March 2020 Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor Magazine by Sandra Noke

Olives and bushfire

2020 March

Post-bushfire grove management AIOA Best of Show Profiles Processing NZ Focus Grove organic approach

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 Speaker Details

John Barton* from Charton & Bang, Research & Development, will build on his highly acclaimed 2019 National Olive Conference presentation, “The Importance of Soil Carbon”. John will demonstrate how to make compost, and how to incorporate compost into soil. The Remote Sensing Project Team will share their knowledge on “the application of remote sensing to the management of olives groves”, including monitoring tree health. The measuring and managing theme will continue with a panel of Specialist Service Providers demonstrating a range of the latest technology to monitor, test, and measure vital soil parameters, and tree health. * Andy Gulliver of C-Wise will be presenting in place of John Barton in WA

For full program details, visit olivebiz.com.au/2020-soil-field-days/

Dates and venues • • • • • •

Sunday 19 April 2020 – BBL Boort Estate, Boort VIC. Registrations close 09/04/20. Sunday 3 May 2020 – Lentara Grove, Exeter, TAS. Registrations close 26/04/20. Sunday 12 July 2020 –aFthonia Farms, Hampton (via Toowoomba), QLD. Registrations close 05/07/20. Friday 17 July 2020 – Cowaramup Creek Farm - Olio Bello, Cowaramup, WA. Registrations close 10/07/20. Sunday 9 August 2020 – Wollundry Grove, Brucedale, NSW. Registrations close 02/08/20. Sunday 16 August 2020 – Peninsula Providore Farm - Nangkita Olive Grove, Tooperang SA. Registrations close 09/08/20.

Cost: Members & levy payers: $40 inc GST, Other $50 inc GST

TO REGISTER VISIT: olivebiz.com.au/2020-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

March 2020 Issue 115 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.

Contents News Industry action continues on solution to flawed HSR for oils Decision pending on AIOA head judge role Australian olive industry shines at WCOF2020

4 4 5

Regional round-up Olives SA members go the distance for fire-affected grower Chipping away at NOVA grove restoration New export support for Tasmanian growers Hunter region update

6 8 10 12

Olives & bushfire 14 Grower experiences Recovery of olive groves after fire Will bushfire smoke taint my EVOO? Soil microbes and bushfire

R&D Insights – Hort Innovation

14 18 20 21

Feature The weather in figures – Australia and NZ

Olivegrower Profile – AIOA Best of Show W2Olives - Homework the secret to ‘Mammoth’ win Saluté - Engineering a successful olive business

34 36

New Zealand Olives NZ Focus Grove Project – an organic approach

Olive business Olive industry agri-chemical usage Chemical use training Malaxing: a ‘hot’ topic in processing Register of small-batch processors – are you listed? Effects of settling, filtering and timing on EVOO chemistry Regional weather and climate guide

41 42 44 45 46 47

Olives & health Health round-up

What’s on/Advertiser index

Cover: Jared and Jaqueline Bettio’s Rio Vista grove in the Adelaide Hills was one of a number impacted by the devastating December-January bushfires across Australia. Issue 115 • December 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 3

News

Gerri Nelligan Managing Editor

The last three months have been a rollercoaster for many in our industry. The fires across many states devastated several groves, damaged others, and saw many more growers in fear for weeks. Our hearts go out to all who were impacted, along with hopes that 2020 will be a regenerative year.

The prolonged drought and intense early heat also impacted on this year’s crop but heavy rains in some regions have provided full dams and renewed hope for the future. With that in mind, we’ve collected a bunch of really useful information in this edition. The Olives and bushfire feature provides a practical reference for swift action should fire impact your grove; there’s advice on processing, testing and safe chemical usage; and our AIOA Profiles share great information on what makes a winning producer. We hope you find it useful. Editor Gerri Nelligan and the OG&P team.

Industry action continues on solution to flawed HSR for oils In the December edition of Olivegrower we reported on positive action in relation to the controversial food Health Star Rating system (HSRS), which currently ranks refined seed oils such as canola and sunflower above naturally-produced and healthier extra virgin olive oil. Following the Five Year Review maintaining status quo on the issue, the Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation requested that the Food Regulation Standing Committee (FRSC) reconsider the way edible oils are treated under the system. It also requested the FRSC to provide further technical advice on oils at its next meeting, when it will consider outstanding issues and an implementation plan for agreed changes to the current HSRS. AOA CEO Greg Seymour described the outcome as “a crucial win against the odds”, brought about by co-operative lobbying and representations by olive industry members and supporters, and said those efforts would continue until the final decisions are made.

“We committed to making ourselves available to assist the Government with that process in whatever way we can, and we’ve continued to do so,” he said. “We’ve made further representations to the Food Forum Ministers, and had ongoing communications with all of the FRSC representatives - we’ve written to them, rung them and are following up with meetings. We’re also in consultation with the technical division of the Commonwealth Department of Health. “We’ve been involved in trying to help develop a good solution and have suggested an alternative assessment algorithm which could be used to calculate the star ratings for edible oils. “The essence of our algorithm is that we take into account positive health attributes as well as the negative ones, whereas currently edible oils are rated on a single attribute saturated fat content. So it’s using multiple rating elements, both negative and positive, rather than rating oils purely on the one negative element.

“They appreciated the fact that we’d followed up with additional information and the department is currently assessing our suggested alternative. We’re leaving no stone unturned in trying to get a better outcome for the industry.” Seymour said that while there’s no guarantee of a more positive final outcome, it’s heartening that the industry’s concerns have been listened to and are being further investigated. “We expect the FRSC will next meet in April and we’d expect the Food Forum to meet a month to six weeks after that, so we’ll see what the government says then,” he said. “We don’t know if our efforts will work but when the decision is handed down, we’ll know we couldn’t have done anything more.” We’ll update on the Food Forum’s final decision in the June edition of Olivegrower & Processor.

Decision pending on AIOA head judge role The process to fill the role of AIOA Head Judge is nearing completion, with the announcement as to who will be appointed for the next three years just weeks away. The AOA’s Judging Development Policy stipulates a three-year term for the AIOA Head Judge position, although the incumbent can apply for reappointment. With current Head Judge Shane Cummins’ term expiring this month, the AOA Board sought expressions of interest from suitably qualified applicants to take on the role for the next three years. AOA CEO Greg Seymour said applications closed on 5 March, with the standard of applicants creating a (positively) difficult decision. “We received enquiries and high-quality applications from a 4 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

range of experienced industry members, The and there are a number of excellent AUSTRALIAN candidates,” he said. INTERNATIONAL “It’s an important role, encompassing Olive Awards AIOA competition responsibilities, involvement in talent development programs and support for regional competitions, and we’re in the happy position of having really high-calibre applicants to choose from. “The board will make its decision at the next meeting in midMarch, and the appointee will be announced immediately via the Friday Olive Extracts e-newsletter.” We’ll also introduce the 2020-2023 AIOA Head Judge in the June edition of Olivegrower & Processor.

www.internationaloliveawardsaustralia .com .au

News

Australian olive industry shines at WCOF2020 The World Congress on Oils & Fats 2020 (WCOF2020) saw research scientists and industry participants from across the globe gather in Sydney for a four-day event focussed on all things fats and edible oils. As one of the event co-hosts, the Australian Olive Association (AOA) worked with Dr Matt Miller to organise and deliver sections of the event program, which featured presentations from a range of olive industry experts and organisations. AOA CEO Greg Seymour said the Australian olive industry was well represented, both by local scientific experts and our quality olive products. “There was plenty of Australian input into the event, particularly on the technical side, all of which was received very well,” he said. “Boundary Bend Technical Director Leandro Ravetti gave a great presentation, as did Claudia Guillaume from the Modern Olives lab, Jamie Ayton from the NSW DPI testing service and AOA President Emeritus Paul Miller. Australian oil chemist Rod Mailer also did a sterling job as event chair. “The Mediterranean Diet workshop was a cracker, and provided wide-ranging information on the proven health benefits of EVOO, in particular emphasising olive oil and its effect on the brain. Dr Catherine Itsiopoulos, a long-time promoter of Australian EVOO, was heavily involved and NSW DPI sensory scientist Dr Soumi Paul Mukhopadhyay, who runs the AOA’s TasteBook™ program, wrapped up the event with a sensory workshop.”

Showcasing Australian products

Soumi said the hour-long workshop was also very well received – as were the awardwinning olive oils and table olives presented. “I took them through seven top Australian products, two EVOOs, three table olives and two flavoured oils, all gold medal-winners from the 2019 AIOA competition,” she said. “More than 80% of the participants had eaten olive oil but not tasted it as a sensory exercise, so it was very different for them actually learning how to taste, and about the sensory attributes which differentiate a gold medal-winning oil. “They came away with a real appreciation of Australian olive oil and table olives, and the next day a number approached me to find out how they could order the ones they’d tasted.

“It was a really good promotion of the quality and flavours of Australian products, and I was proud to be presenting them to an international audience with such a specific interest in edible oils.”

Tribute to Dr Christian Gertz

Seymour said another significant element of the event was a panel session with German scientist Dr Christian Gertz and three prominent Australians involved the development of the Australian olive industry: Paul Miller, Leandro Ravetti and Jamie Ayton. “We have had a long and truly valuable relationship with Dr Gertz and were fortunate that he made his second journey to Australia for this conference,” Seymour said. “Paul, Leandro and Jamie were each connected in various ways with the introduction of Christian’s research on the methods for determining quality over time into the Australian olive oil industry; and the subsequent development of the Australian Standard for Olive Oil and Olive Pomace Oil (AS5264-2011). “It was therefore fitting for the Australian Olive Association to take the opportunity to personally acknowledge the contribution of Dr Gertz and his colleagues in the development of the Australian Olive industry as we know it today. “On behalf of the Australian olive oil industry (and all honest producers and marketers of high quality EVOO around the world), we thanked him for his contribution to the science of olive oil and for the methodology he developed and championed that has helped the Australian industry to position itself globally as a consistent highquality producer of EVOO. “The reliable shelf life prediction which was developed from that research has enabled a consumer-focused approach to certification and marketing in this country, which has in turn resulted in a significant gain in retail market share for Australian EVOO producers. It also provides a sound commercial platform for the continued development of the olive industry in Australia and overseas. “We believe that this is a massive win for consumers worldwide and for those producers who truly pursue quality and authenticity.”

Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 5

Regional round-up

Olives SA members – and several non-industry supporters – travelled from across the state to assist with urgent fire damage repair work at Woodside Olives.

Olives SA members go the distance for fire-affected grower There are hundreds of kilometres between South Australia’s olive growers but distance wasn’t a barrier when one of their community was hit hard by December’s devastating bushfires. 2019 Royal Adelaide Olive Awards Best in Show winners Ron and Ethne Baker had the majority of their 5000-tree Woodside Farm grove affected by the Cudlee Creek fire, which burned through thousands of hectares of farming land, forest and bushland. They also lost their irrigation system, cattle and hay stores. While the fire burned to the edge of the lawn around the house block, however, with help from friend and colleague Peter Cox they managed to defend and save their house and equipment sheds. With major fires impacting a number of olive growing regions, Olives SA kicked into action immediately after the danger had passed, board members Michelle Freeman and Kent Hallett crosschecking membership details against reports of affected areas to identify any who may have been affected. “We contacted them to check and found that, fortunately, only three members had been impacted: Jared and Jaqueline Bettio at Rio Vista had around 200 trees affected; Nick Whiting’s Coonalpyn Olive Grove, managed by Andrew and Delyth Taylor, had a small amount of damage to one section of the grove; and the Bakers at Woodside, whose damage was substantial,” Hallett said. “Rio Vista and Coonalpyn didn’t need any help with damage repair but the Bakers did, so Jared visited them to assess the work required. He then continued to liaise with them as OSA’s “on the ground” rep as we organised a working bee for New Year’s Eve – the first day since the fire with a forecast below 40C.”

Huge task … and support

Hallett said they had a huge task ahead, with 45+kms of irrigation pipe to be pulled up and collected, and more than 150 pairs of underground risers dug out and exposed ready for repair or replacement. “But we had a great show of support, with 20 people - including several members of the public who heard about it - turning up with tools and enthusiasm to get the job done,” he said. “By the end of the day we’d completed all the planned work, and the grove was ready for the new irrigation pipe to be laid, and for pruning of the trees.”

6 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

The volunteers pulled up and collected more than 45kms of damaged irrigation pipe, along with 150 pairs of underground risers.

The Bakers said that, with so much of their farm operation including stock - lost or damaged in the fire, it was a relief to get such a substantial start on the restoration. They expressed “heartfelt thanks to the committee for the idea and implementation of the work day at Woodside Farm on 31st December, and to all of the workers for the time and effort they volunteered. “This has lifted a work burden from our shoulders and generally helped us to regain some optimism for the recovery, as did knowing that more help was on offer if we needed it.”

Rallying together

All up, this was a really special show of industry and peer support – particularly the remarkable input from new OSA board member Jared Bettio, whose grove was also hit hard by the fire. Leaving his team to tend to his own damaged trees, Bettio helped the Bakers define their objectives and working plan, and then offered them his brand new mulcher for their clean-up work. “I just went around there for a few hours,” he said. “They were telling me the stuff they needed to do; we broke it down into steps and I assured them that Olives SA would help get it done. “Sometimes when you’re in that situation it’s hard to know how to tackle it – it’s just too big a thing to sort out by yourselves.” And then there were Coonalpyn grove manager Andrew Taylor and the Rowntree family from Longridge Olives, who made a 300km round-trip to help out on the day, and Kangaroo Island Olives’ Michael Esposito, whose own family grove was under threat as uncontrolled fires spread across the island. Hallett said that, despite the unfortunate reason for the gathering, it was a great day. “The work might have been hard but it was fun working with likeminded colleagues, and the catering was fantastic (big thank you to Ethne and her team!),” he said. “And it’s really satisfying for everyone knowing that the work of the volunteers has helped save many of the trees, and hopefully will help return the grove to its former award-winning state.”

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SENSORY MASTERCLASS 2020 Congratulations to attendees who completed our intensive Sensory Analysis course last month. We were privileged to have Wenceslao Moreda from the IOC as our guest speaker. Guests from all over Australia and New Zealand came away with a better understanding of how Sensory Analysis relates to high quality EVOO.

Regional round-up

Making good use of a chipper hired for the December working bee were, from left, OSA President Michael Johnston, Peter Cox (behind), Gianni Meneghetti and Fred Meyer.

Chipping away at NOVA grove restoration Extreme heat and dry conditions weren’t enough to deter the small but determined team which gathered at the University of Adelaide’s NOVA grove in mid-December. It was the third in a series of working bees held at the grove by Olives SA (OSA), as part of a collective project to restore and rejuvenate the National Olive Variety Assessment (NOVA) Collection site at the University’s Roseworthy campus.

Pruning and chipping

With hundreds of the trees already pruned, the dozen OSA members and friends this time involved themselves with two tasks, both equally as important to the health of the grove. While some of the team - guided by Coonalpyn-based grove manager Andrew Taylor - continued pruning, the rest concentrated on chipping the huge piles of branches which had collected over previous working days, using a 7” wood chipper hired and transported to the site by OSA. “We dragged and chipped the branches from about 150 trees throughout the day, and by keeping the chipper moving we were able to distribute the wood chips back around the trees,” OSA member and event organiser Michael Harbison said. “It makes a huge difference to retaining moisture in that environment, where the soil dries out really quickly. We’ve seen already how useful it is keeping the biomass on site, so we’re keen to chip and mulch all of the prunings from now on.”

