Following extensive consultation in Australia and investigation of European certification systems APFIP is introducing its own Certification system for fruit tree propagating material, which will operate under this certification trademark.

® Registered certification trademark of APFIP

The benefits of certified propagating material were clearly described in a research project that was completed in Australia in 1988 (Comparative Performance of Three Apple Clones Derived from a Virus-Tested Scheme, with Clones Infected with Latent Viruses and a Mycoplasma. L.J Penrose, K.C Davis & B.J Valentine). This trial "compared the performance of three apple cultivars (Jonathon, Richared Delicious & Granny Smith) propagated from using budwood and rootstocks from a virus-tested scheme with trees propagated from sources known to be latently infected with viruses and a mycoplasma". "Over a 3-season period VT Jonathon trees out yielded infected trees by 56%, VT Richared Delicious out yielded them by 40%, and VT Granny Smith by 41%". The VT trees were slightly larger than the infected trees. "Because of the structure of the trial, it was not possible to apportion the differences noted between those due to virus/mycoplasma diseases, and those due to clonal variations. However, it is clear that the use of selected scions and rootstocks from the VT scheme provided a significant increase in fruit yield, with only a small increase in overall tree size, and therefore such a scheme can be of considerable advantage to industry".

Certification systems have been operating in Europe and North America for the past 30 years. They were adopted because research in this area showed that there were significant improvements to orchard yields if trees were certified. The certification systems that were setup to assure the virus status of planting material are widely supported. European research in the 70’s and 80’s confirmed that yield benefits where evident in all varieties that were certified.

There are three components to the certifications system that will ensure benefits to growers they are virus status, trueness to type and minimum nursery tree standards as described in recital C of the certification rules.

Click here for a full copy of the certification rules.

APFIP aims to license the use of the certification trademark to producers of nursery tree and rootstocks. This process is described in the certification rules.

To establish the system APFIP introduced a range of industry standard varieties and rootstocks into heat treatment in the winter of 1998 to re establish them in a known state and free from the viruses of economic significance (Apple Stem Grooving Virus ASG, Apple Stem Pitting Virus ASPV, Apple Mosiac Virus AmV and Apple Chlorotic Leaf spot Virus ACLSV). Crop Health Services at Knoxfield were contracted to complete this task and they used the services of the AQIS plant quarantine station at Knoxfield to undertake the heat-treatment in the first instance but have now developed the capability. The first rootstocks and varieties have been assed for trueness to type and virus status and are now being multiplied. They will become the first propagation material to carry the certification trademark.

It is possible to have the virus indexing to meet the certification requirements completed whilst new introductions are in the PEQ system. This will result in new introductions meeting the virus status requirements upon release. Importers need to manage the new material once released in accordance with the certification system to ensure that they are not infected by uncertified material.

Varieties and rootstocks to be entered into the certification system need to be assessed for trueness to type. This is conducted by APFIP once the candidate trees are fruiting as described in the certification rules.

Minimum nursery trees standards are also a requirement of certification. To assist nursery tree producers in meeting the standards APFIP coordinates a nursery tree group. This group is supplied with information about nursery techniques, if you would like to be a part of this group please contact the General Manager. Contact details can found on the contact page.

The trademark will be displayed on the nursery tree tag with one tag for each tree. In the case of rootstocks there will be one tag for every bundle of 50 stocks. APFIP will collect a trademark fee for each tag used.

APFIP aims to license the use of the certification trademark to producers of nursery tree and rootstocks. This process is described in the certification rules.