
31 33
New Zealand Wairarapa wraps up 2020 NZ EVOO Awards Media tasting event 2020 Olives NZ Harvest Data Report
34 34 37
R&D – Irrigation Water use and yield of young and mature olive trees: A review
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Olive business Cyber security is your business Unsafe storage leads to poisoning and $48K fine New quad bike safety measures now mandatory
43 46 47
Olives & health Health round-up
48
Products and services Eclipsing the others with innovative quality products
What’s on/Advertiser index
49
50
Cover: Wagga Wagga growers Joo-Yee Lieu and Bruce Spinks were literally jumping for joy when news of their first ever AIOA Gold medal arrived – coincidentally, on their 10th anniversary at Wollundry Grove. Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 3
News
Sweet smell of IOC success for Modern Olives lab November was a milestone month for the team at Modern Olives, with news that the laboratory had not only maintained its chemical testing recognitions, but also achieved accreditation for sensory testing from the International Olive Council (IOC). Even more significantly, the Modern Olives lab became the first private facility in Australia to be awarded the status. General Manager Claudia Guillaume said they had hurdles to jump on the way and the result is recognition of both the work undertaken by the laboratory, and the calibre of the tasting panel. “Sensory accreditation had only been available to public and government-funded laboratories, which is fine overseas where there are a lot more laboratories but has been an issue in Australia and New Zealand,” she said. “Some producers require an IOC laboratory result, particularly those who export, and it was a real dilemma when for a while there was no option to do the testing here “So we went to the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, explained the situation and the capability of our facilities, and worked with them to be recognised as a vital laboratory to the industry for both chemistry and sensory testing. “With the national recognition (NATA) and the government’s endorsement, the IOC then decided we were eligible to apply for accreditation. We did it early this year, and when the samples were received and tasted we achieved a perfect score of 22 out of the 22 points possible.”
Respect and recognition
Marketing Assistant Laura Spalding said the perfect score topped a number of reasons behind Modern Olives’ approval for accreditation. “It’s a tough test, so we certainly proved ourselves there,” she said.
General Manager Claudia Guillaume said Modern Olives’ recent IOC accreditation for sensory testing makes the laboratory a ‘one stop shop’ for olive oil testing.
“You’re sent a selection of samples, and need to identify for each whether there is a defect or not. If there is, you have to determine the intensity of the defect, and if there’s no defect you need to identify the levels of fruitiness. The minimum pass is 17/22, so we were over the moon when we got all 22,” she said. “It’s more than that, though. Australia and New Zealand have always been thought of as pretty small players in the industry, however the quality of oils coming from our producers, along with the groundbreaking research and testing work we’re doing here, is being recognised now. “So it’s all of that, combined with the Claudia factor. Her sensory expertise as head of our panel and research work is respected at the highest levels both here and overseas, including by the IOC itself.”
Continual improvement
Claudia said the accreditation comes at a dynamic time for the laboratory and builds
4 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
even further on improvements already made to the services on offer. “We’ve been accredited for chemical testing for many years, so this means that Modern Olives is now a ‘one stop shop’ for olive oil testing,” she said. “It coincides with a major renovation of the microbiology lab and a complete upgrading of all of the facilities, including new updated equipment for better and faster testing. “This success and increased recognition internationally means we can keep upgrading and keep improving what we’re doing, which in turn helps growers to do their best in terms of quality. “We couldn’t be prouder, and send a big ‘thank you’ to our wonderful tasters who dedicate their time and expert palates to our sensory panel, and also to all our customers that supported us over the years.”
News - Awards
Stephen and Sui Tham (right), horticulturist Linda Hampton and grove manager Afrim Rakip are the team that make the Cape Schanck farm work – along with a multitude of hard-working family and friends.
Geographical spread for 2020 AIOA Best in Show awards Victoria’s Cape Schank Olive Estate and Tasmania’s Flinders Island Olives have taken the coveted Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) in Show titles at the 2020 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA), which this year saw twin “top gongs” awarded to Boutique and Commercial quantity producers respectively. Cape Schank Olive Estate’s Picual EVOO topped the judges’ scores at 95/100, beating a strong field of medal winning entries. The varietal then achieved a clean sweep across all eligible trophy categories, taking out the awards for Champion Spanish Varietal, Best Victorian EVOO, Best Australian EVOO, Best Southern Hemisphere EVOO and Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Show Commercial Volume. Cape Schank’s Coratina and Leccino varietal EVOOs were also awarded Gold. Flinders Island Olives’ Organic EVOO was awarded a score of 91.5 by the judges, earning a Gold medal and the trophies for Reserve Champion Medium EVOO, Champion Tasmanian EVOO and Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Show Boutique Volume. The Flinders Island Olives Season’s Blend EVOO added another Gold medal for the 1100-tree producer, which is the only commercial grove on Flinders Island. Also on the major award winner’s list was New South Wales producer Wymah Organic
AIOA EVOO entry fast facts • •
The
AU STRAL IAN I N T E R N AT I O N A L Olive Awards
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Olives, which won the Champion Kalamata Olive, Best Australian Table Olive, Best Southern Hemisphere Table Olive and Best Table Olive in Show for its which 92 pointscored Wymah Certified Organic Kalamata Olives. The Best Flavoured Olive Oil of Show award caused a conundrum for the judges, resulting in tie for the title between South Australia’s Rio Vista Olives and New Zealand producer The Olive Press Limited. Rio Vista’s Basil Pressed and The Olive Press’ Pressed Gold Rosmarino Blu Toscano both scored 94 points among a strong field
• • •
• • • •
130 medals awarded: 56 Gold, 47 Silver, 27 Bronze medals to 94.8% of entries (91.2% in 2019) average score 81.7/high silver (77.5 in 2019) substantial increase in medium intensity oils, decrease in mild made from one or more of 34 varieties (28 in 2019): monovarietals 55%, two-cultivar blends 25%, three-cultivar blends 11%, four or more cultivar blends 9% average free fatty acid percentage: 0.211 (0.199 in 2019) average peroxide level: 5.89 mEq O2/kg (8.08 in 2019) average polyphenol count: 323.92 mg/kg (274.06 mg/kg in 2019) polyphenol range: 77ppm(Kalamata) to 980ppm (Tunisian Chetoui)
Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 5
News - Awards
Olive Northern Hemisphere for its Manzanilla Stuffed with Tuna Paste.
Global judging and status
Competition Convenor and Chief Steward Trudie Michels said this year’s competition saw an even greater emphasis on the global status of the competition, with judging panels across Australia joined in their contemplations by international panels in Spain, Italy, New Zealand, Tunisia and China. “All up we had more than 40 judges who gave their time and expertise to be a part of this year’s competition,” she said. “For entrants, it was a chance to have their products appraised by world-renowned oil judges, and also provides an unprecedented opportunity for international recognition and the marketing benefits that follow. “It was also great to see a continuing increase in entries from international producers, with entries this year coming from Tunisia, Italy, Spain, China, New Zealand and Australia.”
Tough times, determined growers
Jude Cazaly was “bowled over” by her AIOA Best in Show win in a year when she almost missed harvesting her fruit.
of flavoured oil entries, a category seeing exceptional growth in popularity and quality in recent years. Both producers also won awards across various categories, The Olive Press taking two EVOO Golds and Rio Vista racking up an impressive total of 12 Gold,
three Silver and two Bronze medals. Spanish producer Goya En España again achieved success in both oil and table olive categories, taking the Best EVOO Northern Hemisphere award for its Goya® “Organics” Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the Best Table
The Olive Press Limited – Directors Rod Lingard and Katrina Bach with company mascot Spike and the 2020 harvest and processing crews.
6 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
Michels said that, considering 2020’s COVID-19, bushfire and drought challenges, the level of local entries is also testament to the both the value of the competition and the determination of Australian growers. “We received 137 EVOO entries from 70 exhibitors, 23 flavoured oil entries from 11 exhibitors and 46 table olive entries from 15 exhibitors. This was a drop of only 7.7% on last year’s figures and considering the year we’ve had, it is an amazing achievement,” she said. “As were the results: in this year’s EVOO competition there were 130 medals awarded,
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News - Awards
“THANK-YOU so much for the great news! We love entering our olive oils every year, and we know that you give out very few gold medals. Truly overjoyed and proud to be part of the industry. THANKS so very much”
- Mark Bolton, Buying Director, ALDI Stores
Rio Vista Olives’ Jared and Jacqueline Bettio were thrilled with their AIOA results: 12 Gold, three Silver and two Bronze medals, and joint winner of the Best Flavoured Olive Oil of Show award.
Congratulations to all 2020 Australian International Winners! We’ll feature more winners' images in coming editions of Olivegrower & Processor, so if you haven’t sent us yours, please grab your medals/trophies and smile for the camera so we can share your success on our pages. Please send images at full size and resolution to Gerri at editor@olivegrower.com.au.
8 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
New South Wales producer Mary Done took out four major awards, including Best Table Olive in Show, for her Wymah Certified Organic Kalamata Olives.
including 56 Gold (30 in 2019), 47 Silver (76 in 2019) and 27 Bronze (37 in 2019). Thus 94.8% of entries were awarded a medal, up from last year’s 91.2%. “In particular, feedback from the international panels was very complimentary on the oils in this year’s competition, the majority of which were Australian. This was reflected in the number of Gold medals they awarded. “Similarly, the flavoured oils competition saw 95.6% of entries awarded a medal, up by nearly 7% on last year and an indication of the increasing quality of this category. In fact, it was very difficult to decide on the ‘Best in Class’ awards as the top golds had such complexity, intensity and purity of flavour, with amazing freshness. That’s why we ended up with two oils being jointly awarded Best Flavoured Olive Oil in Show. “The table olive competition also saw some exceptional entries this year, including the Best of Show winning 92-pointed Kalamata.
News - Awards
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Alpina Fine Food’s Boris and Rainer Sandmann with the array of awards won by Spanish producer Goya En España at the 2020 AIOA, including Best EVOO Northern Hemisphere and Best Table Olive Northern Hemisphere.
Unfortunately, a number of problems were found with some exhibits, where salt and pH levels did not meet the competition’s testing parameters and seven entries were withdrawn. “It is obvious, however, that as grove management is becoming more effective, olive processing systems more efficient, and marketing and communications more targeted and successful, overall quality in Australian olive products is increasing. “It is satisfying to increasingly see the industry producing truly world class oils and olives - and to see the growing international interest in the Australian industry and our quality olive products.
“Unfortunately, the reduced 2020 harvest means there’s not that much available this year, so we need to get the message out to consumers that if you want to enjoy really fresh, high quality Australian EVOO, get out and buy it now.”
Results
The winners were announced at the Australian International Olive Awards Gala Virtual Presentation on Friday, 16 October. Full results are available on the competition website: www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com.au.
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Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 9
News - Awards
Promotion and marketing tools Quality benchmarking is an important outcome of AIOA entry, providing many growers with confidence in their practices and products. Equally as important is the increased brand recognition provided by the opportunity to promote the medal and/or trophy-winning quality of their products. Sky-rocketing sales and the ability to increase the prices of awarded products are common feedback from winners. With that in mind, the AOA works hard to deliver commercial marketing benefits for winners of an AIOA medal or trophy, from the award announcements and beyond.
The Australia n International Olive Awards
Media awareness
“We prepare a media release prior to the announcement of the winners, which is sent out immediately after the event to a comprehensive database of media, communicators and stakeholders across the globe. It provides details of the year’s major award winners across all product categories (EVOO, table olives and flavoured oils), along with an overview of the year’s entry and medal statistics, and a link to the full results,” AOA CEO Greg Seymour said. “This year’s has been particularly successful and has resulted in articles across national and regional media outlets, and globally on social media. Winning growers have had a strong response from local media in particular, with feature articles published and/or on the way. “The release was also sent out to all entrants and we’ve had enthusiastic feedback on its value to growers: they’ve been able to forward it to media and stakeholders in their regions, and it’s spurred further coverage and promotion for their brand and products. “We realise that not everyone is comfortable ‘tooting their own horn’, so it’s a way we can help growers get the word out about their success in a simple, fast and professional format.”
Results book
Another hugely successful marketing tool is the AIOA Results book, produced for the first time in 2019. The full colour, glossy A4 publication is a comprehensive overview of the competition, encompassing judging criteria and methodologies, statistics and trends. It also provides a visual celebration of producers’ success, with each trophy and medal winner featured individually, including a professionally-photographed product image. “A copy was sent to all entrants, providing valuable feedback on
10 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
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2020 Results
their winning products which they can use in their marketing and promotion,” Seymour said. “It’s a quality publication, and makes a great addition to a farmgate store or farmers market stand, or as part of your marketing kit when approaching potential retail or food service customers.”
Get a copy
The 2020 AIOA Results book can be downloaded from the competition website – www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia.com. au and hard copies are also available. Just email Liz Bouzoudis at secretariat@australianolives.com.au with your name and postal address, and she’ll send one out.
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News - Awards
2020 Australian International Olive Awards Best of Show and Champion Winners Best of Show Awards
Champion Non-Packaged (Bulk) Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Nasmin PTY LTD, Nasmin FS-17 Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Show Boutique Reserve Champion: Lisadurne Hill ‘Hill Paddock Volume: Flinders Island Olives Organic Extra Virgin Blend’ Olive Oil - sponsored by the NSW Department of Champion Spanish Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Primary Industries Oil: Cape Schanck Olive Estate Picual Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Show Commercial Reserve Champion: Boundary Bend Olives Volume: Cape Schanck Olive Estate Picual Cobram Estate Ultra Premium Hojiblanca sponsored by the NSW Department of Primary Champion Italian Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Industries Geelong Region Olives Golden Plains Taggiasca Best Flavoured Olive Oil of Show (tie): Rio Vista The Reserve Champion: Cape Schanck Olive Estate Olives Basil Pressed; The Olive Press Limited AU STRAL IAN Coratina “Pressed Gold" Rosmarino Blu Toscano I N T E R N AT I O N A L Champion Greek Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Best Table Olive of Show: Wymah Organic Olive Awards Romley Estate Grand Reserve Koroneiki Olives Certified Organic Kalamata Olives Reserve Champion: Boundary Bend Olives Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil Southern Hemisphere: Cobram Estate Ultra Premium Coratina Cape Schanck Olive Estate Picual Champion Other Varietal Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Romley Estate Best Table Olive Southern Hemisphere: Wymah Organic Olives Family Reserve Hardy's Mammoth Certified Organic Kalamata Olives Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil Northern Hemisphere: GOYA EN ESPAÑA S.A.U, Goya® “Organics” Extra Virgin Olive Oil Best of Class Flavoured Oil Awards Best Table Olive Northern Hemisphere: GOYA EN ESPAÑA S.A.U, Champion Flavoured and or Infused Olive Oil: Fedra Olive Grove Goya Manzanillo Stuffed with Tuna Paste Lemon Myrtle, Garlic & Thyme Best Australian Table Olive: Wymah Organic Olives Certified Reserve Champion: Rio Vista Olives Awesome Food Co. Juniper Organic Kalamata Olives Infused Best Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sponsored by Braud Champion Agrumato Olive Oil (tie): Rio Vista Olives Basil Pressed Australia - Cape Schanck Olive Estate Picual and The Olive Press Limited "Pressed Gold" Rosmarino Blu Toscano Best New South Wales/ACT Extra Virgin Olive Oil, sponsored by Reserve Champion: Longridge Olives Blood Orange Olive Oil NSW DPI Oil Testing Laboratory - ALTO Olives Alto Robust Best South Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Michael's Olives Best of Class Table Olive Awards Koroneiki – award sponsored by Olive Oil Packaging Services Champion Table Olives, Class 11 Green Olives: GOYA® EN Best Tasmanian Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Flinders Island Olives ESPAÑA S.A.U Manzanilla Whole Green Olives Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Champion Table Olives, Class 12 Medley of Olives: Rokewood Best Victorian Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Cape Schanck Olive Estate Olive Grove Mixed Variety Table Olives Picual Champion Table Olives, Class 13 Olives Turning Colour & Black Best Western Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Tarralea Grove Olives: Bruny Island Olives Paragon Olives Barouni Champion Table Olives, Class 14 Kalamata Olives: Wymah Organic Olives Certified Organic Kalamata Olives Reserve Champion: Gooramadda Olives Kalamata Best of Class EVOO Awards Champion Table Olives, Class 15 Wild Olives: Bruny Island Olives, Champion Mild Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Boundary Bend Olives Bruny Island Rose Olives Cobram Estate Light Reserve Champion: Australian Olive Company, Australian Olive Reserve Champion: The Olive Nest & 1838 Wines Kalamata Champion Medium Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Mount Zero Olives Company Koroneiki Champion Table Olives, Class 16 Dried Olives: not awarded Frantoio Extra Virgin Olive Oil Champion Table Olives, Class 17 Stuffed Olives: GOYA EN Reserve Champion: Flinders Island Olives Organic Extra Virgin ESPAÑA S.A.U, Goya Manzanillo Stuffed with Tuna Paste Olive Oil Reserve Champion: GOYA EN ESPAÑA S.A.U, Goya Manzanillo Champion Robust Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Taralinga Estate Olive Stuffed with salmon paste Oil Robusto Note: Reserve Champion Classes 11, 12, 13 and 16 not awarded. Reserve Champion: Tarralea Grove Barouni
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www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia .com .au
12 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
News - Awards
Samples and judging equipment – along with reams of country-specific paperwork - were packaged and sent by courier to the judging panels across the globe.
