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Calendar of Operations: Washington Navel Oranges
Calendar of Operations: Washington Navel Oranges
Valencia 48%
Australian Production: 193,000 tonnes, NSW: 181000 tonnes, Aus Valencia: 217,000
tonnes
Harvest: April- August
NUTRITIONAL VALUE:
Vitamin C
Dietary Fibre
Some Vitamin A, thiamine and calcium
We use the Washington Navel variety at James Ruse because of its high yield and it grows
during term time.
PRODUCTION STATS:
- 1994: Aus produced 697 km of citrus from 10.2 million
- Crop valued at $321 million
- Exports increases over 10 years
- Exports are only 16% of total production
- Exports to South East Asia, the Pacific, NZ, Middle East and Europe
Areas in Australia that grow citrus: MIA: Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA)
High rainfall areas
Dams, rivers
Lake Argyle
Coastal rainfall/ inland
SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
- Root stocking with scions (Trifoliata, rough lemon) < Ruse Variety
- Other varieties include Troyer and Carrizo to protect against Phytophthora
- Rough lemon is susceptible to Phytophthora Root Rot and Collar Rot
Advantage Disadvantage
MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY
DWARFING
Bud transmissible dwarfing factor when growing on rootstock reduces tree size by 30-
50%
Maintains health, earlier cropping and fruit quality
Density of dwarfed trees can be up to 1000 trees/ha as opposed to normal 450 trees/ha
CITRUS MARKETING
- Australian citrus is marketed or exported
- Can be fresh or processed eg juice
- Main export markets: Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Korea, US,
Thailand, Uk and
Processing
Wholesale Retail
Farm Gate
Transport
COLLAR ROT
Life cycle:
Fungal disease in soil, invades trees lower trunk (collar) and grows well in damp
conditions
Symptoms:
Yellowing of leaves
Gum oozing out of tree
Trunk may dry out
Bark may split or have wet patches
Management:
Increase air circulation decreased humidity
Do not wet trunk
Prune off low branches
Improve soil drainage
Trifoliata rootstocks are resistant.
Have scion at least 50mm above ground level
Cut away damaged bark with a sharp knife
Fungicide can be applied
LARVAE
Pale green, feed on sap, form silvery line on leaf, 5-6 days for larval stages
PUPAE
Yellowish-brown, 2.5mm long
Edge of leaf, emergence occurs after 6 days
ADULTS
Small moths
Mating occurs 9-12 hours after emergence
Eggs laid 24 hours after mating
SYMPTOMS
Twisted, curled leaves
Severe infestations cause slow growth and little yield on newly planted trees
MANAGEMENT
Apply predators e.g. lacewings
HMOs and AMOs (horticultural/agricultural mineral oils) prevent adult female moths from
laying eggs.
Broad spectrum insecticides kill adults and immature stages.
APHIDS
Aphids are prolific breeders
All species undergo a gradual metamorphosis from egg to nymph (several stages) to
adult.
They are able to give birth to many young in one day (some species can give birth to
live young)
Nymphs take 8-20 days to mature
Aphids over winter as young or adults, often finding shelter in cracks and crevices on
the host plant
DAMAGE TO TREE
Both young and adult aphids attack plants by piercing plant tissues and sucking the
plants juices
Young growth is open to attack as it is full of sap and quite tender
Symptoms include: distortion of leaves, roots, fruit and flowers, leaf galls reduced
fruit size, death of leaves and young shoots and die back of stems and trunks
Dead brown stick showing out of the new growth (die back: dead branch material)
Indirect damage includes: the production of honey dew (a waste product excreted
from the aphids rear)
Sweet honey dew attracts ants (transmission of virus and virus like diseases and sooty
mould)
Ants can be seen milking aphids for the waste products
Control
Integrative pest management (spray/bio/physical controls)
Biological: lady birds
Sanitation: Removal of weeds which often act as hosts to aphids
Physical/ mechanical: a strong jet of water aimed at infected plant parts dislodges
many aphids (must be used in conjunction with other methods)
Pesticide: Soap sprays, botanical extracts (garlic or pyrethrin= marigolds), synthetic:
pyrethroids, organophosphates: kill everything in sight eg. Naldason (used in
commercial production)