AU trial looks to boost chill hours in cherries, apples and almonds
Climate change is a serious concern to deciduous fruit and nut crops in Australia as they need to accumulate sufficient chill, then a period of warmth, to enable normal fruit bud development, flowering and fruit set.
The funding will be used to conduct a feasibility study to determine if spraying cherry, apple and almond trees with calcium carbonate at leaf fall increases winter chill accumulation by reflecting heat from the fruit buds during the winter.
The $1 million Horticulture Innovation Fund was launched in November 2015 to provide grants of up to $50,000 to help businesses test and adapt new technologies and processes to boost production.
The grants are a key election commitment of the Labor Government and are geared to support projects that will boost horticultural exports into new markets and broaden the diversity of products sold overseas.
Victoria’s horticulture industry is worth $2.4 billion a year, underpinned by a world-class reputation for providing premium quality, safe and clean products.
source: premier.vic.gov.au