Kunzea pomifera

Muntries, Muntharies

Family

Myrtaceae

General notes:

Small, crunchy berry with a deliciously sweet apple flavour from the south-east of South Australia. It has small, green and red fruits with a Granny Smith apple flavour.

Edible portion:

Fruit

Harvest period:

Summer

Yrs to maturity:

2-3

Form:

Low shrub or ground cover

Natural Distribution/Growing conditions:

SE SA and SW Vic. Light textured soils with good drainage

Climatic/microclimatic conditions:

500-800mm rainfall areas

Management reference:

Berry. Moderately tolerant of frosts, salinity, lime soil, coastal exposure and drought. Fruit size is variable and clonal selection suggested. Partial shade is suggested to enhance fruit size and flavour. Prefers light textured, well drained soils. A handful of organic fertiliser such as blood and bone on planting and side dressings Spring and Autumn suggested.

Traditional Aboriginal Use

Fruit  eaten

Density:

2mx3m - 1650/ha (under irrigation)

Yield at maturity:

1.5 kg/plant

Harvesting:

Hand

Supplied as:

Fresh, frozen, dried.

Typical value adding:

They compliment apples in pies, flans and desserts providing that visual difference and make excellent sauces and garnishes. It can be used fresh.

Current purchasing price:

$22/kg (frozen), $35/kg fresh

Perceived demand:

High

Further information, supply of plants:

Brian King Muntari Wildfood Plants of Australia Ph:  0888 472 542 Fax:  0888 472 540 

From the RIRDC Report

Cultivation of Native Food Plants in Southeastern Australia 
A report for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation 
by Maarten Ryder and Yvonne Latham January 2005 RIRDC Publication No 04/178 
RIRDC Project No CSL-11A 

Munthari survival was quite variable between sites and also within sites. Rows of munthari often contained a number of vigorous healthy plants and also a number of failures alongside them. Quite a number of plants were lost, more so at some sites than others, yet the vigour of surviving plants was often very good, especially for “Rivoli Bay”. This suggests that there are problems with seedling establishment that may be caused by soil-borne fungal diseases or soil-borne pests. We can test this by attempting to replant in the same spot to see whether the establishment problem recurs. 
If the seedling establishment problem(s) can be identified and overcome, then the munthari can be grown over a wide range of locations. The plant seems to be quite tolerant of a range of soil pH, and is relatively unaffected by frost. It can be susceptible to wind damage, however. This can be seen where plants are being trained on to trellises at Kangaroo Is and Moonta: wind damage occurs when plants reach more than about 30 cm from the ground. 
The low and decreasing survival at Pt MacDonnell was probably caused by alteration of the soil profile prior to planting. This problem might be solved by some type of soil amelioration (e.g. addition and mixing with lighter soil or sand) prior to replanting. At all trial sites except Lyrup, trellises have been installed to train the munthari for ease of crop management and picking. Simple, 4- or 5-wire trellises were installed at the end of the second summer. Plants are being trained with the aid of vineyard tying tape. Protection from the wind will be needed in order to successfully train the plants.
M4 munthari, which came from an inland location, in the Upper South East of SA, and “Rivoli Bay” which originated from the south east coast of SA showed some differences in survival that might relate to their origins. For example, while survival and vigour of “Rivoli Bay” was better than that of M4 at several sites, this situation was reversed at Lyrup, a site which is well inland and has an alkaline soil. 
Munthari have flowered and fruited at several sites. Fruit were more commonly seen on the M4 selection at this stage. This is because the M4 seedlings were older at planting, and fruit forms on one-year-old wood. The “Rivoli Bay” set fruit at only one site (Mt Gambier) in the second summer. Several more trials have reported fruit set on “Rivoli Bay” in the third summer (2003-04).

Links

RIRDC

Malee Native Plants

ABC

Propagation

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Planchonella australis

Black apple 

Family

Sapotaceae

General notes:

Heavy fruiting does not occur annually. The fruit is purple-black, like a small mango or large plum, and 4-8 cm long (60 g). The flesh ripens to a soft, purple pulp useful in jams and desserts. The marketability of Black Apple fruit is very good, although limitations arise from slow seedling growth. Trials of grafting mature scion wood to seedling rootstock are being undertaken to attempt to overcome this problem.

