Chronica Horticulturae volume 49 number 2 ... - Acta Horticulturae

Section Ornamental Plants
Ninth Int’l Protea Research Symposium
Participants of the Symposium.
The International Protea industry met in
Stellenbosch, South Africa, in September 2008
for the 13th International Protea Association
Conference held in conjunction with the 9th
International Protea Working Group
Symposium. Delegates from 18 countries and 6
continents came to the meeting, which was a
tremendous success with open interaction and
exchange of ideas between researcher scientists,
growers, marketers and other allied industry
businesses. The Cape Floral Kingdom is the
home to many Proteaceae genera grown commercially,
and the conference presented the
opportunity to see products grown commercially
as well as in their natural surroundings.
A pre-conference tour took delegates through
the Western Cape region, visiting farms in a
variety of climatic and geographic locations.
Proteas are woody perennials grown in open
fields, and the industry’s commitment to adopting
best management practices was evident in
the quality of the plantations that the group visited.
Well designed irrigation and fertigation
systems supported vigorous plant growth, and
vigilant plantation management contributed to
neat, weed-free rows.
During the 4-day conference 31 presentations
and 8 posters were delivered. Each session was
opened with a keynote address outlining recent
trends. In many countries water is becoming a
scarce natural resource and papers delivered on
improving irrigation were well received.
Research has identified that protea have important
physiological stages during which irrigation
must not be limiting. High freight costs
have generated interest in sea freight of flowers
to markets. Research reports delivered in post
harvest techniques indicate that this method of
transport is viable when flowers are treated correctly
to ensure water and carbohydrate status
is maintained, and disease is prevented. Protea
production is expanding into many new areas
around the world. Understanding the flowering
physiology and growth habit in response to
environment is important to the success of this
expansion.
In addition to the scientific reports, industry
updates were delivered for the key production
areas. Broad estimates are that there are over
5000 ha of protea production around the
world, giving the industry a value of almost US$
200 million annually. There was much debate as
to whether South Africa or Australia has the
largest industry, with both countries having
native flora offering commercially valuable
Proteaceae genera. In both countries some
products are harvested from natural stands,
making the collection of precise data difficult.
The area under production in South Africa is in
excess of 1000 ha. The current trend is for
fewer growers with larger individual farms, to
take advantage of economies of scale. The vast
majority of product from South Africa is exported
to Europe, although recent advances have
been made into markets in the USA and the
East. Estimates from Australia are that 500
growers generate AUD 50-100 million in export
and domestic sales. Constantly rising freight
costs are a concern to the Australian industry,
however, the ability to regularly provide new
products from their vast natural genetic
resource promises a strong industry future. In
Hawaii, 27 producers generate US$ 2.1 million
in sales. Recent volcanic activity has initiated
crucial research into the effects of sulphur dioxide
on plant performance and product quality.
The other major USA production area is in
California, with 75% of the 1200 ha of production
in San Diego County. A key issue in
California is water use efficiency. In Southern
On a visit to a packshed delegates saw
King Proteas harvested and ready for
packing.
CHRONICA HORTICULTURAE •VOL 49 • NUMBER 2 • 2009 • 35