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Australian Citrus
Production |
Protected from pests | Availability
Supply and Demand | Delicious
and Nutritious
Communication |
Future Directions
Production
Citrus trees prefer warm to hot day temperatures and cool nights.
Although regular rainfall conditions are necessary for good crop
production; many Australian orchards are located near healthy
water supplies like rivers or dams and are fully irrigated.
Through good cultural practices the presence of pests and diseases
are well managed. Many citrus growers use ecologically sound methods
and integrate natural predators of citrus pests, oils, copper
sprays and nonchemical methods with effective pesticide application.
Adoption of new technologies both on-farm and off-farm are integral
to the development of the citrus industry in Australia. Citrus
research and development encompasses the entire industry from
breeding and fruit size to integrated pest management (IPM) and
best practice techniques.
Fertigation and crop phenology knowledge is frequently used on
orchards; computerised blemish sorters and high-tech tracking
devices are commonly used in most packing sheds.
• Australia has an average citrus production of 684,000 tonnes (from 2000-01 to 2007-08 estimates) and a decreasing trend in producton since 2005-06.
• Australian
Citrus Plantings: Navel Washington, a commonly grown orange,
yields approximately 35-45 tonnes per hectare, while Imperial
mandarins yield approximately 40-50 tonnes per hectare (NSW DPI
& QDPI&F, 2004).
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