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The NSWDPI Macadamia Grower’s Guide, co-authored with Stephanie Alt has been published in full and is available to the Australian macadamia community. This publication addresses several key issues for growers to consider when planting macadamias or managing existing farms. It covers:

• Nutrition and Soil Health - The Foundations
• Nutrition and Soil Health - The Next Level
• New Orchard Establishment
• Cultivar Selections
• Young Tree Management
• Bearing Tree Management

Nutrition and Soil Health - The Foundations

Overview: Good soil health and nutrition are crucial for developing a resilient orchard system and establishing a robust framework for productivity.

Key Practices: Correcting pH, building organic matter, fixing drainage problems, identifying toxicities, and supplying adequate nutrients while monitoring soils and plants.

Recommendation: Address foundational issues before refining nutrition programs to improve nutrient problems identified in early soil testing.

Nutrition and Soil Health - The Next Level

Overview: Extends soil management from adequate to optimal, focusing on orchards already in good condition.

Key Practices: Continuous improvement of foundational practices, balancing crop needs with long-term orchard health, and using monitoring data to adjust nutrient additions and improve efficiency.

Benefits: Promotes tree health, achieves greater productivity with fewer inputs, and reduces vulnerability to pests and diseases.

New Orchard Establishment

Overview: Guidance on selecting land for planting macadamia plantations, emphasizing early planning and site selection.

Key Actions: Selecting favourable sites, seeking specialist advice, and diligent financial planning.

Importance: Understanding farm and block limitations helps develop realistic plans for the farm's future.

Cultivar Selections

Overview: Combines information from published sources and growers' experiences to aid in cultivar selection.

Details: Describes the characteristics of macadamia cultivars, including growth habit, size, and nut properties, with performance ratings for different regions.

Expectation: Performance ratings will evolve over time.

Young Tree Management 

Overview: Management of orchards where trees have yet to bear commercially viable yields (Stage 1 orchard).

Key Areas: Irrigation, canopy management, nutrition, and pest control.

Focus: Development phase from three months after planting until commercial yields are achieved, considering individual growers' goals and regional conditions.

Bearing Tree Management

Overview: Management approaches for macadamia trees in commercially viable production (IOM late stage 1 and stage 2 orchard).

Key Areas: Irrigation, pruning, nutrition, pests, and disease management.

Goal: Maintain high yields for as long as possible and explore strategies for rejuvenating orchards from IOM stages 3 and 4, with further details in the Integrated Orchard Management Guide 2016.

Download the guide here.