Irrigation

Another part of the OSA restoration project is the listing of varietals by tree in each row. With 600 trees in the collection, it’s an ongoing task. 8 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

The other major undertaking in the rejuvenation project was recommissioning the irrigation system, which had suffered badly after years of disuse. Harbison said that surprisingly, it wasn’t as difficult as they expected. “We’ve got the irrigation working now – and working well,” he said. “We got hold of a manual for the controller and got that working, reconditioned all of the valves, and pleasingly found that the

Regional round-up

Join the NOVA caretakers

underground irrigation lines were all pretty good. Very early in the piece the NOVA research team decided what they’d put in was wrong and they replaced them, and while they’re 20 years old, being buried underground means that they’d been very well protected. There were about 20 leaks to fix but in the scheme of things that’s not a lot. “And the vigour in the grove now is wonderful. The leaves were previously grey and very stressed but now they’re green and sitting up well, and there’s a lot of new growth. It all happened a bit late for fruit production, so only one tree out of the 1000 has fruit on it this year, but the trees are looking so happy we should get a good harvest next year.”

Tree growth

That figure of 1000 reveals an interesting twist in the plan, with the OSA volunteers discovering that the 600 trees they set out to rejuvenate are actually many, many more.

Harbison said that, while the rejuvenation project is going ahead in leaps and bounds, there’s still plenty to do at the site – and will be into the future. “We’ve got the branches of about 400 trees to chip still and plenty of follow-up light pruning work, as they’re all shooting now,” he said. “We’re also looking into producing oil from the grove, which we could sell to defray the cost of the work. “So we’re establishing a group to care for the grove on an ongoing basis and are keen to hear from anyone who’s interested in joining us. The really hard work is done now, so if you’re good with secateurs or a ride-on it’s a satisfying way to spend a day here and there with a group of like-minded people. “And for beginners, it’s a great opportunity to learn more about olive tree pruning and grove maintenance from people who’ve spent a few years in the game.” Anyone interested in becoming a part of the NOVA caretaking group can contact Michael Harbison at harbison@harbison.com. au. **The NOVA grove is located on Mudla Wirra Road, Wasleys, around 50kms north of Adelaide. “We now realise there are around 1000 trees whereas the original figure was 600,” Harbison said. “We’ve discovered that there were two projects, the NOVA project and the ‘feral olive’ project. There are 300 ferals and 600 NOVA trees, and everything is enclosed in borders, which makes it up to 1000. “We’re getting through them really well, though, with all of the NOVAs finished, most the borders done and only 200 of the ferals still to be pruned. Compared to what we started with, that’s only a short distance from finishing.”

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Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 9

Regional round-up

TOC President and Freshfield Grove owner Fiona Makowski with Seedlab lead, Tasmanian food consultant Hazel MacTavish West.

New export support for Tasmanian growers February saw the opening of new opportunities for Tasmanian olive growers, with the launch of new state-orientated business incubator program Seedlab. Aimed at Tasmanian food, drink, agrifood and agri-tourism businesses with global potential, but in need of assistance and introductions to make it happen, Seedlab Tasmania provides expertise, resources and training to de-risk the export process and drive profitable growth. Tasmanian Olive Council (TOC) President Fiona Makowski said growers are excited about the opportunity to obtain muchneeded help with product development and export. “Many of us, particularly the smaller growers, have great ideas - and the enthusiasm to make them happen. What we don’t have is the financial resources to get the expert help that’s needed along the way,” she said. “Seedlab is led by Tasmanian food consultant Hazel MacTavish West, who is passionate about helping Tasmanian food businesses make the most of those ideas and that enthusiasm, and to grow the knowledge about Tassie’s amazing food products across the globe. “The program does that by connecting Tasmanian food businesses with experts who will provide the training and support we

need, be it in new product development or the intricacies of exporting. It also provides access to connections we’d never make in our usual small business spheres, offering an incredible opportunity to push ourselves and our businesses forward.”

The Seedlab program

Seedlab Tasmania is a fully-funded program of support, training and events for businesses, predominantly start-ups, in the food, drink and agri- sectors who have exporting on their radar for the future. The concept arose following research into the barriers to exporting experienced by local food and drink businesses at farmer’s makets, which identified the need for assistance from local, national and global experts to help de-risk export and drive profitable growth. Involvement starts with two-day Germinate Bootcamps, where producers develop an understanding of how to validate and grow their ideas into viable and sustainable export ready businesses with a unique selling point. Successful Germinate graduates are then invited into the Cultivate intense accelerator program to improve their proposition and craft an export business model. The aim is prepare a Minimum Viable Product onto the marketplace, available for sale, or leave with the product design and a clear pathway forward.

10 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

The Seedlab program provides expert help for small businesses with export on their radar.

Propagate Masterclasses then continue the program of information growth and support via globally recognised speakers on relevant topics. Cultivate graduates can also access individual mentoring, factories for scale-up, office space and other requirements, and more.

Fine print …

Access to the Seedlab program is available by application to eligible Tasmanian businesses, with most participation costs covered. This project is supported by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science through Incubator Support initiative funding as part of the Entrepreneurs’ Programme, along with sponsorships and partnerships with other Tasmanian and national institutes and companies. More information: www.seedlabtasmania. com.au.

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Regional round-up

In early February Alan Smith’s Hunter Valley dam, which supplies water for his cattle and 500 olive trees, was getting worrying low … until spirit-raising rain filled the three-metre deficit in just eight hours.

Hunter region update There’s a lot going on for growers in the Hunter region – some good, some unfortunate, some needing contemplation and action. Hunter Olive Association Treasurer Alan Smith provided an overview of the current state of olive growing across the region. Water

On Sunday, February 9 the east coast low drenched the lower Hunter Valley, producing large smiles. For the lower Hunter, dams are full for the first time in about three years. For the upper Hunter, good rains fell but not enough to banish the overall dry conditions. The crop outlook this year is quite variable. Growers connected to the Pokolbin and Broke Irrigation Schemes, who have been able to irrigate their groves, report a crop around 50% below normal. With the high cost of water, however, some growers have chosen to irrigate their grapes but not their olives. Those of us with no access to water, and whose on-farm dams are very low, have no crop at all. In my case at Shalumar this will be the third year with little or no crop.

Bushfires and bugs

The bushfires have been a major concern all through spring, however we understand that there have been no grove losses. Some of us are reporting unusual olive lace bug infestations: it is hypothesised that the lace bugs were blown out of the forest by the extreme fire winds.

Grower gathering

The February weekend get-together of growers generated excellent

12 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

discussion on best grove management in light of the stress the trees have been under the last 12 months. In general everyone is upbeat (hard not to be with an east coast low thundering down outside!), agreeing that while we would all prefer otherwise, times with little (or no) fruit present a great opportunity to initiate major remedial work on our groves. A lot of very good ideas around tree shape, height and nutrition were discussed, with a take-home consideration list of: • longer term viability and sustainability requires smaller trees, especially if water is limited; • it’s not too early to start reducing tree size. Remove any dead or damaged wood and one very large branch on the north side of the tree, following up more aggressive winter pruning; • paint major cuts with a water-based paint or timber oil mixed with a small amount of copper oxychloride; • mulch the foliage removed and spread around the trees; • look carefully at your soil health and consider compost applications, inter-row planting (eg buckwheat that can also act as a deterrent to lace bug) or letting the grass grow in the rows. • check for trace element deficiencies and rectify. This is normally done in spring but a “pick me up” dose now could help provide impetus for growth in 2-3 months; • take a hard look at the number and varieties of trees in your grove

Regional round-up

in terms of water availability and tree performance. Now is the time to rationalise and perhaps consider more productive alternative varieties.

Change and challenges

In the Hunter Valley we have had about seven groves change hands in the last 24 months, basically generational change. What we observe is the buyers come into ownership with a romantic notion of owning an olive grove. The reality of the scope of effort needed to run a good grove bites and in a number of cases disillusionment follows, with some newbies lapsing membership.

A related issue is that many groves now have trees aged 20 yearsplus, often not consistently looked after. Hence good pruning practice also continues to be a topical issue. As in all things agricultural, one has to work at it to make the venture work. Most often pruning or the cost of pruning is the killer for owners. Alan Smith, Treasurer, Hunter Olive Association More information: www.hunterolives.asn.au.

Are you promoting EVOO … Everyday? The AOA consumer awareness and education (CAE) campaign, Everyday, has been a great success, taking the message out to our target audience – consumers – about how great our quality Australian EVOO is for cooking, health and … everything, Everyday! Everyday is a purely social media based campaign, where clicks mean everything, so let’s all help keep the momentum going

by doing our bit for the industrywide team effort. Here’s what you can do to keep sounding those messages loud and clear: • visit the Everyday site regularly • keep sharing the content with friends • share to your own pages too • keep liking the pages • use the email graphics, signatures and social media information provided in the Members Kit/User Guide.

Go to www.australianextravirgin.com.au … Everyday!

Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 13

Feature – Olives & bushfire

Olives and bushfire While as an industry we’ve been incredibly lucky overall, the catastrophic fires across Australia over recent months have impacted olive growers and producers in many regions, and to varying degrees. Some have lost trees, along with stock, plant and equipment; some this year’s ripening crop from heat stress; while others have spent sleepless nights pondering the outcome of fruit blanketed in acrid smoke. Unfortunately, it’s likely we’ll see similar fire seasons into the future, so Olivegrower and the AOA have put together a collection of user-friendly information – both expert and practical peer experience – providing a heads-up on what to do and how to do it should you experience a bushfire in your grove.

Grower experiences Woodside Farm: fire damage to 4500 trees On Friday, 20 December 2019, a day of catastrophic fire danger across South Australia, a tree branch fell on powerlines at Cudlee Creek, 25km north-west of Ron and Ethne Baker’s Woodside Farm grove. Ron said the fire arrived around 1pm as a spot fire, which spread rapidly. “At the same time the forecast increasing winds and blustery directional changes occurred, contributing to a more severe burn,” he said. “We were unable to contain it with our 2000-litre spray unit but we did defend the house, the main sheds with the machinery and the workshop, all of which had functioning sprinkler systems. “It kept us busy until the evening and I had no idea how far it had gone.” On assessing their losses, the Bakers found that around 4500 olive trees had been impacted. “As it was a grass fire not a tree crown fire, they were heat affected rather than destroyed, the leaves brown and dead but the trunk and main branches okay,” Ron said.

“We also had 20 cattle dead, with another 43 to die or be euthanised, leaving 10; and we lost two sheds, around 9kms of fencing, more than 300 large round bales of meadow hay and all the pasture.”

Water pressure

With time of the essence if they were to save the damaged trees, the Bakers’ immediate concern was to get water back onto the grove. “That’s difficult when there are just two business days until Christmas and businesses such as the (irrigation manufacturer) Netafim factory is, as expected, closing down for the break,” Ron said. “It was an anxious time. It was difficult to even speak to anyone regarding drip line, as the local irrigation business was also under pressure: the fire burned through more than 23,000 ha and a third of the Adelaide Hills

14 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

vineyards were impacted. “Meanwhile the weather remained very hot, not good for burned olive trees without water. We busied ourselves with repairing the mainline and sub-mains, replacing burned valves and filters, and fretted about getting drip line.” Until 10 days later, when both a cool change and a small army of helpers arrived. “Our spirits were boosted when 20 members of Olives SA arrived at the farm on December 31,” Ron said. “By mid-afternoon we’d pulled up 45kms of dripper tubing and dug out 165 pairs of risers, in preparation for connecting to the new tubing. Its arrival date was still unknown but it was a relief to get started on the restoration, also knowing that more help was on offer if we needed it. “New Year (my birthday) came and went

Feature – Olives & bushfire

Most of the 5000-tree Woodside Farm grove was burned in the December fire, along with 45km of irrigation piping.

without much enthusiasm, as did Christmas, and we were agreeably surprised on January 3 to receive a call advising that our dripper tubing was to be delivered on the following Monday. Netafim had continued running one machine with a crew who gave up their holidays, and it meant that by Friday the dripper system was all in and running.”

Cut and mulch

With water restored to the grove, the Bakers had to decide what to do with the severely heat-affected trees.

The Bakers coppiced the damaged trees at 5ft to enable easy access for management of regrowth.

“We knew the fire would stimulate shooting over the whole tree, and some of this was already evident. Untrimmed, the olive trees would be unmanageable: most shoots would be at the top and they’d need an early severe prune,” Ron said. “So we cut them all off at 5ft (150cm), using our circular saw attachment on the front end loader of the tractor. We had Gallards follow on with a large mulcher, and did the job in one and a half days. “Perhaps they should have been cut higher, which would be an option for a few trees,

but at 5ft all of the shoots can be managed from the ground as they regrow. Selective reshooting will go on for two years if we have a good vegetative response, and we should get a crop in the third year.”

Continuing care

Ron said the next focus will be looking at the soil in the grove, “as the microbiota may need some help after the fire”, with a Field Day at the farm planned by Olives SA in July to review progress of the grove and “see what lessons there may be”.

Rio Vista Olives: fire damage to 200 trees Rio Vista Olives owner Jared Bettio was another of the South Australian growers affected by the Christmas/New Year fires. Jared and his wife Jaqueline have 600 trees across two separate groves, one in the Murraylands region and another in the Adelaide Hills near Mt Torrens: the latter was also in the midst of the devastating Cudlee Creek fire.

Forward planning and fast action

It impacted heavily on his 200-tree Manzanillo grove paddock but, thanks to good preparation and fast action post-fire, he’s hopeful for a solid recovery. “All the signs were there so I watered heavily in the couple of days leading up to the fire. I’d normally do 4-6 hours but I did 24 hours because I knew that if I could get the water on the ground, the chances of them surviving was greater,” he said. “It meant the ground underneath was really wet and, while some got scorched and browned off completely, it did save others. I would have lost the lot otherwise. “Then straight after the fire we pulled the burned irrigation out and replaced it so we could make sure the soil moisture didn’t drop. The burn happened Friday night, on Monday we got last of the spotfires out and the new irrigation on-site, we worked from Tuesday to Thursday to install it and on Friday we watered again. “It meant a lot of long hours but ensured the grove had its usual routine of a Friday-to-Friday water, along with a fertigation straight

Within two weeks Rio Vista’s trees were shooting, with substantial growth visible after three weeks. Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 15

Feature – Olives & bushfire

away to give them a boost. That was also to encourage the microorganisms in the soil to regenerate, because they would have got a hit from the fire too.”

Then slow and steady TLC

From there, though, Bettio backed right off and is taking the rest of the rejuvenation process much more slowly – and very carefully. “I’ve just left them alone for a while, as I didn’t want to traumatise them too much by cutting them back yet. Three weeks later they’re starting to re-shoot strongly,” he said. “We’ll wait to see where the regrowth is happening and then bring them back to the four main branches. We’ll chop them back, keep the water up and really stimulate re-growth with a bit more nitrogen to get good leaf cover back. We’re not going to get fruit on most of them, so we’ll be working on getting a solid amount of tree structure to fruit on in the future – although some I’m hoping I’ll get a small amount of fruit off still, so it’s a bit of a balancing act. “But I’ve got each irrigation line isolated, so I can do the rows that got burned separately to ensure they get what they need – which is obviously a lot more than the others. “From here it’s really about careful monitoring and providing the trees with the best conditions to regrow their canopy.” We checked in with Bettio just prior to sending Olivegrower to print and he said the Rio Vista grove’s recovery is progressing well, boosted by an unseasonal three inches of rain on January 31-Feb 1. The new shoots are lush, green and now well over a foot long, and the trees are “looking pretty good”. Great to hear!

