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A world-first study using DNA samples from hydroponics is being undertaken through a collaboration between University of New England (UNE) and Costa, as part of the Future Food Systems Co-operative Research Centre (CRC).

The CRC’s ‘Tomato rhizobiome’ project’ is designed to further the understanding of microbial colonies in the root zones of hydroponically grown greenhouse tomato crops.

A stronger rhizobiome helps plants grow better, produce more fruit and show greater resilience to pathogens. Once the project team has a better understanding about the rhizobiome of tomatoes grown in hydroponic media, they’ll use that knowledge to find ways to foster robust rhizobiomes in these plants.

All this will be of immense value to growers of hydroponic crops globally.  Hydroponics play a key role in sustainable food production, as they require less space and fewer resources than traditional agriculture.

Project lead Dr Gal Winter and industry-embedded PhD student Phil Thomas, from UNE, have set up trial plots of hydroponic tomatoes in close collaboration with the Costa Tomato glasshouses at Guyra.

“Hydroponic media are very different from the soil environment,” Dr Winter explains.

“Crops grown in soil get all the nutrients from the soil, and it is very, very rich in microorganisms. It’s challenging to study what’s in the root zone of hydroponic plants, because there isn’t a lot.

“The challenge is, how do we get a population of microorganisms [in that hydroponically grown plant’s root zone] to support the plant?”

The team has set up an experimental glasshouse at UNE to experiment with different probiotic treatments for the plants. Later, this will be used to test for different pathogens – by introducing pathogens into the root zones of our trial hydroponically grown tomatoes to see if the probiotic-treated plants handle them differently.

“Secondly, we have set up trial plants in a ‘sample slab’ at the Costa Group glasshouse facility in Guyra that emulates Costa’s standard hydroponic system at the facility; with these, obviously we don’t create any interference – we just see what is there,” Dr Winter said.

“To the best of my knowledge, this is the first-ever study that uses DNA metagenomics on hydroponic materials.”

Paul Butterworth, Technical Development Manager for the Costa glasshouses, says the initial findings are very promising.

“We believe the project is progressing nicely and the information already coming from the project is having an influence on how we look at our crops. Exciting times ahead,” he said.

Some of the promising initial results include the creation and demonstration of an effective sampling method to test the probiotics within the rootzone of hydroponic tomatoes; and the demonstration of probiotics persisting in the rootzone of hydroponic systems for a period of time – currently tested at 19 days from inoculation.

University of New England’s Dr Winter said samples of the root zones of the trial plants were taken by drilling ‘core holes’ into the slab.

“From these samples, we can ascertain the microbial community through DNA analysis. But rather than employing ‘classic microbiological methods’ – creating cultures, putting them on plates, then examining these under a microscope – we’re using a cutting-edge technique known as metagenomics. It is the most advanced technique available today,” she said.

“It basically takes the DNA and, through DNA sequencing, identifies a genome of everything that’s there – all the microbes. We use a piece of equipment known as a MinIon to do this advanced DNA sampling. The device is so small it could fit in the palm of your hand – it’s amazing.

“The overarching aim, once we understand what’s in the hydroponic plant’s rhizobiome, is to work out how best to manipulate that for better plant health.

“Ultimately, that allows us to develop tools for hydroponic growers that enable them to analyse and understand their plants’ microbiomes on the go – and then say, ‘now I need to apply this or that treatment’ to strengthen their microbiomes.

“And our study is one of the first to do this sort of analysis.”

About the Future Food Systems CRC

The Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) is a national initiative funded as part of the Australian Government’s CRC Program and commenced in December 2019. Its goal is to broker industry-led collaborations between business, researchers and the community that improve the competitiveness, productivity and sustainability of Australia’s agrifood sector, especially in areas of competitive strength. CRC industry partners include large and small firms across farming, food manufacturing and technology services that share a vision for increasing Australia’s ability to value-add agrifood production and build scale in growth markets for trusted, healthy food and advanced precision-nutrition goods. For more information about the Future Food Systems CRC, its participants and its research, visit the CRC’s website www.futurefoodsystems.com.au

About Costa Group

Costa is Australia’s leading grower, packer and marketer of premium quality fresh fruit and vegetables. Across Australia, Costa has 5000 planted hectares of farmland, 30 hectares of glasshouse facilities and three mushroom growing facilities.  It also has strategic foreign interests with majority owned joint ventures covering six blueberry farms in Morocco and four berry farms in China.

Media enquiries:
Merran White, Communications Manager, Future Food Systems Cooperative Research Centre, 03 8395 6038 or 0411 728 984

Brigid Veale, Costa Group Public Relations and Communications Manager, 0427 697 164.

After making the decision to stay in Australia rather than return to their home in Chile, Cristobal Barriga and Valentina Vargas Guzman have found picking fruit is the perfect way to see the country.

The couple, who has been in Australia since February last year, started working with Costa Berries in Corindi, on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales in August last year before heading south and then north.  With Costa operating farms all around the country, it’s been an easy process to join the harvest trail.

