TIA fruit research fellow Dr Sally Bound awarded by peers

Apple & Pear Australia Limited presented the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture research fellow with an Excellence Award at the Brisbane event last week.

Nominations were submitted to the APAL board, and Dr Bound had no idea she was being considered.

“They spoke for a few minutes about what I’d done, without saying my name. It was a surprise,” Dr Bound said.

“It was a new award for this year for someone who had worked in the industry for a period of time and who engages with industry,” she said.

Dr Bound researches the fruit industry, with particular interest in apples and cherries.

She provides technical information and advice to orchardists and industry groups throughout Australia and runs workshops, seminars, orchard walks and training courses to help industry members make the most of cutting-edge horticultural research, the APAL board nomination said.

“Sally has authored more than 70 articles for industry magazines and regularly contributes to apple, pear and cherry production guides,” the nomination said.

“This award is new for 2018 and recognises Sally as an outstanding member of the industry.”

Now back in her office at University of Tasmania’s Sandy Bay campus, Dr Bound has been writing project applications, journal articles and lecturing.

She has recently finished projects on artificial spur extinction in apples and on-site orchard cost benefit analyses.

“I have put in some proposals, but I’m waiting to see what industry wants to do,” Dr Bound said.

“It’s not just apples, but also cherry projects, for example the effect of bud quality on flowering and fruiting, and more orchard fruit quality projects.”

One of the projects Dr Bound hopes will be funded is the impact of covered cropping on fruit quality.

“There is potential that covers might reduce firmness, but we need to be able to study that,” she said.

Dr Bound expects these research projects to start next season.