I still remember the day Richard Drew first told me about his master plan to stop the spread of the Queensland fruit fly. It was a plan that, if successful, would see one of the greatest threats to Australia’s (and the world’s) horticultural industry come to a sticky end. I also remember how his voice wasn’t buzzing with excitement like most others would have been—it had something deeper running through it: resolve. He’d had a breakthrough. Not the kind that wins medals or front pages, but the kind that could quietly change how we deal with pests in Australian agriculture.
Mind you, it wasn’t the first time I’d heard Richard speak with that kind of conviction. But this time felt different. This time, it wasn’t just science for the lab—it was science ready to pull on boots and walk the paddocks with the rest of us.
How It Started
Richard and I go back a bit. We first met some years ago when I visited his family’s place to look at horses. I was expecting a typical breeder with the usual patter and price sheets. What I found instead was a bloke with the eyes of a farmer and the brain of a scientist—someone who loved the land and the creatures on it in equal measure.
That first meeting turned into a friendship. And in 2022, we took it further—co-founding Rosegum Salerno Pastoral on his family’s property up in Beaudesert.
Our families jointly run the day-to-day of the stud, but it’s Richard’s long view—and more importantly, his vision—that gives the place its heartbeat. And nothing captures that better than his mission to tackle one of agriculture’s sneakiest villains: the fruit fly.
A Long Game, Played Right
Most folks don’t think about fruit flies until they’re hovering around a bowl of bananas. But on the farm, they’re more than just annoying—they can wipe out entire crops. I’ve seen farmers lose up to half their produce.
For decades, the standard defence was full-blown chemical warfare: spray every damn thing and hope for the best. But Richard? He figured there had to be a better way—one that worked with nature, not against it.
At Griffith University, he and his researchers spent eight long years decoding the chemical messages that female fruit flies use when they’re ready to lay eggs. It wasn’t flashy work. It was test tubes, notebooks, trial plots, sleepless nights, and a lot of flies that didn’t cooperate. But if Richard’s got a superpower, it’s patience. And an unshakable respect for the natural balance.
Eventually, he cracked it, isolating the exact compounds that mattered. That’s where things got rather interesting—unless, of course, you were a fruit fly.
From Breakthrough to the Back Paddock
With help from AgNova Technologies, Richard turned his discovery into the Fruition® Nova trap—a slow-release gel in a cleverly shaped, coloured, and textured lure. No sprays. No collateral damage. Just a smarter, targeted way to attract the flies you don’t want, while leaving the good insects alone.
In trial runs, the trap cut fruit-fly damage from 50% to under 2%. That’s not just a stat—that’s the kind of result that keeps farms afloat and families going.
Where Science Meets Stockmanship
It’s easy to brush off something like a fruit-fly trap as niche. But that misses the point. This isn’t about shiny tech or academic trophies. It’s about real-world, boots-on-the-ground impact. Richard brings the science. Oli and I bring the stockmanship. And together, we’re building a way of farming that respects both.
A Ripple Beyond Our Fences
What makes me proudest isn’t just what Richard invented—it’s what it can mean. His traps are already helping farmers across Southeast Queensland. But their potential? That stretches way beyond. Think Asia-Pacific. Think export economies. Think small farms one bad season away from folding.
This isn’t just about saving fruit. It’s about sovereignty. Sustainability. Security.
And through it all, Richard stays humble. No grandstanding. No headlines. Just steady work, quiet insight, and a fierce dedication to the people and places that matter most.
What Comes Next
I don’t know exactly where this road will lead us. But I do know this: Richard Drew has already made his mark on Australian farming—not by fighting nature, but by learning from it.
That takes grit. That takes time. And honestly? It takes love. Love for the land. For the farmers. And for the intricate little systems that make the whole thing tick.
There’s something else about Richard that’s always struck me—his quiet, unwavering love for people. All people. And looking at the state of the world right now, it’s hard not to wish there were more like him. If there were, I doubt we’d have wars at all.
So yes, I couldn’t be prouder to have Richard as a mate and a business partner.
— James Salerno
Co-founder, Rosegum Salerno Pastoral