Logistics in the COVID-19 era … The restrictions and uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic meant that running the AIOA - or Australian International, as it is becoming known - in 2020 would be a technical and logistical feat of incredible proportions. CEO Greg Seymour said that the AOA was always determined that it would go ahead, however, given the important outcomes it provides for so many growers. “Particularly in such an overall difficult year, there are peer, personal and commercial imperatives that are really important here,” he said. “In this COVID-disrupted world we wanted to put a mark in the sand which people could rally around, an anchor point that people could get their recovery going from - and what better way than winning a medal or trophy in an international competition.” Luckily, the AIOA is co-ordinated by a remarkable woman, Competition Convenor and Chief Steward Trudie Michels, who was equally as determined to make it happen, and is the logistics equivalent of a rocket scientist (Ed). She pulled rabbits out of hats, worked miracles and dealt with countless brick walls, using a combination of practicality, diplomacy and sheer doggedness to create an event which met - and arguably surpassed – the quality and integrity standards of previous competitions. “On behalf of the AOA board, I want to congratulate Trudie and her team for putting it all together. What a challenge to run a global competition from Australia, particularly this year,” Seymour said. “We had judges from every continent except Africa, on judging panels from all around the world, all of whom really wanted to take part. To be able to make that work and have such an enthusiastic response from these global industry experts is remarkable – and truly puts the Australian International on the map.”
AIOA Chief Steward Trudie Michels, ably supported by her right-hand-team of Michelle Freeman and Kent Hallett, pulled off a technical and logistical feat of incredible proportions to make this year’s competition happen during the COVID-19 restrictions.
“Trudie has put in an enormous personal effort, way beyond anything anyone could imagine, with significant support from Head Judge Shane Cummins, Kent Hallett and Liz Bouzoudis. Judging by some of the feedback from entrants – and particularly the winners – many of them also appreciate all the blood, sweat and sleepless nights the 2020 AIOA team put into the competition.”
By growers, for growers
And Seymour said that extra effort is what sets the Australian International apart from other international olive competitions.
“What separates the AIOA is that it’s a competition run by the industry - by growers for growers. It’s about growers and their products, not profit. That’s very important,” he said. “We’re truly about finding great oils people can share with their customers, while also benchmarking and helping improve their quality even further. There’s no commercial bias or imperative, it’s just about the oils and olives. “And for the winners, the promotional opportunities are a game-changing marketing bonus.”
Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 13
News - Awards
IOC names Cobram Hojiblanca Southern Hemisphere’s best Victorian producer Cobram Estate received an early Christmas present this year, receiving the Mario Solinas 2020 award for Best EVOO in the Southern Hemisphere for the Cobram Estate Ultra Premium (Black Label) Hojiblanca EVOO. Run by the International Olive Council, the international intergovernmental organisation for olive oil and table olive producers, Mario Solinas is one of the most highly regarded olive oil competitions. Almost 160 EVOOs from producers across 13 countries took part in this year’s competition. Cobram’s Chief Oil Maker, Leandro Ravetti, said the award reinforces the company’s belief that sustainable growth is the way forward for the industry. “We have proven that it was possible to build the number one brand of extra virgin olive oil in Australia without compromising on quality, and that allows farmers like us to sustainably continue growing olives and producing extra virgin olive oil for the Australian industry on the world stage, with generations to come.” The award tops off a highly successful producers across the country taking home year for Cobram brand owner the Boundary medals and trophies at major competitions Bend Group, which entered the annual Food across the globe. Congratulations to all & Drink Business Australia’s Top 100 Food for your achievements, which continue & Drink Companies report for the first time, to showcase the exceptional quality of Australian EVOO to the world. ranked AND#98. LINES It alsoPROCESSING caps off a stellar year for the
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14 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
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News - Awards
Best of Show winner Russell Lewis celebrated the win with his helpers, grandchildren Cameron and Jennifer. Chapman River Olives also took home the Best WA Oil of Show trophy, two Golds and a Silver medal.
Chapman River takes WA Best of Show Geraldton producer Chapman River Olives took out two of the four major awards in this year’s West Australian Olive Awards, named Best Oil of Show and Best WA Oil of Show for its Chapman River Olives Queen of Spain-Frantoio blend. In a tough year across the board, the EVOO gained the competition’s top score of 91 points and a Premium Gold medal, and was described by the judges as: “Vibrant, fresh green tropical aromas. Flavour transfers to palate with unfolding tropical flavours which persist with a very late hint of spice. A beautiful complex oil.” Chapman River Olives also took Gold for its Queen of SpainCoratina blend, and Silver for its Frantoio-Kalamata blend. Jarrahdale producer Tarralea Grove won Premium Gold and the Trophy for Best Boutique Oil of Show with its Barouni varietal, earning a judges score of 90 points and the descriptors: “Fresh intense fruit aromas of green melon, green banana and fresh cut grass. Aroma transfers to palate with hint of sweetness, combined with a firm bitterness and pungency. A delicious, lively complex oil.” Tarralea Grove also won Premium Gold for its Tarralea Grove Blend (Mission, Kalamata, Manzanilla, Frantoio), and Gold for its Hojiblanca varietal. Gingin’s Guinea Grove took out the Best Flavoured Oil of Show
award with its Guinea Grove Garlic Crush, awarded 87 points and Gold, and described as: “Good garlic aroma. Light garlic builds and persists on palate. Very pleasant garlic oil on good base oil. Subtle garlic flavoured oil with evidence of olive oil characteristics.” Guinea Grove also received Silver medals for its Frantoio varietal and Frantoio-Pendolino blend, along with Bronze medals for its Orange Crush flavoured oil and Pendolino varietal EVOO. Other high achievers were Cobram Estate (Boort, Vic) - three Gold, one Silver and a Bronze across varietal and blended EVOOs; Paringa Ridge (Mornington, Vic) – two Golds for EVOO varietals; Long Gully Grove (Nannup, WA) – one Gold and three Silver for EVOO blends; and Fedra Olive Grove (Collector, NSW) – six Silver, across both EVOO and flavoured oil classes.
The stats
Chief Steward Ellen described 2020 as “a tumultuous year for many”, which saw a significant drop in entry numbers due to alternate year fruiting, climate, birds and the catastrophic fires in eastern states. Nevertheless, there were 60 entries received from 30 entrants across the five classes and 51 received a medal: 14 Gold (23%), 30 Silver (33%) and seven Bronze (11%). Only one oil was disqualified, due to raised FFA% levels.
Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 15
News - Awards
Guinea Grove owners Angus Cowling and Rae Jefferies with the trophy for Best Flavoured Oil of Show, awarded for their Guinea Grove Garlic Crushed. Their award cache also included a Gold, two Silver and two Bronze medals.
Tarralea Grove’s Anne and Barry Sanders took out the Best Boutique Oil of Show award for their Barouni varietal, topping off a haul of three Gold medals for their 2020 EVOOs.
Chief Judge Isabelle Okis applauded all producers for persevering to complete their harvests and was thrilled that, despite the very difficult conditions, three of the 13 Gold medals were in the premium class, achieving judges’ scores of 90 and over. She noted also that there were more delicate and medium oils this year, with the average polyphenol count 290ppm and a median FFA of 0.2%. For more detail and the full results, download the 2020 results booklet from the Olives WA website: www.oliveswa.com.au.
2020 WA Olive Awards major winners
Best Oil of Show: Chapman River Olives Queen of SpainFrantoio Best Boutique of Show: Tarralea Grove Barouni Best Flavoured Oil of Show: Guinea Grove Garlic Crush Best WA Oil of Show: Chapman River Olives Queen of Spain-Frantoio
The Board and Staff of the AUSTRALIAN OLIVE ASSOCIATION would like to thank all our members for their ongoing support. We wish you all a SAFE & MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR
2020
Please note the AOA office will be closed from Monday, 14 December 2020 through to Tuesday, 26 January 2021. Emails will be checked periodically throughout this time.
16 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
Olivegrower profile – 2020 AIOA Best of Show
Salt-laden winds are balanced by a good climate and rainfall in the coastal Flinders Island grove.
Flinders Island Olives: winds, wombats, wallabies and AIOA Best A change is as good as a holiday, they say, and while turning vacation land into an olive grove wasn’t quite as relaxing, for Flinders Island Olives owner Jude Cazaly it’s been similarly rewarding. And in 2020, the process has provided her with the olivegrowing equivalent of the ‘trip of a lifetime’. Flinders Island Olives’ Organic EVOO was named Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Show Boutique Volume at the 2020 Australian International Olive Awards, sending the industry’s highest accolade home to the tiny Bass Strait island. Earning a judges’ score of 91.5, the winning oil also took Gold and the trophies for Reserve Champion Medium EVOO and Champion Tasmanian EVOO. The company’s Season’s Blend EVOO added another Gold medal for the 1100-tree producer, which is the only commercial grove on Flinders Island. Jude said she was “bowled over” by the win, particularly in what she describes as “a very different year”. “We nearly didn’t pick this year,” she said. “We had a group of WWOOFers set to come and pick but then COVID set in. Flinders Island was in lockdown within Tasmania, so obviously that couldn’t happen,” she said. “But then a couple of my friends said ‘We need to do something; we can’t travel off the island’, so we all did it. There was a mixture of friends, neighbours and acquaintances, and I hired some other people I didn’t know. We were picking under COVID distancing
rules, we washed our hands a lot, did all the right things. “I lay a good lunch on each day and we usually have a big nosh up at the end but I’m aiming for a really big celebration now, once everything opens up again.”
“It was the slower ripening time that just seemed to develop the flavour.” Background
Cazaly said she planted her grove “because I had the land”, having spent holidays on Flinders Island with friends for 40 years. Contemplating what she’d do if she moved there permanently, she juggled various niche industries and personal considerations, and olives won out. “I had to think about the type of place it was, about my abilities, and how I wanted to manage the earth and the operation,” she said. “I couldn’t do animals, I would have just named them all and kept them, and olives were just starting to have a little re-emergence. I checked it all out and they seemed the perfect fit for both Flinders Island and what I could learn to do.”
With her friend and business partner Mary-Anne, Jude planted the grove in 2002. Following advice from Andrew Burgess of Modern Olives, they planted at 4x7 spacing and chose Leccino and Frantoio as the main varietals, along with four others as pollinators and 10 Kalamata trees for table fruit. “We finished on October 28 and the westerlies – aka the roaring forties - blew for five weeks. The trees were saying ‘what have you done to us?’ but we had no horticultural background so we were learning as we went,” Jude said. “We put in 1000 trees but I wanted to plant more. It was suggested we put in the first 1000 and see how we go. That was a good idea in retrospect.”
Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 17
Olivegrower profile – 2020 AIOA Best of Show
Flinders Island Olives’ Organic EVOO took Gold and the trophies for Reserve Champion Medium EVOO, Champion Tasmanian EVOO and Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Show Boutique Volume at this year’s AIOA, while the Season’s Blend EVOO added another Gold medal to the cache.
Challenges met
The trees did take, despite the wind, and then came the wallabies and wombats. “The wombats let the wallabies in and they love olive leaves, so we had to learn fencing,” Jude said. “We’ve now fenced the whole grove with chicken wire and feral wire – electric wire and a footing wire so the wombats don’t dig – so our infrastructure costs are much higher than they could have been. “The westerlies are still an issue too. They’re salt-laden, which burns the windward side of the trees, so you have the challenge of leaving enough foliage on that side to protect it but still open it up. “So we planted a row of sheoaks through the middle of the grove and the difference has been dramatic: they just took off, and have provided a windbreak for a big section of the grove that was suffering. “And the curious thing is that the yield on the windward side of the sheoaks has improved dramatically. They’re almost intermingled - I have to prune the sheoaks to let the olives grow properly - but it’s quite a mutual growth situation there. I don’t know why but that’s my observation. “They’ve really been the main challenges to date. We have a reasonable climate and an average rainfall of 660mm. We’ve got an irrigation system but I don’t irrigate; I use it for fertigation with fish and seaweed extract. “And while it’s fair to say the grove has never yielded to optimum, the yields are enough for me to handle.”
Business all-rounder
Jude describes her role in the business as “everything; the complete value-adding experience”, from tending the grove and processing the fruit to marketing her product. She sells mainly locally and her high quality
organic EVOO has been embraced by retailers. “I’ve got a lot of support from the local supermarket and deli, and via word of mouth,” she said. “I’m also in a chain of independent stores across Tasmania, a couple of providore stores and a big organic store, but there are so many excellent Tassie oils I’ve got stiff competition from my friends. “I do sell occasionally through the website too, and it was just starting to get a bit of interest, but of course the website went down the day I found out I won Best in Show! “I’d like to expand my market but that’s my poorest skill set at the moment: marketing and promotion is just not my cup of tea.”
Willing student, taught well
Her skill at making great EVOO is pretty obvious, though, and Jude says it comes down to “just doing what I’m told”. “I’ve been a very willing student and I’ve been taught well,” she said. “I’ve been to Pablo’s processing courses, I was taught how to press by the machinery people, and I listen to the OliveCare® people. In fact, I translate those practices quite literally. I take care of the fruit, packing it into small crates (partly we can’t lift big ones but also because of oxidation), and I press as soon as I can after picking. I’m also careful about the timing of my picking and everything’s in stainless steel. “And I do put my hand up for help. If something doesn’t feel right, I’ll ask. It’s a matter of learning as you go, and getting a feel and an understanding of the whole process from go to whoa.”
Slow road to success
Part of that is learning about the characteristics of her own oils, which Jude
18 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
Coratina conundrum: can you help?
While Jude is obviously really good at processing, she said there’s one variety which is causing her some frustration in the press. “I’m having trouble processing my Coratina,” she said. “It’s grown beautifully, it’s tough as, and it’s bountiful, but it doesn’t come through in the extraction process. I send them off to be assessed each year and in 2019 the expectation was 20% which is amazing for my climate – but I only got about 10%. “I do the processing so I can only blame myself but I’d love to talk it through with people who are processing Coratina successfully.” If you’re one of them, and can help steer Jude on the path to bountiful Coratina extraction, please email her at jcazaly@bigpond.com. said provides a hint as to why this year’s oil is so good. “It was the longest ripening period I’ve ever had,” she said. “The Leccino were looking like they weren’t ever going to go black but I just knew they had oil in them, so we waited. When we did harvest the vapours weren’t as strong as usual and the oil was a deeper green, so maybe all the goodness went into the oil and none escaped this time. “It’s not that it was riper than normal, it was the slower ripening time that just seemed to develop the flavour. Maybe that’s what gave it that little edge.”
