Onions event heads to Qld

The Onions Australia executive committee will meet on September 29, with the Bejo Reg Miller Awards dinner to be held that evening at the Diana Plaza Hotel.

The conference will be held the next day, Friday, September 30, with a bus leaving the Hotel at 6.45am for a tour of the Brisbane Markets.

The Rocklea market complex incorporates a number of precincts, including the Brisbane Produce Market, Brisbane Flower Market, Brisbane MarketPlace retail markets, and is spread over 77 hectares.

Up to 3500 people work or do business at the markets on a daily basis, while the retail markets attract more than 10,000 people each weekend.

Following a tour of the market, Onions Australia will host its annual general meeting and a regional levy payers’ meeting in the market’s meeting facilities.

Guest speakers for the event include key industry representatives and researchers investigating latest advancements for onions within Australia and internationally. There will also be industry updates from major sponsors Dobmac Machinery, AgNova Technologies, Terranova Seeds and Monsanto Seminis.

Those attending will be able to then visit the Gatton Department of Agriculture research facility for a tour of a new trial being undertaken by DuPont.

The trial is made up of small plots which are replicated and treated differently, to allow DuPont to gather data on the effectiveness of downy mildew control under different spray programs. 

In this trial, DuPont is investigating a five-spray program over five to seven weeks which compares different timings of Zorvec Enicade fungicide in combination with existing commercial products. 

It is aimed at showing the advantages of including Zorvec Enicade early in an onion downy mildew control program compared to a standard commercial type program. The trial is at Gatton in Qld, and is on a red variety of onions called Rio Red Rocks. 

To register, contact Onions Australia CEO Lechelle Earl via e-mail at lechelle@onionsaustralia.org.au, or call 0458 111 126.