Precision pollination strategies for advancing horticultural tomato crop production

Global climate change and anthropological activities have led to a decline in insect pollinators worldwide. Agricultural globalisation and intensification have also removed crops from their natural insect pollinators, and sparked research to identify alternate natural insect pollinators and artificial technologies. In certain countries such as Australia the importation of commercial insect pollinators is prohibited, necessitating manual labour to stimulate floral pollination. Artificial pollination technologies are now increasingly essential as the demand for food grown in protected facilities increases worldwide. For tomato fruits, precision pollination has the ability to vastly improve their seed set, size, yield, and quality under optimal environmental conditions and has become financially beneficial. Like many crops from the Solanaceae, tomatoes have a unique self-pollinating mechanism that requires stimulation of the floral organs to release pollen from the poricidal anthers. This review investigates various mechanisms employed to pollinate tomato flowers and discusses emerging precision pollination technologies. The advantages and disadvantages of various pollinating technologies currently available in the protected-cropping industry are described. We provide a buzz perspective on new promising pollination technologies involving robotic air and acoustic devices that are still in their nascency and could provide non-contact techniques to automate pollination for the tomato horticultural industry

Longevity, growth and community ecology of invasive Poa annua across environmental gradients in the subantarctic

Poa annua is a cosmopolitan weed in turf grass. It is a widespread non-native species in the subantarctic and also occurs in the Antarctic Peninsula. It has highly variable morphology, longevity and reproductive capacity across both its invaded and native range. Little is known about the ecology of P. annua in the subantarctic, particularly its longevity, morphological variation across small spatial scales and competitive ability. We monitored individual P. annua plants on subantarctic Macquarie Island to assess their longevity; quantified morphology and biomass allocation across environmental gradients; and assessed community diversity indices in areas of varying P. annua density. We show that P. annua plants on Macquarie Island are perennial, and their morphology varies with elevation, animal disturbance and soil properties. At low altitude, coastal sites with high animal disturbance and deep, sandy soils, P. annua plants are larger and native plant diversity is low. Conversely, at high altitude sites P. annua plants are smaller and the diversity of native species is not reduced. This new information informs why P. annua is the most successful plant invader in the subantarctic and quantifies some key characteristics enabling an invasive species to function well beyond its natural range. Community ecology theory can also explain patterns in the ecology of P. annua on Macquarie Island

Weed Detection and Control on Small Farms: A Guide for Owners

Weeds constitute a significant cost to Australian agriculture each year, both in terms of control and lost productivity. However, weeds also cause problems for the owners of small 'hobby' or lifestyle farms. Apart from the legal obligation to control certain weeds, extensive weed outbreaks on small farms may: • impact on biodiversity and human health; • spread to neighbouring land, including production farms, which in turn may strain community relationships; • cut significantly into niche-farming profits; • detract from time better spent on other activities; • make it more difficult to restore natural habitats on your land; • detract from the natural beauty of your land and reduce its value; • increase farm costs; • be toxic or harmful to livestock and pets; • harbour feral animals such as rabbits and foxes; and • make it difficult to access certain areas of your farm. The primary emphasis of this booklet is on 'the importance of detecting and controlling weeds on your land before they have a chance to spread.' It is also important to 'seek advice and assistance from your local weeds officer', and, when necessary, to 'work with your neighbours to control weeds'. In the longer term, effective and diligent weed control will make managing your farm easier and less time-consuming, and will allow you to focus on the enjoyable aspects of living in rural Australia. In the following pages we discuss the significance of weeds to small farms in Australia, and summarise best practice weed detection and control methods most appropriate to small farm owners. Much of this information is based on a 2008 national survey of weed officers and landholders. It is important to understand the 'principles' of weed detection and control: what constitutes a weed, how weeds spread, where and when to look for weeds on your land, how to detect weeds and identify unknown species, and the best methods to control weed outbreaks 'quickly'. Considerable information, assistance and resources are available to help landholders control weeds on their properties. For small farm owners, however, external assistance can be expensive, difficult to access, or more appropriate to large-scale production agriculture. Therefore, towards the end of this booklet, options for small farm owners seeking assistance with weed control are discussed. You will also find a list of contact details for relevant authorities in your State or Territory, and a list of useful references (weed identification booklets, brochures and websites)

Effectiveness of Best Practice Management Guides - Literature Review. Final Report to: Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries

Best practice management (BPM) guides are a commonly used form of extension to improve private landholder management of invasive pest species in Australia. However, relatively little is known about the quantifiable benefits of these guides as a standalone extension technique. Extension is effective in delivering messages to target audiences, and fostering adoption of best management practices. However, none of the literature quantifies the impact of extension programs on practice change. While BPM guides are amongst the most highly regarded written information sources on pest species management amongst landholders, face to face approaches are more highly regarded. Ideally then, BPM guides can play an important role in supporting these interpersonal forms of extension as part of an integrated and complementary extension strategy which accounts for diversity of opinions, experiences, capabilities and interest amongst target audiences, and increases the potential for success. Preparing a successful BPM guide will commence with an assessment of the actual need for extension. The guide development process will involve a 'continuum' of information gathering and consultation to ensure it is as relevant as possible to the target audience