High scores - and long BBDs
Flinders Island Olives has had success before, and was awarded Gold in the 2016 Royal Adelaide Awards with her first show entry, but this year’s AIOA judges’ score of 91.5 was the highest Jude has achieved. It was one of two Gold medal-winning scores
Olivegrower profile – 2020 AIOA Best of Show
Keep at it - and write everything down
Jude’s big learning curve in her olive business gives her great insight into the trials and tribulations of starting out in the industry. We asked her to share some of the lessons she’s learned so far. “Just keep at it. As a small producer you have to get used to lead times; that things take a while to come on board. Olives are gentle and slow in that way. It can be frustrating but it’s a fantastic challenge and the end result is just so exciting. “And small processors only get three or four days processing a year at first, so just when you get into the swing of it you stop. You don’t get to practice what you’ve just learned. So you must write down everything you do: your thoughts, what went wrong, what adjustment you made etc, because you need to go back and look at that later. “There’s lot I still want to learn about the processing side of it. The trees know what they’re doing, I’ve got a bit of a way to go.”
and provided a satisfying outcome to an unusual quality test. “I put two oils into the Australian International this year: one was the straightdown-the-line organic EVOO - that was the 91.5 - while the Season’s Blend is a mix of last year’s and this year’s oil. I got 86 and a Gold for that one too,” she said. “As an OliveCare® member I’ve been getting really interested in best before dates and what’s happening there. I’ve been getting my oil tested and it has a three-
“I do put my hand up for help. If something doesn’t feel right, I’ll ask.” year best before date, according to the calculations. (OliveCare® administrator) Peter MacFarlane said a lot of the Tassie oils have got this longevity, so I wondered what people would think of it and put the dual-year oil in. They obviously liked it, and it shows that the method of testing has really improved.”
Peer reward
Jude said news of the AIOA judges’ Best of Show award “took my breath away”, most importantly because of the industry acknowledgement. “That you can share your product with people who know what they’re doing, and get that reward and acknowledgement from them, is really extraordinarily satisfying,” she said. “It’s fact, it’s evidence-based, and it really means something coming from your peers.” More information: www.flindersislandoil. com
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Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 19
Olivegrower profile – 2020 AIOA Best of Show
AIOA success “all about the fruit” An escape from city life is a dream for many people, and for Cape Schanck Olive Estate’s Sui and Stephen Tham it was also the foundation for a multi-award winning business. The Mornington Peninsula producers were one of the ‘big gong’ winners at this year’s Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA), their Picual EVOO taking the Best in Show Commercial Trophy. Awarded an astronomical score of 95/100 by the judges, the gold-medal winner achieved a clean sweep across all eligible trophy categories, also named Champion Spanish Varietal, Best Victorian EVOO, Best Australian EVOO and Best Southern Hemisphere EVOO. Cape Schanck’s Coratina and Leccino varietals were both also awarded Gold at the competition, proving there’s more to their success than just one well-suited varietal. Stephen said they were thrilled with their results, particularly after such a difficult growing season, crediting their success as being “all about the fruit”. “If you haven’t got good fruit, you haven’t got much to work on. We try and let the fruit reflect the environment, and we try not to manipulate the environment too much,” he said.
“As a primary producer you try your best each year and sometimes you just strike gold.” “Obviously doing all the basics right is important: picking at the best time, having control of the processing ourselves; and not using any additives. So I think it’s a reflection of the processes we use and the decisions we make. “But honestly, as a primary producer you try your best each year and sometimes you just strike gold.”
Background
The Thams bought their 50-acre property at Cape Schanck in 2002, however olives weren’t immediately on the radar. “Our initial reason to find a place on the (Mornington) Peninsula was to get our kids out of city life,” Stephen said. “When we found this piece of land it was pretty run down so we started from the
ground up, and the decision to grow olives was really down to the environment. Cape Schanck has a very sandy soil, which is pretty poor quality and doesn’t hold water well. We were also in the middle of a drought. “So whatever we grew needed to be drought tolerant, and also tolerate the salty sea breeze, which really pointed us to olive trees.” The choice of varietals, they say, entailed “a fair bit of homework” along with some smart forward planning. “We have 2000 trees across 20 acres, equally divided into five varieties - Coratina, Leccino, Frantoio, Picual and Picholine. We didn’t have much guidance as to which varieties would do well in the area so Sui had to do a bit of homework: we’d tasted Picholine oils while travelling in France and
The Thams say the decision to grow olives was really down to the environment, and it was undoubtedly a good one.
20 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
Olivegrower profile – 2020 AIOA Best of Show
The ability to process their own fruit is a major factor in the consistently high quality of Cape Schanck’s oils.
fell in love with the name, so we had to have that; the others all suited the environment and would ripen at different time points. That was important because we were going to harvest ourselves. “They’re planted at traditional 6m x 8m spacing, divided into varieties and in a grid form. That’s key for us, as it works much better for management, and the spacing has turned out to be spot on.”
Celebrating varietal flavours
Cape Schanck’s oils are all single varietals, as an initial trial convinced them blends just weren’t their thing. “We like our fruit to express its individuality, rather than blend out the flavours or achieve a constant. We want to celebrate the tastes of the varieties,” Sui said. “And we have our own machines, which makes it easier to process the varieties separately and at their different ripening times.” The ability to process their own fruit is also a major factor in the consistently high quality of their oils. “I don’t think we do anything differently to other growers, but we’re fortunate to have our own press. It’s definitely in our favour, as it means that we control the whole process from fruit to oil,” Sui said. “Otherwise, it’s about getting the basics right, not making any compromises, and ensuring the time-critical steps are taken care of. That means having good fruit, looking after the process from fruit to oil and then storing the oil properly. We don’t have any magic formulas, it’s just making sure everything is done properly each step of the way.”
“It’s about getting the basics right, not making any compromises, and ensuring the time-critical steps are taken care of.” Dynamic duo
Stephen said that’s made easier by the fact they do it all themselves. “Essentially it’s Sui and myself, although we do have a farm manager who comes in to help us,” he said. “I’m the lacky who does all the hack work, while Sui is the brains. She did the sensory panel training with Modern Olives, and has a much better palate, so she does the tasting of the oil. She also runs the marketing and does the sales.”
22 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
Learn from the locals
As previous newcomers to both the industry and the Mornington Peninsula region, we asked Stephen and Sui for some advice for other producers setting out on the journey to EVOO production. “Getting to know the local producers is a great first step – and do it before you start anything,” they said. “We had a lot of help from the local Mornington Peninsula Olive Association when we first started. You get lots of tips and tricks about what’s involved, and we learned a lot about what we should and shouldn’t do. “Obviously our environment is very different from Wagga wagga, for example, and locality means so much when you’re growing things, so grab that local knowledge and use it.” Those sales are comprised of their five varietal EVOOs, sold in 250ml and 500ml bottles, along with 20L bags for restaurants. They also sell a ‘mix and match’ three pack of 100ml bottles from their online store, allowing people to taste and compare the various varietals. “Other than the online sales, it’s all regional - Mornington Peninsula,” Stephen said. “We don’t use any distributors, and all restaurants we supply are local. Sui interacts directly with the shops, restaurants and chefs, as it’s a great way to get to know them and introduce them to our products. “It’s very much a foodie area, with a lot of high-end restaurants, so the Peninsula is really its own niche market.”
Benchmarking quality
Stephen said that, while they don’t always know other competition scores, they’re pretty sure the AIOA judges’ 95 is the highest they’ve achieved. And it’s incredibly important to them. “To get Best of Show you probably always have a pretty good score but the competition is so high here you need to have a really good score to win,” he said. “And while we do things the way we do them for quality, not for scores, it’s an incredible accolade. We entered the competition to give us a sense of the quality we’re producing, for benchmarking, and we didn’t expect to win but obviously we’re very pleased. “We all make an incredible effort producing our oils and then submitting them allows the oils to be rigorously evaluated. That’s the only way we can strive to improve the quality of the oil. So this is an incredibly important competition to get a sense of the quality that’s being produced. “It’s also a huge bonus to get a medal, whether that’s Gold, Silver or Bronze, and to get Best in Show … what can you say? It justifies everything we‘re doing.” More information: www.capeschanckestate.com.au
THE LATEST UPDATES ON R&D WITHIN THE OLIVE INDUSTRY | DECEMBER 2020
R&D Insights contains the latest levy-funded R&D project updates, research findings and related industry resources, which all happen under the Hort Innovation Olive Fund. Hort Innovation partners with leading service providers to complete a range of R&D projects to ensure the long-term sustainability and profitability of the olive industry.
The field day program focusses on the role of healthy soils in producing healthy trees and lifting grove productivity.
Soil expert John Barton will build on his popular 2019 AOA National Olive Conference presentation on the importance of soil carbon.
Healthy Soils Field Days back on the calendar The re-opening of borders and travel across much of Australia has been a positive for us all and now there’s even more to celebrate, with news that the AOA’s Healthy Soils Field Days have been re-scheduled. Postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, the national series of Healthy Soils Field Days was originally scheduled to run between April and August. The program will now run during February and March 2021, with events being held in major production regions across all states. “The postponement was unfortunate but necessary, and we were pleased to have been able to keep the momentum going in the meantime with the highly successful productivity and profitability webinar series,” AOA CEO Greg Seymour said. “But Australia has done incredibly well in managing the pandemic situation, so we’re now confident that we can
move the knowledge-sharing safely back in the field once again - in a COVID-safe manner, of course.”
Program The program for each field day starts with a focus on the role of healthy soils in producing healthy trees and lifting grove productivity. The information presented will cover a wide range of topics and information around soil health, from identifying issues with your soil (e.g. water repellent/ hydrophobic soils) and how to deal with them, to methods for monitoring and improving both soil and tree health. Among the key topics will be composting - what it is, what it does, how to make it and how to use it - and soil carbon, providing and understanding of the role of soil carbon and its effect on soil water and biology.
Hands-on engagement Joint organiser Peter McFarlane said that the 2021 program will be largely in the grove, providing the maximum opportunity for demonstration, explanation and hands-on learning. “Rather than indoor AV presentations, event-specific program booklets are being prepared, which will provide key discussion points and illustrations to supplement the grove walks. We’ll also be emailing them to all registered participants, with links to relevant documentation for reference, postevent,” he said. “Along with the expert presenters, each field day program will involve a panel of specialist service providers who will engage, demonstrate and discuss the latest technology to monitor, test, and measure vital soil parameters, and tree health. “Grove-specific initiatives including canopy management, soil moisture
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2021 Healthy Soils Field Days dates and venues:
conservation, dealing with soil drainage problems, and managing organic certified groves will also be covered, while common grove management issues and innovations will be discussed by both the day’s experts and field day hosts. “And throughout each event there’ll be plenty of opportunity for asking questions, gaining answers and sharing of experiences - ‘what’s happening, what works and what doesn’t’ is sure to be one of the unofficial hot topics of each event.”
Presenters Presenters will generally vary from state to state, making the most of local expertise, although several will attend most or all events. Each event will be hosted by the grove owners and AOA/OliveCare® executives and state directors, along with experts in the fields of Composting, Grove Soil and Leaf Survey and Analysis, Grove Nutrition Programs, Grove Canopy Management and Grove Monitoring/ Remote Sensing. Here’s just a few, and what they’ll be covering: John Barton, Charton & Bang Research & Development, and Andy Gulliver, C-Wise John and Andy will build on their 2020 AOA Virtual Conference webinar, taking their focus on soil biology and improving soil health out into the grove. They’ll get to the nitty-gritty of composting, soil carbon and the soil biome, showing you how to harness them in your grove to better manage tree nutrition and available water, improving tree health to improve grove productivity.
They’ll also demonstrate how to make compost, and how to incorporate compost into the soil for the maximum benefits. Peter Wadewitz, Managing Director, Peats Soils and BiobiN® Technologies Joining the compost crew in SA, Peter will share his love and knowledge of compost and its benefits gained over 45 years in the industry. A specialist in commercial compost production and supply, Peter knows what the right compost can do to improve crop quality and performance, and will discuss the use of custom compost mixes for specific grove issues. Peter Briscoe, Bioptiv Peter’s gig is biological farming methods and soil improvement amendments and he firmly believes in the power and importance of in-grove measurement. He’ll demonstrate a range of tools for on-site testing, including pH and moisture readings, compaction and total soil biology, and take attendees through the process of soil and leaf sampling, and using the results to plan a grove nutrition program.
One day’s learning = years of grove benefits The field days provide an incredible opportunity to devote a day to your soil - which in turn will repay your trees and your business with health and productivity benefits in years to come. Your grove deserves it, so register now and ensure your place so you don’t miss out. The full program, including speaker and venue details for each field day, is available on the OliveBiz website
• Sunday 14 February 2021 - Lentara Grove, Exeter, TAS. Registrations close 5/02/2021. • Sunday 21 February 2021 - Lisadurne Hill Olives, Rushworth, VIC. Registrations close 12/02/2021. • Sunday 28 February 2021 - Peninsula Providore Farm - Nangkita Olive Grove, Tooperang SA. Registrations close 19/02/2021. • Sunday 7 March 2021 Hunter Valley NSW - Hunters Dream Estate, Pokolbin NSW. Registrations close Friday 26/02/2021. • Sunday 14 March 2021 aFthonia Farms (Organic in conversion), Hampton (via Toowoomba), QLD. Registrations close Friday 5/03/2021. • Sunday 28 March 2021 Preston Valley Grove, Lowden (via Donnybrook) WA. Registrations close 19/3/2021.
- www.olivebiz.com.au – where you can also register. Go to the Events drop-down then Calendar and click on the listing for 2021 Soil Field Days. Alternatively, contact Liz Bouzoudis via secretariat@australianolives.com. au or 0478 606 145. Note: All events are subject to any COVID-19 restrictions/cancellation which may apply at the time. This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation olive research and development levy, co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.
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Comparison tool aids healthy cooking choices
The Olive Wellness Institute (OWI) keeps rolling out great informative resources, including new additions to its popular podcast series. One of the latest also unpacks another valuable resource, the OWI’s interactive oil comparison tool. The quick and easy guide compares the health attributes of the main cooking oils available in Australia, allowing users to make informed decisions about what they use. OWI dietician Jacqui Plozza said the type of oil we use can have a positive or negative affect on our health, depending on a variety of factors. “That means it’s important to be able to compare one oil with another using the same variables,” she said. “So the tool compares the various grades of olive oil - EVOO, virgin olive oil and olive oil - and a range of other widely used cooking oils, and measures a variety of different factors that impact the healthfulness of each.” Those factor include:
production method phenols/biophenol content Vitamin E content fatty acid profile
trans-fat content stability when heated.”
Smoke point and oil stability Plozza said smoke point isn’t referenced in the table, for a good reason. “It’s not a good predictor of how stable an oil is when heated, its healthfulness when heated, or how suitable it is for high heat cooking. In fact, it correlates really poorly,” she said. “A better predictor of an oil’s stability when heated is a measure called polar compound production. Polar compounds are linked to health conditions including neurodegenerative disease and are formed
when oil is heated, so it’s important to identify how much of that harmful breakdown product is forming. It’s used commonly in commercial kitchens to determine when frying oil needs to be thrown out and replaced because it’s no longer safe for human consumption.” The comparison tool shows there are a number of factors that are important to how stable an oil is when heated:
fat profile - the more poly-
unsaturated fat, the more likely an oil is to break down;
production method - the more refined or processed, the less stable under heat;
antioxidant content - the higher
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the level, the less likely it is to break down.
