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2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 3
Notes from the last meeting...
At the Next WANATCA General Meeting: To Russia with affectionate apprehension
7:30 pm, Tuesday, 22 May 2007 David Brown has made many visits to Russia, experiencing and studying aspects of
life there. He prefers to visit at times when there are fewer tourists, and goes to remote
An Extraordinary General Meeting rural areas off the beaten track, in all the vast and varied landscape of Russia.
David began by thanking all the many without thought. It is not only the intensity
The future of WANATCA is on the line: do we go or do we stay? All members are guides and interpreters who helped him; men, of light that changes with seasons and atmos-
invited to join this discussion. Is it possible to revitalise and re-energise our Asso- women and children of all ages. pheric conditions but also its spectral qualities.
ciation? Or should we make plans to close down? Please read the two messages on Russia has much in common with Aus- The various light qualities provide different
pages 30 and 31 and come and share your thoughts and ideas with us. tralia – nutrients to plants. And that is only the start
They each cover a huge landmass. Russia of the mystery we call plant life.
This meeting is at Kings Park Headquarters as usual. is twice the size of Australia – the world’s Thus far, Russia has resisted pressure to
Late enquiries to 9250 1888 please. biggest land area under a single national use genetically modified plants in horticulture.
control, stretching almost halfway around They see a long term, competitive advantage
In This Issue the globe – altogether, its time zones cover to market food to a Western Europe that rejects
10 hours compared to China’s 5 hours (theo- GMO foodstuffs. However, the pressure from
To Russia with affectionate apprehension....................3 Terroir.........................................................................20
retical). Much of their lands is relatively flat, the USA is considerable. (If, for example, a
Low fat avocadoes.......................................................7 Rooting ‘difficult’ hardwood cuttings........................21
inhospitable, even uninhabitable and they brewer has polluted his own water source so
Home of the Circus TreesTM!.......................................8 The Super Gigantic Y2K Winegrape Glossary...........21
both have long coastlines, including polar that his beer does not sell, he will try to trick his
The dark side of biofuel: palm oil in Indonesia...........10 Growing pawpaws in a temperate climate.................22
facing coasts. competitors into polluting their water sources
The big fig leaf cover-up............................................10 Getting dirty may lift your mood...............................25 so they lose their competitive advantage.)
Reafforestation by bat.................................................11 Hoshigaki!..................................................................26 Climate is extreme – in its annual range
Russia is more extreme than Australia though In his talk, David focused on kitchen gar-
Boab root industry starting to bear fruit.....................12 Instant stratification: sprouting hazelnuts in 10 days.27
less erratic than Australia. But the climate is dens, and described the trees he observed.
The great tribe of Boab...............................................13 Mystery of disappearing honeybees.......................... 28
changing – some of their broad leaf trees and Dachas
Baobab fruit pulp........................................................13 WANATCA heading for semi-retirement?.................30
plants are moving up the mountains to higher All over Europe, the system of allotments
What happens to trees after harvest?..........................14 WANATCA heading for the future.............................31
altitudes and out-competing the normal plants has long been established. In England, for
Designer fruit.............................................................16 On the WANATCA Website........................................31
– most alpine plants do not live under shade example, allotments tend to be clustered along
Offbeat citrus - blood oranges...................................19
apart from cloud. train lines, seem to be rather small and untidy.
The regular freeze-up in the Russian In Germany, allotments are grouped like mini-
About the Cover winter is the ecological equivalent of an an- ature housing developments, each enclosed
5IF#PBC "EBOTPOJBHSFHPSJJ JTXFMMLOPXOJOOPSUIFSO8"BOEUIF/5*UHSPXTUP nual summer drought as we have in most of with tall, securely-locked fences. They are
BCPVUN5IFUSVOLJTMBSHFBOETXPMMFOBOEUIFCSBODIFTUXJTUFE5IFCPBCESPQT southern Australia. In both cases, water is very tidy and often have small buildings on
BMMJUTMFBWFTEVSJOHUIFESZTFBTPO'MPXFSTBSFXIJUFBOEGSBHSBOUMBSHFPWBMPSSPVOE unavailable to plants. them where the allotment holders can sit, to
XPPEZQPET DNJOEJBNFUFS BSFQSPEVDFEGSPN"QSJMUP+VMZ relax, and to store tools.
A big difference is in Russia’s long annual
5IF QPET DPOUBJO B XIJUF QJUI UIBU JT FEJCMF BOE QMFBTBOU BOE JT FYDFQUJPOBMMZ OV period of low light, especially in its north. The dacha system is a variation of the
USJUJPVT5IFZNVTUCFIBSWFTUFEXIFONBUVSFCVUCFGPSFUIFZCFDPNFIBSE5IF David believes that the importance of light is theme. They are plots of land that people
can buy or lease from the municipal authority
TFFETDBOCFSPBTUFEBOEFBUFOMJLFQFBOVUT5IFUSVOLBOESPPUT XIFODVU QSPWJEF generally underestimated and misunderstood.
to make a kitchen garden. They are often of
BTPVSDFPGNPJTUVSFUIFQJUIJTDVUJOUPTNBMMQJFDFTBOETRVFF[FEPSDIFXFE For example, we rarely fully comprehend that good size, and have small cottages on them,
plants eat light as their basic energy food. where people can live for short periods over
Material appearing in Quandong is the views of the authors. It is offered in good faith, Primarily, they eat by means of their leaves, summer: no one is allowed to live there full-
but neither WANATCA nor Quandong take any responsibility for any use of this material. not through their roots as is usually assumed time. Indeed, winters would be too cold and
4 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 5
unpleasant to live there, and gardens are al- The future of dachas in Russia Native forests were collections of many varieties. It is
lowed go fallow in winter. Increasingly, the people working dacha There are extensive native forests in still possible to make out the straight rows.
gardens are elderly women. Young people much of Russia that are mixtures of broad- These apple trees show considerable varia-
are busy establishing themselves in a mod- leaf deciduous trees, such as birch, and the tion. Some have unusually-shaped leaves,
ernising, high-tech world. Many like to buy evergreens, conifers such as pines. Birch trilobated, for example. Some have red-
dachas and use them simply as a holiday is used for firewood, and is considered an tinged leaves, which would protect the plant
place and as a way to announce their eco- inferior plant because it is not suitable as a from intense sunlight. Some have red-fle-
nomic success. structural timber. Foresters say birch trees shed fruit (see the article in Quandong, Vol
And, as in other parts of the world, avari- tend to fall over and damage more valuable 33 No 1).
cious property developers are eyeing dacha timber trees. Some of the broadleaf trees are The pear trees in the Caucasus were of
land for development, regardless of the im- widespread across Europe, including beech special interest – partly for their grandeur
portant cultural history of the dacha kitchen (Fagus sylvatica) and rowan (Sorbus au- and beauty. They are healthy and huge wild
garden system and the strategic need for a cuparia). trees. Apparently the wild trees have been
nation to be self supporting in food and other Happily for the Earth, so much of Rus- cultivated through grafting interventions to
Some tidy dachas essentials. For the time being, it is cheaper sia is covered with forests of different kinds. their established rootstock. The photo be-
(in money terms) to import food from other A valuable provision taken from these for- low shows the base of a very large pear tree
Dachas were promoted a lot, especially
countries, partly because Russia can export ests is the fur pelts so necessary for humans that shows indications of grafting.
in Brezhnev’s time, to make a significant
oil to pay for the imports of the wealthy. (thin-skinned creatures!) to withstand the
contribution to the food supply. Many have
Gardens on verges harsh winters. Population pressure from
fertile soil and are very productive. Each
China causes the forests in Russia’s Far East
garden is uniquely individual. Flowers are Particularly in the Caucasus region,
and Siberia to be eyed for clearing and food
mixed in with vegetables. Frequently, fruit kitchen gardens are made on the street verges production and other ‘developments’.
and nut trees, and in the south of Russia, between the road and footpath. Houses are
grape arbours make cool, shady places in The Caucasus Region
built right up to the edge of the footpath, and
summer. Popular trees for gardens include The mountainous geology of the Cauca-
pipes from the roof gutters carry the rain over sus reminds David of the Naturaliste-Leeu-
apples, pears, walnuts and hazelnuts. Often,
the footpath into the verge gardens. The plants win ridge and some of the south coast of
they grow very tall. In the northern parts of
Russia and Siberia, berries are favoured, es- are packed in closely. As well as being highly Australia in its soil types with its mixture of
pecially on acidic, peaty soils. productive, these gardens create streets of limestone areas and granites. The Caucasus
great beauty with their mix of trees, bushes, hills are limestone and the valley bottoms are
vegetables and flowers. The microclimate good soils of volcanic origin, which creates
created by the gardens moderates the heat very fertile ecological edges.
in summer. There is an abundance of wa-
ter in the Caucasus. How-
ever, much farmland has been
abandoned because of fuel and
transport costs.
There are many productive
plant species indigenous to the
Caucasus – mostly in the Rose
family. David saw pears, row-
an, wild strawberries, apples,
Kitchen garden plot under an arbour of plums, miribulla, blackberry,
fruit trees and grape vines hazel nuts (Corylus sp), wal-
nuts (Juglans regia).
