Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation

The New Rural Industries
A handbook for Farmers and Investors

Persimmon

Introduction

The non-astringent persimmon (Diospyros kaki) has emerged on the Australian horticultural scene in only the last 20 years, but it has a 2000 year recorded history in the Orient, and has always been among the most popular fruits in countries such as Japan and China. In fact, the persimmon is well known in virtually every Asian country.

As Asian food markets have developed over the last decade, opportunities have arisen for southern hemisphere producers to supply high quality perishable products outside the normal northern hemisphere season. This is both an opportunity and a challenge for Australian producers of non-astringent persimmons.

Australia is well placed to grow the crop because of its high quality natural resources, efficient production systems and relative closeness to Asian markets.

Both total production and total exports of persimmons have steadily increased during the 1990s, as Table 1 (not available in this html version) illustrates.

The Australian industry is currently spread thinly over all five mainland States. There is no single centre of production, though there is a marketing group, the Australian Persimmon Export Company, which has taken a central marketing role. The major competitor on export markets is New Zealand.

Growing persimmon trees is relatively easy because they are so adaptable to different soils and climate, but growing persimmon fruit for export has been rated by professional growers as very difficult.

Marketing issues

There are both domestic and export markets for non-astringent persimmons. The domestic market is small and sensitive to oversupply. Here, prices can fall to a few dollars for a single layer tray (4 kg), although prices over the 1994 to 1997 seasons have averaged around $7-10/tray at the farm gate. Export prices can be as high as $20/tray, but they average no more than a few dollars above the domestic price for fruit of comparable quality. The economics of growing persimmons is most strongly determined by what percentage of production meets export standards.

The major export market is Singapore, which takes around 70% of total Australian exports. Most other Asian countries, the Middle East and Pacific islands represent small markets with varying potential for development. Quarantine barriers prevent Australian access to markets such as Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. All exports are currently air-freighted because sea freight has resulted in unreliable outturns. Modified atmosphere technology for extending storage life is expected to be available soon.

The Australian marketing season extends from late February to early June. From late April onwards, competition from New Zealand, which has an industry five times bigger than Australia's, can be expected.

The centrepiece of Australian persimmon exporting is the Australian Persimmon Export Company (APEC), owned and controlled by about 40 growers from five States. APEC handles well over half of Australia's total persimmon exports, and about two-thirds of the Australia's exports to Singapore. APEC has developed its own quality management program, and two dedicated brands—Sweet Gold and Golden Star.

Production requirements

The persimmon can grow in a wide range of climates and soils, as the accompanying map indicates. The ideal climate should provide: at least 100 hours of chilling below 7°C; more than 1400 hours of sunshine during the growing season; an autumn mean daily temperature of 22.5°C, but at least above 16°C; a fruit development period of 27 weeks free of frost; and a low risk of temperatures above 35°C in the two months before harvest. The tree grows best in sandy loams of at least 1 m depth, and requires irrigation. Irrigation water should have a conductivity less than 1300 mS/cm.

Varieties

The world benchmark variety is `Fuyu', typically comprising
70-90% of non-astringent persimmon plantings in all countries. `Fuyu' is harvested mid-season. The most popular early varieties are `Izu' (one month before `Fuyu') and `Jiro' (two weeks before `Fuyu'), and `Suruga' (two weeks after `Fuyu') is the most popular late season variety. Each of these other varieties has characteristics which various markets discriminate against. `Izu' has poor storage life, `Jiro' has a flattened shape and `Suruga' has skin folds around the calyx. Polliniser varieties, mainly `Dai Dai Maru' or `Gailey', are recommended, for planting at a ratio of 1:8 to 1:10.

A number of patented varieties bred in Japan are to be released commercially in the next year. None has been evaluated in Australia as yet. Most nurseries grow to order, so if any particular type of non-astringent persimmon is required it needs to be ordered one or two years in advance.