Developing weed management best practice amongst lifestyle farmers

Lifestyle farmers have been identified as a poorly performing landholder segment with regard to weed management in Australia. However, despite their often non-economic land management goals, and the range of impediments they face, many lifestyle farmers are keen to improve their weed management skills. Our goal was therefore to produce and distribute a booklet on weed detection and control using best practice methods to lifestyle farmers, using information developed in recently completed University of New England research projects. An evaluation of literature and advice from weeds extension professionals across Australia guided the booklet design. Distribution of the booklet took place through existing extension networks. Nearly 10,000 printed copies were distributed free of charge during 2010, while a further 7,000 had been sold to weed extension organisations at the time of writing. This approach proved an efficient and cost-effective way to extend best practice weed detection and control to a difficult to reach audience

Fireweed: A Best Practice Management Guide for Australian Landholders

'Fireweed: A Best Practice Management Guide for Australian Landholders' has been produced as part of the Fireweed Control Research project conducted by the University of New England (UNE) and CSIRO, and funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF). The Guide is designed in a handy and readable booklet format to complement existing technical publications on fireweed produced by State and Territory governments and councils

Application of Ecologically Based Weed Management in Pastures

Grasslands cover up to about 40% of the world's total land area (Suttie et al. 2005" Gibson 2009). These complex plant communities are generally comprised of a range of species including grasses, legumes, shrubs, and/or other forbs (Figure 17.1) (Allen et al. 2011), and are used primarily for grazing livestock such as cattle, sheep, and goats (Sanderson et al. 2004). The nomenclature associated with grasslands varies around the world and is largely influenced by the level of management needed to achieve some level of productive potential (Gibson 2009). For example, rangelands are generally comprised of indigenous vegetation that is sparingly grazed with little other management. In contrast, intensively managed pastures are likely to include improved species and agrochemical inputs, and are specifically devoted to the production of forage for harvest by either grazing or cutting. Furthermore, grazing is generally carefully managed to maintain satisfactory levels of plant persistence and animal productivity (Sindel 2006" Allen et al. 2011). For the purposes of this chapter, all plant communities that are grazed and have some level of management will be referred to as pastures

Putting fireweed on the front burner: improving management and understanding impact

Fireweed ('Senecio madagascariensis') continues to spread in coastal pastures in south eastern Australia, as well as onto the Northern and Southern Tablelands of NSW and in South-East Queensland. This paper details the key findings of a national survey of landholders conducted in late 2011 to evaluate fireweed impact and management options. Fireweed was less likely to be considered a problem in areas where it had spread recently, or where it had a long history of infestation. It was considered the 'worst weed on property' by about one third of respondents. Over 80% of respondents attempted to control fireweed. Many use a mixture of methods, amongst which the more successful appeared to be hand weeding, grazing with sheep or goats, herbicide and promoting competitive pasture. The most significant economic impacts of fireweed included lack of time to devote to other farm tasks, and impact on farm profitability. Even landholders who considered fireweed under control on their farm spent considerable time and money managing the weed. Fireweed remains a considerable concern for landholders along the south-eastern Australian coast and hinterland

Dynamics of Faba Bean Growth and Nutrient Uptake and their Correlation with Grain Yield

Growth parameters and nutrient uptake of faba bean with 12 different genotypes were studied at the end of four subsequent growth periods, viz. first vegetative (V1), second vegetative (V2), first reproductive (R1) and second reproductive (R2) periods for two years and correlated with final grain yield. All parameters including plant height, leaf number, leaf area index (LAI), above ground plant dry matter (DM) and root DM, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) uptake and concentration of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg showed different patterns with advancement of the growth period. All the mentioned parameters were fitted in either quadratic or linear equations. Significant correlations were found among nutrients, growth parameters and grain yield during different growth stages. On the basis of these experiments it was clear that nutrient uptake was directly related to biomass. In V2 and R1 biomass production was greatest resulting in high nutrient uptake. Among the growth parameters, biomass and LAI showed the highest significant correlation with grain yield. The findings especially models derived from two year data across twelve genotypes can be used for better fertilizer management of faba bean

Factors influencing rural landholder support for a mandated weed control policy

Mandated weed control has a long history as a tool to restrict the spread and impact of serious agricultural and environmental weed species. For mandated control to be effective, control requirements must be strictly enforced for both private and public landholders, and landholders themselves must be supportive of legal enforcement requirements. Using data from a 2011 landholder survey of fireweed ('Senecio madagascariensis') impact and management in south-eastern Australia, we explored the factors influencing attitudes to mandated weed control. Factors associated with support for mandated fireweed weed control included compelling poorly performing neighbours to manage their weeds more effectively,optimism regarding the potential to restrict a weed's impact, current control activity, and the potential for mandated control to restrict or slow the spread of fireweed. Factors associated with opposition to mandated fireweed control included the burden it places on landholders, pessimism about the potential to restrict a weed's spread or reduce its impact, the view that bad fireweed problems result from certain land management practices, and a belief that declaration had not worked for other weed species. Mandated fireweed control is most likely to be of benefit in regions where the weed has not established fully, and there is a greater chance of successfully restricting its spread and establishment. It is critical to focus on lifestyle farmers and absentee farmers who are less likely to have an economic incentive to manage fireweed. In regions where fireweed is already established, the goal is to reduce its impacton farm productivity, rather than attempting containment or eradication. In this case, non mandated control approaches are more appropriate, including education, control support, and encouragement of cross boundary control activities