“We started in Corindi in August last year, then we went to Tasmania and then we came up here to the Atherton Tablelands, in Far North Queensland,” Cristobal said.

“This allows you to go around Australia and save money.  Picking fruit is good for travelling, it’s more than enough money.”

Valentina said you meet a lot of people working on the farms and a lot of different cultures.

“You can talk with people and hear a lot of interesting stories while you are picking. That’s my favourite thing,” she said.

“It’s hard work, but it’s good working in nature. Usually the Costa farms are next to a beach or a forest. I like that more than the city, it’s a different kind of job.  You are part of a crew and that makes a difference, I like that.”

Cristobal said it could take a week or so to get used to the work.

“You have to get used to the work, but after a week you feel like you are doing it right. People sometimes give up because they think it’s too hard, but they don’t try enough or give it enough time. If you try for a week or maybe two weeks you get into the rhythm,” he said.

“At the beginning we were picking just for the extension for our visa, but now we are doing it because we can travel around Australia to different places and we can work at the same time. It’s a good option for us.

“The advantage of Costa is that there are farms everywhere. There are also different fruits, so you can pick whatever you want, and if you don’t like picking, there are other options like packing.”

 Media contact: Brigid Veale, Group Public Relations and Communications Manager, 0427 697 164.

At Costa we are committed to respecting human rights across our domestic and global operations.

We recognise that our people are our greatest asset and the Costa business is founded on the principles of People First, a character and values-based program that is driven by passion and performance. It influences everything we do as a business and our core values of Passion, Determination, Accountability, Sincerity and Respect guide our approach to human rights both within our business and within our supply chain.

We have published Costa’s first Modern Slavery Statement, covering Costa’s financial year ending on 27 December 2020.

The statement outlines the steps we have taken to understand, mitigate and address human rights and modern slavery risks within our operation and our supply chain. We are committed to a program of continuous improvement to ensure our processes, policies and actions remain effective in preventing and remediating modern slavery and protecting human rights.

This is underpinned by our focus on Sustainable Commercial Farming, which has three key pillars – Environment, Economic and People.

An electronic tongue is one of the tools being used as part of an Honours research project looking at the impact of storage conditions on the quality of blueberries.

Sarah McKay, who is the 2021 recipient of the Costa Honours Scholarship in Agricultural Science worth $10,000, is investigating post-harvest storage conditions and the influence this has on key quality characteristics of blueberries.

Originally from Allens Rivulet, Sarah is studying a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with Honours in Hobart through University of Tasmania.

“My project is around post-harvest storage conditions, mainly temperature, and its influence on key quality characteristics of blueberries over time. The characteristics include colour, aroma and texture, with emphasis on the influence the conditions have on taste profiles,” Sarah said.

“These characteristics are tested using an electronic tongue (e-tongue) as well as a number of other instrumental methods and a human taste panel for comparison. The e-tongue is a piece of technology that has not been used extensively on fresh fruit produce especially blueberries so this is a major focus for my project.”

Sarah said the results from the instrumental methods and the human taste panel would help map consumer purchasing habits based on quality characteristics.

Sarah, who has also worked over the summer holidays in quality control at the Costa Berries blueberry farm at Sulphur Creek, said she was keen to pursue a career in horticulture.

“Working at Costa allowed me to gain knowledge on the processes involved in blueberry production and harvest in the North West of Tasmania,” she said.

“The Scholarships has taken a bit of the pressure off and has helped with the costs of living out of home.”

The recipient of the undergraduate Costa Scholarship in Agricultural Science for 2021-2024 is Jack Schouten, who is in the first year of a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with Honours.

Costa Group is saddened to learn of the passing of Frank Costa AO.

Frank was a great Australian who through his leadership and vision helped build the Costa Group into the global leading fresh produce business that it is today.

Frank was a people champion and he lived by the mantra of “hire for character, train for skill”.  He placed considerable store in a person’s character and integrity, most importantly he led by example and created a strong people focused culture within the Costa business which is still going strong to this day.

We can all say we were better off for knowing Frank.  All those who came into contact with him were struck by his generosity of spirit, his genuine interest in their personal welfare, his wise counsel, and his positive outlook on life.

Costa Group extends its sincerest condolences and best wishes to Frank’s wife Shirley and the entire Costa family.

Sean Hallahan

Costa Group Managing Director and CEO

Sustainability is a key focus for Leo Boden, who is the recipient of the 2021 Costa Berries Scholarship in Horticultural Science at the University of Queensland.

Leo is in his third year of a dual degree in Agribusiness and Sustainable Agriculture, with a Horticulture major.

“My family has no agricultural background but when I was at school, I was looking at my options and agriculture appealed being a future focused industry. The broad scope within the industry struck me immediately as being full of possibilities in terms of sustainability, science and technology. It was also touted there were great job prospects which was appealing,” Leo said.

