Welcome to Talking Melons for 2020, a series of presentations that brings you the latest information to assist in growing and marketing Australian melons. Whether you are interested in exporting, understanding consumer values or food safety, there is something here for you.
The information is available as videos to watch, podcasts to listen to and slide decks to watch and print.
The Australian melon industry 2020 field day and conference due to be held in March 2020, was cancelled due to COVID-19. The speaker program that was planned for the conference has been captured as videos, podcasts and slide decks.
They are available as a playlist at the channels listed here or individually via the graphical links below.
Wayne Prowse is director and senior analyst at Fresh Intelligence Consulting specialising in international trade analysis for the fresh produce industry. Wayne has over 30 years’ experience in the food industry spanning corporate, private, industry body and government roles covering marketing, market access and trade analysis. Wayne describes where Australian melons are placed within the global fruit trade and shows context for how Australian melon exports may profitably fit into this trade.
Dr Denise Hamblin is National Sector Head FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) for Colmar Brunton, one of Australia’s largest market research agencies across the Asia Pacific region. Denise leads a research programme that tunes into the evolving needs and preferences of Australian consumers. This presentation describes the results of VM18000 Consumer insights for the Australian melon industry – part 1, funded by the melon R&D levy.
Dr Lisa Evans is a biologist with Plant & Food Research’s Pollination & Apiculture team working on quantifying the pollination contributions of flower-visiting insects in a wide range of agricultural systems as well as improving and diversifying pollination practices. She is based in Brisbane in support of Hort Innovation-funded research quantifying honey bee dependence of several Australian crops including melons.
Dr Elia Pirtle is an ecologist, entomologist and scientific illustrator who works in sustainable agriculture research at Cesar Pty Ltd. Madeleine Quirke works with AusVeg to raise awareness of priority pest threats and promote on-farm biosecurity in the vegetable industry.
Dr Sukhvinder Pal (SP) Singh is a Horticultural Food Safety Scientist at the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries where he leads a Horticultural Food Safety Research Program that is aimed to mitigate food safety risks to horticultural industries and consumers. SP is the Project Leader of the ‘Food Safety Training, Extension and Capacity Building for the Melon Industry’ project.
Peter Kopittke is Associate Professor at The University of Queensland. As a Soil Scientist, Peter is actively involved in the management and conservation of soil. Whilst Peter’s research spans the areas of agricultural production, water chemistry, and waste disposal, it currently focuses on (i) improving plant nutrition through efficient and environmentally friendly use of fertilisers in soils, (ii) the toxicity of trace metals to plants, and (iii) overcoming nutritional constraints through the use of foliar fertilisers.
This recorded webinar focusses on the importance and management of cations in melon soil nutrition.
Dr Tony Pattison is a globally respected soil biology expert working for the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries in Far North Queensland. His research has focussed on developing productive, disease suppressive soils for the management of fusarium and soil nematodes by methods that maintain the physical, chemical and biological health of soils, leading to greater soil biological diversity.
This recorded webinar focusses on the importance and management of soil biology in melon soil health for disease suppression. Tony is also a co-author of a soil health guide, a shortened precise of which can be found at this LINK.
The 2020 Syngenta Australian Melon Conference & Field Day, due to be held in March 2020 was cancelled due to COVID-19. Over 3,500 meters of melon trials had been established at Capogreco Farms, Waroona, Western Australia in readiness for the conference.
Shot on location at Capogreco Farms, the video series features five melon variety trial sites by seed companies Syngenta, Seminis, BASF Nunhems, HM Clause and Rijk Zwaan, as well as a highlight compilation video featuring all variety trials.
There are a lot of traditional melon offerings, but also varieties that meet the ongoing demands of the grower, such as aphid resistance and high yield potential, and the interest from consumers for sweetness, keepability and outstanding taste profiles. There is a strong commitment by seed companies to breeding new varieties of melons to meet the growing market for melons in Australia. The Australian melon industry is grateful for the support of Capogreco Farms and the seed companies in making these trials so successful.
The 6 videos are available as a YouTube playlist or individually via the links below.
Melons Australia wishes to thank Fireteller – Film & Story for their help and professionalism in creating these videos.