EVOO vs olive oil “The antioxidant content is why EVOO is even more suitable for high heat cooking than olive oil,” Plozza said. “And the tool shows that the difference between the two is actually quite significant. They have the same fat profile - high in monounsaturated fats and low in polyunsaturated and saturated fats but that’s where it ends. “Olive oil is refined, which means it goes through processes like bleaching or neutralising. The refining process of any oil can result in the production of trans-fats, so olive oil, along with other refined oils like grapeseed and canola, contains artificial trans-fats. Refining also strips out important healthy compounds like biophenols. “EVOO, on the other hand, is produced by mechanical means only, without refining. That means the
antioxidants from the olive fruit can infuse into the oil, which is why there are much higher phenols in EVOO than in other grades of olive oil, and other oils. “It’s also the key reason why EVOO is much more stable than olive oil when heated, as the antioxidants protect the oil from breakdown. They also transfer into the cooked food and are critical to the oil’s health benefits. “Other oils don’t contain that level of antioxidants (a) because they’re refined and (b) they weren’t present in the first place. The tool shows that many of the refined oils contain less than 10ppm of antioxidants, compared with EVOO which contains 80-1200ppm (1ppm = 1mm/L).”
Fatty acid profile Plozza said the fatty acid profile is also important when determining the healthfulness of an oil. “Health professionals recommend replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat. There’s monounsaturated fat, which EVOO and
virgin olive oil is high in, and there’s also polyunsaturated fat, which other oils are higher in. “We know that poly-unsaturated fats are more prone to breaking down and oxidising because oxidative damage occurs at double bonds, which means your oil is becoming unstable and breaking down. That’s not great when you use an oil for cooking because heating also makes it more prone to breaking down. “But the tool means that people can now access all this information quickly and easily, giving them the knowledge they need to make healthful decisions when they shop and cook.” The interactive comparison tool can be found on the home page of the Olive Wellness Institute website - www.olivewellnessinstitute. com.au - and you can listen to the podcast Which oils are best? OWI’s oil comparison tool from the podcast page under the Olive Science dropdown.
5
IPDM project boosts industry participation and adoption Dr Robert Spooner-Hart, Western Sydney University
The three-year olive levyfunded project An integrated pest and disease management extension program for the olive industry (OL17001) is now complete, and has undoubtedly affected practical change across the industry. This overview of the outcomes is taken from the OL17001 Final Report. Industry engagement with project outputs The on-line outputs were launched during the AOA webinar IPDM Project Resources and How to Access Them on 1 September 2020, and user access was logged by the AOA until 19 October 2020 (seven weeks). The number of page views (“hits”) are presented in Table 1. For the relatively short timeframe, they are very pleasing. Interestingly, the number of views of the IPDM outputs home page exceeded the number of attendees at all project Field Days. Of the specific outputs, the Field Guide and Best Practice Manual were the most frequently accessed; the tutorials and flyers were also popular, with more than 100 views each.
Page views
Output
314
IPDM output home page
148
Field Guide
116
Best Practice Manual
110
Tutorials home page
104
Flyers home page
126
Webinar on outputs
48
Grove Innovation article (15/9/20) on IPDM outputs
Table 1. Engagement with on-line project outputs 01/09/20 - 19/10/20.
End-of-project survey feedback There were 47 survey responses, compared with 130 responses in the original baseline survey. This is likely to be, at least in part, due to “survey fatigue” associated with the substantial increase in online communications as a result of COVID-19. Nevertheless, there was a good distribution of respondents, especially across the key olivegrowing states. The results of the end-of-project survey are compared here with those
of the baseline survey, to estimate the project’s impact and how effectively it met its key objectives of more informed and engaged growers with respect to IPDM.
Status of pests and diseases between the two surveys With regard to arthropod pests, the three major species identified in the end-of-project (2020) survey were the same as those in the baseline (2018) survey: (in order) black scale (with associated ant activity), olive
lace bug and apple weevil. The most widely distributed pest (reported in all states) was black scale, with olive lace bug a major pest in NSW, Qld, WA and some parts of Victoria. Apple weevil was a problem in WA, and less but increasing in SA and Vic. There was a change in status of the three most important diseases/ disorders reported: anthracnose was still the major disease, followed by cercospora leaf mould, replacing peacock spot. The project team
6 in fact discovered widespread distribution of cercospora leaf mould during the field day activities, although its economic damage was difficult to determine. As a result, we developed a tutorial and a flyer on this disease. Dieback was the next most common disease/disorder. However, this condition is associated with a number
AOA: applicable and wellexecuted project AOA CEO Greg Seymour said the IPDM project “ticked all the boxes for improved management in the industry”. “It began with recognition of the need to improve, followed by access to quality information, all in an environment that builds confidence of the manager and fosters the implementation of improved management techniques,” he said. “The attendance numbers and level of producer engagement is testimony to the strategic applicability of the project, while the final survey responses reporting high levels of adoption of IPDM management recommendations provide the evidence for a well-executed project. “It’s notable that at industry events over the past couple of years the IPDM message is resonating strongly with producers. Comments and questions incorporating aspects of IPDM management - e.g. ‘if I do X, how will that impact my IPDM program?’ - show that the ‘lessons’ learned by producers at the IPDM/AOA field days are now front of mind. “All growers also benefit from the high-quality outputs from the project posted on the industry’s OliveBiz website, which have capacity to be updated on an ongoing basis.”
of pests and diseases including black scale, olive lace bug, anthracnose, peacock spot and cercospora leaf mould, soil-borne pathogens, as well as adverse environmental conditions, so it is difficult to diagnose the most likely cause(s). As a result, we developed an additional flyer on Wood Rots and Dieback. Peacock spot was the fourth most important disease in the end-of project survey. It is suspected that most leaf spot/leaf drop prior to our project activities (and thus recorded in the baseline survey) was attributed to peacock spot; clearly a major achievement of the project has been rectifying this issue. However, it may have also led to an over-inflated concern about cercospora leaf mould, and hence its apparent rise in status. Hopefully, the tutorials and flyers developed describing the different symptoms of these pathogens, together with recommendations to obtain definitive laboratory disease diagnosis in the event of uncertainty, will alleviate this issue.
Pesticide use While nearly 70% (66% in baseline survey) of respondents indicated that pesticides were important or very important for pest and disease management, these included organic chemical options. As a result, the selection and appropriate use of chemical options remains an important extension issue for the industry, and should be continually be reviewed by the industry in
collaboration with Hort Innovation.
Participation in project activities Almost 80% of respondents participated in at least one other IPDM project activity, most commonly the first survey, field days/workshops, the webinar and accessing project outputs on the AOA’s OliveBiz website (particularly the Field Guide and IPDM Manual) (Table 2). For 89% of those, their knowledge has been improved as a result, reporting improved pest, disease and beneficial identification, better understanding of biology and life cycles, information on alternatives to chemicals, planning of spray timing, and access to project output materials. In addition, 60% responded that they had or would change their IPDM practices as a result of their participation in the project (23% were unsure) via increased emphasis on monitoring and record keeping, better tree health and canopy management, and investigating options (including organic ones) to chemicals before undertaking pest and disease control options.
Growers’ IPDM knowledge and practices Regarding growers’ end-of-project knowledge of IPDM, 52% indicated they knew it well or quite a lot (30% in baseline survey), while 93% (80%) stated they were confident in identifying important pests, 88% (62%) in identifying diseases and disorders, and 54% (40%) in
Activity
% Participation
Previous (2018) project survey
64.86%
Attended field day
64.86%
Attended masterclass
8.11%
Attended webinar
35.14%
Accessed video(s) of field day presentations via OliveBiz
18.92%
Accessed new on-line tutorials
13.51%
Accessed new on-line flyers
21.62%
Accessed the revised Field Guide
32.43%
Accessed the IPDM Manual
32.43%
Direct contact with project researchers
18.92%
Table 2. Project activity participation (%) of growers from end-of-project surve
7
Access IPDM project resources
identifying beneficial species. Furthermore, 80% (70%) are confident they can now effectively monitor their grove: 93% (80%) indicated they monitor for pests and diseases in their grove, with visual observations the most common practice. A third of growers also utilise meteorological data to predict outbreaks, especially of fungal diseases. These are substantial improvements from the baseline data, which is an excellent outcome in just over two years. With regard to implementing IPDM practices, the most common problems were (in order) black scale and associated ant activity, foliar diseases, olive lace bug, fruit diseases and rots, and root and stem diseases. This is similar to the baseline survey, but with an increase in foliar disease monitoring.
Biosecurity practices
manual on the topic, a tutorial on exotic pests and diseases, and its major emphasis in the Field Guide. It was undoubtedly also influenced by communications from OliveCare® Administrator Peter MacFarlane, and increasing industry concern over Xylella fastidiosa.
Additional grower feedback from the end-of-project survey In addition to positive comments on the project, there were a number of useful additional suggestions, including continual updating of the project outputs, a masterclass for growers, and even more emphasis on tree health.
Working partnership with AOA The project team’s close working relationship with the AOA undoubtedly contributed to the project’s success in engaging with olive growers.
The extension materials created throughout the project provide growers with practical, current information on implementing IPDM strategies in their groves. Now available for download and reference on the OliveBiz website, they include: • on-line tutorials on IPDM theory and practice, and key olive pests and diseases; • information flyers on key olive pests and diseases • revised Field Guide to Olive Pests, Disorders and Diseases in Australia • Olive IPDM Manual Go to www.olivebiz.com. au - Projects - IPDM Project, where you’ll find the full range of materials along with videos from the 2018 IPDM Field Days. There’s also more information in the webinar recording IPDM Project Resources and How to Access Them, available from the Webinars link of the Projects portal.
researchers/extension personnel Barbara Hall (SARDI) and Stewart Learmonth (DPIRDWA) in various project activities, including field days and editing extension outputs.
Over 71% of respondents in the end-of-project survey (50% baseline) had vehicle wash down facilities on their grove, 34% (18%) had a farm biosecurity preparedness plan and 45% (12%) had read the current Biosecurity Plan for Olive Industry, while 62% assessed visitors before, or on, arrival for pest or disease risk (not asked in baseline survey).
This was particularly important with regard to ongoing communications about the project, collaboration in workshops/field days, and the hosting and monitoring of the industry surveys and the project’s electronic outputs.
Future legacy of project outputs and olive IPDM succession plan
I have also developed a succession plan at Western Sydney University for an entomologist/extension officer with experience in sustainable horticulture to continue this work when I retire.
The substantial increase in implementing biosecurity activities can, in part, be attributed to the project outputs, including a flyer, tutorial and section in the IPDM
The project team deliberately organised a succession plan for the olive industry with regard to IPDM. First, it engaged the replacements for retiring long-standing olive
Combined with the designed ability to update the project outputs as new information becomes available, we look forward to the continuing legacy of our work into the future.
8
Olive industry R&D resources updated The AOA is currently conducting a review of the library of Australian olive industry 'seminal’ research publications, and updating these valuable technical resources with current information and technologies.
RIRDC/Agrifutures olive publications reviewed and updated to date: • Table Olive Production Manual (RIRDC 12-100) • The Voluntary Industry Standard for Table Olives in Australia (RIRDC 12-111) • Harvest-timing, Sensory Analysis and Shelf Life for Optimal Olive Oil Quality (RIRDC 10-177) • Quality Enhancement of Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (RIRDC 06-135) • Management of Black Scale and Apple Weevil in Olives (RIRDC 12-019) • Field Guide to Olive Pests, Diseases and Disorders in Australia (RIRDC 07-153) • From Planting to Harvest - A Study of Water Requirements of Olives from planting to first commercial harvest (RIRDC 05-039) • Olive water use and yield – monitoring the relationship (RIRDC 03-048) • Olive Harvest (RIRDC 05-013) • Evaluation of Second Extraction of Olive Oil in Australia (RIRDC 12-109) • Evaluation of Processing Aids for Olive Oil Extraction and Quality Improvement (RIRDC 01-091) • Recycling Solid Waste from the Olive Oil Extraction Process (RIRDC 08-165)
AOA CEO Greg Seymour is heading the review project, which he said also aims to re-focus attention on the wealth of useful research information available for reference by growers.
Background “The AOA used to be under the auspices of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) - now Agrifutures Australia. A large number of industry research projects were funded through them, supported by in-kind industry contributions, to answer industry development and management needs as they were identified,” Seymour said. “That suite of publications can all still be accessed and reflects 20 years of investment in industry R&D. There’s some really good research sitting there, so we decided to resurrect and review them as part of the current Olive Communications project. “Of the 32 publications, we identified seven as current and relevant as published, nine as obsolete or superseded and 16 reports which could be usefully updated. This may be to reflect current industry circumstances, changes in growing conditions and practices, and particularly to include more recent research undertaken and new technologies developed in the field since they were written. “We’re having each of them reviewed by experts in the relevant field, who are then amending the original publication or writing an addendum, and updating the bibliographies. “They’re then being lodged on the OliveBiz website, where we’ve also put links to the original RIRDC publications. “The reviews have greatly improved the original publications, bringing the information up to date and increasing
the relevance for today’s industry. We’re keen for people to go onto the website, have a look, and make use of as many of the resources as possible to assist in improving their practices – and ultimately their olive businesses.”
Find out more The most recently completed review covers two of these R&D reports dealing with the water requirements of olives. You’ll find the review report - Water use and yield of young and mature olive trees: A review – on page … of this edition of Olivegrower & Processor. The review project is part of the Australian olive industry communications and extension program (OL18000), funded by Hort Innovation using the Hort Innovation olive research and development levy, co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government. Note: The Field Guide to Olive Pests, Diseases and Disorders in Australia (RIRDC 07-153) has been updated as part of the olive levy-funded project An integrated pest and disease management extension program for the olive industry (OL17001). You can access all the reviews, updated reports and links to the original RIRDC publications in the Projects section of the OliveBiz website – www.olivebiz. com.au – under Comms Project.
This R&D Insights insert has been funded by Hort Innovation using the olive 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.
2020 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference
NATIONAL
OLIVE INDUSTRY virtual conference
Virtual Conference weaves information web The AOA’s annual National Olive Industry Conference was a little different this year, connecting participants over the world wide web rather than tables in a venue space. Going virtual due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions, the 2020 event once again provided a wealth of new information and ideas, while also opening new opportunities for industry learning into the future.
Increased attendance
AOA CEO Greg Seymour said the 2020 Virtual Conference was a success at many levels, starting with participation. “We had 212 individual registrations, compared to around 150 including speakers, sponsors and exhibitors for a ‘standard’ conference in recent times. Given that those attendance numbers have been quite good for an industry of our size, an increase of 40% this year is really meaningful and shows there was a great deal of interest in the information presented,” he said. “Attendance for the four sessions was pretty even too, with an average of 140 for each, so we’re confident that the entire program hit the mark in terms of user relevance and practicality. And we’ve since had good feedback about all the speakers, and about the information presented across the board. “The attendee breakdown was also really positive: there were people right along the supply chain but the vast majority were growers, and a lot were people who don’t usually go to the physical conference or haven’t been able to in recent times. “So while it was obviously a little less personal and interactive this year, the virtual format provided a large number of
industry members with access to high quality information they might have missed out on by not going to a physical conference. “That’s definitely a silver lining in the ‘Corona-cloud’.
Popular format
Seymour said the logistics and practicalities of taking the event online meant a complete re-structure of the usual full-day program format. “We realised that sitting in front of a computer screen all day just wasn’t going to hold people’s attention, so we needed to tailor the material and the way we presented it to suit the format,” he said. “So we decided to run this year’s event as two hour sessions over four consecutive days, each on a different theme - Soil Management, Grove Management, Olives and Health, and Marketing. “We also thought really hard about the timing and what would work best for growers, including working across our wideranging time zones. In the end we designed it to coincide with lunchtime in WA, which with daylight saving meant mid-late afternoon in most other states. It gave growers the opportunity to get a decent day’s work done
and then come in for the conference session. “From the overall feedback, and the fact that it was so well supported, we reckon we got the timing pretty right. And similarly, the feedback has indicated that the two hour duration was about the right length.”