Irrigation across the Rio Vista grove was replaced immediately to ensure adequate soil moisture was maintained.

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16 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

Feature – Olives & bushfire

Campo de Flori: radiant heat damage Lisa Britzman and David Peck were among a number of Tasmanian growers caught up in last year’s Huon Valley fires, which burned for weeks and covered vast areas of the region south of Hobart. She said that while the Campo de Flori grove wasn’t burned, the trees were substantially impacted. “Our olives were just setting fruit when the fire started and we did have a loss of crop,” she said. “We were actively defending our property for six weeks from the oncoming fire, which ended only 700m from our orchard. The olive trees survived, but the fruit set was dramatically impacted and we observed many small olives on the ground.”

Post-fire care

Britzman said the trees had been badly singed by radiant heat from the intense fire. “They were dried out, and sat in smoke for a good six weeks. The leaves were turning brown and dropping, and we didn’t know if they would make it,” she said. “There were still a few olives on there but we were at a loss at what to do for them except get as much water to them as we had left. David hand washed each tree individually to get the smoke and ash off, and then foliar sprayed liquid humates.”

… and outcomes

The nurturing worked – on the olives at least – Britzman said. “Unfortunately, the lavender was completely toast and the saffron made a poor showing last year. There was so much ash in the air that it could have changed the pH of the soil, so we’ve been doing a lot this year on just bringing the soil back,” she said.

“But the olives are looking the best they ever have. We’ve already had three bush fires in the area this year, one only 750m from the orchard, so we’re just hoping nothing happens between now and harvest.”

Lessons learned

Britzman said it was an incredibly tough time to go through but they’ve taken what they can from the experience. “We were in the fire for a good six weeks, so immediately afterwards we were recovering from the shock of it, then trying to catch up on six weeks of lost work,” she said. “It was an interesting time, with a lot of lessons learned. Like do you have a generator if the power poles go down? We left the irrigation going 24/7 to keep things wet: we have two petrol fire pumps and irrigation which runs out of our dam, and we had to use a generator, due to loss of power poles. “And having been in bushfires again this year – although not as severe as last year’s – we’re taking what we believe to be precautions for this year’s crop. We’ve been building up the soils to keep the moisture and nutrition in, mulching around the trees to hold the moisture in, and keeping the irrigation up to make sure the trees are really healthy. We’ve put more sprinkler irrigation in the orchard, and kept the grass short. “Most importantly, we learned you need to be resilient and selfsufficient – and that you don’t think about bushfire until it’s on your doorstep. But you’ve got to.”

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Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 17

Feature – Olives & bushfire

Recovery of olive groves after fire This article on the post-fire care of olive groves provides great practical management information, which may assist those impacted in recent months and will undoubtedly be an invaluable resource for growers affected in the future. A cut-andkeep reference for sure! Although a fire-affected olive grove can look devastated, trees could have the potential to recover and be productive again if managed well. Tree recovery depends on the degree of heat damage, tree size and age, moisture stress before and after the event and the presence of undamaged trunks and scaffold branches above any graft unions. If cuttings were planted, all re-growth can be used to re-train a new tree. Recovery of olives after fire is likely to involve pruning, replace or repair of the irrigation system, some nutrition management and patience whilst the trees re-shoot and indicate the percentage of recovery. Assessment is then required of the block's viability depending on how many trees have survived.

Death

Complete death of olive trees from wildfire is more likely to occur in younger plantations that have a majority of trees with a stem diameter of less than 20mm. A 2005 study conducted in the Western Sydney foothills of a low intensity fire and its affect on a subspecies of Olea europaea, showed that a low intensity fire did not kill

larger olive trees with trunks and branches larger than 20mm (von Richter et al. 2005). However 80% of younger trees with stems less than 20mm in diameter died. It was also found that lower rainfall leading up to the fire event may have increased the death toll by reducing the ability of small plants to re-sprout due to water stress.

Assessment and recovery

Do not prune damaged trees until regrowth has been begun. If trees are grafted, ensure that the regrowth forming the new tree is occurring above the graft union. Trees planted as cuttings can be re-trained even if shoots emerge from ground level or below the soil surface. Olives can begin re-sprouting within just a couple of weeks, according to a study undertaken on feral Olea europaea in the Mt Lofty ranges of South Australia (Sheldon and Sinclair 2000). Irrigation will assist the speed at which full production can be achieved, although volumes applied may need to be less. The study by Sheldon and Sinclair (2000) also demonstrated that during the recovery period, trees undergoing simulated post

18 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

fire regrowth had lower moisture stress and higher soil moisture availability than intact trees with full canopies. Recovering trees only need half as much water due to the presence of a smaller leaf area per root zone volume. Fertiliser will be less important than irrigation. Olive trees do not require large amounts of fertiliser, according to Paul Vossen of the University of California Davis. Due to the small leaf area of the recovering trees in relation to large root mass, regrowth should be rapid and vigorous and extra applications of nutrients may make the task of reshaping the trees more tedious. It could also delay the return to fruiting because of excessive vigour.

Pruning

In many cases the process of pruning and reshaping trees will be similar to the set up phase of the grove. Occasionally, unless the trees were killed outright, the regrowth will occur on what was the cooler side of the tree during the fire. Careful attention should be paid to the selection and placement of new structural limbs to prevent possible limb breakage when cropping resumes.

Feature – Olives & bushfire

Long term viability

Decisions about long term grove viability, possible tree replacement and pruning strategies should be made in consultation with technical specialists and your insurance company. Decisions should take into account the severity of the damage and losses, tree age, variety, rootstock and planting densities. Younger trees, if not killed outright, may be easier to re-shape into productive trees than older trees.

Key messages for fire affected olive growers

• Assess groves as soon as possible, based on the extent of damage, but wait for signs of regrowth before pruning. • If trees are grafted, make sure you are regrowing material from above the graft, not shoots from the rootstock. Shoots from rootstocks will need to be re-grafted. • If grown from cuttings any re-growth can be trained into a new tree, as this remains the same as the cultivar originally planted. • If the grove is assessed as viable, repair or replace the irrigation system and irrigate as soon as possible - remembering that water use may be lower if the canopy is substantially smaller.

Additional resources for bushfire affected growers Hort Innovation has created a dedicated bushfire information page providing access to key information and assistance, where you’ll also find links to more practical information and resources around bushfire recovery. Go to www.horticulture.com.au/bushfires. There’s also a comprehensive range of business-related information and resources available from the government’s business.gov.au website. Go to www.business.gov. au/Risk-management/Emergency-management/Help-for-Australian-bushfire-affectedbusinesses. • Do not fertilise until there is sufficient growth to utilise it. Do not over-fertilise, as re-growth is usually vigorous.

Further references:

Lotte von Richter, Debra Little and Doug Benson (2005): Effects of low intensity fire on the resprouting of the weed African Olive (Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata) in Cumberland Plain Woodland, Western Sydney. Ecological Management & Restoration Vol 6 No 3 Dec 2005. Megan Sheldon and Russell Sinclair (2000): Water Relations of Feral Olive Trees (Olea europaea) resprouting after severe pruning. Australian Journal of Botany 2000, 48, 639-644.

Paul Vossen, Co-operative Extension Provider (2004) Fertilizing Olive Trees. UCDavis. Riccardo Gucci and Claudio Cantini (2000): Pruning and Training Systems for Modern Olive Growing. Collingwood, Vic: CSIRO Publishing 2000. Technical advice for fire damaged olive groves: Agriculture Victoria Customer Service Centre, ph 136 186. Source: This information was developed by Farm Services Victoria and published by Agriculture Victoria - www.agriculture.vic.gov. au. Agnote number: AG1377: ISSN 1329-8062.

Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 19

Feature – Olives & bushfire

The Woodside Farm grove was encased in smoke from the December 2019 Cudlee Creek fire.

Will bushfire smoke taint my EVOO? One of the worries communicated to Olivegrower by growers in close proximity to bushfires is the issue of smoke taint, particularly when the fires occur relatively close to harvest. It’s hard to find a definitive answer on the subject, so we went to the experts - Boundary Bend Technical Director Leandro Ravetti, OliveCare® Code of Best Practice Administrator Peter McFarlane and growers who’ve been through the experience - to see what we could find out. Leandro Ravetti

“There is not a lot of information about smoke taint in olive oil and it is limited to some anecdotal work and experience that we have had with small growers in the past,” Ravetti said. “In principle, it is not as bad as it is with grapes for wine and it takes much more exposure to affect the profile of the oil. In any case, if the risk exists we would suggest to do the following while processing: • wash the olives, changing water regularly and providing a final fresh shower if possible. • crush with slightly larger grids than you would normally use. • limit malaxing times to no more than 45 mins to 1 hour maximum at the lowest possible (but reasonable) temperature. Those things will hopefully minimise the chance of smoke flavour transferring from the fruit to the oil.”

Peter McFarlane

“The good news is that bushfire smoke is unlikely to taint olive oil. “Firstly, because olive fruit is later maturing than wine grapes, so it is unlikely that smoke will present during olive processing when the extracted oil could be exposed to contamination; secondly, because olive fruit is usually washed, any residual ash will be removed; and thirdly, because olive fruit, has a thicker, more waxy protective epidermis (skin) than grapes.”

Grower experience

US producer The McEvoy Ranch had a worrying time during the 2017 California bushfires, experiencing an unprecedented amount of smoke and ash around six weeks before the harvest. They harvested anyway, knowing that a small amount of fruit could be harvested, processed and the oil tested to determine whether there was any issue with smoke taint. Luckily, they reported that their oil emerged “unscathed by the weeks it spent ensconced in smoke” with pre-harvest trials and lab testing finding no off-flavours. Tasmanian producer Lisa Britzman had a similar experience in 2019. The Huon Valley fires came within 700m of her Campo de Flori grove, which was encased in smoke for six weeks. “We hand washed each tree individually to get the smoke ash off them but were worried as to whether the olives would be smoke tainted,” she said. “We asked many other growers and none knew whether olives are affected by smoke, so we persevered with the harvest not knowing if our oil would be worth processing. “We picked what olives we had and took them to the press, and told the presser to taste the oil as soon as it came out - if it tasted of smoke or bad, just to stop and not waste anyone’s time or money. “In the end our oil, and the oil of the others in the fire, turned out ok but it was a nervous wait.”

Just another reason to love Friday ... To subscribe and for more information visit: www.olivebiz.com.au 20 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

Feature – Olives & bushfire

Soil microbes and bushfire One of the other concerns raised by fire-affected growers was the effect on soil microbes. We again went to the experts and asked soil guru John Barton, of Charton & Bang, to explain what happens within the soil when there’s a fire, and how growers can manage any negative effects. Is it an issue?

place – in order to have any real effect on the microbes from the actual fire. “What’s more problematic is bare ground with ash on it; that’s really good at absorbing sunlight heat. That means you can then get significant heat in the top 10cm of the soil and that’s where the highest population levels of microbes are, and the highest level of activity. They’re generally down to 300mm, depending on the soil and the management: the highest will be in the litter that’s on the

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soil, if it’s bare ground there could be almost nothing.”

Heat tolerance

Barton said that most soil microbes can survive temperatures up to 50 degrees for a while. “They won’t like it but they’ll survive,” he said. “Once it starts getting over 50 degrees for a period of time, some will be killed and

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We started by asking whether soil microbes are, in fact, affected by bushfire. “Yes and no,” Barton said. “They don’t get affected in the way you think they do, by the actual fire front. Soil is an incredibly good insulator and it can take 30 minutes to raise the temperature to 4-5 degrees above normal levels. “So it has to be a very long, hot fire – for example, when a tree falls over and burns in

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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 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 21

Feature – Olives & bushfire

Want to know more about soil and your grove?

Attendees at last year’s AOA National Olive Industry Conference will remember John Barton’s presentation on the importance of soil carbon, rated as one of the program highlights. If you missed out, or were left wanting more, there’s a second chance to hear, speak with and ask questions of Barton at the AOA’s “Healthy soils – healthy and productive groves” regional field days, being held across Australia from April to August. For more information, including dates and venues, go to the Events section of the OliveBiz website – www.olivebiz. com.au.

most will be shut down – and a few will be really active. They’re the type that are active in composting. Anything over about five minutes will start to have an effect, and as the temperature goes up the period shortens. “But most fires only last a few minutes. At a soil depth of 2-4 cm it would take 15 minutes to have any appreciable temperature rise, so even an intense fire front will only heat the top few centimetres. “The real effect is when you’ve lost canopy and ground cover and the soil heats up. That can affect the top 100mm of soil and start causing problems for the microbes.”

Post-fire action

Barton said that where trees are completely burned the soil will regenerate in the time it takes to replant, but growers can do a lot to manage surviving stressed and damaged trees. “Other than getting water to them, the most important thing in the short term is getting rid of the black layer on the ground,” he said. “The ideal would be to cover it with a light layer of hay but that’s expensive and difficult – and anyone who’s had a fire come through isn’t likely to have hay to spare. A practical alternative is a light cultivation to mix the black layer into the soil so it’s not continuous. That’s something you rarely want to do, especially since olives have very

Quick reference TLC for fire-affected groves • • • •

if available, provide trees with water ASAP break up any black ash layer covering the soil to prevent radiant heat absorption (preferably working in compost at the same time) stimulate plant re-growth with nitrogen (provides protein for leaf growth) and phosphorus (for cell membranes), plus other necessary nutrients • plant a cover crop in season • maintain ongoing good grove management shallow roots, but if you do it just on the surface you’ll bring up the lighter coloured soil which will reflect more heat. “And if you're going to tickle the ash layer in, it’s also a good opportunity to apply some compost beforehand and work it into the ground at the same time. It’s efficient and you’ll have it arrive at a time where it's needed most to support the soil. “Another alternative, depending on the time of year, is to immediately plant a cover crop – if you’ve got water available or some residual soil moisture. That will help the microbes a lot because they need living plants to be fully functional. A portion of the total soil population work on degrading stuff that’s dead – roots and plant material – and there’s going to be a lot of that in the short term, but a lot of the important soil microbes rely on sugars from living roots. If you don’t have living plant cover for an extended time you’re going to lose some of that population. “They can come back relatively quickly but if you’re looking to help them recover ASAP, having those plants to feed the soil will reduce their stress. “But of course there’s a downside of time involved here. If you’ve got something to cover it tomorrow, it’s covered tomorrow but it’ll take a few weeks after planting to have much crop cover.”

What not to do - maybe

One method Barton would generally avoid

22 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

is using a mulch like raw woodchips. “It may be easily sourced, because there are so many trees needing to be cut down, but there are two issues: one is the diseases which can be brought in through unprocessed organic matter; the other is that an excess of carbon can cause nitrogen drawdown – an excess of carbon microbes will lock up the nitrogen in the soil for the short term. That will go away in weeks to months but it’s something growers need to be careful of. “That said, it’s all relative, and just covering the soil might be more important than worrying about those two risks.”

