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AMS News Bulletin Summer 2024

2024 | Grieve E, Yandall E, Yonow T, Kriticos D, Amat Gomez C, Kojetin L, Bond D, Hamilton-Bate C, Currey A, Epplett N, Mulo S, Bignell G, Fuller C, Coates J, Price J, Duncan M, Themsen C, White E, Mainali B, Carr C, Rizvi S, Revell G, Kozyra K, Davis R | News Bulletin

Summer 2024 articles include:
CEO’s report
Market update & news
Industry Insights
MCT: Macadamia conservation features at conference
Nuts for Life update
Book review: The Macadamia – Australia’s gift to the world
AusMac2024 Roundup
AMS Awards of Excellence
Award-winning growers
Macadamia agrichemical review
Integrating management tools for successful biological control of macadamia pests
Using drop sheets for real-time insect monitoring in macadamia orchards
New technology for growers: Innovations from AusMac2024
Bundaberg trial shows benefits of agtech in orchard management
Benchmarking provides sustainability insights
Insights from the latest industry benchmarking data
Benchmark your way to better production
A sneak peek at projects from the AusMac2024 research hub
Bioeconomics of macadamia pest management –current status
Microbats for insect pest control in macadamia orchards

MacAlert November 2024

2024 | Grieve E, Kojetin L | Manual/guide

Key messages this month include: Check that you are spraying effectively, read the core aspects of good spray management.  Monitor for Spotting bug over the next few months. During this high risk period, check for damage at least weekly. Macadamia seed weevil (MSW). Monitor shed nuts on the ground for MSW eggs or larvae. Monitor for macadamia nut borer (MNB) eggs to help time releases of MacTrix wasps.  Growing flushes and developing nuts are large nutritional sinks Ensure nutritional demands are being met, particularly nitrogen and potassium during the months of rapid nut growth.  Ensure water demand is being met but monitoring soil moisture. A rule of thumb for irrigation is less, more often.  Can I reduce November nut drop with crop inputs? The answer is yes and no. Read more for full details.  The potential for storm damage increases in late spring and into summer. Triage the damage to target recovery actions.  Complete the 2024 Benchmarking data collection form to receive a free, personalised and confidential farm benchmark report in the first few months of 2025.

Pesticide Management On-farm: sensitive areas, buffer zones, chemical storage and disposal

2024 | Bright J, Gregoson A | Fact Sheet

Macadamia growers have a duty of care when applying crop protection products. There are many things to consider before, during and after applying crop protection products. This fact sheet outlines these considerations and requirements of growers for record keeping, sensitive areas, storage and bunding and much more.

MacAlert October 2024

2024 | Grieve E, Kojetin L | Manual/guide

Key messages this month include: Northern NSW & Far North QLD be on the lookout for Macadamia seed weevil (MSW). Control starts when nutlets are matchhead to pea-size. Control for husk spot should have started if you have susceptible cultivars, a history of the disease, or you have had/are expecting rain. There were much higher levels of damage from spotting bugs (FSB/BSB) in the previous season. Monitoring is essential to correctly time control strategies. In northern regions, monitor for Banana fruit caterpillar (BFC) in leaf litter. Around match-head size, caterpillars are searching for food. Control is best targeted at the leaf litter where they harbor in by day. If you are unsure of how trees are progressing nutritionally, spring is a good time to sample leaves after flowering and before they flush. Read more for Australian leaf tissue sample standards and a guide to nutrient removal during husk, shell and kernel development. During spraying season, mitigating spray drift is crucial. All staff need to have good knowledge of spray drift mitigation principles and must follow standard operating procedures. The industry is currently under greater scrutiny regarding spraying, so be sure to keep accurate records. With uncertain weather conditions ahead, one of the best ways to maintain orchard resilience and access is ground cover. Read more for ideas on how this can be done. Warming weather with increased vegetation after three wet seasons increases the risk of bushfires.

MacAlert September 2024

2024 | Kojetin L | Manual/guide

Key messages this month include: Monitor weekly to fortnightly for pests and diseases that affect flowers.  In NSW & SE QLD lace bug damage is peaking in early to open flower.  In QLD, flower caterpillar eggs are being found as conditions warm.  Review the macadamia flowering and early nut set risks and monitoring considerations table to prepare for pests and diseases applicable to you.  Know the appropriate pollinator stocking rates for your orchard. These can depend on many factors, but general rules of thumb can be a good starting point.  Tree water demand is increasing, and you need to put in place moisture retention strategies, particularly if you don't have irrigation.  Developing nutlets have a high demand for nutrients such as potassium. Ensure you apply a good proportion of your annual potassium budget in the three months following flowering.  Have you formalised your plans for orchard floor and canopy management over the next few months? Remember to prioritise safety and ensure that staff are suitably training and equipped for tasks they will be doing.  There is increased scrutiny on macadamia spray management and mitigating spray drift. Be aware of spray management best practices to get the best result for all the effort and significant cost.  Spring provides opportunity for improving orchard floor cover. Simple strategies include reduced mowing strategies.  Be ready for husk spot and macadamia seed weevil when nutlets reach match-head size.  Late fruit spotting bug damage was one of the largest quality losses recorded last season. Be prepared for this season. 