Edible portion:

Fruit

Harvest period:

Early summer

Yrs to maturity:

10+?

Form:

Large tree

Natural Distribution/Growing conditions:

Subtropical, littoral and dry rainforest, Illawarra to Gympie

Climatic/microclimatic conditions:

Subtropical

Traditional Aboriginal Use

Fruit eaten

Management reference:

Not suitable for fruit fly areas as you can't spray. Cultivars not yet commercialised in significant numbers.

Density:

Unknown

Yield at maturity:

Fruit production from mature trees is large (up to several hundred per season), although variable between years

Harvesting:

Hand

Supplied as:

Fresh or frozen

Typical value adding:

Unknown

Current purchasing price:

$NCT

Perceived demand:

High

Links

Daleys

Food Standards Australia

PlantNet

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Pleiogynium timorense 

Burdekin plum

Family

Anacardiaceae

General notes:

Great variation in fruit quality and size. The fruit can be as large as a golf ball or small as an olive. It has thin flesh around a large stone and a mild apricot-flavour.

Edible portion:

Fruit

Harvest period:

Autumn - Spring

Yrs to maturity:

3-5

Form:

Medium to large tree (depending on local conditions)

Natural Distribution/Growing conditions:

Dry rainforest from N to SE Qld. It can also be found on sand dunes behind mangroves and in dry sub-coastal vine scrubs. Open soil and sunny position is preferred.

Climatic/microclimatic conditions:

Dry tropical to subtropical. Some frost tolerance

Management reference:

Stone fruit. Male & female trees needed.

Density:

Unknown but could be treated as a large tree (300-400/ha with adequate rainfall or irrigation)

Yield at maturity:

Unknown

Traditional Aboriginal Use 

Fruit eaten

Harvesting:

Hand

Supplied as:

Fresh, frozen

Typical value adding:

Pickling, sauces, compotes. The whole plum pickles well in hot vinegar flavoured with native herbs.

Current purchasing price:

$NMV at present

Perceived demand:

Low

Links

ASGAP

ASGAP QLD

Forest Farmers

Food Standards Australia

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Podocarpus elatus 

Plum pine

Family

Podocarpaceae

General notes:

The fruit is really the enlarged stalk or peduncle - blue-black and plumlike in flavour, with a pleasant yet subtle resinous quality. Plum sized, it conveniently carries its seed outside of the fleshy portion of the fruit.  Often used as a street tree.

Edible portion:

Fruit - 20-30mm. Early, mid and late season varieties exist. Fruiting can be variable.

Harvest period:

Mar - Jul. Early, middle and late season varieties exist.

Yrs to maturity:

5

Form:

Variable - mainly a large tree - larger under cultivation than in the wild. Stated there is great variability in height - from5m to 35m - 5m to 10m under cultivation.

Natural Distribution/Growing conditions:

Warmer rainforests, coastal from Cairns to Illawarra NSW on a wide range of soils.

Climatic/microclimatic conditions:

Tropical, subtropical to temperate high rainfall regions. Moderately frost tolerant.

Management reference:

Male and female flowers on separate trees. Females only fruit. They require one male tree per ten female trees approximately. Seedlings have a wide genetic variability Some trees noted to bear well above the stated 6kg (at 5 years). Mildly frost tolerant.  

Traditional Aboriginal Use

Fruit eaten

Density:

Spacing - 6m x 6m = 275/ha - lower for dryland cultivation

Yield at maturity:

6kg/tree

Harvesting:

Hand

Supplied as:

Fresh

Typical value adding:

Can be sauced and performs extremely well with chilli or ginger, complementing our game meats. Preserves, cheesecakes, muffins and other desserts can be made from the plums. This fruit behaves in a similar way to gooseberries in turning bitter with overcooking, the bitterness disappears on cooling and we suggest using stainless steel saucepans for simmering.

Current purchasing price:

$6-8/kg

Perceived demand:

High. Also a valuable cabinet timber species.