The really good news

Barton said that even if you can’t do anything immediately, soil microbes generally are incredibly resilient in the long term. “It’s easy for a population to go up and down hour by hour, day by day, but the vast majority are able to shut down and go into survival mode. And it’s only the very top layer harmed by fire front: the microbes are still down underneath and at the end of summer most will come back or be reintroduced over time. “They’re also windborne, so if they find good conditions elsewhere they’ll grow a population there – and really quickly. A single microbe, if it divides every 30 minutes, in seven days would fill the entire solar system. It’s true.”

THE LATEST UPDATES ON R&D WITHIN THE OLIVE INDUSTRY | MARCH 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 longterm sustainability and profitability of the olive industry.

Boort 2020 offers workshop double-feature In the December 2019 edition of R&D Insights we provided a heads-up about the second annual AOA Olive Oil Processing Workshop, being held in Boort and scheduled for April this year. We can now provide not only dates and further details for this year’s event but also news of a separate Healthy Soils - Healthy and Productive Groves Field Day being run on the same weekend.

Olive Oil Processing Workshop Last year’s AOA Olive Oil Processing Workshop was a sell-out, and for good reason: it offered the chance to gain incredible insight into the mechanics and nuances of processing from three of the most knowledgeable and experienced experts in the field. The workshop was run jointly by international processing expert Pablo Canamasas and 2019 AIOA Best of Show winners Peter and Marlies Eicher of Salute Oliva. Their combined knowledge and years of practical experience provided attendees with an unprecedented opportunity to listen, discuss, question, and even

work alongside, presenters who’d been there and done that, and could explain the hows and whys of virtually any processing conundrum. So for those who missed out, and the many others who’ve read our reports on the knowledge shared, this year’s repeat event provides a second chance to learn the best way to do it, from the best.

Format and content This year’s workshop will repeat the successful format of the 2019 event, combining both theory and practical sessions, but with an expanded timeframe. Attendees wanted even

more time to nut out some of the technical details, so the two-day program will this year run over three days of varying lengths. The lunchtime start on the first day will also allow most attendees to travel to Boort that morning, rather than needing to arrive the day before. The comprehensive program covers every aspect of processing quality, from grove management for optimal fruit quality to best-practice processing and storage. Along the way you’ll learn a lot about olive oil chemistry, and find the answers the many of the “why did/does that happen to my oil?” questions you’ve

always wanted to ask. And you’ll be welcome to do so: Pablo, Marlies and Peter all match their knowledge with down-to-earth approachability, ensuring that the most complex detail is presented in an interactive, user-friendly format – while also catering for growers and producers at every stage and capacity.

Attendee feedback from the 2020 Processing Workshop. “It was fantastic. It was the most amazing value for money. Peter and Marlies were incredibly open with their knowledge and information.”

Program **Venues: Boort Resource & Information Centre (BRIC) and Salute Oliva, Boort, Victoria Thursday, 16 April 1pm-5pm: Processing principles and practices (BRIC) 5.30pm-7.30pm: Networking dinner Friday, 17 April 8.30am-5pm: Processing principles and practices (BRIC)

“Pablo had the answer to every question that was put – and people asked a lot of questions. And he was able to explain it really well so that we all understood it; even the technical stuff made sense.” “The first day over-ran because there were so many questions and they just took as much time as was needed to make sure they were all answered.”

5.30pm-7.30pm: Networking dinner Saturday, 18 April 9am-3pm: Practical processing session; grove walk (Salute Oliva)

Limited places - register now The 2020 course runs from Thursday, 16 April to Saturday, 18 April inclusive. The cost for the three day workshop is only $250 inc GST for AOA members & levy payers; $340 inc GST for others. Numbers will again be limited to ensure a hands-on

learning experience for all attendees, so register now to ensure you don’t miss out. You can sign up on the Events section of the OliveBiz website – www.olivebiz.com.au – or by contacting AOA Administration Manager Liz Bouzoudis via secretariat@australianolives.com.au, M: 0478 606 145. Registrations close 9 April 2020 – secure your place now!

The 2020 AOA Olive Oil Processing Workshop is part of the Olive levy project 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.`

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 - Healthy and Productive Groves Field Day The key message of the AOA Processing Workshop is that making great EVOO is all about ensuring quality at every stage of the process, starting in the grove and way before harvest. Which makes the April weekend’s second feature the ideal partner event – moving the focus literally back to ground level and the importance of healthy soils for a productive grove. The AOA Healthy Soils – Healthy and Productive Groves Field Day will be held on Sunday 19 April, following on from the 2020 Processing Workshop. The full day program also combines both theory and practical sessions, and will be held at the Boort Resource & Information Centre (BRIC) in the morning, moving on-site to Boundary Bend’s Boort Estate in the afternoon. As the name suggests, the program focusses on the role of healthy soils in producing healthy trees and lifting grove productivity. With input from experts across a variety of relevant fields, the information will cover a wide range of topics and information around soil health – from identifying issues with your soil, to methods for improving and monitoring both soil and tree health.

Presenters The program in part builds on technical presentations delivered at the 2019 AOA National Olive Conference in Albury, including the highly-popular session by John Barton on The importance of soil carbon. Barton’s morning presentation will expand on the topic, and during the afternoon field session he will demonstrate how to make compost and how to incorporate it into soil. The team behind the Hort Innovation multi-industry levy R&D Remote Sensing Project will also build on the information provided at the 2019 Conference, presenting on The application of remote sensing to grove operations, including monitoring tree health. Updating on the results of mapping and sensing trials conducted to date, they’ll explain how the methodologies can translate into faster, smarter management of your grove and tree health. And with just that in mind, a panel of specialist service providers will demonstrate a range of the latest technologies available to monitor, test and measure vital soil parameters and tree health.

Devote a day to your soil and reap the benefits into the future

Boort Soils Field Day Program Sunday, 19 April AM Presentations - The science and economics

Setting the scene and defining the

problem – Greg Seymour, AOA CEO

Lifting grove productivity and

OliveCare® grove best practice checklists – Peter McFarlane, AOA OliveCare® Administrator

Understanding the role of soil

carbon, soil water and soil biology – John Barton, Charton & Bang Research & Development

»» What is soil carbon and where does it come from?

»» Soil carbon and soil water »» Collecting, holding and providing more water

»» Reducing losses »» Economic benefits »» The importance of building soil and tree health for IPDM

Application of remote sensing

to grove operations including monitoring tree health – Hort Innovation Remote Sensing Project team

»» Update of irrigation trial,

sensors and results thus far

»» Imagery work (tree health,

water stress, relationships to productivity)

»» National mapping

4 PM Field Demonstrations

Extended lunch break with service providers: presentations and demonstrations on monitoring/ measurement/testing, including a selection of:

»» Soil testing – chemistry and physical properties

»» Leaf analysis and tree nutrition »» Measuring microbial activity in soil

»» Soil moisture monitoring »» On-farm weather stations »» Monitoring soil-born pathogens and other fungal diseases and pests of olives

»» Application of remote sensing to grove operations

Olive grove redevelopment and

Healthy Soils regional field day series The Boort AOA Healthy Soils - Healthy and Productive Groves event is the first in a regional series, with six field days scheduled across Australia over coming months. The field days will all highlight the role and management of healthy soils in producing healthy trees and lifting grove productivity. The program for each region will vary slightly, including a selection of topics according to individual host grove opportunities, however all will include:

management to improve soil and tree health and grove productivity – topic examples include:

»» Canopy rejuvenation »» Mulching

John Barton on soils and compost (WA event - Andy Gulliver, C-Wise)

»» Use of kaolin based sprays as

the Hort Innovation Remote Sensing Project Team on the application of remote sensing to the management of olives groves, including monitoring tree health

»» Overcoming water repellent

a panel of specialist service providers demonstrating a range of the latest technology to monitor, test and measure vital soil parameters and tree health

»» Effective allocation of limited

grove-specific initiatives including canopy rejuvenation, soil moisture conservation, soil drainage problems and managing organic certified groves, presented by the individual grove manager.

Dates and venues: VIC - Sunday, 19 April: Boundary Bend Boort Estate, Boort

reflective films

(hydrophobic) soils water resources

»» Dealing with soil drainage

issues (wet feet) – phytophthora and other fungal disease problems

Composting – making and using

TAS - Sunday, 3 May: Lentara Grove, 2670 West Tamar Hwy, Exeter

(John Barton, Charton & Bang)

QLD - Sunday 12 July: aFthonia Farms, 69 Brennan Rd, Hampton (via Toowoomba) WA - Friday 17 July: Cowaramup Creek Farm - Olio Bello (ACO Organic Certified), 36 Armstrong Rd, Cowaramup

5PM - Field day concludes followed by refreshments

NSW - Sunday 9 August: Wollundry Grove, 15 Mary Gilmore Rd, Brucedale

Your grove deserves it

SA: Sunday 16 August: Peninsula Providore Farm - Nangkita Olive Grove, 2250 Bull Creek Road, Tooperang

This is 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.

Notes: all field days except for Boort will held entirely on-site at the host property. Cost for AOA members and olive levy payers is $40 incl GST; others $50 incl GST. Full program details for each field day will be available in the Events section of the OliveBiz website – www.olivebiz.com.au where you can also register. Alternatively, contact Liz Bouzoudis via secretariat@australianolives.com.au or 0478 606 145 to register.

Register now and ensure your place so you don’t miss out - full information and bookings on the OliveBiz website: www.olivebiz.com.au.

Dove Lake and Crater Lake, Cradle Mountain , credit: Jason Charles Hill

2020 National Olive Conference & Exhibition heads to Tassie The other big event on the industry calendar is the 2020 National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition, being held from 16-18 October. This year it heads to the industry’s southern-most growing state, with the portside city of Devonport, Tasmania playing host at the ultramodern Paranaple Convention Centre.

Conference venue With spectacular views of the Mersey River mouth and Bass Strait, the Convention Centre is situated in the heart of Devonport’s action, within a stone’s throw of accommodation, restaurants, artisan markets, activities and attractions. The Devonport Regional Gallery and Town Hall Theatre are right next door, along with the city’s main Visitor Information Centre, Market Square and Providore Place, an alfresco market area with restaurants, eateries and bars (the venue for one of the optional conference events). There’s also a 500-space car park right nearby, and it’s all just a short stroll away from the picturesque Mersey River. Convenience plus, and a delegate’s dream logistics-wise.

Stay longer and see Tasmania Spring is a great time for travelling so while you’re making the trip anyway, why not add a few extra days on to the Conference program for a bit of well-deserved downtime and exploration. Tasmania is a small island but with a huge amount to see, do and experience. You generally need a vehicle to get around, but the distances are comparatively small between most places and you can see a lot in a short time. In just a few days you could combine scenic driving through cool-climate vineyards (with stops for lunch and wine-tasting, of course), walks in Tasmanian’s pristine wilderness and an arts-and-history culture hit – or just find a room with one of the island’s sensational sea views and take some much-needed chill-out time.

further afield. Devonport is also close to some of Tasmania’s world famous natural features, including the pristine environment of Cradle Mountain and the Tarkine Reserve, home to Australia's largest patch of temperate rainforest. Getting there: Devonport can be accessed via both air and sea. Qantas flies directly into Devonport airport, located just 10km from the city centre, with car hire and taxi services available at the airport. Devonport is also the home port of the Spirit of Tasmania I & II passenger and vehicle ships, which sail daily between Melbourne and Devonport and provide the option of taking your own car from the mainland. The ships offer cabins and recliners, along with bars, restaurants and entertainment areas, and both day and evening sailings are available.

Devonport – Conference destination

Further afield

Tasmania’s third largest city, Devonport is a thriving riverside city providing a gateway to the North West and beyond. With a bounty of fresh produce on its doorstep, and amazing local cafes, restaurants and bars, you’ll want to explore the city before heading

From Devonport – or on your way, if you arrive via Hobart or Launceston and holiday first – there’s a multitude of interesting places to go and things to see. Here are just a few suggestions:

6 The North East Tasmania's North East combines natural beauty and pioneering spirit, cool-climate vineyards and farming areas contrasting with forests and unspoiled beaches. The region is known for mountain biking, with a network of immaculately maintained trails winding through rain forest, or you can travel at a more gentle pace along the Bridport walking track, showcasing beaches, wildflowers, forest and river landscapes. Slowing it down even further, stroll the greens at Barnbougle Lost Farm, one of the two World Top 25 Golf Courses at the Barnbougle Golf Resort, taste the premium sparkling at Clover Hill Wines or stay in the horticulture vibe and visit the stunning Bridestowe Lavender Estate. The Conference will be held at the ultra-modern Paranaple Convention Centre, in the heart of Devonport’s vibrant arts and culture scene.

2020 Program While it’s early days yet, planning is well underway for the event, which this year will be held over an extended weekend.

Friday, 16 October – Optional field tour, AIOA Gala Presentation Dinner The event kicks off with an optional full-day field tour on the Friday. Visiting several groves in the region, the day will focus on practical elements of grove management. Always a big topic of discussion, pruning will be one focus on the day, including via practical demonstrations. And as with all field days, there’ll be plenty of opportunity to ask questions and discuss issues – and solutions – with experts and other growers. Then after a break to ‘glam up’, it’ll be time to gather and celebrate as the winners of the 2020 Australian International Olive Awards are announced at the Gala Presentation Dinner, being held at the Conference venue, the Paranaple Convention Centre.

Saturday, 17 October – Conference plenary sessions, 2020 Conference Dinner The Conference proper starts on Saturday morning, with a full day of plenary sessions covering a wide range of industry topics. Then it’ll be time to relax and socialise at the Mersey Yacht Club, the historic home of sailing in Devonport, for the annual Conference Dinner - always ‘a good time had by all’.

Sunday, 18 October - Conference plenary sessions, ‘Olive market’ Sunday will see the plenary sessions continue until lunchtime, followed by an afternoon ‘olive market’ event at the adjacent Providore Place, Devonport’s popular Sunday marketplace. Producers from both the mainland and Tasmania are invited to showcase (and sell) their products to the public, while cooking demonstrations with a guest celebrity chef will show consumers how to cook with olive oil, and provide an opportunity to spread the message about both its flavour and health benefits. The Conference will close in time for delegates to catch planes back to the mainland, or prepare for the early evening ferry departure.

Launceston The gateway to Northern Tasmania, Launceston is a boutique city with vibrant Georgian streetscapes. There’s a thriving food and wine scene, along with cultural heritage sites including the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG), Australia's largest regional museum. It’s also just a few minutes’ drive to Cataract Gorge, home to the world's longest single span chairlift, a suspension bridge and spectacular views.

Bicheno If maritime activities are more your thing, head to the east coast town of Bicheno. Just north of the Freycinet Peninsula and the famous Wineglass Bay, the kelp-covered reefs and spectacular sponge gardens of the offshore Governor Island Marine Reserve can be viewed by glassbottomed boat – or for the more adventurous, on a dive. You can meet and greet the local fairy penguins on evening tours, and there are walks galore in the nearby national parks. It’s also a fish-lovers paradise – either catch-your-own or from the great local restaurants – with local fishers keeping the town freshly stocked with delicacies like crayfish, abalone and salmon. All washed down, of course, with wine bought during your tour of the local wineries.