Dachas are respected by everyone. Usu-
ally there are no fences separating them, but There are old, abandoned The top of a big
The overhead gutters deliver rain water to pear tree
nobody seems to pinch anything. trees and plants on the verge. plantings of apple trees that
6 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 7
It appears to have been a mature wild of the premier plant research organisations was much reduced in its funding, but it con- David told us an interesting throw-away
pear seedling which was cut back a little up internationally, and has included Vavilov in tinues its work. Seeds in storage cannot be comment by the Herbarium director in St
the trunk. Then from its base, it sprouted its name since 1967. It includes facilities stored forever; they must be grown out in Petersburg. Their scientists frequently have
new shoots and an improved variety of pear for storing a collection of about 350,000 ac- fields and new varieties also tested. difficulty identifying a non-Australian spe-
was grafted to a number of those shoots. cessions of gene types representing about The Institute takes very careful quaran- cies where the specimen was sent from a
The vast established root system would 2500 plant species including wild and cul- tine measures: only essential vehicles may plant grown in Australia. It seems that ex-
cause the grafts to grow very quickly. Those tivated corn, potato tubers, grains, legumes, enter a quarantine station from outside; on otics grown here take a different form and
graft shoots merged to form a single trunk as fodder, fruits and vegetable seeds in various their entry they drive through a bed of saw- so their identity is often enigmatic. David
they grew but some remained distinct in the parts of Russia. The main centre for this col- dust dosed with anti-fungal agents. People believes the peculiarity in form has much to
branches of the tree. lection is in the Caucasus region. Its build- have their footwear similarly treated as they do with the quality of our sunlight because
Foreign introductions and invaders ing has an earth berm to help maintain the enter by walking through a special passage all plants are sensitive to light in setting their
Other trees that David saw included de- conditions needed to protect the cooled and of sawdust. The photo below shows a man form.
ciduous tamarisk, rhododendron, azalea, frozen, dehumidified seeds and other genetic exiting the station through the personal pas- ---Pat Scott
black walnuts (which were not doing well), materials stored in its cellars. sage to his car left outside the locked gates. Below: in the Caucasus region.
paulownia, honey locust (Gleditsia triacan-
thos), fig, catalpa, Osage orange (Maclura
pomifera), and black locust (Robinia pseu-
doacacia). Most of these plants were rea-
sonably well-behaved, but the Robinia has
naturalised and is spreading in an aggressive
way, colonising in wild areas of the Cauca-
sus. Perhaps there are more Robinia trees
and thickets there than anywhere else in the
world.
The problem is that the rampant foreign-
ers do not increase ecological diversity (al-
though they do increase mathematical diver-
sity, at least at the start). Many times they The Vavilov Institute Seed Bank Centre in [Agrifood Infonet E-News: Issue 38, 31 January 2007]
introduce a new ecology that is at war with Kuban, Caucasus region
the original ecology. Quite often the new Low fat avocadoes
overthrows and replaces the old, resulting In 1941, the German military blockaded Good news for dieters - avocadoes with less fat and kilojoules.
in many fewer species overall. An example Leningrad for 900 days. Hundreds of thou-
is the introduction of prickly pear in parts Sainsbury’s is cashing in on the health by anyone who would already enjoy avo-
sands of people died from the bombing, the market by launching the UK’s first lower cadoes and for those who will maybe now
of Australia, resulting in a very diminished freezing conditions, and starvation. All of
spectrum of species. fat, lower calorie avocado. The new variety try something new.” Avocadoes are high
the scientists guarding the seeds and tubers of avocado called Frias contains 30 per cent in monosaturated fat and good for the heart
Spineless blackberries are also present, in that centre starved themselves rather than less fat that the more commonly known Hass when eaten with a healthy balanced diet.
being deliberately introduced. (Think how eat anything in their precious collection. avocado, whilst still containing the same vi- They also contain vitamin E which acts
different modern Australia would be if the They said that this collection was the genet- tamins and minerals. Frias avocadoes are on as an anti-oxidant. Avocado production is
blackberries that were deliberately intro- ic material they held in trust for the future. sale at Sainsbury’s priced at £1.49 (A$3.62). mostly based in Mexico and Southern Cali-
duced here had been spineless! They would Five of the scientists starved to death. David Sainsbury’s is keeping abreast of current fornia. The EU remains the world largest
be eaten out and so controlled by kangaroos, expressed the regret that we do not have a health trends as the first supermarket to of- importer of avocadoes, importing 40 per
wallabies, etc.) reverential attitude to the genetic diversity fer the new healthier avocado to British con- cent of its supply from non-member states.
The Vavilov Institute around us in the wild – especially in a land sumers. The food retailer now sells 15 mil- The research markets group estimates that
The N. I. Vavilov Research Institute of so well endowed as Australia. lion avocadoes per year, after witnessing a demand will grow in Europe as avocadoes
Plant Industry grew from the Bureau of Ap- Following the transformation that broke surge in popularity during the last five years. become more available and as the organic
plied Botany (established in 1894). It is one the old Soviet communist state, the Institute “The health benefits are there to be enjoyed market begins to mature.
8 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 9
[http://www.bonfantegardens.com/circus.html] er Michael Bonfante who bought the trees ultimate move to their final home at Bon-
Home of the Circus Trees™! for a theme park he was building in Gilroy. fante Gardens.
Due to Bonfante’s creative vision, 29 With love and a bit of luck, Axel Erland-
An amazing example of man’s patience and imagination once known as the Tree son’s Circus Trees will continue to awe all
of the remaining coiled, scalloped and spi-
Circus has been rescued from a forgotten plot in the Santa Cruz mountains and trans- who can appreciate the time and talent in-
ral shaped Sycamores, Box Elders, Ash and
ported to a new home in Gilroy, California where they are now the centerpiece for a volved in creating this tribute to nature.
Spanish Cork trees were saved. During the
horticulturally-based theme park called Bonfante Gardens Family Theme Park.
winter of 1984 they were carefully hand All 29 of Erlandson’s creations survived
The collection of unusual trees often ap- basket weaves and rings. dug and boxed, their roots trimmed, then the ordeal and are happily situated at Bon-
peared in Ripley’s ‘Believe-It-or-Not’ and watered and fertilized to revive the trees. fante Gardens Family Theme Park in Gilroy,
other magazines during the 1940s and 50s. On November 10, 1985, they were hauled California, where 19 of the Circus Trees are
These trees represent one of the most visible over 50 miles of mountains. More than 20 on public display throughout the park.)
demonstrations of the love of nature by man municipal, county and state agencies were
- first to create and nourish, then to main- involved in the permitting process and the
tain, and finally to preserve and cherish these
stunning creatures.

The ‘Four Legged Giant’


Erlandson claimed to be divinely inspired
and spent over 40 years of his life shaping
and grafting the bodies and arms of these
full-sized trees. He could control the rate of
growth, slowing it down or speeding it up to There are quite a few sites on the in-
ternet where you can find tree sculptures.
PISTACHIO
The ‘Basket Tree’. This tree is actually six
sycamores grafted together in 42 different
blend his designs to perfection. In 1945, Er-
landson dug and moved a dozen or so of his One of them is http://www.arborsmith.com/
which has many links to other such sites.
NUT TREES
trees to Scotts Valley, California where he
connections to give it its basket shape.)
continued to create more natural wonders. ---Pat
Large Grafted Trees
The botanical adventure began in Hilmar,
California in the 1920’s when Axel Erland- This son of the land died in 1964 and left GROWN IN W.A.
son, a farmer by trade, observed the natural a legacy of 74 spectacular trees, but with no
Trees outstrip most
Phone Bert and Angie Hayes
grafting of two Sycamores. His first major one to care for them, they languished and
project consisted of fusing four Sycamore began to die. In the mid-1970’s, a Santa people in the extent and W. A. Pistachios
saplings into a cupola that he named the Cruz architect named Mark Primack led a depth of their work for
“Four-Legged Giant.” Using intricate graft- valiant effort to save the trees, even risking the public good. Phone, fax: 9622 9513
ing techniques, Erlandson wove his wonders arrest for trespassing in order to water and ---Sara Ebenreck,
American Forests Mobile: 0428 181 689
with threads of living wood. Straight tree feed the trees. Keeping as many alive as he
Web: www.wapistachios.com.au
trunks became complex and compound de- could, Primack’s efforts finally took root
signs in shapes like hearts, lightning bolts, when they attracted the attention of tree lov-
10 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 11
[http://www.scidev.net/Features/index.cfm?fuseaction=readFeatures&itemid=592&langu [http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070205/full/070205-14.html]
age=1]
Reafforestation by bat
The dark side of biofuel: palm oil in Indonesia While one sector of humankind is busily destroying native rainforests, another sec-
The search for alternatives to petrol is on in earnest. Conservationists say that palm tor is striving to rebuild the forests. Rainforests house much of the world’s biodiversity,
oil monocultures do not support biodiversity and are destroying rain forest. and play a major role in mitigating climate change by capturing carbon, so researchers
are keen to reverse the damage done by the widespread and continuing deforestation
Europe’s aim to cut greenhouse gases by Link to full article in The Guardian: that has taken place over the past century.
one fifth by 2020, partly through demanding http://www.guardian.co.uk/indonesia/Sto-
that one in ten vehicles are fuelled by biofu- ry/0,,2049671,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=12 Bats can be lured into areas of destroyed ditions of exposed land. But this creates a
els, will spark a surge in demand for palm rainforest with fake fruits, researchers have landscape very different from the pristine
oil. But conservationalists say it is not neces- found. This, they say, could be the key to re- rainforest that conservationists would like.