Practice makes (almost) perfect
Changing to an online format meant also getting a handle on the technology involved, and ensuring it worked for people with varying levels of expertise and equipment. “We were pulling together speakers and delegates from across the country, and while most of us had by necessity learned at least the basics of ‘Zooming’, running a conference is a lot more complex than holding a meeting,” Seymour said. “There’s also the issue of differing bandwidths and drop-outs, particularly with the increased online use while so many of us are working from home. “So we decided that the best option was to pre-record the formal presentations, as it allowed them to include good visuals and greatly increased the quality, and then go live for the interactive Q&A and discussion sessions. “Then we had rehearsals, we practised
Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 31
2020 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference
and got it right beforehand, so we were pretty confident – as much as you can be when you’re working with technology – that it’d be right on the day. And except for the odd minor glitsch, it was. “Similarly, we worked out that the AIOA virtual presentation was better done largely pre-recorded – it’s such an important event for the winning producers that you don’t want anything to go wrong. “So we had it filmed in a studio by a professional video team, ensuring it was a seamless, high quality presentation. Trudie Michels and Kent Hallett did a great job as MCs – and we were all impressed by their ‘black tie’ effort – and it went off really well.”
Post-event access
All of the sessions were also recorded and have subsequently been made available for viewing on the OliveBiz website, a move Seymour said has been well received. “While the format and timing increased the opportunity for attendance this year, the reality is that things happen and not everyone who registers is able to attend on the day,” he said. “Having the recordings available gives them the chance to ‘attend’ when they are able to, and I’ve had feedback from a number of people already that they’ve really appreciated being able to do that. “It also means that all registrants can refer back to the information at a later time if they want a refresher on what they learned.”
Save the dates: 2021 AOA National Olive Conference and Exhibition
Delegate feedback Seymour said industry feedback on the 2020 national virtual conference has been incredibly positive, summed up well by Bruny Island Olives owner Owen Carington Smith: “It was a great week. In particular all the new material that came out, even though there had been a string of webinars beforehand and “field days” before C-19 closed everything down. “I attended all the sessions and found that I probably absorbed more information because it is so one-onone, rather than various distractions in a conference setting. “It was also perhaps easier to get through all the questions? “However somehow Zoom is more intense and I doubt I would have coped with sessions longer than the 2-2.5 hours, compared to all-day activities at a conference. “No matter how well run the Zoom conference approach is (and it was very well run), nothing beats an actual Conference and meeting up again with all the industry face to face. So we look forward to Devonport 2021.”
New tools = increased opportunities
Seymour said that, while it was a steep learning curve, the success of the virtual conference has had valuable outcomes. “It was really well received and the audience participation showed us that it worked as another communications option,” he said. “Most importantly, it’s really taught us about how we can use this platform in a number of ways. Combined with our experience with the webinars earlier in the year, we’ve seen that it offers another
N AT I O N A L
2021
OLIVE INDUSTRY conference & exhibition
The 2021 AOA National Olive Conference and Exhibition will once again be a face-to-face event, providing the industry networking and socialising we all missed this year. Details for your diary are: Where: Devonport, Tasmania When: Friday, 16 October to Sunday, 18 October. Further details will be announced in the new year. 32 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
platform for sharing information, and there’s a lot more you can do in a way that’s appropriate for your audience. “For example, we now know we don’t have to wait for a conference to ‘get together’, we can provide access to international people and expertise even when they can’t travel, and we can also incorporate some of these things into future live conferences to expand the offering. “The virtual format will never replace live conferences, and we’re all looking forward to getting together in Devonport next year, but it has now definitely become part of the AOA’s extension armoury both during the year and during future conferences.”
Access conference recordings
Conference registrants can access the conference recordings on the Events section of the OliveBiz website. Passwords are needed for each video and have been emailed to all registrants. Those who were unable to attend can resister now to access the recordings. As with the Conference, registration is free for AOA members and there is a charge for non-AOA members of $33 per day/session or $100 for access to all days. To register, go to the Conference recordings page under Events on the OliveBiz website – www.olivebiz.com.au.
Sponsors and exhibitors
A range of sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities are available for the 2021 event, providing promotion of your business directly to the industry. To secure your preference early, please contact Gerri Nelligan for a prospectus: email her at editor@olivegrower.com.au or phone 0408 525 798. Note: the AOA is confidently moving ahead with arrangements for the physical event, however all future events remain subject to the pandemic status at the time.
2020 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference Sponsors
NATIONAL
OLIVE INDUSTRY virtual conference
The AOA sincerely thanks the 2020 AOA National Olive Industry Virtual Conference sponsors for their generous contributions and support of the event. Throughout the year these businesses continue to support the industry through the provision of high quality services, information and advice, playing an integral role in the ongoing improvement of olive products, and the success of Australian olive businesses. The AOA encourages all industry members to in turn support our sponsors, who helped make this year’s event happen in such a challenging year.
AORA/Australian Organics Recycling Association – Sponsor, Soil Management session The national industry association for organics recycling in Australia, AORA works with stakeholders to facilitate the conditions through which surplus organic material can be sustainably and cost-effectively recycled; and to promote the beneficial use of compost, soil conditioners and mulches in primary industries. AORA members meet the Australian standards for soils and composts, and all have commitments around quality and training. Going beyond the basics of simply building a pile of organic material, most employ or contract soil scientists in developing their products, enabling them to work with growers to tailor a composting product that addresses specific soil and crop needs. Quality compost can do remarkable things for your soil and what you’re growing in it, increasing productivity, soil quality and water retention, and reducing the need for pesticides and fertilisers. To get the best out of your composting investment, and do the best for your grove, look for local AORA members using the ‘find a composter’ tool on the AORA website. Find someone you’re comfortable working with and ask them to visit your grove, then show them what you want to do and ask them how they can help you to do it. More information: www.aora.org.au Phone: 0434 625 472 Email: admin@aora.org.au AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND
&
Olivegrower & Processor – Sponsor, Grove Management session
This website is intended to be the go-to source of credible information relating to the nutrition, health and wellness benefits of olives and olive products, such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil and other products derived from the olive tree. We have new and revised resources for growers and processors, as well as recipe ideas, teachers and students’ resources, and information for chefs and food service. More information: www.olivewellnessinstitute.org Email: info@olivewellnessinstitute.org
Modern Olives – Sponsor, Olive Marketing session
Modern Olives is a leading independent analytical laboratory, dedicated to the olive industry since 2006. Everything we do is focused on providing outstanding service to our customers as well as being a contributor and leader in the modern olive industry. Our laboratory is available to all growers, oil traders, marketers and researchers who require their olive oils, table olives or olive derivative products tested. Throughout the entire process, from planning groves to testing oil quality, our team provides professional, olive-specific technical advice. With recent accreditation for Sensory Analysis by the International Olive Council, we’re now fully qualified to perform Chemical and Sensory testing for both our Australian and international clients. With a full scope of testing facilities available, including a dedicated Microbiology lab, we’re able to provide highly accurate results for a wide range of requirements. More information: www.modernolives.com.au Phone: 03 5272 9500 Email: info@modernolives.com.au
NATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE OLIVE INDUSTRY
Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor is the region’s only specialist olive publication and is the key source of communication and information for the industry. Industry-owned and led, the emphasis is on best practice management to increase quality and business viability, along with industry news, events and opportunities. Each edition also includes Hort Innovation’s quarterly update. The magazine is mailed to subscribers across the globe and is also available online for access 24/7. If you’re not a subscriber, you’re not in the loop! More information: www.olivebiz.com.au Phone: 0408 525 798 Email: editor@olivegrower.com.au
Olive Wellness Institute – Sponsor, Olives & Health session The Olive Wellness Institute is a science repository on the nutrition, health and wellness benefits of olives and olive products, which is all subject to extensive peer review. The institute is guided by scientific experts that specialise in the nutrition, health and wellness benefits related to olive products.
NSW Department of Primary Industries Oil Testing Service – Sponsor, 2020 Australian International Olive Awards Virtual Presentation The NSW Department of Primary Industries operates an Oil Testing Service (OTS), based in Wagga Wagga, NSW. We provide accredited testing services for olive oil quality, adulteration, and organoleptic (sensory) analysis, based on the latest technology and requirements of the International Olive Council (IOC). Our chemical testing laboratory and organoleptic panel undertake competitively priced testing of oils and olives with a prompt turnaround time. Your first choice for analysis you can trust. More information: www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/labs Phone: 02 6938 1957 Email: wagga.labs@dpi.nsw.gov.au
Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 33
New Zealand - Awards
There’s no doubting Olive Black’s Richard Nga Wai Chiu was a very happy winner of the 2020 NZ EVOO Awards Best in Show title.
Blue Earth owner Mike Hanson received the award for Best Boutique Intense - Blends from Arthur Holmes’ Jo Leech.
Wairarapa wraps up 2020 NZ EVOO Awards Wairarapa growers once again dominated the New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards winners list this year, taking 58 of the total 128 medals awarded. The region also snaffled five of the competition’s seven major trophies, cementing its place as New Zealand’s most successful olive-production area.
The big winners
The pinnacle award of Best EVOO in Show was won by Olive Black for its ‘international’ blend of Frantoio (Italy), Picual (Spain) and Picholene (France). The medium-sized grove of more than 1000 trees is located on the outskirts of Masterton, Wairarapa, and owner Richard Nga Wai Chiu supplies specialist food stores in Auckland,
Media tasting event The annual NZ EVOO Awards provide outstanding promotion of the winning producers and their products, along with increased media interest in the industry and New Zealand olive products at both a local and national level. With that in mind, Olives NZ invited reporters from the NZ Herald and the DomPost/Capital Day to attend a select tasting of the top winning oils on the day before the Awards presentation. “They were taken through the tasting by this year’s Head Judge, Charlotte Connoley, who also explained the judging process,” Executive Officer Gayle Sheridan said.
“They were both blown away with the taste profiles of the oils and I think are now converts! “They wanted to know all about the New Zealand industry and our growers, and were really interested in learning about
34 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
New Zealand olive oils vs the supermarket offerings. “Importantly, they also wanted to know where to buy local oils, which we’re hoping they’ll take out to their readers.”
New Zealand - Awards
Wairarapa Branch Chair Andrew Priddle proudly received the COSPAK Best Boutique Trophy on behalf of Karen and Ian Juno from 2020 judge Georges Feghali.
and also exports both Olive Black EVOO and flavoured oils. Reserve Best in Show was awarded to fellow Wairarapa producer Loopline Olives for its Loopline Picual single varietal. Owned by Stephen Davies Howard, the 900-tree grove is also located on the outskirts of Masterton and has some serious awards history: Loopline has to date won NZ Best in Show three times and took Gold at the New York International Olive Oil Competition two years running. The 2020 Best Boutique award went to Juno Olives’ Picual EVOO, also produced in Wairarapa. The commercial-sized grove of almost 2,000 trees is owned by Karen and Ian Juno and sits on the outskirts of Greytown. Specialising in single varietal olive oils and flavoured oils, Juno Olives is another consistent award winner, having previously taken three Best Boutique awards, Reserve Best Boutique and numerous Best in Class awards. Breaking the trend, Reserve Best Boutique was taken by the Waikawa Glen Blend, hailing from the Kāpiti Coast. A boutique grove of around 500 trees, Waikawa Glen is owned by Lisa Buchan and Glenn Wigley, and is one of the few organic registered groves in New Zealand. They’ve had a great year in 2020, having also recently won two Gold medals in the Royal Easter Show Olive Oil Awards. The Best Flavoured Oil award sent yet another trophy to Wairarapa, won by the Leafyridge Olives Chilli oil. Also situated near Masterton, Leafyridge is a commercial grove of almost 4,000 trees owned and managed by the Leaf-Wright family. They obviously know how to make great flavoured oils, as they won both Best Flavoured classes in this year’s competition and also won Best in Class for their 2019 Chilli oil.
Best Processor and Label
Three finalists were in the mix for the 2020 Best Processor Award - Mystery Valley, Simunovich Olive Estate and The Olive Press. The Olive Press triumphed to take the trophy - for the seventh time –
Industry stalwart Bill Hey received a standing ovation as he received the 2020 Pioneer Award from Olives NZ President Craig Leaf-Wright.
Totara Tunnel owners Brent and Sally Meldrum were all smiles as they accepted the award for Best Boutique Mild - Single Varietal from trophy sponsor Jo Leech of Arthur Holmes Ltd.
having produced the four top winning oils: Best in Show, Reserve Best in Show, Best Boutique and Reserve Best Boutique, adding another win for Wairarapa businesses to the 2020 tally. This year’s Best Label competition saw a field of six producers chosen as finalists, with Blue Earth, Duck Creek Road, Juno Olives, Olives on the Hill, Simunovich and Waikawa Glen all in contention. Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 35
New Zealand - Awards
The award for Best Boutique Medium - Single Varietal was one of two taken home by Waikawa Glen’s Lisa Buchan and Glenn Wigley, who also took out Reserve Best Boutique.
Olives on The Hill was the eventual winner with a wrap-around label the judges “couldn’t fault”.
Leafyridge Olives’ Craig Leaf-Wright accepted the Pure Ingredients Trophy for Best Flavoured Oil of Show from judge Georges Feghali.
Pioneer Award
This year also saw the presentation of the Pioneer Award to industry long-timer Bill Hey. Instigated in 2013 to recognise an outstanding contribution to the New Zealand Olive Industry, the award has been presented only three times previously. Olives NZ EO Gayle Sheridan describes Hey as “a stalwart supporter of Olives NZ and its activities, and a true industry pioneer – one of the ‘good guys’”, who has been active in the industry since the early 1990s. Hey’s involvement over the years includes: planting shelter belts and establishing new groves throughout the lower North Island; grove maintenance; harvesting and transportation. Since 2009 he has also been involved in the operation of processing plants in Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay; training of new operators; advice and assistance with setting up new plants; and advice and assistance with equipment purchases for spraying, harvesting.
The stats
Sheridan said the judges were extremely impressed with the quality of the 2020 EVOO entries, which is reflected in the Gold medals awarded to 33% of the entries. Of note also was the higher polyphenol levels of many of this year’s oils. There were 138 entries in total, the second highest on record, resulting in 42 Gold, 75 Silver and 11 Bronze medals awarded. The regional medal tally saw Wairarapa take 58, Kapiti 18, Canterbury 12, Nelson 9, Auckland 8, Bay of Plenty 6 (an impressive result for one of the smallest regions), Northland and Waiheke Island 5 each, Hawke’s Bay 4, Marlborough 2 and Central Otago 1. The 2020 New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards winners were announced at the Awards Dinner in Wellington on 10 October. Full results are available on the Olives New Zealand website: www. olivesnz.org.nz.
36 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
Major Awards
Best in Show - Olive Black EVOO Reserve Best in Show - Loopline Picual Best Boutique - Juno Olives Picual Reserve Best Boutique - Waikawa Glen Blend Best Flavoured - Leafyridge Chilli Best Processor - The Olive Press Best Label - Olives On The Hill
Best in Class Awards
Boutique Mild Single Varietal – Totara Tunnel Leccino Mild Blends – Sapphire Olives Blend Medium Single Varietal – Waikawa Glen Frantoio Intense Single Varietal – Juno Olive Oil Picual Intense Blends – Blue Earth Intense Commercial Medium Single Variety – Olive Trading Company Frantoio Medium Blends – Simunovich EVOO Intense Blends – Olive Black EVOO Intense Single Varietal – Loopline Olives Picual Flavoured Other – Leafyridge Chilli Citrus – Leafyridge Lime
Their creative and distinctive labelling earned Olives on the Hill the Kiwi Labels Best Label Trophy.