*Want help with booking your Tassie Conference trip? If you’re keen to get your Tassie visit organised in advance, and don’t have time to trawl your way through a million websites, just contact the friendly staff at the Devonport Visitor Information centre. They can help with accommodation, tour and activity bookings, and any information or travel advice you’re after.

Bridestowe Lavender Estate , credit: Brian Dullaghan

Devonport Visitor Centre Market Square, 145 Rooke Street, Devonport P: 03 6420 2900 - Monday to Friday 7.30am-4.45pm; Saturday, Sunday and Public Holidays 7.30am-2.00pm E: tourism@devonport.tas.gov.au W: www.visitdevonport.com. au/visitor-information or www. facebook.com/devonportcity

Hobart

Producers can take part in the Sunday afternoon ‘Olive market’, being held as part of the Providore Place marketplace activities., credit: S. Group

SAVE THE DATES 16-18 OCTOBER

Tasmania's capital city and the oldest in Australia after Sydney, Hobart is surrounded by bushland, beaches and rugged mountains. Offering a blend of heritage, scenery and culture, it’s also famous for its restaurants and more of that freshfrom-the-ocean seafood. Wander the city and explore the architecture; check out Salamanca Place, with its galleries, theatres, craft shops and restaurants in 1830s Georgian warehouses - and on Saturdays the famous Salamanca Market; visit the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery; or take a ferry up river to MONA for an uber-modern art experience. Hobart is also close to many of southern Tasmania's best travel experiences, from historic Port Arthur and the rugged Tasman Peninsula to Bruny Island, the Huon and Derwent Valleys, and Mount Field National Park.

Want to know more? No matter where you’re keen to go, or what your interest is, you’ll get all the help you need at the network of accredited Tasmanian Visitor Information Centres (VICs). Staffed by knowledgeable, friendly locals, they’ll help with information, experience and accommodation bookings, and anything else you might want to know about.

You’ll find VIC locations and contact details online at www.discovertasmania.com.au – under Travel Information. The 2020 National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition is facilitated by the Australian Olive Association, with support from The Tasmanian Government and a range of industry sponsors and exhibitors.

Back up the facts with OWI resources The Olive Wellness Institute has a straightforward aim: to provide credible, science-based information about olive products and health. And over the past two years they’ve done that in spades, spreading the word about the health benefits of olive products with thousands of health care professionals and others across Australia – and dispelling myths along the way. They’ve done it a wide variety of ways, from the repository of peer-reviewed research, event presentations and webinars to fact sheets and the fortnightly podcast series. They’ve made it all available online to spread the reach, including to the growers and producers who make those health-giving olive products.

Grower kits One element of that is the Event Kit, created to provide growers and producers with resources to take to farmers market or events. The downloadable kit includes:

FAQ for Growers booklet -

evidence-based facts and answers to common questions about EVOO

Leaflets - Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Posters – EVOO and Olive Leaf

Podcasts The OWI’s podcast series is another great resource for growers, with topical olive health and wellness subjects covered in user-friendly language by world-leading experts. A new episode is released each fortnight, with more recent topics and guests including:

Benefits of olive oil products for

those with diabetes - Dietician Dr Joanna McMillan

Olive Oil is at the Heart of the

Mediterranean Diet - Physician Dr Simon Poole

The “super plant” qualities of the

olive tree – Pharmacist/Nutritionist Sarah Gray.

Infographics Some people prefer things in writing (and pictures) so the other things to get your hands on are the OWI’s infographics. There’s a big selection, covering a wide range of subjects, but here’s a few which will help out with the most common discussions:

Topical olive products and skin health - A summary of the evidence - outlining the protective and restorative qualities of olive oil and olive leaf extracts

EVOO vs coconut oil - comparing

the fat profile, antioxidant content and cooking suitability

Grades of olive oil - getting right

Research Recap PROJECT NAME: Educating health professionals about Australian olive products (OL17002) PROJECT AIM: To equip Australian healthcare professionals with the knowledge needed to be able to advise patients, clients and the wider public on including healthy olive products in their daily life. PROJECT PARTNER: Boundary Bend Limited FUNDING: Hort Innovation Olive Fund PROJECT ENDS: April 2020

back to basics, it helps consumers understand what descriptive label terms like ‘virgin, lampante, refined and pomace’ really mean, and to make more informed decisions about the products they buy in terms of quality and health impacts

Cooking with extra virgin olive

oil - assessing the most common supermarket cooking oils and which is the most suitable for use when cooking.

You can download them - and a bunch of other resources from the OWI website: www. olivewellnessinstitute.org.

Like the OWI’s work? Got any suggestions for future offerings? After a prolific two years providing information and resources on a wide range of olive-and-health related topics, The Olive Wellness Institute (OWI) team is keen to check how it’s all been received. So as the grower/producers behind the products their work is based on, they’re keen to hear your feedback on their work to date so they can continue to improve their offer. They’re doing that via a grower survey, with the responses providing the valuable information they need for ongoing activity planning. It’s really quick - just a handful of brief questions, along with the opportunity to let them know what you’d like to see, hear and learn about via the Olive Wellness Institute into the future. Please go to www.surveymonkey. com/r/D7776DQ now and have your say – it really only takes a couple of minutes, and they really want to hear from you!

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.

Feature

The weather in figures – Australia and NZ We all knew 2019 was a tough year for horticulture, reflected by low crops and stressed trees in groves across most regions. For those who like reading the stats behind the experience, here’s an overview of the official Annual Climate Summaries for 2019 showing how last year’s weather panned out across Australia and New Zealand. BOM Annual Climate Statement 2019

“Warming associated with anthropogenic climate change Warmest year on record nationally 2019 saw Australia's warmest year on has seen Australian annual mean temperatures increase record, the area-averaged mean temperature of 1.52°C well above both the 1961-1990 by over one degree since 1910. Most of this warming has average and the old record of +1.33°C, set in occurred since 1950.” 2013. Mean maximum temperatures were the State-by-state warmest on record, at 2.09°C above average – once again a The above-average annual mean temperatures for 2019 were substantial gain on the previous record of +1.59°C, also set in 2013 – while mean minimum temperatures were 0.95 °C above average, the experienced across nearly all of Australia, and record highs were recorded for many areas. It was the warmest year on record for New sixth-warmest on record. South Wales and Western Australia as a whole, and among the 10 … and warmest decade The mean temperature for the 10 years from 2010-2019 was also warmest years for the Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria and the highest on record, 0.86°C above average and 0.31°C warmer South Australia. *Note: The Australian national temperature dataset commences in than the previous 10-year period. Each of the years since 2013 have been among the 10 warmest on 1910. record for Australia, and all but one of the 10 (1998) have occurred since 2005.

2020 Olive Oil Processing Workshop 16 – 18 April 2020, Boort Resource & Information Centre (BRIC) and Salute Oliva, Victoria. This highly-acclaimed and comprehensive program will be delivered by international master olive miller, Pablo Canamasas, and 2019 AIOA Best of Show winners, Peter and Marlies Eicher of Salute Oliva. The course covers every aspect of processing quality olive oil, from grove management for optimal fruit quality to best-practice processing and storage. Along the way you’ll learn a lot about olive oil chemistry, and the practical aspects of oil extraction. There will be time during the course to find out the answers to the many of the “why did/does that happen to my oil?” questions, you’ve always wanted to ask. Thursday 1pm – 5pm, Principles and Practices (BRIC) 5.30pm – 7.30pm, networking dinner

Friday 8.30am – 5pm, Principles and practices (BRIC) 5.30pm – 7.30pm, networking dinner

Saturday 9.00am – 3.00pm, Practical session on processing and grove walk (Salute Oliva)

Cost: Members & levy payers: $250 inc GST, Other $340 inc GST REGISTER: visit olivebiz.com.au/2020-olive-oil-processing-workshop/ or contact Liz Bouzoudis: secretariat@australianolives.com.au, 0478 606 145. Registrations close 9 April 2020. Consider extending your visit to Boort and also attending the “Healthy Soils – Healthy and Productive Groves” regional field day on Sunday 19 April 2020. A separate ticket is required. Visit olivebiz.com.au/2020-soil-field-days/ for more details. 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. Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 31

Feature

Severe, protracted drought 2019 was also the driest year on record for Australia. The nationallyaveraged rainfall of 277.6mm was well below the previous record lowest in 1902 (314.5mm) and 40% below the 1961-1990 average of 465.2mm. The year commenced with significant rainfall deficiencies already experienced across large areas of Australia, following several years of below average rainfall over parts of Queensland and New South Wales in particular. Low rainfall throughout 2019 increased the severity of those deficiencies, with the second half of the year particularly dry across most of the southern half of Australia.

NIWA Annual Climate Summary 2019

4th-warmest year on record Annual temperatures were above average (+0.51°C to +1.20°C) across most of New Zealand, the highest observed in the Bay of Plenty and Hawke’s Bay. Near average temperatures (+ or - 0.50°C) occurred in parts of the Wairarapa, the West Coast, Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough and coastal Canterbury. Regional differential in rainfall Annual rainfall for 2019 was below normal (50-79% of normal) across Northland, Auckland, the Bay of Plenty, parts of Waikato, Hawke’s Bay, the Wairarapa and Marlborough but above normal (120-149%) in western Southland and parts of Westland. Nearnormal rainfall (80-119%) was recorded for the rest of New Zealand. … and soil moisture

“Winter rains saw near normal soil moisture across most of the country.” “… the extraordinarily low rainfall experienced State-by-state Rainfall for the year was below to very-much-below average over most of Australia, with much of north-eastern New South Wales and south-eastern Queensland, pastoral South Australia, the central and southern Northern Territory, and south-eastern Western Australia receiving their lowest annual totals on record. In contrast, annual rainfall was above average across parts of Queensland's northwest and northern tropics, mostly as a result of very much above average rainfall during the first quarter of the year. Note: The national rainfall dataset commences in 1900. Tinder dry As many growers unfortunately experienced, warm and windy conditions during spring and early summer led to repeated periods of severe fire weather. Combined with the excessively dry conditions, this resulted in very large bushfires affecting eastern Australia from September onwards, with many fires continuing to burn into 2020. Source: www.bom.gov.au/climate.

this year has been comparable to that seen in the driest periods in Australia's recorded history, including the Federation Drought and the Millenium Drought.” A dry and warm start to the year saw drier than normal soils across much of the country by the end of summer. This continued into autumn for the North Island but was relieved by heavy rain in late March for western parts of the South Island. Spring once again saw North Island soils begin to dry out, with levels below normal for much of the upper and eastern North Island, and parts of Tasman, Marlborough and Canterbury. Meanwhile the lower west coast and parts of Otago and Southland had above normal soil moisture levels. These continued into the new year, along with parts of Southland, Otago, Nelson, Marlborough Sounds and Wellington, while below normal moisture was observed in Northland, Auckland, northern Waikato and eastern parts of Wairarapa. Source: www.niwa.co.nz.

32 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

N AT I O N A L

Sa tur 17- day & 18 Oc Sund tob ay er

2020

OLIVE INDUSTRY conference & exhibition Combine your 2020 holiday with the annual industry conference

Paranaple Convention Centre, Devonport Tasmania

SAVE THE DATES Friday 16 October • •

Optional Full Day Field Tour Australian International Olive Awards Presentation Dinner

Saturday 17 October • •

Full Day - Plenary Sessions Conference Dinner

Sunday 18 October • •

2019 FEEDBACK “Your speakers were excellent overall, high calibre, articulate and willing to share. Impressive. The field tour was inspirational, great opportunity for networking and meeting like minded people & learning.”

Registrations opening 1 July 2020. Program and full details will be available soon at

www.nationaloliveconference.com.au

Morning - plenary sessions Afternoon - Opportunity to be involved in an Olive Market Stall set-up at Providore Place, Devonport.

“Lots of thought has gone into the program and venue and catering - well done to all involved.”

Olivegrower Profile – AIOA Best of Show

W2Olives’ Geoff Treloar and Jenny Masters (left) celebrated their AIOA wins with fellow Wagga Wagga growers Bruce Spinks and Joo-Yee Lieu, who process their award-winning oils.

Homework the secret to ‘Mammoth’ win Six years of preparation might seem a long time to some but for W2Olives owners Geoff Treloar and Jenny Masters, it was the first step on the road to international awardwinning success. The Wagga Wagga, NSW producers scooped the EVOO trophy pool at the 2019 Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA), winning every available award for their W2O Hardy’s Mammoth varietal. An initial podium appearance to accept the Champion Robust EVOO award was repeated four times as they added the Best NSW/ACT EVOO, Best Australian EVOO and Best Southern Hemisphere EVOO

trophies to their haul, then topped it all off with the coveted Best EVOO of Show award. W2Olives' sole entry in the 2019 AIOA - and their first ever in the Australian International competition - the W2O EVOO also earned the judges’ highest score of 96/100. All up, Treloar said, it was ‘a dream come true’ and made a mad dash back from England to attend the presentation dinner well worthwhile. “We’ve won top awards with our agrumato before but we really wanted to do it with an EVOO,” he said. “It took very tight scheduling to get to the

By the end of the evening, W2Olives had added another two trophies to their 2019 AIOA haul. 34 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

dinner but the effort was paid back a million times over by the chance to be there and accept the awards.”

Homework

Treloar and Masters bought their property in 1992 and established the olive grove in 1998, researching long and hard before planting 1700 trees – a labour of love by themselves and Geoff’s brother John. “We did a fair bit of homework, starting with climatic conditions and the best things to grow in this area. At that stage there weren’t too many olive groves in this area but we decided that the climate was right, so looked around the property to find soil types that would suit,” Treloar said. “We chose a site on sand hills near the river and set out modifying the soil for olives trees, raising the pH by adding lots of lime then ripping the tree lines to almost a meter. It made a mess but incorporated the lime very well. Then we put in an irrigation system of underground mains with above-ground poly pipe and a sprinkler to each tree.” And finally it was time to plant - then deal with the need for ongoing maintenance. “We purchased the trees - originally 1700 but some have died - with about 500 purchased from a local grower, Margie Carter. I put in too many trees for the time we had available, though: we had a young family, a business, my wife worked full time, and I tried to fit in maintenance of grove with everything else but never quite made it.”

Editorial Wallflower varietal

Treloar said that meant not all of the grove got quite the same level of TLC, until a lifestyle change two years ago saw them re-discover the locally-grown section. “The bulk of the trees are Correggiola, interspersed with Pendolino, and over the years they’re the ones that have had the most attention. From about five years after we planted them we were getting good crops and silver medal oils,” he said. “But Margie’s Manzanillo and Hardy’s Mammoth trees - the ones that have produced this amazing quality oil - have been sitting on the far side of the grove pretty well unattended until two years ago. I retired from full time work and sold my business, which gave me more time to tend the olives, and those are the ones we’ve paid the most attention to since. “It’s obviously paid off, as last year my processor Bruce Spinks said ‘I think you should press the Hardy’s Mammoth separately because I think they’re pretty good’. So we did, and that produced this award-winning oil. “Bruce and Joo-Yee process all of our oils at Wollundry Grove, and we won another Best in Class with our Lime Agrumato which they made. We’re very lucky to work with them: Bruce is so co-operative, really well organised and clearly does a great job.”