sarily a good thing. storing patchy parts of the landscape. “Most reforestation projects cannot plant
Currently 83 per cent of the world’s palm South American leaf-nosed bats of the many native rainforest plants because they
oil is produced in Indonesia and Malaysia, family Phyllostomidae defaecate the seeds do not have them available,” says team
and the UN predicts that 98 per cent of their of the fruits they have eaten as they fly. This member Sandra Bos Mikich of the ecology
rainforests will disappear within 15 years to process, known as ‘seed rain’, aids plant dis- laboratory of the Brazilian Agricultural Re-
make way for palm oil plantations. persal throughout the rainforest. search Corporation (Embrapa), Colombo,
Conservationists claim the plantations Gledson Bianconi of the Universidade Brazil. For many of these plants, seedlings
are a cover for continued logging. Estadual Paulista in Rio Claro, Brazil, along are not commercially available owing to the
with a team of ecologists and chemists, won- difficulty of growing them; for some, the
They point to Kalimantan, the Indone-
dered if this efficient seed-dispersal mecha- seeds need to be digested before they can
sian part of Borneo, where only a tiny frac-
nism could be harnessed to restore damaged germinate properly.
tion of the six million hectares allocated for
palm oil have actually been planted, reports parts of the rainforest. If bats could be con- Using the essential oils of fruit to attract
Ian MacKinnon. trolled, they thought, they could perhaps bats for seed dispersal, she explains, would
be used by researchers aiming to regener- be an easy way of increasing the flow of na-
The forests are cleared by draining and
ate parts of the forest that had been used as tive seeds to the area, and of ensuring a high
burning peatland, which releases massive
agricultural land or pasture until the topsoil diversity in the forest.
amounts of carbon dioxide, making Indone-
washed away. This research may provide a nice way
sia the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide
in the world. The team extracted the essential oils of of reintegrating native rainforest plants
fruits that are a favourite meal of some spe- into damaged areas. The tough question is
To make matters worse, palm oil mono-
cies of leaf-nosed bats, and saturated artifi- whether those native plants will be able to
cultures support little biodiversity, and leave
cial fruits made of foam rubber with the oils. survive in the harsh dryness, heat and bright
local people who depend on the crop vulner-
Elais guineensis, the African Oil Palm is a They placed these fruity lures in the midst sunlight that comes with open land.
able to market fluctuations. native of Nigeria. The oil derived from its of damaged rainforest, where bats would not All such strategies also need to compete
“It’s no good other countries looking to seeds has been used for cooking for a long normally bother to fly in search of food.
time. This is the primary species being with alternative uses for the land - such as
us to help cut their carbon emissions without
planted in the new oil palm groves in South They staked out the forest by night, and using it to farm crops. “It would be ideal if
helping to support us in that effort,” says the
East Asia. waited to see if bats would be tricked into we could only regenerate ‘real rainforest’,
chief executive of Indonesia’s biofuels de-
visiting the area. Using night-vision gog- but we have to be realistic. We have to be
velopment board.
gles, they saw up to a dozen bats come out able to feed people too.”
The big fig leaf cover-up of the denser rainforest each night to visit the Mikich and her team now plan to identify
fruit. the components of the oils that are responsi-
The long drought and hot summer days take their toll on fruit production and qual-
Many restoration projects involve plant- ble for bat attraction, so they can synthesize
ity. Alex Hart observed that the best figs grown at the Hillside Farm Fig Collection
ing a mixture of native plants along with them and make this technique of forest re-
this year were growing on trees with big leaves. Alex recommends considering leaf size
more exotic pioneer species, which are bet- generation more widely available.
when buying or propagating fig trees.
ter able to deal with the relatively harsh con- ---Matt Kaplan
12 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 13
[The West Australian, 4 Oct 2006]
Boab root industry starting to bear fruit The great tribe of Boab...
Little-known bush tucker is making its way on to the State’s fine dining tables. ‘Boab’ is Australian for ‘baobab.’ Their as late October and persisting until approxi-
family is Malvaceae, subfamily, Bombacoi- mately April. The adult leaves are digitately
The roots of the iconic boab tree are pro- grown in Madagascar but as backyard pro- deae. There are a total of 8 species. Only compound. There are usually 5-11 leaflets
viding WA with a potential new agricultural duce rather than commercially. one is native to Australia, in the region of whose margins are entire in all species ex-
industry. “Other people are interested here but are Broome; 1 to southern Africa and 6 to Mada- cept Adansonia rubrostipa in which they
Peter Fox and Denise Hales, of Kununur- waiting to see if the tubers are popular in the gascar. are serrate. All species set fruits in the late
ra, have become the world’s first commercial market,” she said. Boabs of the world dry season or early wet season. Flowers are
baby boab growers and hope to become part Frasers Restaurant head chef Greg Far- 1. Adansonia digitata, Africa large and sturdy and produce nectar only one
of WA’s $400 million horticulture industry. nan said he had incorporated the vegetable night. The fruit is a dry berry or an indehis-
2. Adansonia grandidieri, Madagascar
They admit that tempting people to eat into various dishes, including salads, curries cent capsule. The seeds are numerous, large,
the little-known bush tucker is not proving or laksas and seafood. 3. Adansonia madagascariensis, Mada- kidney shaped and have a very thick testa.
easy but the Department of Agriculture and gascar Enveloping the seeds is a cream-colored
“I don’t think it will ever be a staple veg-
Food is helping them realise the venture’s etable like a pumpkin or broccoli but it is a 4. Adansonia perrieri, Madagascar (very pulp or tartar, the texture of which varies
prospects. rare!) from chalky to spongy depending on the
product that is easy to incorporate into dish-
5. Adansonia rubrostipa (fony), Mada- species and the age of the fruit. The length
The Department has helped the couple es and it has a fresh, crisp and sweet taste,”
gascar of viability of Adansonia seeds is unknown
research the viability of commercially grow- he said.
but exceeds five years. Germination percent-
ing and marketing the crop. They received a ---Gabrielle Knowles 6. Adansonia suarezensis, Madagascar ages are usually less than 10%.
Rural Industries Research and Development 7. Adansonia za, Madagascar
Corporation grant for the project. An online key to determining the differ-
8. Adansonia gregorii, Australia ent species of Adansonia can be found here:
The boab tree (Adansonia gregorii) is an
icon in the Kimberley but the concept of a But take note! There are many trees of http://www.baobabs.com/Baobabs_spe-
crop is relatively new. Ms Hales said she and Adansonia grandidieri around Broome! cies.htm
Mr Fox had been growing the roots since Baobabs are very distinctive; small to A previous Quandong (Vol 28 No 2) re-
2001 but this was the first year their busi- large trees with massive trunks, cylindrical, ported that a Kununurra woman was making
ness, Boabs in the Kimberley, looked like bottle-shaped or irregularly gnarled. The roasted boab seeds into a chocolate-covered
having commercial success. bark is smooth, the wood is fibrous with a sweet, said to have a citrus-like flavour.
Hales said local people and restaurants high water content. Leaves are produced
---Pat
had incorporated the food in their meals but only during the wet season, starting as early
it was harder to encourage the wider market. [http://www.baobabtek.com]
Baby boabs are grown from planting Boab roots.
boab seedlings and within 16 weeks become • Boab - an ancient tree found in the Kimberley. Baobab fruit pulp
a tuber up to 30cm long, with fresh, edible Originally native to Madagascar but the species A Canadian-based company working in partnership with Baobab Fruit Co. Senegal
leaves. has now been identified as Australian because of in Africa, the single largest harvester of baobab ingredients in the world, is introducing
Ms Hales said the tubers had a crisp, its history in the country. the baobab (Adansonia digitata) fruit pulp to the Canadian market.
crunchy texture like a water chestnut and a • Baby boabs, grown like a carrot, provide edible The large, gourd-like, woody fruit con- a great source of energy. The pulp also pos-
refreshing taste, while the leaves had a nutty tuber and leaves. tains a tasty pulp that is rich in vitamin C sesses strong anti-oxidant characteristics and
flavour. • Boab tubers are high in iron and potassium,
with a high level of protein and fibre and a rela- (six times that of an orange), calcium and hepatoprotective activities proven by studies,
“They are really versatile and can be tively low fat content. Leaves high in vitamins dietary fibres (22% soluble and 23% insol- and while it can be taken as is, flavours, food
used in salads, stir-fries or grated and used in A and C. uble) and is used as an intestinal regulator and beverages industries have already shown
quiche or cakes,” she said. • Can be eaten raw or cooked and last up to a in cases of gastric disorders. It serves as a a strong interest in baobab ingredients and
Liz Green, the Agriculture Department’s month in the fridge. natural revitalizing source to combat fatigue have already started working on developing
horticulture technical officer in Kununurra, • They cost about $4.50 for a 350g pack or and as an energy boost for athletes. The es- innovative products such as teas, cereal bars,
$12.50/kg. sential amino acids present in the pulp are energy drinks and smoothies.
said their research had found the tubers were
14 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 15
[Australian Nutgrower, March 2006]
What happens to trees after harvest?
Orchardists would be wrong believing that not much happens to deciduous trees
once the fruit is picked. Although the trees no longer need to support a crop, photosyn-
thesis continues and will do so until all the green pigment in the leaves, called chloro-
phyll, has disappeared, and the leaves have dropped off. While this article was written
for deciduous fruit trees, Bas says that it equally applies to deciduous nut trees.