Spray Management

2022 | Smith A, Kojetin L, Smit T, Searle C | Manual/guide

Applying any product can be complex and, even if you have been certified to apply chemicals, it is best to get professional assistance with the intricacies of spray management if you are not experienced.

Best Practice Bee Management in Macadamia

2020 | Bright J | Fact Sheet

Bees (honey and native) and other insects play a critical role in pollinating macadamias. Inadequate pollination results in poor nut set and lower crop yields. It is important to have bees and other insect pollinators in the orchard at flowering to ensure successful pollination and setting up the crop potential for the season to come.

Macadamia Plant Protection Guide 2024-2025, NSW DPI Management Guide

2024 | Bright J | Manual/guide

This 10th edition of the NSW Macadamia plant protection guide aims to provide commercial macadamia growers with up-to-date information on all aspects of protecting an orchard from pests and diseases.

AMS News Bulletin Spring 2024

2024 | Haase M, Grieve E, Xu X, Rincon-Florez V, Hall M, Hibbert P, Kojetin L, Bond D, Hamilton-Bate C, Commens R, Bright J, Epplett N, Akinsanmi F, Newton I, McConachie I, de Faveri S, Lee S, Price J, AMS, Hosseini Bai S, White E, BASF Australia, Neville B, Russell G, Wightman J, Clark A, Ganeshamoorthy H, Mensa T, Chambers D, Adams K, Hayes A, Hayward A, Farrer M, Nikzad N, Chen T, Khoshelham K | News Bulletin

CEO's report
Strategic plan
Marketing update and news
Industry insights
Nuts for Life update
Technical team starts works on recovery and resilience of Macadamia jansenii
Loss of modern pioneers: Stanley Thomas Henry and Thomas Ashley Hoult
EPPR levy re-activated to fund industry share of Varroa destructor response
Weathering two major storms
Rising star nominated for Young Grower of the Year award
Planting native species to support pollinator in macadamia orchards
New edition of the Macadamia plant protection guide out now
A new strategy to prevent yield losses to flower blight
Innovative pest management solutions for Gympie Region
IOM principles guide McLeans Ridges orchard makeover
CCC macadamia research update highlights benefits of IOM
Building on the National Macadamia Map – your help needed for futureproofing the macadamia industry
Predicting macadamia planting dates using remote sensing and deep learning
Monitoring and managing flower diseases in macadamia
Improving fruit and banana spotting bug control using pheromones
Research investigates new methods for macadamia plant supply
Rapid assessment of brown centre and rancidity in macadamia
Funding supports pollination research

MacAlert August 2024

2024 | Grieve E, Kojetin L | Manual/guide

Key messages this month include: Growers should be monitoring for pests and diseases that impact flowers, paying particular attention to what is happening in more advanced out-of-season flower.  In southern regions, monitor for lace bug. Look for damage to flowers such as blackening on racemes.  In northern regions, particularly north and central Queensland where flowers will be more advanced, monitor for flower caterpillar. Flower caterpillar eggs are the first sign of infestation.  If your orchard has a history of flower diseases, and weather conditions are conducive, you may need to apply a preventative fungicide. As the weather warms, tree nutrition and water requirements increase. Check if boron levels are adequate for flowering. Other elements such as nitrogen, zinc and calcium are also crucial nutrients during flowering.  Ensure organic matter is taken into account in your overall nutrition budget.  As tree water demand increases, it is important to monitor water at different soil depths.  At the end of harvest season, conduct a thorough audit of your machinery. Keep an eye out for mistletoe in your orchard. Many species of mistletoe are now flowering, so it is an ideal opportunity to flag locations.  Have you made plans for managed pollinators i.e. native or honey bees? Ensure you have a written agreement in place with a beekeper and are confident that they are complying with any Varroa regulations.  Winter is the best time to plan for fire risk season. Wet years have seen an increase in surrounding vegetation, with firebreaks becoming overgrown.  There are early indications that we could be back to uniform and more concentrated flowering in 2024. 

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