“The trees that have produced this amazing quality oil have been sitting pretty well unattended until two years ago.” Sales: local and viable

Treloar said that, as small producers, they’re practical about how far and wide to spread their sales reach. “Last season (2019) we had a sum total of 300L of oil to sell, so we sell locally and online only,” he said. “I’ve had my business life and don’t want to create a monster: I want to get high quality oil out there but don’t want to commit seven days a week to it, and I can do that through online sales and local retail. “And we’re very proud of being a local producer. We’ve done farmers markets for 12 years - although I do find they’re less patronised than they used to be, due to both the price and convenience of other shopping opportunities, and sometimes the weather. “Then we have our website and I deal with customers directly, organising payment and posting. There’s more profit from the smaller bottles but we push our 2L casks because they mail well and we think people should use them. They’re very well accepted.”

Research and preparation prior to planting were the building blocks of W2O’s exceptional EVOO quality.

Winning combination

While he’d already clued us in on the ‘homework’ they did in preparing the grove, we asked Treloar to share his thoughts on what other elements go into making an international award-winning EVOO. “Right from the start, we didn’t stint on inputs into the grove – liming, ripping, irrigation, soil testing,” he said. “You should do leaf testing, and soil tests every second year. We’ve also got light soil so have been working on improving the volume of organic matter, mainly using manures. “Then there’s the variety of tree. The Corregiola have thrived in our grove, and we’ve only discovered the Hardy’s Mammoth and the value of them in producing this exquisite high quality in the last two years. “So all up, it’s that combination of the climate, water, ensuring good nourishment from the soil and then your cultivar.”

The price of medals

While the value of awards has always been clear, Treloar said the AIOA Best of Show accolade has had the biggest impact. “We’ve always been keen to get as many awards as we can because it really does sell your product,”he said. “And certainly post-awards I saw the change – I’ll definitely sell all of the 2019, and if I had two to three times as much oil I’d have no trouble selling it. There’s been a good bit of media exposure - newspapers, Channel 9 - I sat at home and people rang me asking ‘Can you do a story for us?’ It’s triggered a lot of interest in the oil and that’s really permeated into the local retail outlets. “I did put the price of the W2O up after the win too - once it’s got the badge you can raise the price a little because this is special. People know what the price is, they know it’s worth it and they’re buying it. “There’s also the personal satisfaction: we want to know we’re right up there with the best, and that what we’re doing meets best practice. “And the AIOA win justifies all the time and the effort we’ve put in. I haven’t based my retirement income on olives, it was just an undertaking that would connect my family when they come down each year for harvest, but everyone is so excited about the win. The value in that is just huge.”

Where to from here?

Now that they know what goes into ‘the best’, Treloar says they’ve got plenty of plans going forward – especially around a Hardy’s Mammoth single varietal. “We’ll make it this year, and every year for ever more. And we’ll put some more in,” he said. “It’s got everything: fruit, bitterness, pungency, and the transfer to the palate last year was just fabulous. “Overall, though, after the third failed spring for this district it’s been about using available water to get as much production as possible out of the whole grove. We’ve also undertaken a fairly radical pruning program. “Come harvest we’ll process the varieties separately and then blend if needed, just to increase the volumes I can sell with medals attached to them. If I can make a blend and put it in a show and win a gold medal, that’ll be ideal. “Part of the excitement is pondering what I’m going to get, what quality and volumes I can achieve, but I’ll now go into that with renewed vigour, knowing the possible outcomes. “My advice for others would definitely be that if you think you’ve got something good, give competitions a try. The benefits of a medal – let alone winning a trophy – really do sell your oil.” More information: www.w2olives.com.au.

Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 35

Olivegrower Profile – AIOA Best of Show

Engineering a successful olive business Engineering and analytical thinking aren’t generally terms which come to mind when you think about making table olives and EVOO. For Marlies and Peter Eicher of Saluté Oliva, however, they’re the backbone of their production – and success. Based in Boort, Victoria, the boutique olive business was one of the big winners at this year’s Australian International Olive Awards (AIOA), taking the Best Table Olive of Show trophy for its semi-dried Kalamata. Earning the judges’ highest score for table olive entries with 27/30, Saluté’s semi-dried Kalamata also took home a Gold medal and the Best in Class 16, Best Table Olive in Australia and Best Table Olive in Southern Hemisphere awards. Peter said they were thrilled to win the awards and credits Marlies’ “particular and methodical curing, storing and packaging of the olives” with their success. Marlies says “it all comes down to engineering”. “We were both previously engineers, so I think it’s a combination of engineering and analytical thinking. We have a very analytical approach to things and problem solving is a big part of ensuring the quality of our products,” she said. “For example, we’ve made the semi-dried olives from the start but we’ve trialled around a fair bit. In the beginning we made them with Manzanillo fruit rather than Kalamata, as we couldn’t spare them for semi-dried, but we found that while the Manzanillo flavour is better the texture is not as good. “And a lot of people do semi-dried olives: often they’re too salty and often they’re too dry. It needs a lot of control with the amount of salt to the olives that you’re using, and with the timing of all the processes. It’s not like I can say ‘just use 15kg of salt’ - you have to keep checking because sometimes the olives are drier, sometimes they have more water. “That’s where the engineering comes in: everything is done on spreadsheets, so each year you can go back and check to make really sure. “Then it also comes down to the olives themselves. This year there was just the perfect amount on the tree, the perfect size, the perfect moisture - it was really a great year for them.”

Background

The Eichers set up their 34 acre property in the 1990s , planting 1350 Frantoio trees for oil and another 790 Manzanillo and Kalamata for table olives. “Right from the start, we knew we’d have to go with both oils and olives to make it viable - table olives give you more return

“We feel it’s better to do one oil and do it really well than to try to do too much.” for your money but they’re also more work,” Marlies said. “We were certain about choosing Kalamata because they were well known for table olives and we chose Manzanillo as dual purpose but we mainly use it for olives now. We needed a third variety, so we read up on it, looked at early/late ripening varietals and other factors, and figured Frantoio would work well for us.” They decided from the start to grow using organic principles and are now NASAA organic certified, which is an important part of the Saluté production philosophy. “We’re very sceptical about chemical farming because it’s often trying to treat a symptom rather than looking at it in a more holistic way. The way we’ve shifted to huge

36 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

monocultures is a real problem – I just don’t think they’re resilient,” Marlies said. “We don’t want to be a huge producer who can be the cheapest, we can’t do that, but we want to provide really good quality food to our customers at a good price. “The certification gives the customer the proof that you’re doing it the right way. Especially if you’re not dealing with a customer directly, so through a restaurant or shop, it provides that assurance.”

Freshness and sustainability

The other important aspect of the Saluté production philosophy is that the entire process is carried out on-farm and by the family. “Having the capacity to process the olives

Olivegrower Profile – AIOA Best of Show

do it really well than to try to do too much. on the farm reduces the time from harvest to “Vision: Saluté Oliva, “We also pack a lot of our oil in 2L and pressing or harvest to pickling, ensuring the an olive business with 10L casks and offer them at really good highest quality products, while our in-house prices, and we have customers who keep bottling and filling plant allows small batch a difference, without coming back for them. That makes sales and fillings for maximum freshness in every marketing a lot easier, and because it’s so package,” Marlies said. compromises striving to convenient people will use it for everything. “For us it’s all about freshness and it’s all “Some smaller producers try to maximise about sustainability, so we want to keep our be the leader in supply of their return by putting it in tiny bottles but transport short to ensure both. EVOO and table olives, as then the customer saves that for special “That applies to sales too. The lowest so they don’t get the turnover. We food miles possible is important in the whole we believe you only deserve occasions find two litres is not too much to outlay and scheme of things – both to us and to the people really use it. customer we are approaching. We sell the best that nature can “We also produce soap, which is a way direct to the customer and the post is going produce.” to use oil that you don’t want to sell and a anyway, so that’s the best way I can do it. fantastic way not to waste anything. That’s Online sales this year have just passed 20% of our production, and that’s been climbing quite steadily, so it seems how it got into our production and it sells incredibly well.” to be working.” Sustainability is also important from an operational point of view, The award effect Marlies said. Marlies said that, while it was too early to have had a rush of “Listening to feedback from clients is essential but we don’t follow additional sales, “The word has definitely got around. We’ve had lots every whim because it’s got to fit in with what we can do here as well. of congratulations messages. You have to be very careful you don’t start spreading yourself too thin. “They’re a pretty steady seller so I don’t really expect a huge spike “I see small producers at markets and they have up to 10 different but over the years winning these awards has really put us on the map. varieties of oil. By the time customers try three they don’t know what And the semi-dried is a bit of a flagship in our production, probably they want any more, so to me it means you’re just diluting your what we’re best known for, so a win like this pulls everything along potential sales. with it. People think if we won with that one, the rest must be good “We only offer one medium style oil, and it’s one blend so it’s the too. same all through the sales period. We feel it’s better to do one oil and “It makes entering the competition a very good idea but it’s not the

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Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 37

Olivegrower Profile – AIOA Best of Show

“We don’t work with magic, we work with science: you use facts to guide you through.”

Saluté Oliva’s Marlies Eicher credits a combination of engineering and analytical thinking – along with top quality fruit – for their award-winning success.

Timely investment in quality

Given that Saluté’s on-farm production facilities are crucial to their philosophy of ensuring product freshness, Olivegrower asked Marlies for some advice for growers without the capacity for their own on-site processing. “My best advice would be to make sure you can get your fruit in quickly. You’re better off investing in harvesting equipment and leaving the processing to someone else because that gets the fruit off quicker and ensures the oil is fresher,” she said. “Find a processor in your area so you can cut down the transport, as that increases the time between picking and pressing. Also someone who has a machine to do the right size of processing for your quantity of fruit, then communicate regularly with them in the lead-up to harvest. We make sure we always get fruit through on the day they bring it but we talk to them before to make sure it fits both ways. “It’s all about the time delay: put your money and efforts into keeping that as low as AND PROCESSING LINES possible and you’ll be much better off.”

OLIVE HARVESTERS

only value: it is also enormously valuable for yourself. It’s a bit confronting putting yourself out there and people maybe not thinking your products are good but it’s incredibly important if you don’t want to be stuck in your own world. From that point of view, I think competitions are essential. “But you can’t expect it will do your sales and marketing for you - you still have to do that. But it can certainly be an entry: if you do a cold call and you have products with medals on them, you definitely have more attention to start off with.” More information: www.saluteoliva.com.au.

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New Zealand - Organics

The abundant crops achieved by the Focus Groves prove that fruit yield is dependent on healthy trees.

Olives NZ Focus Grove Project – an organic approach The new Olives New Zealand Focus Grove Project, Meeting the increasing demand for New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil, is now well underway, with the second round of Focus Grove field days being held this month. Recognising the increasing demand for NZ EVOO, which already exceeds current supply capability, the project primarily aims to lift productivity to enable the industry to meet that demand – specifically, from the successful 25kg/tree currently being achieved to 30kg/tree. A secondary outcome is an alternate, more organic approach to the current requirement of an intensive spraying program to ensure tree health. The three-year project outcomes include the publication of fact sheets as successful strategies are identified: Olives NZ Executive Officer Gayle Sheridan has allowed us to share the first of the key findings, detailing a more organic spraying regime, with Olivegrower readers.

Background

Following on from the success of the first Focus Grove Project, some members requested that an alternate approach to the Manzate chemical spray program for disease management be developed.

Recommendations have therefore been developed for groves wishing to adopt a more organic approach, based on a successful and well-established organic spray program for black spot control in certified organic apple orchards. Apple black spot is a wet weather disease closely related to the olive diseases we need to control. Focus Grove Project consultant Stuart Tustin researched and consulted on organics in the apple sector and our trial is based on these findings. Thus it is based on a scientific and proven approach.

Organic certification

Groves wishing to become registered as organic need to contact a recognised organic certifier immediately as this is a three-year process. The most widely recognised organic association in New Zealand is BioGro. You may be able to backdate the official start date of your organic management – contact your organic certifier about this. Note that the olive pressing process must also be certified before your oil can be labelled as organic. It may be possible to co-ordinate with other growers in your area to enable the press operation to become certified, either as a “certified subcontractor” under your

own licence, or as an independently certified processor. Growers who are interested in organics also need to be aware that MPI is developing a national organic standard which will be legislated. Once the bill is passed all organic organisations will be obliged to comply with the standard, therefore growers need to check with their organic association that they will be working towards compliance with the new standard. Note: growers wishing to become registered as organic should also check that the spraying advice below is acceptable to the organic certifier they are working with.

Spraying for disease control

After research and consultation, Stuart Tustin has recommended following the organic apple orchard approach for control of wet weather diseases. It uses the same application timing rules we follow for Manzate. The products recommended are copper hydroxide (various commercial products available that are organicallyapproved) plus Kumulus sulphur, which are the most cost-effective options available and will give some persistency. The copper hydroxide and Kumulus sulphur

Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 39

New Zealand - Organics

Overview: Olives New Zealand Focus Grove Projects

The Olives New Zealand Focus Grove Project, Meeting the Increasing Demand for New Zealand Extra Virgin Olive Oil, is funded by the MPI Sustainable Food and Fibres Futures program and member contributions. It follows on from the initial Sustaining Farming Fund Focus Grove Project, Increasing the Market Share for New Zealand Olive Oil, which ran from 20162019 and saw participating groves dramatically increase both tree health and production levels, most achieving 25kg/tree. The continuing project aims for further improvements via a regime of specified management practices, including an additional 5kg of fruit production per tree to 30kg/tree annually. The new project will run over three years and commenced in October 2019. The primary focus areas are improved capability, higher value/ lower impact land use, and effective mitigation of pests and diseases.

Growers following the proactive disease and canopy management program from the initial Focus Grove Project have healthy groves with lush growth and little or no disease. Recommendations have now been developed for groves wishing to adopt a more organic approach.

are applied together at a recommended rate effective for apple black spot control of 320g copper hydroxide plus 1.8kg Kumulus per 1000 litres. High volume spraying is recommended, with a minimum of 1000 litres per ha and up to 2000 litres per ha if trees are very large and dense. The spray should be applied every 20 days or after 20mm* rain. Please note, however, that the maximum copper application permitted by most organic registration bodies is 3kg per ha per annum, and growers using copper sprays must record and keep track of total copper applications per year. Based on the Manzate program timing, organic groves could anticipate 12 to 15 sprays per year, which will be well within maximum copper limits if applied at 1000 Litres per ha. *The 20/20 recommendation for this regime and Manzate is because of product efficacy. From mid-summer to late summer, when it can be anticipated to be dry (no rain), it is possible to modify the spray regime

by omitting the copper and running out to 30-40 days between Kumulus sulphur sprays. If this late summer low rate tactic is followed in dry conditions, however, grove owners must follow horticultural weather forecasting services closely because it will be essential to apply protective sprays before any predicted rainfall. Once heavy dews/fogs occur that wet tree foliage in autumn, resume the 20/20 spray regime with copper hydroxide/sulphur. We are also researching to find possible organic-acceptable alternatives to the Protek sprays which would normally be recommended to address Anthracnose at flowering. All of the above recommendations will be monitored and reviewed as the project progresses, with updated bulletins issued accordingly.

