FOR leading Australian citrus grower and exporter Darren Minter of Iraak’s Minter Magic, several months of complete pest control ensures his export pack-out consistently meets China’s strict first-grade protocol.
The fourth-generation producer, from south of Mildura, has grown citrus since the 1970s and almonds since 1985, continuing the legacy of Minter family farming in the district since 1912.
Minter Magic produces 7000-9000 bins of citrus between April and October for export to Asia, Europe, the US and Canada, as well as the domestic market via packer Mildura Fruit Company.
Mr Minter has used from systemic insecticide Samurai in rotation for more than 10 years to fight the major quarantine pests threatening all Australian citrus lines, Fuller’s rose weevil and California red scale.
FRW, found in all growing regions of Australia, has the potential to impact exports into the lucrative Chinese, Taiwanese and Korean markets if eggs are found present on fruit.
California red scale is the most common and damaging scale affecting citrus in Australia.
Damage can result in downgrades in fruit quality or rejection and infestations can weaken trees and can cause a drop in yield.
While Minter Magic exports both citrus and almonds, it uses Sumitomo’s Samurai only in its orange and mandarin operations.
It has more than 280 hectares under production, including 120ha of citrus, 160ha of almonds and 13ha of asparagus.
“We apply the insecticide about November or December straight after flowering and that gives us two or three months of complete control,” Mr Minter said.
“It takes out the adult weevils (which chew leaves, buds, and young shoots) and the eggs.
“It also solves the main weevil beautifully and keep all insects and bugs including leaf miner and gall wasp out of the crop.
“The difference between first grade and second grade fruit is significant. Second grade is not really profitable, so it’s not a risk we can take.”
Mr Minter said Samurai had also been alternated with another product during the past decade to avoid pest immunity and build-up in the soil and to reduce farming costs.
“We used it exclusively up till about eight years ago and dropped back because of the price,” he said.
“It’s a premium product with premium results but tough to keep up when you have a bad season.
“There was one year I didn’t use it, and we had a scale outbreak to contend with.”
He said the systemic insecticide was also an effective defence against Carpophilus beetle and carob moth in almonds, however, Minter Magic historically hasn’t had a problem with these pests.
“We don’t use it in the almonds right not because we don’t need it,” he said.
“Until last year, we’ve never had the Carpophilus beetle here. If it reappears this year, we’ll be ready to use it.”
For best results, Mr Minter said Samurai was applied via drippers or micro sprinklers to a limited area under the tree drip line two weeks after flowering for Fuller’s rose weevil and in conjunction with other chemical or biological control measures for California red scale which may require a second treatment four months later.