“I chose Horticulture as I’m interested in the challenges of growing fruits and vegetables in Australia.  In one of my university subjects, I chose to analyse Costa Group operations for an assignment, and I was impressed with the operational aspects of their approach to sustainable horticulture, business activities and workplace culture.

“Science and sustainability are significant factors in horticulture moving forward and my studies at UQ are addressing these issues. I’m thrilled and thankful for the opportunity to learn from Costa Berries.”

Leo said the work experience opportunities were highly valued.

“The scholarship funds have given me confidence that I can pay my way to travel to undertake work experience Australia wide, as necessary. They also provide for the possibility of me giving up one of my three part-time jobs to focus on my studies and holiday work experience positions.”

Costa offers a range of scholarships through the University of Tasmania, University of Queensland, University of New England, Charles Sturt University and CQUniversity. 

A scholarship worth $10,000 is now open for local students in the Guyra, Armidale, Glen Innes and Inverell region, who are starting their university education in horticulture or agriculture.

The Costa Tomatoes New England Tertiary Scholarship is offered each year to a student who has finished their Year 12 studies and is embarking on their university education.

Tiffany Tarrant, who finished Year 12 at Duval High School in Armidale in 2019, was the 2020 recipient of the Costa Scholarship. She is about to start her second year of a Bachelor of Rural Science at the University of New England.

“I always wanted to go into agriculture, I’m very passionate about the industry.  When I got the scholarship, it was such a huge relief for my studies,” Tiffany said.

“I have two younger sisters and I’m the first in my family to go to university.  It took a lot of financial stress off and has really helped me pursue my passion.

“I would 100 per cent recommend anyone in the local area to put an application in. The financial support really allows you to focus on your studies. It’s helped me to get the necessary textbooks and practical equipment.

“It’s good to a see a large company like Costa supporting local students.”

The Costa Tomatoes New England Tertiary Scholarship is open for applications until March 31.

It is open to 2020 Year 12 students residing in Guyra, Armidale, Glen Innes or Inverell area who are starting full-time study in 2021, in a relevant Agriculture/Horticultural degree at an approved Australian University.

Applications can be made online.

Costa’s Perino Tomatoes and Coles are partnering to raise funds for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation (SAKGF), helping children form positive food habits for life.

Until Tuesday 16 February 2021, for every punnet of red or gold Perino Tomatoes 200g sold, five cents will be donated to the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, with the aim of raising up to $100,000.

Perino Tomatoes are 100% Australian grown by Costa, in glasshouses located in Guyra in New South Wales, and exclusive to Coles.

Senior Grower Manager at Guyra Tal Kanety says the premium quality and taste of Perino Tomatoes is the result of a flawless growth environment and process, and the reason why they are such a hit with kids and adults alike.

“Every plant is pollinated, trained and nurtured by our dedicated teams by hand. Our tomatoes are ripened on the vine, which means they reach optimal sweetness,” he said. 

The SAKGF is an education-based food program founded by renowned Australian chef Stephanie Alexander AO.

“Perino tomatoes are delicious and fun bursts of goodness and we are delighted that this donation will help us continue our work of supporting over 2000 schools and early childhood services across Australia helping students experience to growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing fresh, seasonal and delicious food,” Stephanie said.

This latest initiative forms part of Coles three-year partnership with the SAKGF, providing thousands of children across Australia access to a food education program that helps them develop a healthy relationship with food, self-confidence and life skills.

More than 2,000 schools and early learning centres around Australia currently participate in the SAKGF, reaching around 250,000 children and their families each year.

To learn more about the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, click here to visit its website.

For university students Tarun Mills and James Bhorla, picking blueberries over the summer break is the perfect way to earn extra money to fund their studies.

Tarun, who grew up in Woolgoolga, has just finished his fourth year in medicine at the University of New South Wales and is now in his third harvest season at Costa Berries in Corindi.

“I started picking here in the 2017 summer holidays. I don’t have a lot of time to work when I’m at uni so this is a good opportunity to earn money.  It’s a great environment to meet lots of people,” Tarun said.

“This is my fourth year picking.  When I first started it was hard work, but you can make decent money. You have it put the effort in but it’s definitely worth it. The environment is really good here.

“I like working outside and working with my hands which I don’t get to do when I’m at uni.”

Tarun said the holiday job helped support him throughout the year.

“I was hoping to come back for one more season, but I’ll be doing a placement next year so this might be my last one unfortunately,” he said.

James, who also went to Woolgoolga High School, has just finished his third year studying radiography at the University of Newcastle. This is his fourth season picking at Costa.

“Doing uni you don’t get much time during the year so it’s difficult to get a job. Working here means I also get to come home,” he said.

“You get to be outside and active and you get to meet really interesting people and learn about their experiences. It’s pretty fun.”

James said the flexibility also enabled him to work around uni placements and being paid according to how much you pick was motivating.

“It’s a good amount of pay to get you through the year. It is just a really good experience and I would encourage people to give it a go.”