Figure 1. Seasonal concentra-
Photosynthesis is the process where trees start to use carbohydrates produced by tion of stored nitrogen and
leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the air the new fully-grown leaves. As the tempera- carbohydrates in roots.
and water from the soil to make carbohy- ture of the soil increases the roots become
drates, also called sugars. This highly com- active and start to take up nutrients.
plicated process is driven by the energy that Figure 1 shows that concentrations of
the leaves get from sunlight. The carbohy- carbohydrates in roots are high in winter
drates are the building blocks from which all and are being used in spring and summer.
other plant materials are made. As soon as the fruit has been harvested, the
Apart from carbohydrates, the tree also tree “pumps up” its roots with a new lot of Figure 1. The solid line shows what happens with stored carbohydrates and the dotted line
needs nutrients for growth and development carbohydrates. It is important that leaves shows what happens with the stored nitrogen in roots of mature fruit trees. As soon as the
of leaves, shoots, buds, flowers and fruit. remain healthy and green after harvest, so fruit has been harvested, the tree starts to replenish its roots with carbohydrates, ready for
The roots take up nutrients together with wa- that they can keep photosynthesising and next season’s growth. It also shows when to apply nitrogen fertiliser to help the trees regain
ter from the soil. Of all the nutrients needed, producing carbohydrates for next season’s the level of stored nitrogen of the previous winter, for growth next spring.
nitrogen (N) is needed most. So, what hap- early growth.
pens in autumn to the carbohydrates and ni- The accumulation and use of stored ni- spring (Figure 1). if the nutritional status of your trees is defi-
trogen, when the trees no longer need them trogen is similar to accumulation and use of cient, low, adequate or too high.
for vegetative growth and growth of fruit? • Nitrogen fertiliser applied just before har-
carbohydrates, except that the nitrogen is ac- vest helps the roots, trunk, shoots and buds Have a look at how vigorous your trees
To answer this question, we need to look cumulated and used more gradually than the to store nitrogen. Little or none of this ni- are, as indicated by the length of the shoots.
at the roots. Although difficult to see and carbohydrates. trogen is translocated to leaves or fruit just The leaves should also be deep green. Use
observe, roots regulate growth and perform- About 50% of the nitrogen in the leaves before harvest. these indicators to calculate how much ac-
ance of the tree. Roots absorb water and nu- moves back into the roots, trunk and shoots • Nitrogen fertiliser applied after harvest tual nitrogen you should apply to boost the
trients from the soil and translocate them to after harvest. In due course, part of the nitro- (early autumn) helps roots store nitrogen. nitrogen stored in your trees.
the parts of the tree above the ground. Roots gen in the leaves that have fallen in autumn, • Foliar sprays of low biuret urea after har-
make hormones which are necessary for Nitrogen fertiliser applied just before
is mineralised in the soil, so also becomes vest (early autumn) increase concentrations or after harvest does not affect vegetative
breaking dormancy, and for growth. Roots available for the trees. of stored nitrogen in buds. Little nitrogen
also act as an anchor against the weather. growth and avoids too much nitrogen going
The level of stored nitrogen is known to from sprays in early autumn is available to into the fruit. Fruit that is high in nitrogen is
Roots also store carbohydrates, such as other parts of the trees.
starch; and nutrients, especially nitrogen, to affect cell division in fruit. A high level of prone to fungal infection, storage disorders
stored nitrogen can lead to fruit with more • Always apply nitrogen fertiliser when the and breakdown. Nitrogen fertiliser applied
be used in spring to open flowers, set fruit leaves are still green.
and produce the first leaves. cells and firmer fruit than those in fruit from in spring increases vegetative growth and
trees with a low level of stored nitrogen. • Trees take up nitrate-nitrogen more quickly produces fruit with high concentrations of
Other parts of the tree, such as the trunk than they take up ammonium-nitrogen. With nitrogen.
and shoots, also store carbohydrates and nu- To ensure that your trees go into winter
with plenty of stored carbohydrates and ni- dried fertiliser, about 30% of the nitrogen is
trients just under their bark. But the roots Looking after your trees after harvest is
trogen, keep the leaves on your trees as long lost through leaching, volatilisation, growth
store most of the carbohydrates and nutri- a vital part of orchard management. A good
as possible. When the leaves turn yellow in of weeds and ineffective placement, and so
ents. About 80% of new growth in spring level of stored carbohydrates and nutrients,
late autumn, you can be sure that your trees is not available to the roots. With fertigation
is due to stored carbohydrates and nitrogen. especially nitrogen, is insurance for a good
have been able to accumulate enough car- through drip lines, 90% of applied nitrogen
For about eight weeks after bud movement start of a new fruit season.
bohydrates and nitrogen to see them through is taken up by roots.
the tree relies on these reserves. After this the • Leaf analysis in mid summer will tell you ---Bas van den Ende
16 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 17
[http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2004/12/01/8214501/index.htm] of the Dave Wilson Nursery, a company that self-pollinating and contaminating itself—
[http://www.davewilson.com/z_file/TOC_zaiger.html] grows and sells Zaiger’s creations. and applying the pollen of another with an
The path to the peacotum began not with eye-shadow brush. (Zaiger previously tried
Designer fruit a “Eureka!” moment but with a few ques- pencil erasers, but he found they wasted too
No one has done more to change the produce aisle than Floyd Zaiger, but his biggest tions and a large dose of natural curiosity. much pollen; mini-paintbrushes proved too
creation might be yet to come. Floyd Zaiger grew up picking strawberries expensive.) When he gets a fruit hybrid he
on a migrant labor crew before catching likes, Zaiger plants its seeds in his 40-acre
Some day you may walk into a farmers’ and the French government named him Of- what he calls the “dreaded disease of fruit seedling orchard, where the young trees will
market and find a fruit that you have never ficier in the Order du Mérite Agricole (one breeding.” (He says his obsession earns him remain for between one and three years. The
seen before and may not be able to pro- step up from knight). “He’s the father of little money; his wife, Betty, says it gave plants with the most promise are moved to a
nounce: the peacotum (it rhymes with ‘sea exotic fruit,” says Paul Buxman, a farmer him ulcers.) In the 1950s, Zaiger apprenticed secondary orchard for further evaluation, and
bottom’). With the yellow flesh of a nectar- who grows many Zaiger varieties at Sweet with Fred Anderson, a fruit breeder, now de- the rest—some 50,000 a year—are scrapped.
ine, the texture and juiciness of a plum, and Home Ranch, a 55-acre spread in Dinuba, ceased, who was known as the ‘father of the “You have to be ruthless,” says Zaiger. He
the velvety overcoat of an apricot, the pea- Calif. “He’s a biological inventor who treads nectarine.’ After a few years with Anderson, won’t know for another three to five years
cotum tastes more like fruit punch than any where most scientists don’t think about go- Zaiger struck out on his own in 1959, first whether he has something with commercial
of its parent breeds and is the first three-fruit ing. He’ll be in the encyclopedia one day.” experimenting with ornamental plants and potential.
hybrid headed for the mass market. eventually graduating to fruit hybrids—try- While the peacotum looked attractive
Zaiger may seem to be following an odd
ing to create something bigger, firmer, pret- from the beginning, the early versions tast-
Floyd Zaiger, a Modesto, Calif., inven- pursuit, but there’s big money in new fruit
tier, or tastier by mixing peaches with nec- ed so awful that Zaiger almost had to dare
tor and the most prolific fruit breeder in the varieties. “On the retail end, everyone is
tarines, nectarines with plums, plums with people to try them. “It was so nasty it would
world, created the peacotum. His family- looking for something different,” says Eric
cherries, and so on. Zaiger took many of his lock your jaw,” recalls nursery owner Robert
owned company, Zaiger’s Genetics, has pat- Christensen, a citrus grower and the owner
cues from nature—these crosses can happen Woolley. “Astringent and sour, with a smell
ented more than 200 new varieties of fruit, all of Rising C Ranches in Reedley, Calif. While
in the wild, courtesy of bees. In the 1970s that would hang with you like rotten salami.”
through conventional pollination. (Despite the traditional staples—bananas, apples,
he discovered a fuzzy plum in the middle of Zaiger went back into the lab to fix the fla-
the company’s name, Zaiger performs no ge- grapes, and pears—are still the biggest sell-
a tree of smooth plums that he had crossed, vor, but he had to try thousands of recrosses
netic modification; instead he accelerates the ers, fruits that were once unheard-of in the
and he became bent on replicating it. That before he got the result he wanted.