Grass and weed management

There are currently no organic-approved alternatives to glyphosate herbicides such as Roundup. Cultivation is not recommended. Copper can be toxic to sheep, therefore

40 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

sheep grazing should not be used in groves using copper sprays. If in doubt, consult your grazier. So for groves wishing to be organic there appears to be no option apart from mowing. One option is to buy a tractor-mounted swing-arm mower attachment to mow between the trees, however this normally involves the lifting of any irrigation lines. Another option for minimizing weeds around trees is to re-sow the typical strip between and around with a pure clover sward. This is relatively low growing and also contributes nitrogen through the nitrogen fixing micro-organisms that colonise clover roots.

More information

Olives NZ members can also access further information in the organisation’s Best Practice Management e-manual, which has a section on Grove Floor Management. For a list of approved copper and sulphur products that are allowed for organic production in New Zealand, visit www.biogro. co.nz and find the search box for “inputs for organic production”. Here you can also find an extensive list of other inputs allowed for organics. Australian growers can search for allowed inputs on the websites of organic certifying organisations including ACO Certification www.aco.net.au and NASAA Organic - www. nasaa.com.au.

Olive business

Best Practice Series

The OliveCare® program is all about helping olive producers achieve quality. With that aim, the Best Practice Series of articles discusses how to increase the yield of premium EVOO through best practice management strategies from the grove to the consumer.

Olive industry agri-chemical usage Peter McFarlane, AOA OliveCare® Administrator

Agri-chemicals are an important element of grove management for most olive growers, enabling the control of pests and diseases. It is important to ensure, however, that all usage is safe and controlled, from both a worker and environmental perspective. OliveCare® Administrator Peter McFarlane looks at current industry agri-chemical usage and provides comprehensive information on current legislation, regulations and training recommendations around chemical handling and usage. As part of OliveCare® compliance requirements, all Signatories need to complete an agri-chemical use declaration. This provides the AOA with an overview of chemical usage across the industry for planning and educational purposes. A preliminary analysis of the OliveCare® agri-chemical use declaration forms submitted to date has revealed:

On-farm agri-chemical use

Approach to management of pests and diseases • 20% practice conventional pest and disease management using approved agri-chemicals as required; • 70% practice Integrated Pest & Disease Management (IPDM), focussing on improving soil and tree health with strategic and minimal use of approved agri-chemicals; • 10% are organic certified/in conversion to organic certification, meaning only agrichemicals approved by the certifier can be used in the grove. Apply only agri-chemicals that are approved for use on olives? • N/A 10% - don’t use agri-chemicals • Yes 80% • No 10% - operate as permitted under VIC Control of Use Regulations.

N AT I O N A L

2020

OLIVE INDUSTRY conference & exhibition

Agri-chemicals used in olive groves 37% of respondents nominated use of chemicals in olive groves - including: • Herbicides: 19% including Basta/Roundup/ Advance • Pesticides: 22% including Samurai/ Dimethoate/Admiral/Boron • Fungicides: 15% including Kocide/Amistar/ other fungicides registered for use on grapes. Maintain an up-to-date file of APVMA Permits/Product Labels/Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all agri-chemicals used in your grove(s)? • N/A 10% - don’t use agri-chemicals • Yes 83% • No 7% **Note: this is a legal requirement in all states** Chemical inventory/spray diary record format: • 75% use a conventional book record • 25% use an office-based computer program Use of certified contractors to apply agrichemicals: • N/A 10% - don’t use agri-chemicals • Yes 10% • No 80% - apply chemicals themselves If no, are the persons nominated to apply agri-chemicals in your grove(s) trained, qualified and equipped to undertake this role? • Yes - of the 80% of owner/managers who apply chemicals themselves, only

Save the date

10% nominated having ChemCert® or other formal qualifications; the other 70% nominated training by chemical suppliers or operator experience Use of secure/lockable and physically separate area for safe storage of agrichemicals in accordance with legislative requirements, pesticide label conditions of use and MSDS directions? • N/A 10% - don’t use agri-chemicals • Yes 85% • No 5% **Note: this is a legal requirement in all states**

Analysis

Based on the declarations returned to date there appears to be a high level of compliance by OliveCare® Signatories with the use, documentation of use, and storage of agri-chemicals. It is concerning to note, however, that there is not full compliance with the legal requirements for an agrichemical document file and the secure safe storage of agri-chemicals. Ref: Agricultural chemical users’ manual: Guidelines and principles for responsible agricultural chemical use (QLD Government) - www.daf.qld.gov.au.

Saturday & Sunday, 17-18 October

See page 39 for details Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 41

Olive business

Chemical use training Agricultural and veterinary chemical products must be used responsibly and safely. In general, chemical users in all jurisdictions must: • use only registered agricultural and veterinary chemical products • follow instructions on the product label. In addition there are specific requirements of multiple jurisdictions in individual states for producers and/or contractors using agrichemicals - in particular herbicides and Schedule 7 Poisons. The following clarifying comments are from state Department of Agriculture, WorkSafe, Health and EPA authorities in regard to formal chemical training requirements for owner operated farms.

National

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (DAF) jurisdiction covers registrations and permits for use of all agri-chemicals in Australia (chemical use training is a state responsibility).

New South Wales

(EPA) Compulsory training for commercial use of pesticides: From 1 September 2003 the rules under the Pesticides Act 1999 and the Pesticides Regulation 1995 made training compulsory for commercial users of pesticides and herbicides. This legislation is administered by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA). If you are a farmer, market gardener, flower grower, ground rig operator, parkland or green keeper, landscape gardener, nursery operator, marina operator, wood preservation operator, landlord, or use pesticides on behalf of a local council or government agency you must be trained in pesticide use and must be re-accredited every five years by completing a short refresher course. This includes anyone who uses any type of pesticides, including herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, bactericides, baits, lures and rodenticides (rat poison) in their work. More information at www.epa.nsw.gov.au or contact the EPA on 13 15 55. (SafeWork NSW): There are no specific requirements for chemicals used in farm. Any hazardous chemicals used on-farm should be managed like any other hazardous chemicals in a workplace in accordance to Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2017. More information at www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au.

Queensland

(WH&SQ): The Work Health and Safety Act 2011 and the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 do not require a farmer by law to have ChemCert® training in order to use, handle or store hazardous chemicals at their workplaces (farms). However, any industry-approved training with regard to the use, handling and storage of hazardous substances is best practice and education in the risks posed regarding the use, handling and storage of hazardous chemicals is advantageous to a farmer in meeting their health and safety obligations on the farm. Sections 17, 18 and 19 of the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 work together in conjunction with section 36 of the Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 to ensure a farmer (a person conducting a business or undertaking) is doing everything practicable to ensure the health and safety of a worker. This may mean training such as ChemCert. The Department of Environment and Science (DES) has no specific licensing requirements for farmers using agricultural chemicals. Under section 319 of the Environmental Protection Act (EP Act) there is, however, a requirement to comply with the General

42 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

Environmental Duty. There is also a potential offence for releasing chemicals to water under the EP Act. Generally, QLD farmers spraying herbicides on properties they own or those owned by a close relative do not require an agricultural chemical licence and are not required to undertake training. However, under the Agricultural Chemicals Distribution Control Act 1966, if you intend to use ground equipment to distribute herbicides on land not owned or occupied by you or a close relative, you may need a commercial operator's licence. More information can be found at www.business.qld.gov.au. Finally, Queensland Health also has rules for farmers spraying poisons – more information www.health.qld.gov.au.

Responsible agri-chemical use checklist: • • • •

• • • • •

Be aware of relevant national and state government legislative requirements for the use of agri-chemicals Ensure chemicals are safely and securely stored on farm Ensure correct disposal of used chemical containers and unwanted chemicals Read the label: always use chemicals in accordance with label and permit approvals – target pests, spray dilution, application rates and withholding periods (to meet MRL requirements) Ensure spray application equipment is regularly calibrated for optimal droplet size and delivery rate Observe spray buffer zones and wind speed restrictions Ensure persons applying chemicals use protective clothing, and are trained and licensed Maintain a chemical use inventory/spray diary record (paper or electronic) Maintain an up-to-date file of APVMA Permits/Product Labels/Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all agrichemicals used.

South Australia

(SafeWork SA): Farms are considered workplaces, so any requirements under work health and safety legislation must also be adhered to, which means ‘appropriate’ training needs to be provided to workers in the use of these chemicals - even if it is the farm owner/ operator who is the ‘worker’. The licences to obtain Schedule 7 poisons in South Australia is managed through SA Health – more information at www. pestcontrollicensing.com.au.

Western Australia

(DMIRS): The relevant legislation is the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1984 and Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996. There are no requirements under the Act or Regulations for farmers/ growers to have a ChemCert® qualification in order to legally purchase and use herbicides, insecticides or fungicides on their own properties. The use of Schedule 7 products is regulated by the Pesticide Safety section at the (WA) Department of Health – more information at www.health.wa.gov.au. In relation to general chemical training requirements, most agricultural chemicals are classified as ‘hazardous substances’. Training requirements for hazardous substances are specified in Regulation 5.21, which imposes a general requirement to provide information and training. It does not specify any particular course or qualification; the training can be conducted by the employer. In relation to self-employed persons with no employees, the

Olive business

workplace should have a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet or Safety Data Sheet for the product they are using, and have conducted a risk assessment prior to using the chemical. This should include a review of the MSDS/SDS and consideration of whether they are using the product in accordance with the stated recommendations. There is no requirement under WA OSH legislation for a self-employed primary producer to hold a ChemCert® qualification.

Victoria

(Department of Health): Legislation relating to chemical storage and use in Victoria is covered in the Dangerous Goods legislation (specifically the Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2012) and Occupational Health and Safety legislation (specifically the OHS Regulations on Hazardous Substances). There are requirements which include the employer's responsibility to store and use chemicals safely, and to ensure that users of chemicals are trained and provided with information and personal protection. (WorkSafe): users are required to be trained, however the legislation does not specifically list required qualifications or training competencies. In Victoria the EPA have coverage of waste including disposal of chemicals and contamination.

Tasmania

(Biosecurity Tasmania): In general, there is no requirement under the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) legislation for farmer/growers to hold a ChemCert® certificate to purchase and use pesticides in Tasmania. However, certain chemicals are classed as restricted products, including all Schedule 7 poisons with the signal heading ‘Dangerous Poison’ on the label. There are restriction placed on supply and use of these products depending on their nature. All restricted chemical users require a permit issued by the Registrar of Chemical Products and also specific training, which may be a ChemCert® certificate or other types of training depending on the product – more information at www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au. If you are providing a service for fee or reward then additional qualifications are required - details on the above website. There are specific legislated requirements when using pesticides in Tasmania under the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Act 1995 and the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals (Control of Use) Regulations 2012, together with Orders by the minister. All can be found at the Tasmanian Legislation website - www.legislation.tas. gov.au. All users of agricultural chemicals in Tasmania should note in particular the requirements under the Codes of Practice for Ground Spraying and Aerial Spraying, also available at www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au. Note: Many QA programs require a ChemCert® certificate to use chemicals in the production of crops.

Disposal of unwanted AgVet chemicals and containers Do you have an ag-vet chemical product that is no longer required, or used chemical containers that you don’t know how to dispose of? drumMUSTER is the national program for the collection and recycling of clean eligible non-returnable 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 will display the drumMUSTER/ChemClear® eligible logo on the container. Eligible chemicals are referred to as Group 1; for Group 2 chemicals (no longer registered, expired, unlabelled etc), there is a collection fee. Both drumMUSTER and ChemClear® are Industry Stewardship Programs established under the Industry Waste Reduction Scheme (IWRS) and over 120 chemical manufacturers currently participate in the programs. More information: www.drummuster.org.au; www.chemclear.org.au Ph: 1800 008 707 E: info@drummuster.org.au

Summary

Other than in NSW, farmers and their staff are not legally required to have ChemCert® or equivalent formal training, however OliveCare® strongly recommends that all olive growers and their workers undertake formal training - at least the “prepare and apply chemicals” competencies. After all, if something does go wrong and you end up in court you may be required to convince the court that the chemical user was appropriately trained. Refs: ChemCert® training details - www.chemcert.com.au; Agricultural chemical users’ manual: Guidelines and principles for responsible agricultural chemical use (QLD Govt) - www.daf.qld.gov.au.

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www.olivebiz.com.au/classifieds Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 43

Olive business

Best Practice Series

Malaxing: a ‘hot’ topic in processing Peter McFarlane, AOA OliveCare® Administrator

IIn this episode of the ongoing OliveCare® Best Practice series, Administrator Peter McFarlane answers some of the common questions about one of the ‘make or break’ steps in EVOO processing, malaxing. Each of the stages of processing can affect the end result, with variations during processing – grid size, malaxing temperature and time, speed and the use of processing aids – having significant impact on both quality and quantity of the oil extracted. Adjustments should always be made for variables in the fruit and conditions on the day, however here are a few basic ‘rules’ for guidance through the malaxing process.

What temperature should I use for malaxing?

• As low as possible but not lower than 22ºC. Below this there are problems with efficiency and solubilisation of polyphenols (PPH) and chlorophylls. • The EC regulation for “cold extraction” is < 27ºC. • The recommended temperature is between 25ºC and 30ºC. • Start at 28ºC and apply variations controlling the oil in pomace.

How long should the malaxing process take?

• As short as possible but not less than 45 mins. • Between 45 mins and 120 mins, depending on fruit and other variations. • Start at 75 mins and apply variations controlling the oil in pomace. Note: According to research studies, a sealed malaxer minimises the negative impact of longer malaxing times on quality.

Effects of variations

As this table shows, Total polyphenol (PPH) and Chlorophyl content increases with malaxation temperature, which has a positive correlation with oil oxidative stability (IND) and oil pungency.

It is also noted that oil yield increases (reduced loss in pomace) with malaxation temperature and time, however malaxation at a 44 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

higher temperature/longer time can produce the heated or burned organoleptic defect. Whilst an EC regulation for product labelling “Cold extraction” requires virgin olive oil to be malaxed <27ºC, a study by Giuseppe Di Leccea et al, “Are virgin olive oils obtained below 27C better than those produced at higher temperatures?” concluded that “VOO obtained at a processing temperature lower than 27C does not show higher chemical and sensory qualities than VOO obtained at 35C.”

More information

There are several excellent references available: Processing tools for industrial efficiency improvement, a presentation by Leandro Ravetti and Jim Rowntree at the AOA National Olive Industry Conference, September 2014, accessible to AOA members through the Australian Olives Members Lounge - www.australianolives.com. au/2014-conference-presentations; The report on the April 2019 AOA Processing Workshop with Pablo Canamasas held at Salute Oliva, Boort, VIC, published in the June 2019 edition of R&D Insights, available on the OliveBiz website – www. olivebiz.com.au under the R&D Insights drop-down; The article AOA Processing workshop: efficiency by numbers provides the statistical results of processing trials conducted during the workshop, which included variations in malaxing temperature and time. It was published in the September 2019 edition of Olivegrower & Processor, and subscribers can also view it online via login on the OliveBiz website – www.olivebiz.com.au.

