2017 Australian Mango Industry conference a blast

Figure 3: fresh Australian mangoes

The Australian Mango Industry Association held the 11th Australian Mango Conference in Bowen, in May this year. It was the first time the conference has been held in Bowen and was held in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Debbie, which caused significant damage to businesses, homes and mango orchards in the region. More than 200 mango growers and several Northern Territory Department Primary Industry Resources (DPIR) staff attended, giving presentations during the sessions and in the field demonstrations.

“The highlight for me was the interaction with growers. As a new-comer to mango research, it was my first mango industry conference and it was terrific to engage with the industry. Several NT mango growers attended the conference and were interested in the research findings. Our mango research teams work closely with the industry and I was pleased to hear positive feedback about how well our industry thinks we (DPIR) are performing. It was great to see the results of our research is being adopted. The conference left me enthused with new ideas and I look forward to following the impact of our research on NT farms.” Mila Bristow.

Some of the speaker’s topics included:

• mangoes as a conditional non-host of fruit fly- Brian Thistleton, presenting work  by Austin McLennan and Mary Finlay-Doney (DPIR).
• measuring Yield and Maturity- Kerry Walsh (Central Queensland University), Andrew Robson (University of New England, UNE) and Mila Bristow (DPIR)
• understanding nitrogen in mangoes – Mila Bristow and Tony Asis (NTDPIR), David Rowlings (QUT) and Andrew Robson (UNE)
• the use of molecular markers in designing trees- Stacey Cook funded by the Small Tree – High Productivity Initiative (STHPI)
• managing Magpie Geese- Amelie Corriveau (Charles Darwin University)
• managing mango flowering and implications for growers- Cameron McConchie (DPIR) and Bob Williams (Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and Horticulture Innovation Australia (HIA) project).

Panel session topics included:

• opportunities and Challenges for Mangoes
• growing for Flavour and Profit
• implementation of the Harmonised Australian Retailer Produce Scheme (HARPS) and quality assurance systems (see our article on HARPS)
• market access, protocols and disinfestation research (with Peter Leach, Andrew Loch Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (DAWR) and Brian Thistleton (NDPIR), chaired by Bob Williams).

Overall it was an exciting conference, with a lot happening in innovative new systems, varieties and technology. There were several linkages made with industry and government counterparts regarding potential new projects and the vibe was really positive, especially since the conference was nearly cancelled after Cyclone Debbie.