natural selection process through hand-pol- U.S. now bring in $100 million each year,
would ultimately lead to the peacotum, but The process is labor-intensive, but Za-
lination.) Among his achievements, Zaiger, or more. According to the Produce Mar-
the project would take him almost 30 years. iger’s company is a family business in which
78, has found a way to reduce the acid level keting Association, based in Newark, Del.,
in peaches, give unripe apricots an appealing mangoes sell about $280 million a year, and The first step began with choosing the everyone helps out. Betty Zaiger, 73, keeps
red blush, and make white nectarines—pre- papayas have grown to a $96 million busi- best parents from Zaiger’s bank of 2,200 the books; the Zaigers’ two sons oversee the
viously a mushy mess—firm enough to be ness. Although too small to be tracked by the breeding-stock trees (in this case a peachcot farming, with Grant, 48, running the em-
shipped around the world. (Not sold com- PMA, other specialized items have started and a plumcot—apricot-peach and apricot- bryo lab and Gary, 53, evaluating planted
mercially until 15 years ago, white varieties appearing on the shelves recently: the thin- plum hybrids he had already successfully selections. (The latter task requires so much
now make up 22% of all nectarines in the skinned, high-juice Meyer lemon; the easy- created). Regardless of which parents he walking around the 160-acre property that
U.S.; Zaiger created most of those breeds.) to-peel seedless Delite mandarin orange; and selects, Zaiger can never guarantee that the Gary says his flat-footedness has gotten
Another of Zaiger’s successes is the pluot— the 70% apricot, 30% plum aprium (this one, hoped-for characteristics will appear. The worse.) The Zaigers’ 51-year-old daughter,
a plum-apricot hybrid that is available in a Zaiger creation, saw consumer demand permutations are endless; some versions of Leith Gardner, is general manager. All fam-
purple, yellow, or green with red polka dots jump after Martha Stewart made aprium jam the finished product could turn out fuzzy, ily members are responsible for coming up
and now constitutes about one-fourth of the on her TV show). round, and bitter, while others are smooth, with names. The peacotum was named so
plum market. (Never heard of a pluot? Ask heart-shaped, and delicious. “It’s like play- long ago that family members can’t recall
Of all Zaiger’s creations—including two
your kids. Some are sold under the name ‘di- ing cards,” Zaiger says. “The numbers are who came up with it—most likely an uncle.
others entering commercial testing in 2005:
nosaur eggs.’) always there, but you’re not sure when The first choice was ‘pub plum,’ named for
the nectaplum (nectarine and plum) and the
they’ll come up.” the fuzz on the fruit, scientifically known as
For his accomplishments in creating new white aprium—it’s the three-in-one peaco-
fruit, Zaiger has been recognized around tum that stands out as the biggest recent ad- For all his experiments Zaiger uses hand- pubescence.
the world. The King of Morocco invited vance in fruit technology. “The peacotum is pollination, which requires removing the After the Zaigers invent a fruit, they have
him to recommend selections for planting, most unique,” says Robert Woolley, owner stamen from one flower—preventing it from almost nothing to do with selling it. The
18 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 19
Dave Wilson Nursery, based in Hickman, rare for a true hybrid of that nature to yield [Fruit Gardener, Vol 39, No 1]
Calif., a third-generation family business, is fruit, especially fruit of any quality and Offbeat citrus - blood oranges
the sole licensor and primary grower of Za- quantity. That skepticism likely stems from
iger’s varieties in the U.S. It grows nearly a a dispute a few years back, when the indus- Blood oranges are varieties of common sweet orange, Citrus sinensis, coloured by
million at a time, which it sells to farmers try’s marketing association, the California reddish-purple anthocyanins, water-soluble pigments. ‘Blonde’ oranges such as navels
for their own orchards. The farmers eventu- Tree Fruit Agreement, hired the University and Valencias derive their orange colour from carotenoid pigments.
ally bring the fruit to market. They pay the of California to perform a DNA test on the Scientists recently discovered that all an added bonus.
nursery about $5 for each tree, plus a royalty pluot, which found that the so-called hybrid sweet oranges have the basic genes to produce
of $1 to $2.25, most of which goes back to didn’t contain any apricot traits. Zaiger says Europeans have long prized their appealing
anthocyanins, but that the genes are turned on blush, dramatic burgundy flesh, and intense
Zaiger. It’s not unusual for him to wait more the test was not conducted properly. Tests in
Spain have corroborated his claim, but the only in blood varieties. Blood orange coloura- flavour. Americans are split between enthu-
than 15 years to make money from a new
variety. After nearly three decades of work- situation is unresolved. tion is part science, part mystery. In general, siastic foodies and the squeamish who recoil
ing on the peacotum, Zaiger hasn’t seen any cold winter nights alternating with mild days at the fruit’s sanguinary aura.
After 30 years of work and 20,000 cross-
revenue from it. “It’s not get-rich-quick,” he es, there are six commercially viable selec- favour anthocyanin development in rinds and
The very phytochemicals that give blood
says. tions of peacotums. (One has a dark-maroon flesh; shaded areas tend to be darker. To the
oranges their ruddy appearance, rich flavour
Because of those economics, his com- skin with a yellow flesh, and another, shaped vexation of growers, red color varies unpre-
and health-giving properties, also, paradoxi-
pany spent about 30 years in the red, though like an old-fashioned wooden top, has red dictably from season to season, from tree to
cally, render them chemically unstable, thus
it is now profitable. He declined to disclose and yellow skin.) A few selections have been tree, and even within clusters of fruit. Not all
released to farmers for an experimental trial, hindering their marketing. As a result of
financials, but a back-of-the-envelope calcu- dark-fleshed fruit have red rinds; a rosy rind
lation would put his annual revenue some- and some could be in supermarket produce the peculiar chemical composition of blood
is no guarantee of dark flesh, but when a light
where between $1 million and $2 million, sections in three to five years. “It has the fla- oranges, when they are juiced, pasteurization,
chocolate-gray tinges the pores of the rind,
nearly all from royalties. It costs about $1 vor to become a winner,” says David Karp, concentration and storage degrade quality far
then the inside is always maroon.
million a year to run the operation. He would a writer specializing in fruit. “The Zaigers more than for blonde oranges.
probably do better if the fruit business were have a track record.” Mutations from blonde to blood oranges
In compensation, blood oranges are
not so prone to intellectual-property theft. have occurred a number of times in various
Right now the next generation of pea- exceptionally high in phytochemicals with
The National Licensing Association, based cotums is lying nascent in the trees, waiting citrus-growing areas of the world, probably
antioxidant properties, including anthocya-
in Seattle, estimates that about one-third of until June to ripen. When that happens, farm- first in China, in or near where sweet oranges
nins, hydroxycinnamic acids, hesperidin and
patented fruit trees in the U.S. are planted and ers will come to squeeze and taste the fruit originated. Of course it is possible to introduce
grown without proper licensing or payment vitamin C, all present in greater amounts than
and decide whether they want to buy trees. pigmentation into mandarin-like fruits by
of royalties. That doesn’t count what hap- in blonde varieties. Studies have shown that
Some of the peacotums will be trucked to lo- hybridization, and this is the approach taken
pens overseas. Zaiger has found his plants cal farmers’ markets and sold to consumers. these compounds scavenge free radicals that
by Sicilian breeders. The second generation
in Chile, China, Iran, and Russia. In some In the meantime, the Zaigers are working can cause cancer; lower LDL cholesterol, the
of crosses are all triploid, and thus seedless,
countries, Zaiger says, thieves are sent into on crossing their newest hybrid: a peacotum type that fosters heart disease; and protect
orchards to steal budwood (a branch from and a cherry. Any guess as to what it will be against diabetes.
which more trees can be grown). Once Za- called? It appears that no single flavour unites
iger caught a visiting grower taking a piece
---Carlye Adler all blood orange varieties; each has its own
of his cherry budwood; another time some-
one entered the property while the family profile, just as a Valencia tastes different from
was on vacation and dug up two full-grown a navel. In fact, blood orange varieties differ
pluot trees. Suburbia is where the among themselves as much as they do from
While the peacotum, as far as the family developer bulldozes out their blonde relatives.
is aware, has not yet been stolen, it does pro- the trees, then names the The best-tasting blood oranges have flesh
voke its own controversy. Craig Ledbetter, a streets after them. that is either medium burgundy in colour,
research geneticist at the USDA Agricultural ---Bill Vaughan or lightly streaked with red, according to
Research Service in Parlier, Calif., calls the Sanguinelli, Tarocco and Moro blood or- variety. Though dramatic, superdark fruits
peacotum a “fantasy,” saying it is extremely anges. Photo: David Karp usually have lost so much acidity that they
Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 21
20
taste flat, and tend to develop an unpleasant [https://oa.doria.fi/dspace/bitstream/10024/3244/1/establis.pdf]
Moro, Tarocco, Sanguinelli and Maltese.
musty aroma. [http://msucares.com/nmrec/reports/2001/fruits/etiolation.pdf]
---David Karp [http://www.rngr.net/Publications/ctnm/Folder.2003-06-11.2354/vol_6_chapter_3.pdf/file]
Italy, Sicily, Spain and North Africa are
the only places where blood oranges are com- [Ed. note: this is a brief extract taken, Rooting ‘difficult’ hardwood cuttings
mercially important today. Some of the best with permission, from a much more This is a brief summary of the use of etiolation for improving the success of rooting
and best-known varieties of blood oranges are detailed article.] hardwood cuttings or airlayers.
