THE Australian herb industry has taken a step towards leaving behind its "cottage industry" status.
Minor-use permits for three insecticides, two herbicides and a fungicide have been obtained in the past month, with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority expected to approve another 11 in coming months.
This follows a major project to help growers better manage pests and diseases and encourage the adoption of integrated pest management and chemical resistance management strategies.
Australian Herb and Spice Industry Association director and research manager Jane Parker said herbs were still considered minor crops and chemical companies rarely tested or registered their products for use on herbs because there were so many of them.
"As well as woody herbs, there are leafy herbs, the root crop galangal and others which are used to make teas," she said.
"Then there is the differentiation between protected (in greenhouses) and field-grown herbs."
This meant growers were unable to use many crop protectants, leaving them vulnerable to crop failure or at risk of developing chemical resistance to the few that had been registered.
"There are some major gaps in the availability of chemicals. For example, there are very few fungicides available," Mrs Parker said.
"In the Northern Territory, the growth of (fungal) disease can be so rapid they need chemicals with a very short withholding, such as one day, compared with Tasmania, where they could get away with two weeks."
Mrs Parker said the APVMA had required the applications for minor-use permits to be supported by the results of trials to determine residue levels and withholding periods.
Tasmanian consultants Peracto last year carried out 38 trials of 11 chemicals on basil and parsley grown in both hydroponic greenhouses and as field crops at sites in Victoria and South Australia.
In her report, Peracto quality assurance manager Jane Floyed said proven and new reduced-risk crop protectants were selected against the key target insect pests and diseases, "with a focus on ensuring that those needs are addressed by more than one crop protectant from different chemical groups where possible".
Little information about the Australian herb production is available, but according to the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, the industry's gross farm-gate value a decade ago was $25-$30 million, with annual growth of about 20 per cent.
The main herbs grown are parsley, coriander, dill, basil, mint and chives.