New Zealand
2020 Olives NZ Harvest Data Report The annual Harvest Data Census conducted by Olives New Zealand provides a snapshot of the industry, both the current year’s harvest results and as a comparison to previous years. It’s an enlightening read, and provides valuable benchmarking information for growers. This is a synopsis of the2020 results, including an overview from Executive Officer Gayle Sheridan. Overview
“The 2020 harvest year was very disappointing for the majority of groves, 25% down on 2019 and 50% down on 2018. Some 20% of groves reported no harvest and it is assumed a number of others also had no harvest, while 69% of groves who did harvest achieved less than 10kg/tree. “A number of factors contributed: a promising flowering did not translate into fruit set, followed by drought conditions in many regions resulting in small fruit and/ or fruit drop, and then slow ripening. These were compounded by harvesting/harvester issues for a number of groves. “However, those groves following the traditional Focus Grove spraying and pruning program substantially out-performed other groves in their region. “The overall quality of EVOO produced continues to be excellent, with all oils submitted for Certification being classified as EVOO. For the first time, the majority of oils were classified as intense in the polyphenols. “Note: The Covid-19 Level 4 lockdown came at a time when many groves were about to harvest. Fortunately olive harvesting and processing were seen as “essential services” so were able to be completed but strict processes had to be implemented. Only one grove reported that the lockdown affected their ability to harvest, due to trouble getting pickers. However the closure of markets, and restaurants in particular, did result in a substantial loss of sales across the industry.”
Average Tree Crop (Kg/Tree) 14.65
13.05 9.27
4.76
4.87
5.44
7.06 4.80
4.79
crops harvested in 2020 across the growing regions. The four top performing regions all include groves following the Focus Grove recommendations.
Average crop 2017-2020
The 2020 national average remains less than 10kg/tree, with only three regions having greater production - Hawke’s Bay, Kapiti and Northland. In 2019 only Hawke’s Bay, Kapiti and Nelson achieved a +10kg/ tree average. The average crop harvested compared to previous years was variable. The Focus Grove blocks again typically out performed within their regions. *Only one Marlborough grove provided harvest data figures and is not included.
Trees planted
A total of 306,000 trees are recorded in the database, as per 2019 figures. Hawke’s Bay has the largest number of trees (63,900), followed by Northland (50,600), Auckland (50,400) and Wairarapa (45,100). There is now a much more even spread across these four regions. Frantoio (87,400) remains the most planted varietal across the country, followed by Leccino (66,800). Koroneiki and Barnea are at 25,700 and 25,400 respectively, Picual at 17,200 and all other varietals less than 16,000 – in order: J5, Picholene, Manzanillo, Pendolino and Kalamata.
Crop by region
There was significant variation in the
10.92
5.02
Top individual crop by region
The best cropping variety across regions in 2020 has been varied. Overall the highest was Koroneiki in Wairarapa, while Picholene was the top performing varietal in both Canterbury and Kapiti. Of note is the the consistency of varietal performance in two regions, with Leccino in Otago and Picual in Hawkes Bay the best cropping variety for the past three harvest periods. *Blanks indicate no individual varietal figure is available, typically as smaller groves tend to harvest all varieties together.
Crop by grove
The majority of groves (69%) that had a harvest in 2020 yielded less than 10kg/ tree on average across their grove, a similar result to 2019. Some 20 groves reported ‘no harvest’.
Regional Crop Comparison (Kg/Tree) incl. Focus Groves 25.00 20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00
2018
2019
2020
2020 FG
Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 37
New Zealand Organic groves
There are only four groves known to be formally registered as organic or similar; two in Wairarapa, one each in Kapiti and Marlborough. As these groves are typically still working on their regimes, it is not appropriate for their data to be included separately in this report.
Spray programs
Chemical assessment
Lowest
Highest
Median
Average
Free Fatty Acid
0.10
0.40
0.10
0.17
Peroxide Value
3.00
14.00
6.00
6.21
Polyphenol Content
109
719
316
321
Delta K
< 0.01
< 0.01
< 0.01
< 0.01
UV absorption
Approximately 40% of groves now have a spray program, mainly targeting Peacock Spot (38/40 groves) and Anthracnose (27/40 groves). As per the Focus Grove Project recommendations, Manzate is the most widely used spray (32 groves). Protek is also used by 11 groves.
232 Nm
1.34
2.39
1.63
1.64
268 Nm
0.01
0.19
0.11
0.11
Fruity
3.00
5.20
4.00
4.06
Table olive production
Bitter
1.90
4.00
3.10
3.08
Pungent
2.40
5.00
3.70
3.68
There were 8.4 tonnes of table olives produced in 2020, with the largest production in Hawke’s Bay. The only regions that do not produce table olives are Auckland, Marlborough, Nelson and Waikato.
Sensory/organoleptic
2020 EVOO Certification Data Summary
Grove Harvest Figures
Average oil yield % by region
Oil yield percentage in 2020 was fairly similar in most regions to 2019, except for Auckland, Hawke’s Bay and Waiheke Island which were up. The national average was 14.43% compared with 14.68% in 2019.
Best yield by variety
The average oil yields in 2020 were similar to 2019, with most slightly higher. The highest varietal average yield was from Verdale at 20%, followed by Minerva at 19.1% and J5 at 18.8%.
Certification
Some 190 oils were submitted for Olives NZ Certification in 2020, up from 176 in 2019. All met the national Certification standard. Wairarapa producers submitted the largest number of oils (88), followed by Auckland (22), Kapiti (18), Nelson (16), Canterbury (13), Northland (9), Bay of Plenty (8), Hawkes Bay (7) and Central Otago and Marlborough (2 each).
Intensity
“We had four days of heavy frost which turned a lot of the olives brown; normally at that time we might get one frost.”
6% 10% 33% 15%
36% <5kg
5-10kg
10-15kg
15-20kg
>20kg
Average Yields by Region 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0%
The intensity spread based on polyphenols was <5% mild, 41% medium and 54% intense, compared with 23% mild, 59% medium and 18% intense in 2019. This reflects a substantial increase in intense oils in 2020, with a corresponding substantial decrease in mild oils.
2018
2019
2020
Best Average Yields for 2020 30.00%
More information
The complete 2020 Harvest Data Report is available on the Olives New Zealand website: www.olivesnz.org.nz.
20.00% 10.00% 0.00%
Verdale Minerva
J5
Ascolano Mission Kalamata
2018
38 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
2019
2020
J2
Moraiolo Koroneiki
R&D – Irrigation
Water use and yield of young and mature olive trees: A review Dr Ketema Zeleke, School of Agricultural and Wine Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga; EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation, Wagga Wagga
This article is part of a series reviewing early olive R&D reports, and covers two publications dealing with the water requirements of olives. Agricultural water management expert Ketema Zeleke identifies the key information available in the resources, particularly around the relationship between water and yield, along with gaps in current knowledge, and provides references to subsequent completed and ongoing research. With summer and the growing season now upon us, there’s plenty to take on board and into your groves. 1. Review of RIRDC Publication nos. 03/048 (2003) and 05/039 (2005)
Olive water use, relationship between water use and yield and irrigation management guidelines for optimum yield were investigated during two olive growing seasons (Sept-May) of 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 on four mature groves in South Australia (Waikerie, Two Wells, Balaklava, Greenock) in the RIRDC project no. UA-47A “Olive water use and yield - monitoring the relationship” (Nuberg and Yunusa, 2003). The summary of the characteristics of these groves is presented in Table 1. Each grower of these groves applied the irrigation amount as per their own management decisions. Actual evapotranspiration was determined from soil water balance of rainfall, irrigation and temporal change in soil water content. Soil water content was measured using neutron soil moisture probes. Transpiration was calculated/measured from weather data and sap flow measurement. The seasonal
Waikarie
Two Wells Balaklava
Greenock
Established
1988
1977
1970
1970
Cultivar
Kalamata
Verdale
Kalamata
Unknown
Spacing
8m x 5m
7m x 7m
10.5m x 5m
15m x 5m
Irrigation method
Micro-sprinkler
Drip
Drip
Rainfed
Ground cover
Grass/weed
Sprayed
Winter crop-fallow
Weeds
Annual rainfall (mm) 310
375
400
500
Annual ET (mm)
1850
1770
1850
1710
Water input (ML)
6.1
5.1
5.1
2.9
Water use ET* (mm)
619
652
523
317
Seasonal Kc*
0.39
0.40
0.31
0.23
Basal Kc, Kcb
0.23
0.32
0.14
0.12
Yield (kg/ha)
10998
13837
2165
2090
WUE* (kg/ML)
1777
2122
414
659
Table 1: Physical, water use and yield characteristics of the olive groves. *ET = evapotranspiration; *Kc = crop coefficient; *WUE = water use efficiency Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 39
R&D – Irrigation
200 180
CCF = 0.10; Seasonal ET = 182mm CCF = 0.40; Seasonal ET = 716mm
0.8
CCF = 0.20; Seasonal ET = 360mm CCF = 0.60; Seasonal ET = 1084mm
0.7
CCF = 0.20; Seasonal Kc = 0.22 CCF = 0.60; Seasonal Kc = 0.67
0.6
140 Crop coefficient Kc
Evapotranspira�on ET (mm)
160
120 100 80 60
0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2
40
0.1
20 0
CCF = 0.10; Seasonal Kc = 0.11 CCF = 0.40; Seasonal Kc = 0.45
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
0
May
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Month
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Month
4.5
0.40
4.0
0.35
3.5
0.30
3.0
0.25
2.5
0.20
2.0 1.5
Water input
1.0
Kc
0.10 0.05
0.5 0.0
0.15
Crop coefficient Kc
crop coefficient Kc, calculated as the ratio of actual evapotranspiration ETa (determined using soil water balance) to reference evapotranspiration ETo (determined from the weather data), is presented in Table 1. Basal crop coefficient Kb was calculated as a ratio of transpiration T to ETo. Water use efficiency WUE calculated as the weight of olives produced per unit of water use is also shown in Table 1. Water requirement Water requirement during a growing season by a typical grove in South Australia was estimated for different crop canopy cover fractions (CCF) (Fig 1a) with the corresponding crop coefficients Kc (Fig 1b). The seasonal water requirement varies between 182 mm (1.82 ML) for groves with small trees and 1084 mm (10.84 ML) for groves with large trees. These correspond to Kc values of 0.10 and 0.70. Water requirement of young olive trees in the period from planting to the first fruit bearing (from 1.5 to 5.5 years) was determined during four growing seasons of 2000/01 to 2003/04 at Weeroona Park, in South Australia in the RIRDC project no. DEB-2A “From planting to harvest - A study of water requirements of olives, from planting to first commercial harvest” (De Barro, 2005). The olive trees (cv. Manzanello) were planted in 8m x 5m spacings (250 trees/ ha) and irrigated using micro-sprinklers. A research row was selected and isolated for growth and soil moisture monitoring (using C-probe) in a commercial grove. In the research row, irrigation was applied based on the C-probe reading, while in the commercial groves there was no set rule for applying irrigation. The total amount of applied water was determined as the sum of irrigation and effective rainfall.
Total water input (ML/ha)
Fig 1: Evapotranspiration (a) and crop coefficient (b) for olive groves of different canopy cover fraction (CCF) at different times of the olive growing season and the whole season, South Australia.
Year 1
Year 2 Year 3 Olive age
Year 4
0.00
Fig 2: Total water input (rainfall + irrigation) and crop coefficient Kc during the four years the young olive trees were monitored.
Irrigation schedule Irrigation was scheduled according to olive tree water demands as indicated by the C-probe placed at 10, 20, 30, 40 and 70 cm depths. The total water applied (irrigation + rainfall) and the corresponding Kc values during the tree development are shown in Fig 2.
2. Main messages from the review
• There is a large variation in the amount of water applied to matured olives in the region which shows a lack of consistent irrigation management strategy or guidelines in olives. As a result, there is large variation in Kc, yield and water use efficiency. In the same region, water use varied from 3.17 ML (Kc = 0.23) to 6.52 ML (Kc = 0.40). • The relatively low Kc values show low water input in these groves, especially during mid-summer. • There is large year-to-year variation in
40 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
olive yield, which is mainly due to the alternate bearing characteristics of olives. Management strategies to increase yield stability are required. • The developed Kc factors (Fig 1 and Fig 2) can be used to calculate the water requirement of olives, an initial guideline of how much water to apply, for mature and young olives respectively. Growers can use these Kc values to estimate the optimum amount of irrigation and evaluate their irrigation practices. • Young olive trees’ total water requirement varies almost linearly from year 1 (1.5 ML/ ha) to year 5 (4.5 ML/ha). There is a tendency to over-irrigate by up to 1 ML/ha in young olive trees which will not result in any extra benefit. • Water requirement (rainfall + irrigation) of mature olives is about 7ML/ha when there is no cover crop and 9ML/ha where cover crop is maintained throughout the season. The proportion of ET used as transpiration
R&D – Irrigation
Kc values since the effect of crop is expressed using crop coefficient Kc, which can be similar for different regions. For a typical CCF of 0.40, the proposed Kc values (0.40 - 0.50) were relatively low compared to the 0.55 - 0.78 values proposed by many olive researchers (e.g. Goldhamer et al., 1993; Zeleke, 2014; Grattan et al., 2006; Villalobos et al., 2000; Paco et al., 2019; Paco et al., 2014; Allen and Pereira, 2009). Kc for young olive trees The Kc value was found to be varying from 0.15 - 0.34 for the young olive trees of 1.5 - 5.5 years old. In the RIRDC Publication no. 05/039 (De Barro, 2005), CCF was not measured, although crop coefficient mainly depends on canopy cover. Most of the crop factor studies in literature separate Kc into basal crop coefficient Kcb and the evaporation component Ke. For young olive trees, Puppo et al. (2019) developed a linear regression between basal crop coefficient (Kcb) and canopy light interception, from which they determined mid-season Kcb of 0.35. For young irrigated groves of different ages, Testi et al. (2004) reported Kc of 0.19 (for 2 years with CCF = 0.05), Kc of 0.25 (for 3 years with CCF = 0.15), and Kc of 0.35 (for 3 years with CCF = 0.25). Similarly, Puppo et al. (2019) determined Kc using a drainage lysimeter and reported that water consumption and Kcmid (Kc summer) increases with the age of trees and canopy cover as Kcmid = 0.031 (age) + 0.086. This shows that Kcmid = 0.14, 0.15, 0.21, 0.25, 0.30 for 1 yr, 2 yr, 3 yr, 4yr, 5yr and 6yr trees respectively. Water use In south-eastern NSW, using soil water balance approach, Zeleke (2014) estimated that ET of olives is 7.23 ML (723 mm) and 6.73 ML (673 mm) in “on” and “off” years,
T depends on the water application method: 73% for drip irrigation; 63% for micro-irrigation; and about 50% for a rainfed grove. Therefore, controlling weeds and using drip irrigation increases water use efficiency. However, it should also be noted that cover crops improve soil structure and increase infiltration. • The average WUE of 1380 kg/ML is within the range (800-1700 kg/ML) of values in the Northern hemisphere (Michelakis, 1990). • While Kc can be used to determine the amount of irrigation, soil moisture monitoring devices should be used to determine the timing of irrigation. Different management scenarios can be set to trigger irrigation events. • There is a direct positive relationship between olive yield and the amount of water applied. However, rainfed or water stressed groves might not immediately respond to irrigation and irrigation starts to have impact only when seasonal ET, which is approximately the same as water input, is more than 5 ML/ha. This shows the need for irrigating young olives with full water requirements so that it performs well right from the first fruit bearing. This also has implications when converting rainfed olives to an irrigated system.