Etiolation is the response of a plant to extending five or more centimetres beyond
[New Scientist, 24 February 2007] insufficient light. Plants react to dark condi- the terminal bud of a plant stem. This tube
Terroir tions by growing long internodes and reduc- will exclude light from the shoot that grows
ing chlorophyll from the tissues. Plants that from the terminal bud until that shoot ap-
Literally, this French word means ‘soil’. But for wine-makers, terroir is much more are etiolated have soft stems and are prone pears at the end of the tube, at which time
slippery. So slippery, in fact, that when oenologists, viticulturists and other interested to physical damage or insect attack. Etiola- the shoot’s exposed leaves and stem will de-
parties got together to decide on a definition at a conference at the University of Cali- tion is sometimes used as a pre-treatment in velop normally.
fornia, Davis, last year, they failed. rooting cuttings. In late summer, cut off the leafy shoots
Conventionally, terroir is a geographical instance, that the mineral constituents of a par- Certain species are very difficult or im- with their etiolated (bleached) basal portions
term. It associates the character of a wine ticular soil influence a wine’s characteristics. possible to root from cuttings or airlayers. It and root them as you would any softwood
has been observed that juvenile wood forms cutting. The etiolated shoot method is so suc-
with the particular soil and often also with However, research on Sauvignon blancs has
roots more easily than older wood, so meth- cessful because etiolated stems root readily
the microclimate in which the grapes were pretty much ruled out soil make-up. Instead, ods have been developed to force mature and because these etiolated stems, fed by
grown. Location is everything. researchers think the region’s climate is prob- stems to revert to a more juvenile stage by their deep green parts developing later in
So-called ‘Old World’ wine-producers in ably responsible. manipulating the amount of light they re- light, are not starved for energy reserves.
Europe have clung to the idea that when it Then there is the notion that cooler cli- ceive. This is called ‘blanching’. Adding rooting hormones inside the bot-
comes to Pinot noir grapes, for example, the mates make for the best aromatic wines. That ‘Banding’ refers to wrapping the base tom of the wrapping, or making a cincture
Burgundy region is peculiarly blessed with the is clearly not the case in the Clare Valley in of the proposed cutting with opaque mate- around the base of the cutting before wrap-
kind of soil and climate that bring out the best South Australia, which produces internation- rial (black tape should be covered with alu- ping, might improve eventual success. Each
in the fruit. The belief has led some Pinot noir ally acclaimed aromatic Rieslings though minium foil to prevent overheating). Alter- species is different in its requirements, and it
growers in the New World - in New Zealand temperatures soar in summer. There must be natively, in late winter, put an opaque tube, is a very complex subject!
and California, for example - to search for something in the particular combination of aluminium foil, for example---around and ---Pat
soils and microclimates that match those of fruit, cultivation methods, weather and soil,
Burgundy. as well as the way in which the wine is made,
[http://www.stratsplace.com/hawkins/wgg.html]
This idea is misguided, say some wine- that is responsible for its character. All of these
makers and researchers. They believe that factors are part of the terroir, say advocates The Super Gigantic Y2K Winegrape Glossary
other factors can also determine a wine’s of a broader definition. An impressive internet database with information about European and American
character and that terroir should have a broader No wonder delegates in California failed wine grapes, which includes many links to further information. Location, habitat and
definition to include them. Producing good to reach a consensus, with some thinking it parentage of many varieties are discussed, along with their qualities, blends and syno-
Pinot noir wines in locations that differ sub- better not even to try. Nevertheless many nyms.
stantially from Burgundy is then just a question wine-producers in Europe, and increasingly The Wine-grape Glossary contains a Because the potential scope is so huge
of managing these other factors well. Some in the New World, are sticking to a narrow clickable INDEX listing and other clickable only the more commonly grown or known
say the quality of Pinot noir in New Zealand definition, sometimes equating terroir not only internal text links, and is designed to aid in- popular grape-names are referenced. Com-
shows this has already been achieved. to a geographical region but even to a particular dividuals interested in knowing something piled by a non-specialist for the benefit of
Certainly, there is a growing body of evi- valley. The reason? It boosts their sales. about the fruit that is transformed into his or non-specialists it is hoped that inaccurate
dence to challenge the conventional wisdom her favorite wine. It can be downloaded in taxonomy references will be overlooked.
relating to terroir. It has long been said, for either its ascii or hypertext format.
Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 23
22
[An original article by Ariel Shai] I grow only male and female types, usu- • Four - due to hand-pollination, the plant
Growing pawpaws in a temperate climate ally propagated by rooted cuttings. I grow the is kept in the reproductive cycle and grows
pawpaws in plastic tunnels because I work by slowly. The plant will not run out of control
Ariel Shai has a MSc in Agriculture from the University of Natal and also a Law myself with no helpers. I graft them (W graft) into the vegetative phase which may result
degree. During his student years, scholarships took him to many parts of the world, in- on local female and male seedlings and it is in 3m of growth in 6 months without fruits.
cluding a year in Australia, where he visited plantations and growers. He has a special
amazing how you can improve fruit set by that. • Five - choice of a variety to propagate -
interest in pawpaws (Carica papaya).
However, there is still a need to hand-pollinate it must be a female, with 3-5 fruits per pe-
Since 1987, he has had a small farm in central Israel with ‘a small nursery and duncle, final fruit weight of seven hundred
many exotic seedling trees all around everywhere,’ which he runs single-handedly be- grams (the first fruits will be very large, up
fore and after court hours. The nights there are cold and in the hot dry summer there to 2 kg) and have good shape and a long fruit
is a cool dry breeze during the day. (The various dates have been converted from the peduncle (changes with the season).
seasons of the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere equivalents.)
• Six - the pollination period is limited to
the months of January - March. Hand-pol-
As a result of better understanding the is the cause of the infamous Pawpaw Dieback lination is done in the late afternoon once a
pawpaw, I could create models for growing Syndrome which kills full plantations in NSW week; in the peak of flowering, twice a week
it in cool subtropical areas. We cannot grow and south Qld, when the transpiration exceeds at intervals of 3 days. At the beginning of
bisexual pawpaws in temperate regions be- the rate of water uptake - because there are no December, 1-3 flowers will fully develop but
cause the bisexual flower changes with the roots to absorb and send up the water. Pawpaw will drop off. After that, all pollinated flow-
temperature in its shape, fertility and sterility. Dieback appears in all subtropical countries, ers will set fruits if properly hand-pollinated
Since the male pawpaw plants only produce especially in autumn and spring when leaf • Seven - no males are planted in the plas-
A pawpaw stem with a ‘W’ Graft tic tunnels - only female plants. The mature
viable pollen from January until March there temperature may rise at noon time to 40-50oC Photo: Ariel Shai
are real problems for the female flowers set and the root temperature is below 16oC. male flowers are collected just before the
in December. the flowers. This is possible when the plant hand-pollination process. The flowers are
A pawpaw leaf has 750 stomata per square is short, compact and the first flower starts at fully closed but just ready to open. I squeeze
Another problem is female flowers set millimetre, one of the highest stoma densi- 20 cms above ground level and the ripe fruit the pollen area with the fingers and then take
after April which we do not want, as these will ties, and on all dry days in cool subtropical ends up resting on the soil. away the 5 sepals and use the actual flow-
result in almost no commercial fruits; they will or temperate countries, pawpaw trees die of er as a brush on the opened female flower
ripen too late and prevent us cutting back the Propagation by cuttings gives uniformity, stigma. Sometimes I even gently twist the
acute water stress. Solutions that we tried
pawpaw tree. The pawpaw flowers set after a ground level fruiting zone, easy pest control, closed but mature female flower, and insert
and that worked are: whitewash spray on the
March until December should be taken away, easy harvest, and you can use cheap protective the male flower and leave it there in the fe-
exposed upper leaves and white netting all
as these result in small parthenocarpic fruits constructions (plastic-covered tunnels)...... male flower. Growing and selecting good
over the plantation.
and affect the development of the main crop. which are all absent in seedling pawpaw males with long flowers and non-sterile pol-
plantations. len is essential.
Therefore we discard all fruitlets set from
May - November. Here are the main points of my system of Within 2 days, a dark green fruitlet is
growing pawpaws: seen developing uniformly. Non-pollinated
In addition, due to the heat of February,
• One - the sex of the plant - female - is fruits are light green and do not develop at all
the female flowers drop and/or the males get
known. (there is a special exception in early spring
sterile again - this time because of the heat.
• Two - the time to set a mature flower un- - parthenocarpic fruits are set without seeds
In other words, under cold subtropical or
der favourable conditions is one month from because of high auxin:cytokinin ratio). It
temperate climate with winter rainfall, the
planting if the minimal canopy develops. should be noted that male flowers are fully
time for fruit set is limited to January and
• Three - the height of the first flower that developed with viable pollen one month after
March - April.
will be hand-pollinated is 30 cms - resulting female flowers are ready to be pollinated - and
Pawpaw in winter is tricky because all the in a fruit length (25 cms) + peduncle (5-30 unless pollen is stored from the previous year
rootlets die and do not function for almost six cms) that will have the fruit touching the or imported, there will be a considerable loss
Pawpaw cuttings
months at soil temperatures below 16oC. This Photo: Ariel Shai ground level. of potential fruits.
