Request for Proposal: AV23017 Pest and disease management program for the Australian avocado industry

Horticulture Innovation Australia (Hort Innovation) is a not-for-profit, grower-owned Research and Development Corporation (RDC) for Australia’s $16.3 billion horticulture industry. Hort Innovation invests around $120 million in research and development (R&D) and marketing programs annually to provide benefit to industry and the wider community.

Hort Innovation is seeking a suitably qualified, experienced and capable delivery partner for the project: Pest and disease management program for the Australian avocado industry (AV23017). The program includes two key themes as below:

Theme 1: Best practice chemical use and resistance management (2 years project).

This theme involves, but is not limited to, the following key activities:

• Building an understanding of current and future regulations and how these may impact industry access to important agrichemicals.

• Scanning of markets (national and international) for new chemistries and alternatives for those likely to be withdrawn.

• Scanning international markets and building relationships to improve industry access to non-chemical post-harvest treatment options.

• Scanning international markets looking for other post-harvest treatments for fruit rots.

Theme 2: Identification and control of less understood pests and diseases (3 years project).

This theme involves, but is not limited to, the following key activities:

• Understanding of the causal agent, impact, and management options of what used to be less-common pests and diseases such as thrips and mirids, anthracnose as well as panicle and branch dieback.

• Developing monitoring tools and thresholds for management of the above pests and diseases. A “social threshold” (i.e., consensus among key agronomists and growers in a region) might be sufficient to derive innovation in pest and disease control and reduce reliance on broad-spectrum agrochemicals.

• A better understanding of canopy management and timing of pruning and its impact on pressure for the above key pests and diseases – linked with REC-0002410.

• A better understanding of the relationship between weather conditions and anthracnose development with a particular focus on spore release and spore load.

• Developing in-field methods for early detection and risk determination of anthracnose.

• Developing materials highlighting the significance of whole-orchard preventative hygiene to reduce pest and disease pressure.

Hort Innovation has prepared a Request for Proposal (RFP) document that provides background information, outlines the scope of services, the procurement process and the information required from interested parties.