According to a study currently being conducted by the NSW Department of Primary Industries with partnership from the Government of South Australia and Hort Frontiers, fire-affected fruit needs special handling and storage. This is the case, even if it wasn’t directly touched by flames.
Representatives from the state agency presented their post-fire observations to Batlow growers at the Batlow RSL Club last Tuesday. Scientists and officers with the DPI shared early results from some of their tree recovery and fruit quality studies.
According to Project Leader Dr Bruno Holzapfel, a DPI Senior Research Scientist, the purpose of the study was to help growers maximise their harvests after fires like the recent Dunns Road fire.
Tatimes.com.au quoted Dr Holzapfel as saying: “[We’re looking at] the impact and how to get through that phase of recovery and what to do if that event happens again. There [are some who say] that whatever is damaged, just pull it up and replace it, but of course, that is a large cost. The alternative is to see what is there and what is saveable and, of course, that is a better economic option.”
The study is the first of its kind in Australia, using fruit grown on three Batlow orchards during and after the Dunns Road fire, Royal Galas from Warren Duffy’s ‘Dufruits’ in Willigobung, Rosy Glow from Batlow Fruit Company’s Vanzella orchard in Batlow and Kanzi from Greg Mouat’s orchard.
Photo source: Dreamstime.com
