Program Overview

Strategies and Expectations

Develop management strategies that address known on-farm risks that reduce profitability/improve sustainability: focus on effective pest, disease, nutrition, canopy and irrigation management, to allow environmentally efficient production
Increase consumer awareness, education and demand for Australian grown wildflower products through education
Identify and define barriers to market entry or product development and seek ways to overcome them
Implement a breeding project aimed at producing a flower for festive occasions when red flowers are not readily available
Support the development of new products which have the most likely chance of commercial success
Improve the release of new products to industry by addressing IP issues and promoting availability via commercial plant propagators
Ensure that training programs (e.g. TAFE) for industry stakeholders, such as florists, have access to the most recent R&D outputs, and are able to utilise them
Create opportunities for industry organisations and individuals to develop and be involved in specific R&D projects relevant to their regions/products and to embrace national collaboration where possible.

New eucalypt varieties released with associated cultural information to support each variety, both as a cut flower crop (production and postharvest information to growers) and as a home-garden variety (general cultural notes)
Rootstocks identified for cutflower production of Christmas flowering Verticordia
Superior genotypes of Regelia species selected for Christmas cutflower production
Basic information on wildflowers industry products and their care/use widely distributed to educate florists and consumers and made available on flower industry and floristry websites
A reference manual compiled, designed and piloted to serve as a training, sales and purchasing tool for the floral industry, giving detailed information on Australian grown wildflowers and foliages as well as how they can be integrated with traditional flowers

New Eucalyptus varieties suited for floriculture and home gardens available to the floriculture nursery sector
Optimal rootstocks and genetic selections available for the cutflower Christmas market
Florists, Australia-wide have access to the knowledge and understanding of what wildflower and foliage products are available, and how to use them in floral design
Vital information on consistent supply and quality communicated to the supply chain, improving supply/demand and quality of product used domestically