Centre for Horticultural Science

In this editorial on Fusarium Wilt of banana, QAAFI’s Professor André Drenth and a team of international researchers give an overview of a Research Topic they organised which will be published as an e-book on this devastating fungal disease which presents a recurring threat to global banana production.

Discover how UQ researchers are contributing to some of the biggest challenges the world faces – the health of our communities, and environments; the quality and quantity of food available; abundant clean energy; and sustainable economies.

There is always a chance for a grower to move into something entirely unexpected, and that’s what coming out of a five-year cross-industry project providing research into more appealing varieties of sweet corn, strawberries and macadamias.

This research project developed an industry research framework to evaluate the potential to expand horticultural industries in Northern Australia. This final report explores three major research themes – supply intelligence, market intelligence and supply chain intelligence – as key priorities for action. 

University of Queensland PhD student Chris O’Brien has developed the first critical steps to create a cryopreservation protocol for avocado which had never been achieved until now, despite more than 40 years of research.

There are several diseases and other physiological disorders of avocado fruit impacting the quality of product and eating experience for the consumer. Trees and fruit are pushed to their limits in terms of yields, productivity, biotic stress (diseases and insect pressure) and abiotic stress (floods, drought, low soil fertility etc).

The devastating Banana Bunchy Top Virus nearly wiped out Queensland’s banana industry over 100 years ago. But an international team of researchers, aided by funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and led by The University of Queensland’s Associate Professor John Thomas, have developed promising strategies to protect this key food source for communities in sub-Saharan Africa and prevent further spread of the disease.