The Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute covers 105 hectares with 55 hectares suitable for research trials. Karri loam soils on the property are representative of the high-quality soils unique to the Manjimup and Southern Forests region, which grow a broad range of perennial and annual fruit. Market development and export certification form a large component of the Institute’s activities. The Research and Development team has the capacity and expertise to deliver technical horticultural research services across the south-west agricultural region.
Research
Research and Development at the Institute is focussed on the genetics and agronomy of a range of temperate fruits, annual vegetables and specialist crops including – avocadoes, apples, grapes (wine and table), pome and stone fruit, blueberries, truffles, hemp and quinoa. The Institute hosts cereal disease evaluation trials as part of the breeding of varieties better suited to Western Australian (WA) growing conditions. The evaluation trials enable oat, barley and wheat breeding lines to be screened for disease resistance under the wet conditions of Manjimup and away from the main WA grain growing regions. The Institute also bulks up seed stocks of cereal, pasture and legume breeding material using irrigated plots in summer. Evaluation of annual and perennial pasture varieties is undertaken in conjunction with pasture seed companies.
Facilities
- Controlled climate hothouse
- Shade houses
- Drying shed (with experimental green tea processing facility)
- Processing facilities
- Cool storage rooms
- Controlled atmosphere fruit storage evaluation units
- Ozone fruit storage units
- Chemical and machinery sheds
- Drying ovens, wet and dry laboratories
- Comprehensive array of tractors and implements suited to agricultural and horticultural research
- Mechanical workshop
- Grain storage silos
- Reticulated irrigation (permanent and semi-permanent capacity)
- Four gully irrigation dams licenced to take 215ML of water per year (water quality 55–130ds/m)
- Netted (bird) structures (4ha) for breeding and evaluation of perennial horticultural crops
- Conference and meeting rooms with video conferencing capability.
- House on-site available to visiting staff, contractors and collaborating R&D personnel.
Co-locators
Pomewest: an apple and pear sub-committee of the Agricultural Produce Commission's pome, citrus and stone fruit committee.
Contact
For more information on the facilities and research and development opportunities available at the Manjimup Horticultural Research Institute
P: +61 1300 374 731 (1300 DPIRD1) or +61 (0)8 9777 0000
E: enquiries@dpird.wa.gov.au