AFTER two years of hammering and sawing, the new Auscitrus propagation facility at Coomealla, NSW, has opened.
The 32ha facility, north of Mildura, includes an insect-proof repository and greenhouses for propagation and budwood harvesting, and it will eventually have 11ha of citrus orchards.
Citrus Australia technical adviser Pat Barkley said the work of Auscitrus, which produces both rootstock seed and scion budwood and tests imported plant material for viral and bacterial diseases, was vital for protecting the Australian industry from exotic pests and diseases.
Perfection Fresh
FRESH produce marketer Perfection Fresh has been chosen to commercialise two new seedless mandarin varieties bred by the CSIRO.
CSIRO senior plant breeder Dr Steve Sykes said the Merbeingold 2336 and Merbeingold 2350 varieties were the product of more than 25 years' work.
Perfection Fresh has called for expressions of interest from growers willing to be registered producers, sign non-propagation and non-distribution agreements and pay production royalties, with commercial fruit expected to be available within three years.
