- Visit DPIRD at Truffle Kerfuffle
- Time to check trees for citrus gall wasp
- Seeking out potential irrigation development in the Pilbara
- 2019 Bravo® apple harvest underway
- Citrus canker quarantine extended to 2020
Visit DPIRD at Truffle Kerfuffle
Find out whether pests think truffles are as much of a delicacy as we do at the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s (DPIRD) display at the annual Truffle Kerfuffle in Manjimup from 21-23 June.
DPIRD will again sponsor and be part of Western Australia’s Truffle education and information tent.
Participants can check out the displays of pests of truffles and their host trees, and monitoring traps at the DPIRD display.
They can also speak with pest experts, Stewart Learmonth and Alison Mathews, on their recent research into pests and diseases and discuss the various aspects of truffle production, market options and the future directions for the industry.
Truffles, or more specifically black truffles produced by Tuber melanosporum, are a growing industry in WA, with much of the production currently occurring around the Manjimup region.
Black truffles are a culinary delicacy in world demand and the Manjimup region in WA’s south west is well recognised for their quality production of this delicacy.
DPIRD has been working with the industry for several years on a range of projects, to assist the industry grow and prosper. These include:
- Pests and diseases of truffles and their host trees in Australia – a DPIRD-led national project to identify pests affecting truffles and their host plants and developing management strategies
- Value adding to truffle in Western Australia – a DPIRD grower group R&D fund grant to identify value added options for the industry to build market diversification
- WA truffle industry strategic plan development – a DPIRD supported project to assist the industry identify and prioritise the steps required to see continued growth and prosperity.
For more information, contact Alec McCarthy, or visit DPIRD’s website for articles on the truffle industry in WA, truffle production and pest management.