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Advice on Publications Available.Contributed by Peter Beal and Lois Turnbull, Department of Primary Industries, Queensland, Redlands Research Station, Cleveland, Qld 4163 and Leif Forsberg. Plant Protection Unit, Department of Primary Industries Queensland, Meiers Rd, Indooroopilly, 4068.
The Australian cut flower industry is a valuable local and export industry. In 1992-93 the value of production was estimated at $300 million, including exports worth $23 million.
Rice flower (Ozothamnus diosmifolius syn. Helichrysum diosmifolius) of the family Asteraceae is a native species for which there is a strong and increasing demand in both Australian and overseas markets.
Up until the 1980s, the crop was cut exclusively from native stands located in New South Wales and Queensland but increasing demand has led to research into methods of growing the crop on a sustainable cultivated basis.
From 1991 to 1994, a research program was funded by the Rural Industry Research and Development Corporation, with support from growers and allied interest groups. This research sought to identify suitably adapted varieties of rice flower and related species, establish efficient propagation techniques, develop appropriate cultural practices, identify the cause of diseases and their control, and develop appropriate methods of post-harvest handling.
For many years, small quantities of rice flower were harvested from native stands in the coast and hinterlands of New South Wales and Queensland from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast (north of Brisbane).
Current varieties produce white and a range of pink flowers and the cut stems are used primarily as a filler in flower arrangements. About 90% of current production is exported to Japan with an estimated 500 000 stems valued at $350 000 being exported to Japan in 1994.
Even with this level of exports, there is still an unsatisfied demand in Japan and it is believed that there could also be good export possibilities in Europe and the USA.
Under the RIRDC program a wide collection of rice flower and related species was assembled and evaluated. The collection shows considerable diversity in many attributes relevant to commercial production.
These attributes include plant vigour, ability to survive under cultivation, productivity, time of flowering (September to December) and flower colour. Presently, the three clones, Cook's Tall Pink, Redlands Sandra and Cook's Snow White, can provide a harvest period of three to six weeks, only. The material in the current germplasm collection has the potential to provide up to ten weeks of harvest period in south-east Queensland.
By growing the crop in different locations in Australia, particularly in colder areas, it is felt that it should be possible to extend the harvest period to 12 or 16 weeks.
Rice flower can be routinely propagated from stem cuttings, using conventional techniques. Such cuttings can produce roots within 5 to 8 weeks. Good strike rates were obtained by using healthy and vigorous motherstock, applying a hormone treatment (2 000 ppm IBA in ethanol), maintaining a high relative humidity and using a well drained propagation medium. Tissue culture techniques may need to be developed for some genotypes which are more difficult to propagate.
Trials have been conducted with the cultivar, Redlands Sandra, on a fertile kraznozem soil at the Redlands Research Station, Cleveland, Queensland, with adequate irrigation and plantings at an intra- row spacing of 0.5 to 0.75m. Yields of 30 to 43 marketable stems per plant in the first year of growth and 85 to 109 stems in the second year 2 were obtained.
At planting densities of 3333- 5000 plants/ ha, this cultivar has the potential to produce up to 150 000 stems/ha in year 1 and 400 000 stems/ha in year 2. However, annual productivity of the rice flower crop is strongly determined by plant survival which, in turn, is determined by genotype, growing conditions, disease incidence and crop management.
Plant losses in rice flower plantings can range up to 20% per year due to a range of diseases and disorders. Continuing losses of this magnitude can reduce the economic life of a crop to three years or less.
The diseases and disorders affecting rice flower include phytophthora root and collar rot, white rot, root knot nematodes, stem or wood damage, various fungal wood rot diseases and root congestion. Of these, phytophthora is a major problem at some, but not all, locations, root-knot nematodes cause major damage at many locations and stem and wood damage is a common problem.
Pre-disposing factors in the development of these diseases and disorders have been identified and tentative control measures have been recommended.
Part of the research program involved an examination of harvesting and post-harvesting practices to extend the harvest season and the maintenance of flower quality.
It was found that flowering stems of some clones can be harvested at an earlier maturity (20 to 40 % of capitula of full size) than is currently recommended. This has the potential to extend the commercial harvest of such clones by up to ten days, much longer than the present two to five day harvest period of some clones.
Rice flower has at least a ten day vase life when held in 0% or 2% sucrose solution containing 50 ppm chlorine. Higher levels, of up to 5% sucrose, were found to reduce flower vase life.
Laboratory trials have clearly demonstrated the benefits of cooling rice flower stems immediately after harvesting and holding the stems at 2°C to reduce stem blackening.
The results of the research program have been made available to the emerging rice flower industry through 20 technical publications. In the near future it is also planned to prepare a booklet for existing and intending growers describing recommended production and marketing practices.
Further work on rice flower and related species is being undertaken in a new project by the authors together with Tony Slater and Rod Jones of the Horticultural Research Institute, Knoxfield, Victoria 3180. This project entitled 'Development of new Asteraceae from the Australian flora to complement the current rice flower industry' is funded by the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.
The date is not strictly a new crop in Australia as the first date palms were planted in the 1890s at Hermannsburg Mission, 130 km west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. However, date production is certainly an infant industry in Australia, since production in 1994 was only 5 tonnes. With imports in 1992 of 3 800 tonnes, valued at $7.7 million, there is clearly potential for much greater local production. In this article Geoff Kenna outlines the agronomic requirements of the crop and discusses the potential for increased production.
Any claims made by authors in the Australian New Crops Newsletter are presented by the Editors in good faith. Readers would be wise to critically examine the circumstances associated with any claims to determine the applicability of such claims to their specific set of circumstances. This material can be reproduced, with the provision that the source and the author (or editors, if applicable) are acknowledged and the use is for information or educational purposes. Contact with the original author is probably wise since the material may require updating or amendment if used in other publications. Material sourced from the Australian New Crops Newsletter cannot be used out of context or for commercial purposes not related to its original purpose in the newsletter
Contact: Dr Rob Fletcher, School of Land and Food, The University of Queensland Gatton College, 4345; Telephone: 07 5460 1311 or 07 5460 1301; Facsimile: 07 5460 1112; International facsimile: 61 7 5460 1112; Email:
r.fletcher@mailbox.uq.edu.au[
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GK; latest update 6 June 1999 by: RF