Sustainable bush produce systems: progress report 2004–2006

[Extract] Solanum centrale (JM Black) is the focal species of the research reported here because it has an existing commercial value and has provided the bulk of commercial bush food produce sourced from desert Australia. The standard common name in the Northern Territory and Western Australia for S. centrale is Desert raisin (Latz 1995, HWA 1998, Albrecht et al. 2007). The fruit resembles a raisin in size and shape but certainly not in taste. The wider native food industry calls this fruit the bush tomato (Robins & Ryder 2004). Note that in central Australia the fruit of other species is commonly called bush tomato (Latz 1995). All Aboriginal dialects have names for the plant, which include Akatyerr(e), Katyerre, Kampurarrpa and Yakajirri. This report consistently uses the Latin species name Solanum centrale when referring to the plant or to the fruit of the plant. Solanum centrale is found naturally throughout the central and western desert regions of Australia (SA, WA and NT) that are low rainfall, arid regions