3. The conclusions in light of recent research
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4. Summary on water requirement of olives
Canopy cover fraction (CCF) is the main variable that determines crop’s light interception and most of the variations in crop water consumption. Ground cover (crop or weed) in the grove and irrigation method affects consumptive water use of olives. For example, Allen and Pereira (2009) have shown that when there is no ground cover Kc is 0.50, while it is 0.70 when there is active ground cover. Deficit irrigation A large volume of studies elsewhere and several studies in Australia show that full irrigation of olives is not necessarily required. Deficit irrigation, especially regulated deficit irrigation during the pit-hardening
• Complete packaging service - just send your oil to us and we will do everything • Self fill packaging - ‘self fill’ supplies so that you can pack your own olive oil • ‘Bag-in-drum’ IBCs, drums and replacement liner bags
ag
OO
es vic er
Olive O
Kc for mature olive trees Crop water use ETc calculation is a twostep process from the relation ETc = ETo x Kc: first ETo is calculated from weather data, next Kc is determined for the given crop and its growth stage. Since weather naturally varies from region to region, there is no point in comparing values for different regions. However, it is worth evaluating/comparing
respectively. This (7.23 ML) agrees with the matured olive trees water requirement of 7 ML reported in the RIRDC report no. 03/048 (Nuberg and Yunusa, 2003). Zeleke (2014) reported that soil water extraction is limited mainly to the top 60 cm, as observed by Nuberg and Yunusa (2003), and root distribution is concentrated mainly in the direction of olive row or drip lateral. This has important implication in the application of inputs such as fertiliser. The results of several studies have concluded that deficit irrigation strategies (sustained and/or regulated) are essential for sustainable olive growing in regions with limited water resources (Goncalves et al., 2020; Iniesta et al., 2009; del Campo et al., 2013, Zeleke and Ayton, 2014, Santos 2018). This means irrigation strategies require precise knowledge of the crop/tree response to water deficits during different phenological/growth stages. However these reports, Nuberg and Yunusa (2003) and De Barro (2005), assume full irrigation throughout the season.
ac
k
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Mobile: Kent 0428 829 024 Mobile: Michelle 0448 965 349 PO Box 114 Riverton SA 5412 Email: oops@aussiebroadband.com.au Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 41
R&D – Irrigation
stage, enhances water use efficiency, water productivity, oil content, and increases oil quality. Deficit irrigation (sustained and/ or regulated) reduces water use, increases radiation use efficiency and water use efficiency maintaining a good balance between crop load and water productivity. In regions with limited water resources, deficit irrigation strategies can be used for sustainable olive production (Goncalves et al., 2020). Irrigation from establishment Groves that had been under regimes of water-stress may not respond immediately to improved water-supply regimes as low input management can condition olive trees to produce low yield. As a result, it is important to have an optimum irrigation schedule right from the start when new groves are established. This should prime the trees for producing high and consistent yields. However, there is a tendency to apply too much water to young olives. Too much water use at these growth stages can affect the growth due to water logging, leach nutrients and waste precious water. Too little irrigation can affect the growth and the trees might not be able to respond to irrigation once fruiting begins.
5. Subsequent completed research
Completed subsequent research on water use and water use efficiency of olives in Australia and elsewhere is given the References section.
6. Research currently underway
Satellite remote sensing has been found to be successfully used to estimate spatial and temporal variability of evapotranspiration of olives with strong correlation with ground truth measurements (Bchir et al., 2019). In this line, the University of New England (UNE) and NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) are undertaking a remote sensing project to assess and map dry matter production and yield of olive and other tree crops (ref below).
7. Future research needs/gaps to be undertaken
Although there are some useful research reports on olive water requirement, yield, and water use efficiency in Australia, there are no controlled/replicated experiments on olive water use and water use efficiency for different environments, olive growth stages, and irrigation management scenarios. Since these reports were evaluating just the farmers’ practices, there was no replication or rigorous statistical analysis in the trials.
Replicated trials As a result, the differences can be just due to chance. So replicated trials at a single or multiple homogenous sites with different irrigation amounts and its effect on olive yield, water use efficiency, oil yield and quality is recommended. Optimal irrigation management This will help to identify optimal management scenarios: irrigation management in “on” and “off” seasons and water management scenarios to minimise yield fluctuation needs to be determined. As water is becoming a high value resource, measuring optimum olive water requirement for maximum yield and gross margin which takes into account olive yield and input costs, including cost of water, is becoming important. Some studies have indicated that withholding or reducing irrigation during the pit-hardening period had only minor/ no effect on fruit size, timing of maturity, oil content or quality while saving irrigation water (Rosecrance et al., 2015; Zeleke and Ayton, 2014; Zeleke et al., 2012). However, the effect of full irrigation, sustained and/ or regulated deficit irrigation on olive yield, water use efficiency, and gross margin is yet to be determined in the region. Moisture monitoring guidelines In order to develop guidelines for the use of soil moisture monitoring devices for olive irrigation scheduling (when to apply and how much), growth and yield response of young and mature olives for different soil moisture stress levels, as recorded by these devices, needs to be developed using replicated studies.
Evapotranspiration Olive evapotranspiration needs to be determined following the standard two-step process: reference evapotranspiration from weather data and measurement of potential evapotranspiration from well-watered and well-managed olive groves. Then develop a relationship between Kc, ETc, and canopy cover using olives of different age at different times of the year. The separation of Kc into Kcb and Ke will help to relate Kcb to percent radiation interception by the tree canopy which is related to evapotranspiration. Basal crop coefficient Kcb is a function of canopy cover and canopy light interception. RomeroTrigueros et al. (2019), described ETc = Kr x Kc x ETo where Kr is reduction coefficient, calculated from the tree canopy diameter or percentage of soil shaded by the canopy.
More information
You can find out more about the multiindustry remote sensing project, which also includes monitoring of water requirements for olives, via presentation recordings on the OliveBiz website www.olivebiz.com.au. Access Remote Sensing - The Sky Is The Limit from the 2019 AOA National Olive Conference Presentations, Day 1 listing in Events; and the Update on the irrigation trials/oil accumulation results in the Webinars listing in Projects.
References
The full version of the review report including references is available on the OliveBiz website – www.olivebiz.com.au. Under the Projects drop-down, select Comms Project, then RIRDC Resource Updates and scroll down to the relevant review link.
Get breaking news on local achievements delivered FREE to your inbox: Register for Friday Olive Extracts at www.olivebiz.com.au 42 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
Olive business
Cyber security is your business The COVID era has changed the way we work and do business, in particular the trend from physical to online sales. Our increasingly cyber-connected world has its benefits but creates additional concerns around data security, so we asked cyber-security expert Glenn Makowski to talk us through the most relevant risks and how to best protect yourself and your business. Glenn Makowski - Managing Director ANZ, UK & Ireland, CommuniCloud In this article I’m going to discuss what I feel are the important areas in cyber security for small and medium sized businesses in the coming months. A glossary of terms is included at the end.
Why does cyber security matter to me?
First of all, why does cyber security matter? In a business setting, where many activities are carried out online, it is really about the continued ability to trade. Imagine if you couldn’t access your bank account, accounting software, email, social media accounts, and website and e-commerce store? Or even worse, if someone else was actively using them? There is a real risk of losing money both through the direct actions of a hacker, such as the recent well-publicised incidents where false invoices are paid to incorrect bank accounts, or through the amount of time it takes to resolve issues, which is time you are not working on your business and may not be able to trade. In addition, if a hacker is impersonating you they can cause significant damage to your reputation and that of your business very quickly. Of Australian businesses that reported a security attack, 56% have experienced Business Email Compromise (BEC) on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis (Telstra Security Report, 2019). This can result in significant hardship, with the average loss being $30,000 (ACCC, 2018). You may feel that as a small business or an individual that you are not important enough to be targeted, but many of these attacks are automated, and they are just looking for an opportunity (much like a coronavirus!)
How do I know if I have been hacked?
I am often asked “How would I know if I’ve been hacked?”. Unfortunately, the answer is that often you do not, at least not immediately. Many hacks are designed to sit undetected in your system and spend time observing and gathering information. The average time between a hack and discovery is 185 days (Ponemon Institute, 2018). There may be some indicators, however, so be aware if your computer seems to be running slowly, if you suddenly run out of disk space, or if unexpected pop-ups or banners appear. Another indicator is if friends, family, or colleagues report receiving spam from your email, messaging, or social media accounts. Advanced forensic tools are available to determine the source and extent of a cyberattack, but these are most applicable in commercial settings. There are plenty of things that you can do to protect yourself, and you are likely to be doing at least some of these already. They do not have to cost money, but it is worth spending some time to make sure you have these in place.
Phishing
The main route where individuals are hacked is through a process called phishing. This can happen through phone, email, or messaging
Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 43
Olive business
platforms and involves a process where you are tricked into giving up information or clicking on something that allows hackers to access your systems. Awareness and education are key in avoiding this, both for yourself but also your family and your employees. Some of the tactics used are phone calls from people saying they are calling from your bank or the ATO, or from companies like Amazon or Microsoft. They can sound extremely plausible so a high index of suspicion is vital. If it is a call (or message or email) you are not expecting, that is unsolicited, is trying to get you to take urgent action, or seems unusual in any way, then the safest course of action
“Install all essential updates on your devices, including system updates for your phone and apps”
Antivirus software
You probably already have antivirus and anti-malware software installed, such as Windows Defender, Norton, or McAfee, amongst many others, but if this is not up to date you may as well not have it. Antivirus is also available for mobile devices and is recommended. Our mobile devices are now vital links to many parts of our lives and businesses, and are vulnerable to a variety of threat vectors. I am often asked if Apple devices and computers need as much protection as Windows. The answer is yes! Although the system is often regarded as more secure, it is a big target for hackers and there are plenty of resources being devoted to gaining access.
DNS protection
This is less well known about than antivirus software but is becoming more popular. DNS is essentially a directory of the internet, so a DNS address tells your computer where to go.
is to obtain contact details and hang up. You can then check the phone number or email address from an independent source and call them back on a number you know is genuine (e.g. from contact details that you already have for your bank).
“Be suspicious of anything you are being encouraged to do urgently”
Updates
The good thing is that even you install DNS protection after the fact, it can detect breaches that are already present. This can help if you have got a virus or other malware on your computer, because these need to communicate with their source, and DNS protection means that your computer is prevented from visiting bad destinations. Cloudflare and OpenDNS have free options, and solutions are also available for larger enterprises such as Cisco Umbrella.
Install all the essential updates on your computers and mobile devices, including system updates for your phone and apps. Updates are important because they include protection against newly discovered threats. It is certainly irritating when those messages appear saying your computer is about to shut down for an update, and this seems to happen increasingly frequently and usually at an inconvenient time, but it is vital to install all updates as soon as practicable. In some instances, an update does not install correctly on the first attempt. In this case it is likely that another update needs to be installed first so when the cycle has finished just try again.
“Many of these attacks are automated, and they are just looking for an opportunity” At my company, CommuniCloud, we often perform penetration tests for clients and one of the most common vulnerabilities we see is with unpatched systems. As a company grows and more devices are added to the network it can be difficult to maintain an up-to-date inventory and ensure that all these are maintained with a regular schedule for patching. 44 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
Internet of Things (IoT)
You may well have come across the term IoT, which refers to devices that generally have little computational power but are connected to the internet. This could include things in your home, such as “intelligent” kitchen appliances, but may also apply to monitoring equipment in your grove. Vulnerabilities can arise because the data they are sending is often in the form of free text. This means it is not encrypted and is therefore open to interception and alteration. For example, you may be using a moisture monitoring system in your olive grove to guide your irrigation. It seems unlikely, but imagine a competitor or other hacker was able to change the data that you received and therefore you altered your irrigation on the basis of false information. When you are researching or using IoT devices it is important to ask the vendor questions about security. In addition, if the devices are connected to your own network, hackers can use them to gain access before moving to more valuable
Olive business
areas. For example, in 2017 a group of hackers was able to steal databases from a Las Vegas casino via a smart thermometer in a fish tank installed in the lobby!
“The average time between a hack and discovery is 185 days” Top tips for good cyber hygiene
• Use a password manager such as LastPass or Dashlane. This can store all your passwords which are accessed using a single master password, and also generate secure passwords for you. • Use multifactor authentication wherever possible. Google Authenticator and Authy are both apps that generate random codes for specific applications, or you can have a code sent to your mobile. • Check your computer and mobile devices are up to date, and are set to scan for updates (patches) and install them automatically. • Check your antivirus software is up to date and is set to scan and update automatically. • Avoid using free wifi, or if you must, use a VPN (such as VyprVPN). Organisations providing free wifi have no obligation to ensure that it is secure, but you can check their terms and conditions for more information. Using free wifi is high on the list of situations where people encounter malware. • Do not share your login details for your systems with family or employees, and make sure each individual has their own login. For example, employees should have their own login to your e-commerce platform where required, and their permissions should be limited to what is essential for their role. • Set up guest or staff accounts with separate passwords on your home and business wifi. This will reduce the risk of a device affected by malware being able to access your system. • Be aware of the risks of sharing password and login information over email or messaging platforms. • Be suspicious of anything you are being encouraged to do urgently. • Call and check bank details before making a payment to someone you have not paid before, or if you are asked to pay into a different account.
More information
If you want to read more then the Australian Government Cyber Security Centre has great resources available at www.cyber.gov. au. Or if you would like to discuss Cyber Security for your business, you can find out more about what we do at CommuniCloud on our website - www.communicloud.com.
Glossary
Cyber security: The practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. Cyber attack: A digital attack aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information; extorting money from users; or interrupting normal business processes. Penetration test: Colloquially known as a pen test, pentest or ethical hacking, is an authorized simulated cyber attack on a computer system, performed to evaluate the security of the system. Patching: A set of changes to a computer program or its supporting data designed to update, fix, or improve it, including fixing security vulnerabilities. Vulnerability: a weakness which can be exploited and expose your business to a threat, for example to gain unauthorized access to a computer system. Threat: a source of potential information loss or damage relevant to your business, for example a computer virus. Incident: a cyber security attack where information is threatened. Breach: a cyber security attack where information is compromised. Virus: a type of malicious code or program written to alter the way a computer operates and designed to spread from one computer to another. Malware (malicious software): any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a computer, server, client, or computer network. A wide variety of types exist, including computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, and adware. Ransomware: malware planted illegally in a computer or mobile device that disables its operation or access to its data until the owner or operator pays to regain control or access. Pop-up: a window that appears on top of all other windows, commonly a form of advertising.
“If (intelligent) devices are connected to your own network, hackers can use them to gain access” Virtual Private Network (VPN): this describes a way to establish a protected network connection when using public networks and makes it more difficult for third parties to track your activities online and steal data. Internet of Things (IoT): a computing concept that describes the idea of everyday physical objects being connected to the internet and being able to identify themselves to other devices. DNS (domain name system): often referred to as the internet's phone book and converts host names like https://australianolives.com.au to IP addresses.
Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 45
Olive business
Unsafe storage leads to poisoning and $48K fine A recent prosecution serves as a timely reminder of the need to ensure best practice when it comes to safe storage of chemicals around your home, business and property, with both legal and human consequences to inattention or disregard for the regulations. In October the NSW Land and Environment Court convicted and fined a volunteer groundsman $48,000, after a man almost died when he consumed pesticide stored incorrectly.
SO D A
x
The man was prosecuted by the NSW Environment Protection Authority (EPA) after a 22-year-old autistic man accidentally drank the highly toxic weedkiller Paraquat, which the groundsman had illegally stored in a Coca-Cola bottle and left in a disabled toilet at a sports field. The 22-year-old man spent 18 days in hospital critically ill but miraculously survived. The presiding judge said storing the poison in a drink bottle was a “gravely serious breach” of the Pesticides Act, undertaken “without any real regard for the obligations” of safe poison storage. EPA Director of Regulatory Operations Adam Gilligan said the case highlights the vital importance of vigilance and care when dealing with dangerous chemicals.
