About Auscitrus
Auscitrus is the trading name of the Australian Citrus Propagation Association Incorporated (ACP), a national "not for profit" industry organisation comprising citrus growers and nurserymen from each State. Auscitrus is responsible for supply of citrus budwood and seed in Australia, and operates under a Deed of Licence with NSW Department of Primary Industries at research institutes at Dareton, Camden and Gosford.
Close links are maintained with state based seed supply schemes in Queensland and South Australia.
Auscitrus Responsibilities
- Budwood and rootstock seed production and distribution
- Pathogen indexing and elimination
- Maintenance of virus free and pre-immunised foundation trees in insect proof screenhouses
- Importation of new citrus cultivars
- Horticultural screening of new varieties.
AUSCITRUS MISSION STATEMENT:
The primary role of Auscitrus is to provide propagation material of the highest health status, of the best varieties available worldwide, to protect the health status of the Australian Citrus Industry.
Auscitrus will ensure adequate supplies of healthy, true to type, and independently evaluated propagation material are produced in a scientifically sound, efficient, and economically sustainable manner.
This will ensure nurseries have access to the best available propagation material, and in turn will provide the citrus industry with a greater opportunity of establishing healthy orchards.
Auscitrus Strategic Plan, 2005-2010
If You Are A Cultivar Owner, Auscitrus Will Undertake To:
- Maintain and multiply your cultivar
- Respect and honour your intellectual property rights
- Supply material only to those nurseries stipulated by you, as the owner or commercialiser
Why Use The Auscitrus Propagation Scheme?
High health status budwood and seed
Budwood source trees are subjected to regular testing to ensure freedom from exocortis, psorosis and other graft transmissible pathogens. Grapefruit varieties are pre-immunised with a mild strain of tristeza to protect against stem pitting. Strict hygiene procedures are adhered to in tree management, cutting of budwood and extraction of seed.
Extensive range of new varieties
The Auscitrus budwood scheme supplies an extensive range of high health status, true to type budwood and rootstock seed, including new local and imported varieties.
Horticulturally proven varieties
Most scion and rootstock varieties in the Auscitrus scheme have been included after careful selection and independent horticultural evaluation in research trials. All newly imported scion varieties undergo rapid evaluation by topworking in a range of climatic zones across Australia. Local evaluation provides crucial information to compliment overseas horticultural evaluation.
True to type budwood and seed
Budwood blocks are checked for trueness to type each year and any off-type limbs are removed immediately. Varieties that display a tendency to spontaneous mutations are removed from the scheme.
'Insurance Policy' for new plantings
Use of Auscitrus propagation material should be viewed as a valuable insurance policy for establishing new citrus plantings. Viruses and viroids such as exocortis reduce vigour and yield and this highlights the need to buy trees propagated from true-to-type, and virus-tested budwood and seed. Orchard productivity, tree uniformity and health have all improved since nurserymen have been using budwood and seed from the Australian Citrus Propagation Scheme.
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