WELCOME AND SEASON REPORT

Well Growers, as you know, now is the time to start thinking about your seed.

The process of securing quality seed is to talk to your field officer to find out your contract size and varieties.  The next step is seed selection. Some of the criteria you should look at are:

  1. Seed Size (generally smaller seed produces better sets to plant)
  2. Breakdown or likelihood of rots
  3. Defects: i.e. scab, nematode, insect damage
  4. Harvest Damage (damage increases likelihood of rot)
  5. Harvest Date. It should not be dug out of wet paddocks as this increases chances of rot.
  6. Seed Grading (seed that need to be graded to pass certification would indicate the presence of issues. Grading does not always rectify these problems.)
  7. Seed Price (growers can pay more for seed that passes the above criteria and be financially better off.)

Cherry Hill has looked at multiple seed paddocks and varieties over the state and would be happy to assist with these decisions.

Cherry Hill can also facilitate grower to grower transactions on your behalf.

We look forward to hearing from you and wish growers the best for the remainder of the growing season.

The Team at Cherry Hill


CHERRY HILL SEED TOUR

13th February was the day of the annual Cherry Hill seed tour for 2013.

22 growers and 6 Field Officers was a great roll up. It was fantastic to see growers getting involved with their seed selection for next year.

We assembled at Cherry Hill at 7am for a brief meet and greet. We then travelled to Lileah (south of Forest) to Alec and James Littlejohn’s farm. We had a very informative couple of hours with them, and their Agronomist Jason Lynch, talking about soil DNA testing and bio-fumigating the ground pre-planting.

The Littlejohn’s Ranger and Russet Burbank Seed is very uniform in size and shape and is disease free. Good Luck growing the crop out. We all left Lileah munching on a punnet each of Alec’s blueberries. Thank you very much.

From Lileah we travelled back to Wivenhoe for a quick lunch and then up to South Natone looking at Glenn Carr’s Bondi and Ranger seed. It was interesting that Glenn’s Agronomist, Bruce Dixon from Landmark, also used soil DNA tests but commented that there needs to be more work done on the interpretation of these results

Glenn’s potato seed, at this stage, is very clean and would have to rate favourably.

Tim Hine at Riana was our next port of call. It was the first time that many of us had met Tim. It was obvious that Tim was passionate about his seed growing. Tim has four varieties of seed planted over multiple sites and was also undertaking his own trial work to try and improve numbers under the Bondi and Topcat. Hopefully Tim will be able to show reward for his ongoing effort.

When we drove into the first paddock at Tim’s there was some confusion as to the variety that we were looking at. One very brave Field Officer wagered his third leg on the variety being JR2, against the advice of the Seed Field Officer. When Tim arrived, all doubt was put to rest and Wayne Meagher kept his appendage.

The day was concluded with a beverage and chat at Cherry Hill.

Our thanks go to Seed Growers and their Agronomist’s for allowing us into their crops. Les Murdoch and Peter Hardman – we appreciate your attendance and input into the day.


DNA TESTING

During Cherry Hill’s annual Seed Tour this February several Agronomist’s made mention of the use of DNA Testing of soil.

Bruce Dixon from Landmark, Glenn Carr’s Agronomist, commented that “there needs to be more work done on the interpretation of results”. DNA Testing is a relatively new scientific test for potato ground, and their is no doubt that the more tests that SARDI do the better the understanding of these results.

One point made on Cherry Hill’s Seed Tour was that DNA Testing of rented ground would give growers accurate history of potato use, disease pressure in unknown ground, and that DNA tests are only as good as the samples taken.


CHERRY HILL COOLSTORES SEED GUARANTEE

Our Seed Management Service. Cherry Hill Coolstores will guarantee our services on Seed Growers seed. If you buy someone else’s certified seed, which is presented to Cherry Hill in good condition, and it breaks down, we will replace our cutting and services at no charge.

This guarantee specifically refers to seed piece breakdown, (i.e. rots) and refers to seed which is delivered directly to Cherry Hill from the Seed Paddock for coolstoring and cutting.

In order for this guarantee to be valid, the buyer must make claims with 24 hours of the seed leaving Cherry Hill and before planting.

Make sure your seed is delivered in to us as soon as possible after digging so fungicide can be applied.

View more about our guarantee here…


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WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU

P: (03) 6426 1590
F: (03) 6426 2464
E: admin@cherryhill.net.au
Visit our website www.cherryhillcoolstores.net.au