Links

ANBG

http://www.anbg.gov.au/anbg/conifers/podocarpus-elatus.html

Daleys

http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/bushfood/plumpine.htm

NSW Gov

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Rubus fraxinifolius

Atherton raspberry

Family

Rosaceae

General notes:

Sweet, edible, red fruits. Similar to exotic rubus but little work has been done on selection for size and flavour. There are seven different native raspberries but all of them suffer, to one extent or another from either insipidness, dryness, tartness or hard seeds. However, I have come across some exquisite R. parvifolius so selection for fruit could be undertaken.

Edible portion:

Fruit

Harvest period:

Late summer - autumn

Yrs to maturity:

1-2

Form:

Prickly, mounding shrub with stems to 1m.

Natural Distribution/Growing conditions:

Found along the east coast from Vic to N. QLD. They are hardy in most soils in sun or semi-shade and prefer moist conditions.

Climatic/microclimatic conditions:

Temperate to tropical

Management reference:

Berry fruits. They can be trained as a climber and need to be pruned often. Large scale trellis plantings could be replaced by edge plantings in suitable positions.

Traditional Aboriginal Use:

Fruits eaten

Density:

As for raspberry if trellised

Yield at maturity:

Seems to be variable from plant to plant and season to season. Likely 2kg/plant in good conditions:

Harvesting:

Hand

Supplied as:

Fresh, frozen, pulp or juice

Typical value adding:

Treat as you would the raspberry

Current selling price

$12-$15 /kg

Perceived demand:

Growing

Links

Daleys

http://www.daleysfruit.com.au/bushfood/Athertonrasp.htm

SGAP QLD

http://www.sgapqld.org.au/article37.html

ASGAP

http://asgap.org.au/r-pro.html

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Santalum acuminatum

Red quandong, Desert Peach.

Family:

Santalaceae  

General notes:

My thanks to AQIA (Australian Quandong Industry Ass) for their invaluable information. There are 5 recognised species of Santalum in Australia. The members of this genus are root parasites in that their roots attach themselves to the roots of other plants and gain part of their growth requirements from the host species. S. acuminatum is probably the best known Australian member of the genus as it is an important bush food in the drier areas of the country. It has a plum-sized, glossy red fruit with a large stone and a delicate apricot crossed with rhubarb taste with a slight touch of cinnamon. The kernel contains valuable proteins and is rich in oil. It is one of the most well-known bushfoods to be commercially grown in Australia. The kernel contains valuable proteins and is rich in oil. Rather dry texture discourages eating fresh but dried fruit is more palatable. There is large genetic variability in seedlings and thus selected stock is suggested.

See also "DOOR for Quandong" (pdf)

Edible portion:

Fruit, kernel

Harvest period:

August- December

Yrs to maturity:

5

Form:

Small tree or spindly shrub, up to 5 m.

Natural Distribution/Growing conditions:

See following.

Climatic/microclimatic conditions:

150-600mm rainfall areas.

Management reference:

Refer to the AQIA notes which follow. It is found in a range of soil conditions and climates, with varying water quality. Best results come from planting with a northerly aspect in well drained soil with existing root systems present. Protect from wind and fertilise with slow release Osmocote or similar (approx 1.6% phosphorous) at rate of 5-gms per plant. It tolerates highly saline soil, limestone and drought but can be set back by root disturbance when planting out. Avoid heavy textured soils, areas which become waterlogged (even for short periods of time) and chemical fertilisers with greater than 3% phosphate. Quandongs are partial parasites. They grow sucker-like attachments onto the roots of other plants to extract nutrients. They utilise a number of host plants such as strawberry clover, being trialed as hosts. When planting out, the quandong and the host should both be planted. While quandongs are adapted to growth and survival in arid to semi arid conditions, young plants must not be allowed to dry out. Propagation by grafting onto seedling stock is becoming more common as particular forms are selected for their desirable fruiting characteristics. Seed is apparently difficult to germinate and the inherent genetic variability of seedlings make it wise to purchase selected clonal stock.

Traditional Aboriginal Use

Fruit and kernel eaten

Density:

833/ha

Yield at maturity:

1kg/plant

Harvesting:

Hand + ?

