Australia has big hopes for little Chinese berry
Print Edition
Australian scientists are reportedly closer than ever to turning a traditional Chinese fruit into a new Australian favorite, with researchers at the University of Queensland preparing to cultivate the first commercial crops of the Chinese bayberry outside of Asia.
With the dedication that comes from obsession, Professor Daryl Joyce at The University of Queensland has developed new red bayberry varieties that are now thriving in the Queensland subtropics.
Native to eastern Asia, the Chinese bayberry is mainly found in China, where it is known as yangmei.
Joyce’s celebrated work has involved collaborations with government industry departments and has received support from Australia’s Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation.
Joyce said the small number of mature fruiting trees currently growing in South East Queensland started producing potentially commercial yields of fruit just three years after being transplanted.
“We were pleasantly surprised the trees grew so quickly and started fruiting after such a short juvenile period after transplanting,” Joyce said.
The fruit has been a favorite for centuries in China and is highly sought after because of the well-reported health benefits (and its sweet flavor) and to high levels of antioxidants. The Chinese bayberry has also been growing in China, Japan and Southeast Asia for 2,000 years and is of significant economic interest.
According to Joyce, the berry is unique.
“But it’s actually not like any other fruit because it’s a completely different species and genus to anything else in horticulture at the moment that we eat,” he said. “It’s got a seed inside it like a cherry seed, it’s got a flesh around it like a berry flesh and it’s about the size of a lychee.”
The bayberry, often called a “yumberry,” has seen dramatic production increases in China in the past decade with juice products exported to the US and elsewhere.
University of Queensland scientists have already spent 15 years developing the red bayberry in Australia. Industry backing recently enabled researchers to enlist the help of growers who are overseeing test orchards up and down the east coast of Australia.
Researcher Melinda Perkins said most of the trial plantings have been in the ground only for about two years.
“(They) are only just starting to produce fruit,” she said.
“We really need to find out what varieties perform best where, and get as many trees in the ground as soon as possible for an industry to take off in Australia.
“We’ve had plantings in Atherton in far north Queensland, New South Wales, and in Victoria, the Dandenong Ranges,” she added.
UniQuest, the university’s technology transfer company, has initiated a commercialization pathway for new red bayberry varieties, based on the excellent performance in Queensland field trials and positive results from consumer testing.
UniQuest Manager of Innovation and Commercial Development Cameron Turner said the strong results suggest that red bayberry may become a new high value horticulture fruit crop in Australia.
“Peak harvest occurs in early November in South East Queensland,“ Turner said.
“However, we expect to extend the supply period from early October into December, ideally to Christmas, through production in areas further to the north and south.”
Growers have provided scientists with feedback, and sent fruit samples for laboratory testing. Scientists then analyzed the fruit to determine under which conditions red bayberry trees produce the best yield.
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