Olive business

OliveCare® Best Practice - Olive oil processing: • • • • • • • • • • •

undertake AOA best practice olive oil processing training understand olive oil processing defects and how to prevent these occurring, and provide a declaration of olive oil processing practices. manage ‘field heat” - take care with storage of olive fruit in bins from harvest to milling consider stage of fruit ripeness, oil content, desired taste profile and ease of processing ‘processing 101’ - important questions to ask your contract olive oil processor compliance with FSANZ and Local Government requirements for processing facilities. de-leafing and washing olive fruit olive crushing – what type of crusher and grid size? manage malaxing temperature, time & moisture control, use of talc and enzymes oil separation - understand characteristics of 2 & 3 phase separators and water usage implement a batch and daily machinery cleaning schedule

2020 Olive Oil Processing Workshop

16 – 18 April 2020, Boort Resource & Information Centre (BRIC) and Salute Oliva, Victoria. See R&D Insights on page 23 for details

Register of small-batch processors – are you listed? Thanks to all the small-batch processors who have sent us their details: they’re now on our register, which we reference to connect processors with people wanting to utilise their services. The Olivegrower and AOA team regularly receive enquiries from people looking for small-batch processors, so we’ve put a register together which enables us to connect producers with small crops and processors who can process for them, to the mutual benefit of both. We’d like to include all processors across Australia and New Zealand willing and able to process small batches of olives, both individually and also those offering group crushings. If this is you, please send your details to Olivegrower editor Gerri Nelligan, including contact and pricing details, minimum quantities required, and whether you will crush individually or on a “mix and percentage” basis. We’ve got a good list already, and it’s worked well in recent years, so we’re keen to make the register as complete as possible. Please send us your details so we can add you to the list – it could mean valuable additional work for your business. In particular, we’re keen to hear from small batch processors in New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland.

To be included on the register, please email your details to Olivegrower editor Gerri Nelligan at editor@olivegrower.com.au.

Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 45

Olive business

Effects of settling, filtering and timing on EVOO chemistry An OliveCare® signatory sought advice from program administrator Peter McFarlane last season on a question no-doubt pondered by other producers. As EVOO chemistry is still a bit of a mystery, and the results are crucial, we thought the resulting information was important to share.

Q: My 2019 season oil is not yet filtered. Should we do the chemistry testing now or wait another two months? Peter McFarlane In summary, it is not necessary to wait for oils to settle before undertaking chemistry testing as the Australian Standard compliance test parameters, including those used in the calculation of potential Best Before Date (BBD) are not significantly impacted by higher moisture levels in the oils. I also referred this question to our expert olive oil chemist Claudia Guillaume at the Modern Olives laboratory. Claudia Guillaume I think that it is very important not to make conclusions/assumptions before properly understanding the meaning of ‘unsettled’ oil and the specificity of the methodology used in laboratories. In Australia mostly all the EVOO produced is not filtered, so if we ask a Spanish producer they will say that all our oil is unsettled, because for them the oil is only settled after filtration. In Australia and any other country where the oil generally is not filtered: • unsettled oil = oil just made or within two-three days of production and still in settling tanks, with moisture levels around 0.3%;

• settled oil = oil after racking from settling tanks and/or after five days/one week of production. From our experience nobody sends samples to the lab for testing within a week (or even within two weeks) of producing their oil. So it would be very rare that the testing is done on unsettled oils. But if even the testing happens just after the oil is just made, the moisture in these oils will not be more than 0.3-0.35%, which is not significant enough to have a significant impact on the results that are used in the MO formula for the determination of BBD.

Testing specificity

On top of that (and not less important), you have to consider that ALL tests are specific to the compound to be measured, so if there is any moisture or any other interference in the oil, the method already considers this and is designed to remove/not consider the interference from the samples for the specific component to be determined. If that were not the case the method would be useless, and not able to be specific and quantify the component in question.

Got an issue in your grove? A tricky question about processing, packaging, or some other aspect of your olive business? The Olivegrower & Processor team is here to help - and we’ve got all the right connections. Let us know what you’re pondering over, battling with or downright bamboozled by, and we’ll speak with industry experts to try and find the answers. Then we’ll share them with you and your fellow Olivegrower readers in coming editions – because if it’s got you stumped, no doubt there’s a bunch of others out there wondering about the same thing! Email your queries to Editor Gerri Nelligan at editor@olivegrower.com.au and we’ll be in touch to get it sorted. 46 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

® P.S. - Peter McFarlane Interestingly we see 10-12 exhibits from the AIOA EVOO competition each year showing unusually high PV values. Invariably these are exhibits from late season areas such as Southern Victoria and Tasmania. There may be a simple explanation, as Peter Nixon at Modern Olives said if oils are not properly settled when testing using NIR methods you can get an artificially high PV result.

Conclusion

There is no impact on potential BBD calculations and no advice needed for growers in this regard, because the moisture content does not reduce the shelf life of the oil. However when undertaking testing for entry into competitions, it would be preferable to order “wet chemistry” rather than the cheaper ‘NIR”, to avoid false high PV readings.

Olive business

Regional Weather and Climate Guides help improve farm activity planning Whether you’re a climate change believer or denier, knowing what’s happening with local weather trends is a powerful tool in gaining the best outcomes for your farm. So it’s great news that the Bureau of Meteorology’s Regional Weather and Climate Guides are being rolled out, providing a clearer picture of what to expect in upcoming seasons at a local level. The $2.7 million Regional Weather and Climate Guides project is part of the Australian Government’s Drought Assistance Package and aims to improve the resilience of farming businesses by providing localised facts about the likelihood, severity and duration of key weather variables in regions across the country. Produced in collaboration by the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), the CSIRO and

FarmLink Research, the weather and climate information is contained in a set of 56 guides corresponding to Australia's Natural Resource Management regions. Importantly, the project team worked with local farming groups, communities and businesses in each NRM region to ensure the information meets the needs of its local farmers and agribusinesses. The information provided includes rainfall and temperature trends, frost risk, when to expect the wet season, and the nature of local droughts, floods and heatwaves. Highlighting both risks and opportunities, it aims to help with decisions such as when to plant, harvest, build water storages or invest in infrastructure. All guides will be released by the end of the year and are available via an easy

click-through interactive map on the BoM website - www.bom.gov.au/climate/climateguides.

Weekly report on climate, water and agriculture markets And while weather’s a major factor, it’s not the only thing you need to keep an eye on when you’re in the ‘growing things’ business. The big one, of course, is water (will there be any, will it be free from the sky or from a pipe and how much will it cost me?) and then there’s things like supply, demand and market movements. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) is making it easier to keep track of it all, via a weekly report providing a comprehensive update around all things affecting agriculture across Australia. The ABARES Weekly Australian Climate, Water and Agricultural Update contains a summary of total and forecast rainfall, recent climatic conditions, water storage levels and availability, irrigation

allocations and commodity price movements and the impact of notable weather events on agriculture. Starting with a run-down of key issues for the report week, it then expands on Climate – Rainfall recorded and forecast, Temperature anomalies, National Climate Outlook; Commodities- Current indicators; and Water - storages, markets and allocations. It’s a user-friendly five-minute read providing valuable information and insight. You can find it on the ABARES website at www.agriculture. gov.au/abares - go to Publications, then Weekly update – along with an archive of previous weekly reports dating back to January 2017.

Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 47

Olives & 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…

(Costa del Sol) olives limit heavy metal toxicity Table olives from trees in a specific region of Spain have been found to reduce the absorption of toxic heavy metals during digestion. Research conducted at the University of Jaen has found that cured olives from the Alora area, inland from the Costa del Sol, contain a bacteria which limits the absorption of metals including arsenic, cadmium and mercury molecules into the bloodstream. The bacteria acts like a sponge, absorbing the metals which are then excreted from the human digestive system. The researchers determined that a unique genetic component of the Alora olives’ bacteria is responsible, and that the Lactobacillus

pentosus strain which occurs naturally in Alora’s olive trees multiplies considerably as the olives are cured. The discovery has significant health implications in our increasinglyindustrialised world, where toxic heavy metals enter the food chain via contaminated soil or water and are found at dangerous levels in some food items and production zones. Source: www.euroweeklynews.com.

Olive oil can stop – and even reverse – brain aging processes New Italian research has revealed that one of the active components of olive oil, hydroxytyrosol, protects brain functions from the common effects of aging. Even better, the findings show that hydroxytyrosol - already well-known for its neuroprotective effects - may even drive the generation of new brain neurons and then protect them into the future. Scientists at the National Research Center Biochemistry and Cellular biology Lab looked at the effect of hydroxytyrosol in the areas of the brain that generate new neurons and found that, in the elderly in particular, it may reverse neuronal aging. They said the antioxidant activity of hydroxytyrosol “activates a sort of cleaning treatment for nervous cells, in the sense that it washes away several byproducts of brain aging like the lipofuscin, which are debris found in neuron cells.” Published in the FASEB journal, the study involved mice aged two or 15 months randomly assigned to a control group (H2O, plain drinking water) or treatment group (HTyr, hydroxytyrosol in drinking water at a dose of 100 mg/Kg/day (human equivalent dose

8.1 mg/Kg/day) for 30 days. The researchers subsequently found that “Hydroxytyrosol oral consumption by young and older animals within a month shows not only how the new neurons generated by the brain in that timeframe are protected, but it also hints how in older animals it stimulates the multiplication of stem cells. It is from those cells that new neurons are generated.” They noted specifically that the neuron multiplication effect was only found in the aged brains. The researchers also noted that hydroxytyrosol is found in olive oil, and also in larger quantities in olive waste, providing the opportunity for value adding of olive mill waste by the efficient extraction of hydroxytyrosol as a treatment supplement. However, they said that “the most efficient intake of hydroxytyrosol would happen through olive oil consumption”. Source: www.oliveoiltimes.com.

… and protect from fatty liver disease And that’s not all hydroxytyrosol can do! Chilean researchers have found that hydroxytyrosol can reverse some of the negative effects of a high-fat diet via a protective effect on the liver. Published in the journal Lipids in Health and Disease, the study looked at the effects of hydroxytyrosol on specific enzymes in the liver important for the synthesis of long chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids, some of which play an important role in vascular health. Four groups of mice were fed on either a high-fat diet (60% fat) or a control diet (10% fat), with or without supplementation of 5mg hydroxytyrosol/kg body weight, administered orally for 12 weeks. Blood and tissue samples were used to study the dietary effects on oxidative stress, fatty acid composition and enzymatic activity in multiple organs. The researchers found that the mice fed a high-fat diet had a reduction in the relevant liver enzymes, which was linked to an imbalance in the

fatty acid composition of the liver, brain and heart (aka non-alcoholic liver disease). In contrast, mice on a high-fat diet supplemented with hydroxytyrosol showed enzyme activity and fatty acid composition in these three organs which reflected that in mice fed a regular diet They said it was “intriguing” that adding a relatively low dose of hydroxytyrosol to the diet was able to reverse the detrimental effects of a high fat diet, reducing the signs of fatty liver disease and the negative effects seen in the other organs. They concluded that the results of this study strengthen the evidence that many of the benefits associated with extra virgin olive oil may be linked to its hydroxytyrosol content. Source: www.medicalxpress.com.

Get breaking news on local achievements delivered FREE to your inbox: Register for Friday Olive Extracts at www.olivebiz.com.au 48 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • March 2020 • Issue 115

Products & services

Sicma srl & F.lli Dieci ... a win-win combination, versatile and effective From Sicma experience in the mechanical harvesting of olives and hanging fruits and the professionalism and reliability of the F. lli Dieci handlers, a winning, versatile and effective technological combination was born. MINI AGRI 26.6 is a powerful telehandler of reduced size. This model is the "mini telehandler", designed to meet the needs of "small works": excellent for agriculture works, it is a vehicle that perfectly fits in tight and difficult spaces. Versatility and manageability are, the strengths of this telescopic forklift that now also comes with the Sicma vibrating head (equipped with or without reverse umbrella) for the collection of olives and hanging fruits. AGRI FARMER 28.7, one of the most agile Dieci agricultural telehandlers, was designed with the telescopic lift to satisfy every need for lifting and handling in small and medium-sized farms. AGRI FARMER 28.7 is now available with the Sicma vibrating head (equipped with or without reverse umbrella) for the mechanical harvest of olives and hanging

fruits. Direction and arm are controlled by the new CAN-bus single lever joystick, while the 2-speed hydrostatic transmission allows maximum forward precision even at full speed. The cab, ROPS-FOPS approved and designed to ensure a high level of comfort equipped with an enhanced air conditioning system. The on-board computer, equipped with an LCD display, allows monitoring of all the operating parameters of the machine. Once the harvest is complete, both telehandlers can be coupled with the range

of accessories offered by the company DIECI (lifting hooks, various types of pliers, excavating and aggregate shovels, winches and baskets). SICMA s.r.l. Loc. Callipo Z.I. 88022 Acconia di Curinga (CZ) - Italy - VAT # IT01805340799 Tel. +39 0968 78240 - WhatsApp/Mobile +39 338 8316052 - Web: www.sicmasrl.com Email: international@sicmasrl.com.

Issue 115 • March 2020 • Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • 49

your calendar of olive events

What’s on

2020 Apr

4 April TasteBook™/OliveCare® Sensory Training Workshop - Perseverance, Queensland www.olivebiz.com.au 10 April Entries close, Olive Japan Competition Tokyo, Japan www.olivejapan.com/en 14-15 April Olives NZ Processing Practices Course Auckland, NZ admin@olivesnz.org.nz 15 April Olives NZ Judging EVOO and Flavoured Oils Course - Auckland, NZ admin@olivesnz.org.nz 16-18 April AOA Processing Workshop – Boort, VIC www.olivebiz.com.au 18 April Entries close, China International Olive Oil Competition – Shanghai, China www.eoliveoil.com

3 May AOA Healthy Soils Regional Field Day – Exeter, TAS www.olivebiz.com.au

Jun

20 June Winners announced, LA International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition – LA, USA www.fairplex.com 12 July AOA Healthy Soils Regional Field Day – Hampton, QLD www.olivebiz.com.au

Jul

17 July: AOA Healthy Soils Regional Field Day – Cowaramup, WA www.olivebiz.com.au

Aug

9 August AOA Healthy Soils Regional Field Day – Brucedale, NSW www.olivebiz.com.au

19 April AOA Healthy Soils Regional Field Day Boort, VIC www.olivebiz.com.au 23-25 April 2020 London International Olive oil Competitions – London, UK www.londonoliveoil.com

May

16 August AOA Healthy Soils Regional Field Day – Tooperang, SA www.olivebiz.com.au

Sep

May 2020 NYIOOC – New York, USA www.nyoliveoil.com

11 September Entries close, 2020 Hunter Olive Show – Hunter Valley, NSW www.hunterolives.asn.au 16-18 October 2020 National Olive Conference & Trade Exhibition - Devonport, Tasmania www.nationaloliveconference.com.au

Oct

Advertiser index Client

Page

AOA Healthy Soils Regional Field Days Eclipse Enterprises Modern Olives NSW DPI Oil Testing Service Sicma Costante Imports Task Automation Olive Oil Packaging Service

2 5 7 9 11 16,17 19 21

15-17 June Hort Connections – Brisbane, Qld www.hortconnections.com.au

22 October Awards Presentation, 2020 Hunter Olive Show – Hunter Valley, NSW www.hunterolives.asn.au

AOA Processing Workshop AOA 2020 Australian Olive Conference & Exhibition

31 33

Deltagen Australia Kingsford Machinery

37 38

Australian Olive Association Braud Australia

51 52

Australian & New Zealand Olivegrower & Processor • December 2019 • Issue 114

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

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DOLLARS and SENSE!

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$336 bership Annual mem 225 =$ nts 5 ha grower event discou g in o g n o s Plu

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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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