Supplied as:

Whole and frozen or seeded and dried.

Typical value adding:

Was traditionally sun dried and stored. Used in jams and jellies. The fruit is very popular and versatile and may be used in sauces, cakes, pies, tarts, and of course to make quandong jam. The kernels of quandong fruit are also highly flavoured. They can be roasted and used to impart an aromatic nutty taste to dessert or savoury sauces or in a crumb topping.

Current purchasing price:

$30.00/kg

Perceived demand:

High

Research also:

Santalum lanceolatum, S. spicatum

From the RIRDC Report

Cultivation of Native Food Plants in Southeastern Australia A report for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation 
by Maarten Ryder and Yvonne Latham 
January 2005 
RIRDC Publication No 04/178 
RIRDC Project No CSL-11A 

The early establishment of quandong is problematic if treated in the same way as other plants. In our trials, all plants were provided with plastic treeguards held with bamboo stakes. However, there is preliminary evidence from our Kangaroo Island trial and also from other growers, that survival can be increased with extra shading (e.g. shadecloth enclosures). The quandongs which were planted later (1 year after the host plant) tended to survive better, which could be attributed to a combination of better seedling vigour at planting and planting alongside an established host. It was noticeable that in cases where the host plant had grown to fill up the inside of the treeguard, the quandong seedling at the centre was often protected and healthy. This adds further support to the idea that extra protection in 
the early stages may be beneficial. 
We used no chemical fungicides at planting. We may have increased the survival of plants if this type of treatment had been used, as there is a suggestion that  soilborne fungal diseases can affect establishment (ANPI / PIRSA online fact sheets). 
Those quandong seedlings that survived the first two summers often showed good vigour and growth. This illustrates the importance of assisting the plants in the establishment phase eg by extra shading and wind protection. Sites at which good growth and vigour have occurred in plants which have survived the first 18 months: Lyrup, Jamestown, Moonta, Pt MacDonnell and Stawell. 
The quandong seedlings have survived and grown in locations outside the natural range (eg Port MacDonnell and Kangaroo Island). However it remains to be seen whether they are able to flower, set fruit and produce ripe fruit in those locations. 
Each quandong plot contained a mixture of plants from different sources because of a need to provide good opportunity for cross-pollination to occur (Lethbridge and Randell, 2003). 
Quandong seedlings show a good ability to recover by re-shooting after a major trauma such as loss of all leaves. 

Links

Aus Govt

http://www.cpbr.gov.au/gnp/interns-2002/santalum-acuminatum.html

ASGAP

http://farrer.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/APOL7/sep97-1.html

Propagation (ASGAP)

http://farrer.csu.edu.au/ASGAP/APOL7/sep97-2.html

Nectorbrook

http://www.nectarbrook.com/quandong/tree.html

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Santalum lanceolatum, S. spicatum

Sandalwood

Family: 

Santalaceae

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General Notes

The kernels of the nut has a good oil and is reputed to be very good eating. See article Issue 7, page 12.

Edible/useable portion:

Kernel

Harvest period:  

?

Yrs to maturity  

3-5

Form:

Shrub, up to 4m. 

Natural distribution/Growing conditions:

Areas of red loam with mulga, or skeletal soils on granite outcrops.

Climatic/microclimatic conditions

Dry inland conditions.

Management reference  

See Santalum acuminatum.

Traditional Aboriginal use

Nuts crushed and used as liniment on joints.

Density  

As per S. acuminatum

Yield at maturity

Unknown

Harvesting  

As per S. acuminatum

Supplied as:

Unknown - oil?