24 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 25
the winter. in advance. The thinner and more juvenile the
Leaves are essential for the production
of assimilates and we have to maintain them By early December all the crop is off and cutting, the easier it will root - but it will take
unless they are not productive. This means all the plant is cut back to 40 cms at a 45 degrees more time to reach the flowering phase.
yellowing leaves and shaded leaves are cut out angle, to produce 2-3 side shoots to start the ---Ariel Shai
and removed. Usually all lower leaves that cycle again. Sometimes, I select a side shoot
are at an angle more than 90 degrees to the The source of the botanical
stem are cut out from June until December drawings of pawpaw is ‘Watson,
at monthly intervals. This is because the roots L., and Dallwitz, M.J. 1992 on-
are not active, the nitrogen does not build up wards. The families of flowering
and the lower leaves get yellow first. plants: descriptions, illustra-
tions, identification, and infor-
• Ten - preparing mature rooted cuttings: mation retrieval. Version: 29th
there is a need for a mother plant with side July 2006. http://delta-intkey.
branches. I top a selected female plant twice com’.
and many side shoots will appear. The ma-
ture apical side shoots with flower buds are
the ones to be selected and you have to plant The URL has a useful botanical
enough mother plants to harvest enough side database:
shoots. The mature side shoot is 3 cms wide, http://delta-intkey.com/angio/
25-30 cms long up to the apex. Two or three
top leaves are left and the lower ones are re-
moved. The type of basal cut can be at an Ariel and a short pawpaw plant
Carica papaya. 1. Male flower; 2. Female angle of 45 degrees. The basal part is dipped
flower; 3. Section of ovary; 4. Section of [http://www.bris.ac.uk/news/2007/5384.html]
seed. (See reference at end.) in rooting hormone and placed in a heated
mist bed. The best temp is 28 to 30oC and Getting dirty may lift your mood
• Eight - fruits from flowers that were polli- the best medium is a well-drained mixture of
sand, peat moss + Osmocote. Scientists discover the secret of why gardening makes you feel good.
nated in December, will be ripe by mid-March
after 3.5 months, with fantastic colouration The leaves should be wet and no surplus Treatment of mice with a ‘friendly’ bac- teria Mycobacterium vaccae unexpectedly
and high TSS (Total Soluble Solids). Flow- of water should be given because it will result teria, normally found in the soil, altered their reported increases in their quality of life.
ers that were pollinated in March will ripen in bacterial rot. To minimize the rots I spray behavior in a way similar to that produced by Lowry and his colleagues reasoned that this
in November -December (8-10 months, with heavily with 1% Copprex and Maneb once a antidepressant drugs, reports research pub- effect could be caused by activation of neu-
low colouration, low TSS, fungal problems lished in the latest issue of Neuroscience. rons in the brain that contained serotonin.
week and leave the spray to enter the medium
etc.) through the night. A 50% shade cloth is placed These findings aid the understanding of When the team looked closely at the
• Nine - The leaf number and leaf area de- over the mist bed. why an imbalance in the immune system brains of mice, they found that treatment
creases from April until next December be- leaves some individuals vulnerable to mood with M. vaccae activated a group of neurons
Rooting time is 30-60 days. The best disorders like depression. that produce the brain chemical serotonin.
cause there is hardly any growth. Therefore,
I stop pollination as from 1st of April and rooting periods are January to March. This Dr Chris Lowry, lead author on the paper The lack of serotonin in the brain is thought
once a month, from May until the follow- means that the rooted plant will have to wait from Bristol University, said: “These stud- to cause depression in people, thus M. vac-
ing October, I remove all small flowers and until November to be planted. In that period it ies help us understand how the body com- cae’s effects on the behavior of mice may be
fruitlets. might get extra height which is not desirable. municates with the brain and why a healthy due to increasing the release of serotonin in
December is the de-apexing month. The The best plant to be planted is 3-4 cms wide, immune system is important for maintaining parts of the brain that regulate mood.
top centimetre of the tiny apex on each plant 35 cms tall, very hardy and compact. mental health. They also leave us wondering Future studies will be designed to deter-
Spacing is 1 to 2m in the row and 2m if we shouldn’t all be spending more time mine if M. vaccae, other bacteria, or phar-
is broken by the fingers, thus stopping the
playing in the dirt.” maceutical compounds have antidepressant
plant from growing and producing any other between the rows. It is common to plant in
leaves and flowers. a triangular way to allow sunlight in during Interest in the project arose after human properties through activation of this group
cancer patients being treated with the bac- of serotonin neurons.
Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2
26 27
[www.hawaiifruit.net/hoshigaki.jpg] [Illinois Nut Tree Association, Fall 2005]
Hoshigaki! Instant stratification: sprouting hazelnuts in just ten days
Gesundheit! These Japanese treats are simple to make. An excellent use for firm Stratification of deciduous nuts is a lengthy process. Tom Potts, a founding member
persimmons, either astringent ones like Hachiya or non-astringent ones such as Fuyu. and the first and current president of the New York Nut Growers Association, found a
In Japan, the dried fruit is enclosed in waxed paper sacks or plastic wrap to allow the short cut. [Calendar dates are for the northern hemisphere. - Ed]
sugar to condense on the skin through perspiration, causing the characteristic white, Every fall I select the best hazelnuts from spring to read up on hazelnut culture where I
crystalline coating on the surface. my most productive trees, with the hope of read Micropropagation of Filberts, Corylus
How to make Hoshigaki developing cultivars that perform well in my avellana by Wilbur Anderson. I found that he
The written history of dried persimmons, or as the area. These nuts are then cold-stratified over didn’t use a stratification procedure to grow
Japanese call them, hoshigaki, dates back more than 700 the winter in order to induce the nuts to sprout. seedlings. He exposed nut kernels to a solu-
years. Enjoyed throughout northern Asia, hoshigaki brings I usually start this process in early October, tion of the plant hormone Gibberellic Acid-3
out the natural fruit sugars and healthy attributes of the using fresh nuts that have not dried out. for four hours, and then planted them out. He
fruit. North American Indians also enjoyed a variety of The nuts are placed in damp (not wet) peat didn’t say how long it took to get sprouts.
persimmons that dried on the trees. moss in a Ziploc plastic bag. A few holes are The solution
All you need besides firm persimmons is a piece of string, punched in the bag to allow for ventilation. I decided to try this technique in the fall. I
a knife and a shears or scissors to prune the stem. The bag is then placed in the refrigerator at set up an account with Sigma Chemical Co. in
2-4°C. The bag is checked every two weeks St. Louis, Missouri, so that I could purchase
Trim the top of the persimmon so that it is easy to tie the string to maintain dampness and to see if sprout- Gibberellic Acid-3, and a scale to weigh it on.
around the top. If the stem is broken off, cut a small groove in ing has started. The appearance of a small This took more time than I had anticipated (3
the top of the fruit so that the string can be attached. rootlet at the end of the shell signals the start months). So, I couldn’t start the experiment
of sprouting. After planting the nuts, shoots until December. The nuts were kept from
Peel the fruit completely. will emerge in one to two weeks, depending drying out by keeping them refrigerated in
on the temperature. plastic bags with damp paper towels.
This process of stratification is necessary I obtained a large pressure cooker to steril-
to sprout the seeds of many temperate plants. ize all of the materials and instruments used
I have used it to sprout acorns, chestnuts, and in cracking the nuts and planting the kernels.
hickory nuts. The stratification requirements The nuts were washed in 5% Clorox solu-
of many tree seeds can be found in the book tion for 10 min., cracked out, and the kernels
Seeds of Woody Plants of North America by placed in a solution of 50 mg. Gibberellic
Tie the string around each stem of the peeled persimmons. Make James and Cheryl Young. Acid-3 per litre. Each kernel was placed in
sure they do not touch each other. Usually the string is hung under The problem a separate sterile container (ice cube tray) to
the eaves of houses or sheds where the rain or dew does not affect it. So what’s the problem? Well, hazelnuts prevent cross-contamination by any kernels
Depending on heat and sun, it can take up to 5 weeks before you are take at least several months to sprout and infected with bacteria or fungi.
ready to enjoy this sweet treat. Hoshigaki can be kept in the freezer for some times as long as 8-9 months. Last year, The kernels were left in the solution for
up to a year. Perfectly dried fruit will form white sugar crystals around some of the nuts that I started stratifying in 4 hours at room temperature. Twenty kernels
a dark, leathery skin. October began sprouting at the end of June. were then removed to sterile seed starter mix,
---Ken Love This allowed for only three months of growth watered with sterile water, and covered with
before frost. Consequently, these small seed- a layer of plastic film. The containers were
lings may not survive the winter. incubated at 70°F for 12 hrs/day (fluorescent
Persimmons can be sliced and dried in grow lights) and at 60°F for 12 hrs/night.
other ways, also - on racks in the sun or in This problem was in the back of my mind
commercial drying machines. when I visited Cornell’s Mann Library last To my surprise, five sprouts were observed
28 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 29
emerging from the soil after only 10 days, inches tall. They’re now ready to be moved including fluvalinate (the chemical used to bees in Alberta, Canada, the herbicide toler-
and 19 of the 20 kernels had spouted after into larger containers. They’ll be field planted treat hives to eliminate parasites) disrupted ant canola plots had the greatest pollination
17 days. It’s now 34 days since planting the in late May. the behaviour of honeybees leading to feed- deficit, while conventional and organic plots
kernels. That’s 6 months earlier than last year! ing and navigation problems. Bees suffer- were equally well served by the wild bees .
---Tom Potts
The 19 seedlings range in size from 5 to 11 ing from sub-lethal pesticide intoxication Clearly, the existing evidence calls for
resembled the behaviour of bees described much fuller investigations on the sub-lethal
[ISIS (Institute of Science in Society) Press Release 26/04/07] by observers of the colony collapse disorder. impacts of GM crops on bees, such as learn-
Sub-lethal doses of fipronil (a veterinary ing and feeding behaviour, and immunity to
Mystery of disappearing honeybees insecticide) impaired the olfactory memory disease.