Agronomy

Modern orchards are typically planted at 500-1,200 plants/ha. Free-standing systems are being replaced by trellised systems, particularly the palmette. Trellised orchards come into production earlier (about three years from planting to first harvest), produce a higher percentage of export quality fruit, and are easier to manage. Young grafted trees require protection from winds and predators such as rabbits during the first two years. Irrigation is usually provided through under-tree sprinklers or microjets with outputs from 40 to 150 L/hour/tree. Use of tensiometers to monitor soil moisture is recommended. Weed control during establishment is essential.

Specialist orchard equipment includes a slasher, weedicide sprayer, airblast sprayer, pruning equipment, picking bags/bins, and packing and grading equipment.

Orchard management starts with winter pruning (August), then fruit thinning to 10-12 fruitlets/m² of canopy surface area soon after fruit set (November). Irrigation is necessary throughout fruit development and fertiliser is applied carefully, as too much can cause fruit drop. Harvesting occurs about 27 weeks after flowering.

Pests and diseases

Persimmons are relatively free from pests and diseases, but some can be serious. Fruit fly is the main insect pest and it must be controlled. Other insect pests include thrips, fruit piercing moths, and stem girdlers, each significant in particular locations. The main disease is Cercospora, or angular leaf spot, which can reduce productivity through premature defoliation. A major problem for growers is that few chemicals are registered for use on persimmons.

Vertebrate pests include birds and fruit-eating bats. In many locations these are a major limitation to production, and the only successful control is to erect permanent netting over whole orchards. Netting also protects against hail.

Harvesting, grading and packing

Individual fruit are clipped from the tree, gently placed into bins and carefully transported to the packhouse. There, they are polished by soft roller brushes or manually with a cloth. Grading takes size, shape, firmness, degree of blemish and colour into account. Fruit are packed by hand into single layer trays, each containing about 3.5 kg of fruit. Small fruit are packed 25 or 28 to a tray, medium 20 or 23, and large 12 to 18. Trays are stacked onto pallets for transport to markets. Coldrooms are sometimes used for short-term storage, but storage at temperatures below 12°C (especially 5 to 10°C) for more than two weeks causes chilling injury to fruit, making them unsaleable.

A typical export market specification for `Fuyu' persimmon is: size 200-250 g; colour minimum stage 4 on standard Japanese colour chart; minimum 14° Brix; no evidence of softening; virtually free of blemish; true to shape for the variety.

Economics

Establishment costs for a 1 ha block of 1000 trees (4 m ¥ 2.5 m) on palmette trellis are: land preparation $1000; tree purchase @ $10 = $10,000; irrigation system (connection to an existing supply) @ $5/tree = $5000; trellis $10,000; hail netting (can delay to year 3) $25,000; planting @ $3/tree = $3000. Total cost $54,000/ha.

Summary gross margin for the above block of trees at full production:

Gross income: 4000 trays marketed per hectare at average $8/tray = $32,000/ha.

Variable costs: growing costs $9000; harvesting and packing costs $8000; selling costs $5000. Total variable costs (excludes owner's labour) = $22,000/ha.

Gross margin = $32,000 - $22,000 = $10,000/ha.

Key contacts

Key References

Collins, R.J. (ed.) 1990, Charting the Future. Proceedings of the First National Non-astringent Persimmon Industry Workshop. Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, The University of Queensland Gatton College.

Collins, R.J. 1996, Developing the non-astringent persimmon industry in Australia: retrospect, prospect and lessons learned. In: Proceedings of the First Australian New Crops Conference, University of Queensland Gatton, 8-11 July, ed. B. Imrie (in press).

George, A.P. and Nissen, R.J. 1985, The persimmon as a subtropical crop, Queensland Agricultural Journal, vol. 111, no. 3, pp. 133-40.

Kitagawa, H. and Glucina, P.G. 1984, Persimmon Culture in New Zealand, Science Information Publishing Centre, DSIR, Wellington, New Zealand.

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