Current purchasing price  

Unknown

Perceived demand  

Unknown

From the RIRDC Report: "Cultivation and Sustainable Wild Harvest of Bushfoods by Aboriginal Communities in Central Australia", 2002

Santalum lanceolatum grows extensively throughout Pantharrpilenhe in a range of habitats from protective valleys to low hill sides and on open woodland plains.
A small tree or large shrub 3-4 metres in height this plant has drooping bluish-green foliage and creamy-yellow flowers in clusters that produce small olive-like purple to black fruits 1.5 centimetres in size. Appreciably larger fruits are known to have been found on individual trees in Western Central Australia although none have been located on Pantharrpilenhe.
On five small sites 220 plants were located. Because the plant can reproduce by suckering it is not uncommon to find quite dense clusters of this plant. Many plants are only 1-1.5 metres in height.
The santalum lanceolatum appears to be an opportunistic plant and will quickly flower after favourable rains at most times of the year. Due to lack of rain over the past twelve months little flowering and fruiting has occurred, making recording of yields difficult. Summer rains have induced some colonies of plants to flower and fruit with the fruits maturing in May.   On a healthy 3 metre plant 200-300 fruit have been observed, weighing between 2 to 3 kilograms. Numerous small shrubs bearing reasonable crops of fruit in May have not been assessed for yields. Plants without rain are commencing to flower in May. 30

Links

New Crops

http://www.newcrops.uq.edu.au/newslett/ncnl2-54.htm

TGA 

http://www.tga.gov.au/docs/pdf/compguid/drsantsp.pdf

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Solanum centrale

Bush tomato, Akadjura, Desert raisin  

Family: 

Solanacea

General notes:

Akudjura is one Aboriginal name for the native bush tomato which is a strong flavoured fruit, tasting of tamarillo and caramel. A small pungent berry found in the central desert regions from a shrub related to the tomato family. Bush tomatoes grow wild in Australia's arid centre. They are sun-dried on the bush and hand-harvested in the traditional manner by Aboriginal women. Please note that unripe fruit contain toxic substances and should not be eaten.

Edible portion:

Fruit

Harvest period:

Jul - Aug

Yrs to maturity:

2

Form:

Small, prickly shrub

Natural Distribution/Growing conditions:

Widespread in inland areas of SA, WA and NT mainly on red, sandy soils.

Climatic/microclimatic conditions:

Low rainfall areas

Management reference:

Very adaptable, hardy and fast growing species for lighter soils. It is drought, frost and lime tolerant. High levels of sunshine are needed for ripening and it is not a suitable plant for high rainfall areas.

Traditional Aboriginal Use 

Fruit eaten

Density:

1x3m - 3300/ha

Yield at maturity:

.5 kg/plant

Harvesting:

Hand and more recently mechanised.

Supplied as:

Fresh or dried, whole or ground

Typical value adding:

An intensely flavoured fruit, use sparingly - too much is not better, but bitter! Use with any fresh tomato-based dish, great in tomato soup, on pizza, and pasta. Added to casseroles, the ground bush tomato can act as a natural thickener. The ground product is easily added to bread mixes, salads, sauces, cheese dishes, chutneys, stews or mixed into butter.

Current purchasing price:

[$12-$25]

Perceived demand:

High

Research also:

S. esuriale (Quena) for heavier clay soils. S. aviculare (Kangaroo apple) coastal. S. chippendalei . S. nigrum (Black nightshade) - a common 'weed'.

From the RIRDC Report

Cultivation of Native Food Plants in Southeastern Australia

A report for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation 
by Maarten Ryder and Yvonne Latham 
January 2005 RIRDC Publication No 04/178 
RIRDC Project No CSL-11A Growth, flowering and fruit set of bush tomato varied considerably across field trial sites. The ability of the plant to become locally established (i.e. perennial) through suckering in spring and summer also varied a great deal across the sites. There was good local (perennial) establishment only at Junee, Jamestown and Moonta and to a lesser extent at Lyrup and Stawell. These are clearly the warmer, drier sites. At Junee the soil ripping and formation of large (50 cm) mounds before planting could have assisted perennial establishment of the bush tomato, by ensuring good soil drainage. These mounds may also absorb more heat in 
the summer, potentially stimulating faster growth and development through to flowering and fruiting. 
The development of management strategies for bush tomato, to achieve good yields in both the first year and in subsequent years (at locations where it becomes perennial) requires further attention. Bush tomato is probably best treated as a vegetable crop, for production purposes, rather than as a “perennial shrub” as we have done in these trials. A production system comprising soil ripping (to loosen the soil at depth, for better drainage), mounding, weed control and irrigation, with planting in spring and harvesting at the end of summer appears to be a feasible way to produce this crop. 

