Loading... Loading...About the Australian Rubus Growers Association
The Victorian Raspberry Growers Association was established in 1983. In 1987, it adopted a national charter to become the Australian Rubus Growers Association, representing Rubus and Ribes growers throughout Australia.
About the Australian Rubus Breeding Program
The national Raspberry Breeding Program commenced in 1982, at DPI-Toolangi, and has released three raspberry cultivars, namely Dinkum, Bogong (both primocane-fruiting forms) and Alkoopina (a yellow-fruited form). The two primocane–fruiting raspberry cultivars released are currently industry leaders in Australia. Following three wet years in 1994 to 1996, the industry suffered severe devastation caused by Phytophthora fragariae var rubi, and in 1997 the Australian Rubus Growers Association requested the then Agriculture Victoria to divert as much effort from breeding as was possible, to allow funding of field management trials to contain the problem.
Breeding resumed in 2000 and continued until the untimely death of Australia's only raspberry breeder, the late Graeme McGregor.
ARGA contines to manage and to assess material from the breeding program.
A tribute to the late Graeme McGregor
Graeme McGregor, who passed away on 5 December 2005, was a loyal and caring friend, as we saw when he nursed his late wife, Angela, throughout her terminal illness with love and dedication.
Graeme joined DPI in 1982 as a plant breeder to work on berry crops. Over Graeme’s career with DPI, he worked directly with many crops including raspberries and oversaw the breeding program. Until the latter stages of his illness, Graeme continued to be involved in the raspberry breeding program and collaborated in a project that introduced the new crop, Red Bay Berries, from China. Graeme was very active with and highly respected by a wide range of industry members and groups.
We will never forget his integrity, his wonderful counsel, great compassion, wicked sense of humour and love of all the best things in life.
The raspberries that he bred will be an ongoing legacy of his passion for horticulture and his mastery of science.