The first alarm was sounded in autumn 2006. Honeybees are disappearing across process of honeybees. Spinosad, a promi-
nent and much used natural insecticide fed to Mobile phones and bee decline
the United States, with half of the States affected and beekeepers losing 30 to 90 percent There have been widespread reports in
of colonies. The problem began more than two years ago and has intensified in recent bumble bees in pollen slowed down their for-
aging behaviour while a higher dose caused the mainstream media that mobile phones
months. The bees simply vanish relatively suddenly. In cases where the colony appears may be responsible for the decline of hon-
to be actively collapsing, the workforce seems to be made up of young adult bees, insuf- colony death within two to four weeks, more
evidence that sub-lethal effects of pesticides eybees. The results are indeed startling, and
ficient to feed the brood, but are reluctant to consume provided feed. This “colony col- should be considered in the context of the
lapse disorder” (CCD) is particularly devastating for growers of fruits and vegetables, may be the single most important factor con-
tributing to disappearing honeybees. increasingly clear evidence that weak radia-
as they depend on insect pollinators. tion from mobile phones and base stations
Genetically modified (GM) crops may does have harmful effects on the health of
Since then, CCD has been reported from Foul Brood disease (AFB), a disease of the have sub-lethal effects on bees
Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Ita- human beings and wildlife. Studies show
honeybee larvae. It is highly virulent and The timing of the honeybee decline ap-
ly, Greece, and the UK, where one of the big- that this kind of radiation disrupts the navi-
easily spread among colonies, and generally pears to coincide with the widespread de-
gest beekeepers lost 23 of his 40 hives. gation systems of bees; possibly they are not
fatal if untreated. But as in the case of para- ployment of GM crops. GM crops are en- able to find their way back to their hives.
CCD has baffled scientists, because no sitic mites, foul brood disease is not associ- gineered to tolerate herbicides, especially
one knows what causes it; ongoing efforts ated with colony collapse disorder. gyphosate, or to contain biopesticides (the Some other possibilities
are being made to identify possible patho- Pesticides Bt Cry toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis), Bee colonies experience stress when
gens in the bees and chemical residues in The use of pesticides, especially insecti- or both. The biopesticide toxins produced in moved about frequently by truck, which may
pollen, honey and bees. Viruses, fungal dis- cides on crops, is known to kill or weaken Bt crops are not highly or acutely toxic to weaken their immune systems. These bees
eases, parasitic mites, pesticides, or chemi- thousands of honeybee colonies in the US bees, but are toxic to butterflies, moths and may suffer from a diet that includes artificial
cal designed to control mites have been con- each year, and local bee kills have occurred beetles. Nevertheless, in some instances, the supplements, concoctions akin to energy
sidered by the authorities, as have GM crops sporadically for decades. However, the Na- toxins can kill bees or modify their behav- drinks and power bars.
such as those containing the Bt gene, and tional Academy of Sciences report consid- iour. The mystery remains
mobile phones. ered it unlikely that this has “contributed The Bt toxin Cry1Ab caused reduced The mystery of disappearing honeybees
Parasites reduce bee immunity significantly” to the recent decline. The re- foraging activity in bees after they were fed is far from solved. The greatest suspects so
Parasitic mites such as Varroa destructor port stated: “Most pesticide-caused honey with syrup containing the toxin. But sub-le- far are pesticides and radiation from mobile
and Acarapis woodi cannot explain colony bee kills are the result of accidents, careless thal effects on the bees were not recorded in phone base stations. However, it is likely that
collapse disorder as there is no evidence that application, or failure to adhere to label rec- those experiments. sub-lethal effects due to GM crops, mites in-
mite infestation is directly involved, but they ommendations and warnings.” It has obvi- Another limitation of the experiments so festations and other factors which alter the
do reduce the immune response of the bees, ously ignored sub-lethal effects, particularly far is that they were carried out with toxins bees’ behaviour, affect their memory and
causing them to be prone to infection with of new pesticides that may turn out to be one derived from bacteria, not transgenic toxin learning process or compromise their health
virus, bacteria or fungi. Honeybees seem to of the most significant single factors contrib- derived from the Bt crops, which are known and immunity will all have a role to play.
have limited immune flexibility, which may uting to the current honeybee decline. to have very different properties. Honeybees may be our most sensitive
make them more sensitive to devastating Pesticides disrupts bee behaviour at sub- indicator species for all the environmental
Transgenic glyphosate-tolerant canola
pathogens. lethal levels pollution and dangerous technologies we
pollen was reported to pose no threat to hon-
Foul brood disease Numerous pesticides have been found eybees. However, when organic, conven- perpetrate. Their distress has implications
Paenibacillus larvae is the most serious to disrupt bee behaviour following sub-le- tional, and herbicide-tolerant canola were for all of us.
pathogen of honeybees. It causes American thal exposures. A wide array of pesticides compared with regard to pollination by wild
30 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2 Quandong • Second Quarter 2007 • Vol 33 No 2
31
And now it is time to speak of some serious stuff. We must all make important decisions A message from Stanley Parkinson, President of WANATCA...
about the future of WANATCA. Attendance at meetings and field days has been falling WANATCA heading for the future
steadily for the last few years, to the point that the Executive Committee has become very
disheartened. WANATCA needs new directions, new leadership.
We hope that members will come to this meeting to discuss our options and the direc- Perhaps the present executive is heading azines on-line and WANATCA and Quan-
tions we need to take; we welcome your thoughts and ideas. for retirement. Surely WANATCA can enter dong are already half-way there.
---Pat the new electronic world without being put I want as many members as possible to
into semiretirement with an administrator. come and make the new direction for us to
A message from David Noel, founder of WANATCA... This is the view I would like to espouse. travel.
WANATCA heading for semi-retirement? Many older societies now put their mag- ---Stanley Parkinson, President
Decision to be made at May 22 meeting.
Over the last few years, membership sought to promote interest in nut and tree On the WANATCA Website
levels in your Association have steadily de- crops, in particular through publications and
clined. Income is no longer sufficient to meet other methods of information generation and
costs of maintaining current services. exchange. We were one of the first in this IUUQXXXXBOBUDBPSHBV
The Executive have therefore had to area to stake out an area of the Internet, with
consider some radical changes. Our princi- our own website, the on-line version of AT- Yearbook 5, 1979, is now on-line.
pal expense nowadays is the cost of compil- CROS (the Australian Tree Crops Source- Table of Contents:
ing, editing, typesetting, and mailing out our book), and on-line versions of material from West Australian Nutgrowing Society.............................................................2
magazine ‘Quandong’. We have some cash the ACOTANC series of conferences, which Contents..............................................................................................3
reserves, but these would soon be burnt up if we initiated in 1982. More recently we have Glossary of Nut Names - David Noel................................................4
we continue as now. been adding on-line versions of our invalu- Focus on Hazelnuts..........................................................................37
able Yearbooks, and more recently, on-line The Nutritional Value of Nuts - Susan Smith..................................40
Our constitution does allow us to shut
versions of ‘Quandong’. Horticulture’s Ancient Roots - Jules Janick.....................................52
down WANATCA and pass on any surplus
funds to the University of Western Australia. As the founder of the Association, I am How to Distinguish the Two Commercial Species of Macadamia..71
Rather than do this, we would like members naturally sorry to see its decline, but it is a Jojoba - A Liquid Wax Producing Shrub - M.L. Poole....................72
to consider the alternative of a ‘planned hi- change being experienced by similar organi- Jojoba Crops No Goldmine - Consultant - Mary Busher................78
bernation’ where low-cost activities such as zations all over the world. The easy avail- Cultivation of Pecan Nuts - N.H. Shorter & S.R. Newton..............81
our extensive Internet websites are main- ability of information over the Internet has Notes on Pecan Varieties..................................................................90
tained, while day-to-day control is cut back itself played a major part here, as has de- Membership Register - 1979..........................................................104
to the minimum level of just ticking over. clining general interest in local or special-
interest groups, which have mostly moved
In practice, this means that individual A particular feature of Yearbook 5 is the Glossary of Nut Names. The first and larg-
entirely onto cyberspace or have folded.
member services, in particular ‘Quandong’, est part of the list is an alphabetic arrangement of the binomial scientific names of many
would cease. Membership subscriptions and Our next meeting, on May 22, 2007, will
plants with edible parts, and not just nuts. Associated common names and local, native
membership lists would also cease. The As- therefore be an Extraordinary General Meet-
names are given, as well as five-letter codes which can be a useful shortcut to the scien-
sociation would reduce to a non-subscrip- ing at which members will be able to vote
tific names. This is followed by an alphabetical list that cross-references the native or
tion-funded tree-crop interest group with on a scheme like that outlined above, or put common names to the associated scientific names.
minimum activity. However, a more active forward alternatives. If the hibernation pro-
structure could be revived in the future if posal goes ahead, WANATCA will operate You can see a listing of all on-line publications without being a member, but
an alternative funding source, say research as normal till the end of 2007 (except that to view or download full articles, you will need a password. Each quarter, the
grants, became available. In the meantime, subscriptions will no longer be accepted), password will change. You will receive a new password by e-mail each quarter
responsibility for WANATCA matters would then put itself into the garage and switch or you can find the password printed at the bottom left of the address panel on
pass to a single Administrator. off.
the mail slip sent with the current issue of Quandong. Members will be supplied
Since its founding, the Association has ---David Noel with a new password each quarter as long as they are current.
2007 May 1

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