“A young man very nearly died. Rules for the safe storage and use of pesticides and other poisons are in place to protect the community and the environment. Any disregard for the regulations can have very serious consequences, as we saw in this terrible case. “It is absolutely vital that dangerous chemicals are stored safely and securely, well out of harm’s way.” In addition to the $48,000 fine, the groundsman was ordered to pay the EPA’s legal costs and the Victim’s Support Levy. He also had to live with the knowledge that he had caused severe physical harm to the victim. He told the court he had learned that people “should never take the risk of putting chemicals into unauthorised containers.”
The right way to store and manage chemicals
Luckily, there are some great easy-to-follow references available to help manage your chemicals and ensure safe and secure storage: • Produced by the NSW DPI, Storing pesticides safely on farm is a comprehensive, user-friendly Primefact guide covering storage facilities, measurement, labels and safety data sheets and PPE. It also covers emergency safety provisions and provides links to the relevant legislation. Go to www.dpi.nsw.gov.au and type ‘storing pesticides’ into the search box, then download the pdf. • The Victorian government’s Better Health website also has great resources available on its Farm safety and handling agrichemicals page. Again comprehensive and user-friendly, the information covers common agrichemicals, side effects of exposure, safety data sheets, safe storage, transport, use and disposal procedures for agrichemicals, and advice and contacts in the case of agrichemical exposure. Go to www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au and type ‘agrichemicals’ into the search box, then click on the page. You can also then download and print the information for easy reference.
Disposal of ag-vet chemicals and containers Do you have ag-vet chemical product that is no longer required, or used chemical containers you don’t know how to dispose of? drumMUSTER is the national program for the collection and recycling of eligible nonreturnable agricultural and veterinary (agvet) chemical containers from primary producers and other agvet chemical users. ChemClear® is the national program for
the collection and destruction of currently registered agvet chemicals at the end of their life cycle, or when they become surplus. Chemicals eligible for FREE collection under the program (Group 1) will display the drumMUSTER/ChemClear® eligible logo on the container. Group 2 chemicals (no longer registered, expired, unlabelled etc) incur a collection fee.
46 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
More information: www.drummuster.org. au; www.chemclear.org.au, phone 1800 008 707 or email info@drummuster.org.au.
Olive business
New quad bike safety measures now mandatory Key requirements of the Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019 came into effect on 11 October and all new and imported second-hand quad bikes sold in Australia must now conform to these new requirements. Additional requirements for general use quad bikes will apply from 11 October 2021. The purpose of the standard is to prevent or reduce the risk of fatality or injury associated with the use of quad bikes by improving information for consumers/users and also the safety design of quad bikes. There have been at least 136 fatalities during 2011-19 and it is estimated that six people present to an emergency department each day, of which two are admitted to hospital with serious injuries. Around 15% of deaths involve children.
• have a rollover warning label permanently affixed so it is clearly visible and legible when the quad bike is in use; • provide information in the owner’s manual or information handbook on the risk of rollover and how to best operate the quad bike safely in higher risk conditions; • be tested for lateral static stability, with a hang tag showing the angle at which the quad bike tips on to two wheels displayed at the point of sale. This information allows consumers to compare the stability of different models within a particular category of quad bikes - quad bikes with higher numbers (bigger tilt table angles) are more stable; • have a spark arrestor that conforms to the Australian Standard AS 1019-2000 or the US Standard 5100-1d.
Mandatory standard
Second-hand quad bikes
Key requirements from October 2020
More information
There are now three important things to check when buying a new or an imported second-hand quad bike so you can compare safety aspects of different models. If this information is missing, you can report an unsafe product to the ACCC. The supplier may be in breach of the Australian Consumer Law, which can result in fines and penalties. From 11 October 2020, all new and imported second-hand quad bikes are required to: • meet the specified requirements of the US standard for quad bikes, ANSI/SVIA 1-2017, or the European standard for quad bikes, EN 15997:2011;
N AT I O N A L
2021
OLIVE INDUSTRY conference & exhibition
Quad bikes must now have a rollover warning label permanently affixed so it is clearly visible and legible when the bike is in use.
The standard requirements do not apply to second-hand quad bikes, other than those imported into Australia. This is to allow the existing quad bike fleet to upgrade over time to quad bikes that meet the safety standard, while ensuring that suppliers do not import these vehicles to avoid the safety standard requirements. You can find out more on the ACCC website - www.productsafety.gov.au/ standards/quad-bikes and view the Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019 at www.legislation.gov.au.
A lateral stability hang tag recording the minimum angle at which the quad bike tips sideways on to two wheels must be attached to all quad bikes, and must be present, clearly visible and legible at the point of sale.
Save the date 15-17 October
www.nationaloliveconference.com.au Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 47
Olives and health
Health round-up Continuing our regular round-up of the latest relevant health research from around the world, to keep you up to date and in the know…
EVOO polyphenol may protect against food toxins Eating polyphenol rich EVOO may naturally increase food safety, protecting from the harmful effects of some common food fungal toxins. That’s the finding of new research by scientists from the University of Louisiana - Monroe, published recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. Microbial growth during food storage can produce fungal mycotoxins, some of which negatively affect the nervous systems of both humans and livestock. Some are toxic to the human nervous system in very small doses and an accumulation of mycotoxins over time can result in serious health hazards: one of the most common is Penitrem A (PA), which is known to cause motor system dysfunctions including tremors and seizures. The researchers looked at a number of minor bioactive phenolics in EVOO, including (+)-Pinoresinol (PN) and (+)-1-acetoxypinoresinol (AC, lignans with diverse biological activities. AC exclusively occurs in EVOO, while PN occurs in several plants, and preliminary in vitro
screening identified both as having the potential ability to reverse PA toxicity. Subsequently testing in a mouse model, AC significantly minimized the effects of fatal PA doses and normalized most biochemical factors. They concluded that the olive lignan AC can prevent the neurotoxicity of food-contaminating mycotoxins, and that consumption of lignan-rich olive oil “can protect the sciatic and peripheral nervous system against the insult caused by … fungal toxins”. They therefore believe that olive oil could be used as a food additive to increase food safety. Sources: www.pubs.acs.org; www.oliveoiltimes.com.
Med Diet can reduce risk of rheumatoid arthritis in smokers French researchers have found that eating a Mediterranean style diet (including olive oil, of course) can reduce the risk of female smokers developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Women are more likely to develop RA and the relationship between smoking and an increased risk of RA is well known, as is the efficacy of olive oil in reducing the inflammatory activity of the disease. The researchers therefore conducted a study to assess the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet and the risk of RA, especially in high‐risk individuals (particularly smokers). They utilized the French E3N‐EPIC prospective cohort study, which has included 98,995 women since 1990. The study includes dietary data collected via a validated food frequency questionnaire, with adherence to the Mediterranean diet assessed as consumption of a number of key foods, including olive oil, and scored accordingly. The results, published recently in the Journal of the American
College of Rheumatology, identified 480 incident cases of RA among 62,629 relevant participant women. They found that within the total study population, the Med diet adherence score was not associated with a change in RA risk. Among smokers, however, a higher Med diet score (better adherence) was associated with a decreased risk of RA – 38.3 per 100,000 person‐years, compared with 51.5 per 100,000 person‐ years for those with low scores. For women who had never smoked and had high Mediterranean diet scores, the risk was even lower, at 35.8 per 100,000 person‐ years. While noting that further research is needed, they concluded that their results “suggest that adherence to the Mediterranean diet could reduce the high risk of RA among ever‐smoking women”. Source: www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
High polyphenol EVOO keeps frontotemporal dementia at bay Scientists at Temple’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine have discovered that consuming high polyphenol EVOO in early adulthood can protect against developing frontotemporal dementia. Typically manifesting between 40-65, frontotemporal dementia can lead to behavior and personality changes, difficulty speaking and writing, and eventual memory deterioration. It is one of a group of aging-related diseases called tauopathies, which are characterized by the gradual buildup in the brain of an abnormal form of a protein called tau. For the study, published recently in the journal Aging Cell, The researchers fed extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to a group of lab mice engineered to develop tau-related dementia, at an age comparable to 30 or 40 years in humans.
48 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2020 • Issue 118
Six months later, when the mice were the equivalent of age 60 in humans, they found that the mice who were fed the EVOOsupplemented diet had a 60% reduction in tau deposits in the brain compared to those who were not given EVOO. The same mice also showed improved performance on memory and learning tests. Concluding that “Extra virgin olive oil improves synaptic activity, short-term plasticity, memory and neuropathology in a tauopathy model,” the researchers now plan to explore whether EVOO can reverse tau damage and ultimately treat tauopathy in older mice – and therefore also, we hope, in humans. Source: www.templehealth.org.
Products and services
Eclipsing the others with innovative quality products At Eclipse Enterprises we pride ourselves on supplying professional, quality products to horticulturists in Australia and New Zealand. Our agencies include Falket of Italy, AgriFast/SIMES of Spain, BARNEL of the USA and CAMPAGNOLA of Italy, all offering quality products to the most discerning customers. We carry a complete range of spare parts and offer after sales service for all our tools.
had approximately 900 beats/minute and
distributors and our customers worldwide, CAMPAGNOLA could see that the pruning market was evolving once again and the demand for flexibility was gaining momentum. That demand was for flexibility and power, and in 2000 CAMPAGNOLA made the decision to invest in their own electric secateurs. In 2004 they released the first tool, the Tronic Star, and have continued to evolve, with speed, power and user comfort the priorities. It brings us to today and the COBRA Pro, which covers all of these bases: it has the smallest hand grip, is ergonomic, has large cutting capacity and is backed by a four-year factory warranty.
was proclaimed as the game changer for harvesting those little fruits we all cherish. Since those humble times CAMPAGNOLA has set the pace with new designs and today we have a number of olive harvesters in the range. All are lighter, faster at 1800 beats/ minute, and due to their unique design, will do less harm to both the fruit and the tree. Without doubt, the best performing tool in the range is the Alice electromechanical olive harvester. The Alice’s patented unique action will get all varieties of olives off the tree and it is always enjoyable to do a demonstration, as people who are seeing it for the first time are amazed at how easily it removes the olives compared to other branded similar tools.
Batteries
CAMPAGNOLA innovation
Eclipse Enterprises has been the proud distributors of the CAMPAGNOLA products into Australia and New Zealand since the early 1970s. For 62 years CAMPAGNOLA has been synonymous with innovative products and ideas that have transformed the horticultural industry. They automated the pruning sector by pioneering pneumatic pruners with thermoplastic bodies on secateurs. This brought speed, cutting power and comfort, making the chore we all loath a little more manageable. Along the way they also introduced pneumatic chainsaws and loppers suitable for multiple applications in the orchard.
Harvesters
In the 1970’s they set the world on fire with their next initiative, the Olistar pneumatic olive harvester. Initially this was one single comb with solid fingers, powered by a largish piston on a fixed length extension pole. It
Electric secateurs Through
interaction
with
With the horticultural electric power tool market once again evolving, CAMPAGNOLA is adding to their range of electric tools with “plug in” batteries, similar to power tools in other markets. We expect to have a wide range of secateurs, chainsaws and a tying tool with plug in batteries available for 2021 season. For your olive orchard requirements, please get in touch with Leon or Con Atsalis of Eclipse Enterprises. We would be happy to quote for you or direct you to our nearest stockist. P: 08 8351 8611 E: info@eclipseenterprises.com.au W: www.eclipseenterprises.com.au
their
Issue 118 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 49
your calendar of olive events
2020 Dec
30 March AOA Healthy Soils Field Day - Ginginup, WA www.olivebiz.com.au
14 December-26 January AOA office closure www.australianolives.com.au
2021
Feb
Apr 14 February AOA Healthy Soils Field Day - Exeter, TAS www.olivebiz.com.au
May
16-17 February evokeAG – Perth, WA www.evokeag.com
23-25 March Soil CRC Participants Conference www.soilcrc.com.au 5 April Entries close, Berlin Global Olive Oil Awards – Berlin, Germany www.berlingooa.com 7 May Entries close, OLIVE JAPAN 2021 International Olive Oil Competition www.olivejapan.com/en 15 May Entries close, EVO IOOC 2021 – Palmi, Italy www.evo-iooc.it
21 February AOA Healthy Soils Field Day – Rushworth, VIC www.olivebiz.com.au
18-19 May Farm2Plate Exchange 2021 – Scenic Rim, Qld www.regionality.com.au
28 February AOA Healthy Soils Field Day – Tooperang, SA www.olivebiz.com.au
Mar
What’s on
1 March Entries close, 2021 New York International Olive Oil Competition – New York, USA www.nyiooc.org 7 March AOA Healthy Soils Field Day – Hunter Valley, NSW www.olivebiz.com.au
Jun Sep Oct
14 March AOA Healthy Soils Field Day – Hampton via Toowoomba, QLD www.olivebiz.com.au 28 March AOA Healthy Soils Field Day – Lowden (via Donnybrook), WA www.olivebiz.com.au
25 May Winners announced, OLIVE JAPAN 2021 International Olive Oil Competition www.olivejapan.com/en 7-9 June Hort Connections 2021 – Brisbane, Qld www.hortconnections.com.au September – Dates TBC 2021 Sydney Royal Oil & Olives Competition – Sydney, NSW www.rasnsw.com.au 15-17 October 2021 National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition - Devonport, Tasmania www.nationaloliveconference.com.au
Advertiser index Client
Page
Australian Olive Association Modern Olives Eclipse Enterprises Sicma Kingsford Machinery
50
2, 16, 51 7 9 11 13
Client
Page
Costante NSW DPI Oil Testing Service Olive Oil Packaging Services Communicloud
19 21 41 43
Braud Australia
52
Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • September 2020 • Issue 117
efit Member Ben
Conference ........... $100 .. .. .. .. 1 x n o Registrati .. $22 1 ................ x er n in D AIOA 150 1 ............. $ x ee F y tr n AIOA E
Membership it makes
Member $ discount
$4 OG & P .................. 4 x n o ti p ri c Subs
DOLLARS and SENSE!
Olivebiz ..... $60 1 ................ x s ed ifi s s Cla
$336 bership Annual mem 225 =$ nts 5 ha grower event discou g in o g n o s Plu
**El Cultivo Del Olivo Book on joining $165 RRP
So 1st year membership benefit = $494 Peak Industry Body – Advocacy and Representation – Your voice to Government ✓ Australian Standard
for Olive oil and olive pomace oil AS 5264-2011
✓ Australian
International Olive Awards
OliveCare
The
Olive Awards
®
www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia .com .au
✓ AOA National
✓ Biosecurity
management
✓ Grower field days
✓ AOA Facebook page ✓ Tastebook program
✓ Industry AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL
Awareness & Education Campaigns – Everyday, Fresher Tastes Better!
and reporting and seminars
✓ Code of Practice
✓ Consumer
✓ Market surveillance
Industry Conference & Exhibition
✓ Point of sale
marketing merchandise
✓ PHA Biosecurity Levy
communications – Olivegrower & Processor, Friday Olive Extracts, Olivebiz
✓ Registered pesticide minor use permits holder for industry
✓ Voice of Horticulture Membership
AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND
& NATIONAL JOURNAL OF THE OLIVE INDUSTRY
✓ NFF Horticulture
Council Membership
✓ Industry Risk and
Crisis Management
The Australian Olive Association is the prescribed industry body representing all olive growers, certified importers and service providers in Australia since 1995. JOIN TODAY and take advantage of the many member benefits and services. Email Liz at secretariat@australianolives.com.au
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