Program

New and Emerging Plant Industries

Research Organisation

CSIRO

Objective Summary

This project aims to identify the main quality criteria for produce (fruits nuts leaves) of key native food species and provide information for development of product description language; also to harvest produce from native food trials established inRIRDC project CSL-11A and record yield; to assess native food produce quality as influenced by climatic and soil variation (i.e. trial site location); to identify causes and test methods for control of major soil borne diseases of quandong and other native food plants; communication of results and findings to the native food industry Deliverables of Research 1. List of key quality criteria for the produce of 9 native food species in cultivation in the CSIRO trials (quandong Acacia victoriae Citrus selections and hybrids riberry lemon myrtle lemon aspen mountain pepper munthari bush tomato). 2. Definition and initial description of produce quality criteria and a basic product description language that can be used by all levels of the native foods industry from producer/wild harvester to processer and other end-users (hospitality and retail sector) 3. Yield and quality data from native foods trials across south-eastern Australia. Information on commercial potential for cultivation of species in different regions and quality of produce. 4. Information for industry about the cause of soil-borne disease of quandong and other mative food plants and potential methods of management and control.