From the RIRDC Report: 

"Cultivation and Sustainable Wild Harvest of Bushfoods by Aboriginal Communities in Central Australia", 2002

The Solanum centrale were monitored on three particular sites with reference to several other sites as well. One site with 50 plants was located on a hill side facing north-west, and two other sites with 60-100 plants and 70-80 plants were on disturbed soil along side a track on Pantharrpilenhe. Plants within each group were a composite of newly emerging plants from suckers, young plants flowering with no fruits through to older plants that appeared past their prime with no evidence of flowering or fruiting.
The plant can grow from seed or by vigorously producing suckers thus often it is possible to find large clusters of plants in a small area. The establishment of plant colonies tend to rely on fire or disturbance of the ground, thus collections of plants are often found along Pantharrpilenhe road sides.
A hardy plant the Solanum is a clonal under-shrub around 30cm in height when growing naturally. It has soft foliage often with a rusty tinge and bright purple flowers.
The Solanum centrale can be found quite extensively on Pantharrpilenhe on the low hill tops and slopes, on spinifex sandplains and adjacent to Mulga communities. Plants are often found in patches of 15 to 50, although larger colonies can be located.
On the trial sites plants averaged between 20 and 30 centimetres in height although a small percentage were recorded as height as 50cm. Fruit can be carried on the plant for long periods and it isn’t uncommon for a plant to be flowering, have young fruit, full size fruit and mature aged fruit that have dried on the plant. It’s partly because of this that the plant is so highly valued. The fruits are highly nutritious.
This plant is most responsive to good rains flowering shortly after and quite quickly producing fruits that develop and mature over 2 – 3 months. Fruiting may occur throughout the warmer parts of the year. Spring flowering plants can be harvested by mid December with fruit being collected right through until the winter months.
Fruit production varied considerably between plants with older plants often with no or little fruit. On average 8-10 fruit could be found per plant. Fruit ranged in size from 1cm to 1.7cm in diameter. On the natural stands surveyed fruiting has generally been extremely poor over the past twelve months due to unfavourable conditions.
Most of the solanums died off over the winter months due to their susceptibility to frosts. Temperatures officially dropped to below minus 6 degrees in the winter of 2002 although ground temperatures were closer to minus 12 - 15 degrees.
Lack of spring rains resulted in poor regeneration with little vigorous regrowth over Spring. Noticeable growth wasn’t recorded until December through to February following the summer rains, although, extreme summer temperatures without sustained moisture has resulted in limited fruit set. Small fruits to 1-1.25 cm were found in small numbers.
Solanum ellipticum (Awele-awele) commonly referred to as Native tomato, Potato bush and Wild Gooseberry can also be found growing reasonably extensively throughout the Pantharrpilenhe region. This variety of Solanum can be found in most habitats particularly on the lower foothills and lower hill slopes. The fruit of this variety is quite similar to Solanum centrale although the maturing fruit have quite distinctive purplish strips.

Links

CSIRO

PIRSA Fact Sheet (pdf)

SA Virtual Herbarium (map)

http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/cgi-bin/avh.cgi

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Syzygium spp

Lilly pilly/Riberry  

S. australi 

S. suborbicular

S. leuhmannii

Family

General notes:

An improved selection of seedless S. luehmanni is now available. Lack of seed is a distinct advantage as some seeds contain undesirable essential oils affecting taste and detract from whole fruit preparations. Some seedless varieties still retain the 'seed case' and thus aren't truely seedless. This makes post harvest and processing simpler but one shouldn't overlook the many and varied flavours of Syzygium to be found in other species, notably S. paniculatum (one of the few which is sweet eating from the tree). Lilly pillies are noted for their wonderfully sharp spice and clove flavour. The riberry (S. luehmanni) has small, pink berries with a cinnamon and clove character. At present there is a shortage which may last for some years to come and thus a good market, with good prices for top quality fruit. Access to freezer storage facilities for bulk harvested fruit is essential. Considering that each tree can produce up to 80 to 100kg of fruit once fully mature, the potential returns are very good.

