Category: Australian Bananas Magazine

Indonesia is believed to be the birthplace of the first bananas. New research conducted there is now helping with strategies to help the modern-day industry in Australia. This report from Jeff Daniells, Tony Pattison, Stewart Lindsay and Wayne O’Neill Australian banana researchers have been working…

The second phase of the National Bunchy Top Project will end in June but work on the challenge to eradicate the disease from commercial plantations will continue in a planned third phase. While extensive progress has been made in the eradication effort, Bunchy Top has…

The Australian banana industry’s most prestigious scholarship is to have a new focus – assisting budding young scientists into banana research careers. The renewal of the Mort Johnston Professional Development Scholarship comes after six years of funding important industry work  conducted by  established researchers or…

One of Australian horticulture’s most significant biosecurity responses began in March when Panama disease Tropical Race 4 (TR4) was first suspected on a Tully Valley farm. Quick action from a grower reporting unhealthy plants, and in sampling and testing, bring the shock news that TR4 had…

New research has drawn attention to the need to better manage naturally-occurring nitrogen found in the top 60 centimetres of soil during the crop establishment phase. Jeff Daniells, John Armour and Stewart Lindsay report. A Reef Rescue project investigating different slow release nitrogen fertilisers was…

A visit to a Singapore chocolate factory has helped Australia’s largest banana farming operation to quickly implement a “traffic light” biosecurity system on their farms and share the information with other growers. Barrie MacKay and Mark Smith from Tully’s Mackay Estates were at a cocoa…

The race is on to find new, disease resistant banana varieties that will flourish in subtropical conditions, providing more options and niche markets for the region’s growers. Story by Luke Roberts. Subtropical growers keen to develop niche markets using disease-resistant banana varieties have seen and…