Edible portion:

Fruit

Harvest period:

Varies with species and microclimate - Autumn - Summer

Yrs to maturity:

First fruit 2-5, maturity 6-8.

Form:

Small to medium tree. The Riberry or Small-leaved Lilly Pilly (Syzygium luehmannii) is a large forest tree to 30 m (although rarely more than 10 m in cultivation). Red to pink, pear-shaped fruits to 2 cm diameter.

Natural Distribution/Growing conditions:

Syzygium spp are found in almost all regions bar the arid interior and alpine and subalpine areas. S. luehmanni is found from the Macleay River in NSW to north Queensland while S. australe is found in coastal regions from Townsville to Newcastle.

Climatic/microclimatic conditions:

Syzygium are an adaptable species which favour tropical, sub tropical and temperate climates.

Management reference:

Soft fruit. Riberry is adaptable and moderately fast growing in moist, well drained situations. The species may also be somewhat salt tolerant, and bears fruit at an early age and in good quantities. The trees suffer few diseases and pests - the main pest being scale. The best fruit will be in full sun with most fruit on the sunny side of each tree. Individual trees should be pruned to maximise the area exposed to the sun and shading from neighbouring trees should be avoided. Pruning to control height is also essential to maintain the ease of harvesting and to reduce breakages from overburdened twigs carrying too much fruit in the early years. In plantation growing of fruit it is well worth planting the trees in the top of raised mounds which are covered with woven polypropylene weed matting for a width of 4 m

Traditional Aboriginal Use 

Fruits eaten

Density:

Spacing between rows can be 4-5 m and between trees, 3-4 m.. 275/ha

Yield at maturity:

10kg/tree

Harvesting:

Hand, semi mechanised - tree shaker. The fruits are also relatively easy to harvest given the right weather conditions: The actual harvesting must avoid damaging the soft fruit and keeping to a minimum lighter twigs and insects. A recommended system is to form gullies along the drip lines of the rows. An air blower can then blow the fruit along the gully, into piles, and then into an oversized dustpan, to be emptied into shallow bins. At all times contamination of fruit from human bacteria must be avoided by good personal hygiene. Clean hands, soles of shoes, and containers and all moving and storage of fruit must be carefully managed. A sudden heat wave just at harvesting time can create large losses and it is important that there is nearby regional storage, such as for seafood co-operatives.

Supplied as:

Fresh, frozen, dried. There is a possible market for the leaf.

Typical value adding:

Fresh and dried fruit, fruit pulp, syrup, tincture, soft drinks, preserves, jam, jelly, food colouring. Used for both sweet and savoury sauces and relishes to accompany meats, fish or cheese. Riberries can also be used in ice-creams, sorbets and other chilled desserts and glace well.

Current purchasing price:

[$10.00/kg]

Perceived demand:

High for selected species

From the RIRDC Report

Cultivation of Native Food Plants in Southeastern Australia

A report for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation 
by Maarten Ryder and Yvonne Latham 
January 2005 RIRDC Publication No 04/178 
RIRDC Project No CSL-11A “Cascade” hybrid was the hardiest of the three selections tested across sites and seasons. 
“Vic’s Choice” was the least hardy and ANPI selection was intermediate. However it is interesting that at Pt MacDonnell, “Vic’s Choice” performed particularly well. At sites with restricted water supply such as Stawell, “Vic’s Choice” did not survive and both of the other two selections declined dramatically and showed only poor to moderate vigour. This shows the dependence of riberry on more moist conditions, probably rating in between lemon myrtle and mountain pepper in its water requirements. Riberry is sensitive to frost but was protected to some extent by the plastic tree-guards at Jamestown. It is also sensitive to wind damage. Riberry appeared to be somewhat intolerant of alkaline soil conditions, though less so than lemon myrtle. 
The best of the sites for cultivation of riberry at this stage are Pt MacDonnell and Junee, with Kangaroo Is., Jamestown and Mt Gambier rated as reasonable. This could be improved if potential for frost (Jamestown) and wind (Kangaroo Is) damage can be overcome. The hardier selections also show some promise at Lyrup

Links

CSIRO

Production (CSIRO).(pdf)

Daleys

PlantNet

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