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MacAlert January 2025
2025 | Grieve E, Kojetin L | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include:
To manage macadamia nut borer, MacTrix wasp releases should continue into January.
Spotting bugs can be monitored with drop sheet monitoring to confirm FSB/BSB levels.
Leptocoris have been increasingly seen in recent seasons. They are not controlled by betacyfluthrin.
Bark/boring beetles are typically present in drier seasons, but are on the increase generally. Healthy trees with good sap flow are most likely to be able to resist infestation, but keep an eye out for signs of infestation.
Can you tell whether diseased husks are husk spot or husk rot? January onwards is a good time to assess the loss from these two husk diseases in the orchard and there are tell tale signs of each.
Water requirements are now at their maximum.
With severe weather around, make sure you have a plan in place to deal with storm damage to the orchard and farm infrastructure.
Start preparing for preharvest cleanup. Preharvest clean up includes mulching old nuts, branches and leaves, breaking pest life cycles and removing food for rats, pigs, cockatoos, kernel grub, etc.
If you are relying on a third party operations for services, communicate early and book in as many firm dates as you can.
The AMS is holding two on-farm Showcase events in Bundaberg and the Northern Rivers on 19 & 21 February 2025, respectively. There will be machinery displays and in-field demonstrations, giving growers the opportunity to explore a range of harvesters, harvest equipment and spray rigs.
MacAlert December 2024
2024 | Grieve E, Kojetin L | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include:
Keep monitoring spotting bug egg hotspots and be ready to control egg laying spikes that follow rain and increases with day length.
Keep monitoring for Macadamia Nut Borer eggs which helps time wasp releases.
Leptocoris causes kernel damage very similar to spotting bug and green vegetable bug. Contact your processor liason for an indication of the impact if they have experience in differentiating kernel damage.
For young trees, keep an eye out for pests such as leaf miner, twig girdler, felted coccid (FC) and boring beetles.
Trees currently need to support both the spring flush and developing nuts. Assess nutrient availability by monitoring deficiency/toxicity signs.
Tree water requirements are generally at their peak now and will remain high through to harvest.
As part of your storm damage plan, get out chainsaws and ensure any maintenance required is completed.
Safety audits are always a possibility and likely if you are in Queensland, where spot audits are taking place.
Ensure you and all staff understand how best to utilise and manage agrichemicals.
Benchmarking data collection is underway for the 2024 season. Complete the 2024 Benchmarking data collection form and receive your farm’s free confidential report in early 2025.
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.
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.
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.
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.
MacAlert July 2024
2024 | Grieve E, Kojetin L | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: The prolonged wet weather over the harvest period favours the growth and infection of Phytophthora causing root rot, trunk cankers and tree decline. With harvest coming to an end, focus shifts to crop production and protection, with each underpinned by monitoring. Pest consultants will be monitoring for lace bug as well as flower diseases. Watch out for the three common fungal flower blights - grey mould, green mould and dry flower. In some seasons, these can cause massive crop failure. Ensure regular rat baiting continues in the orchard. This month may be your last chance to order your organic inputs for application post-harvest. Discuss with your nutrition consultant if any soil amendments are required for your orchard. With post-harvest late fruit spotting bug and/or leptocoris being present in orchards, it is time to check your mechanical equipment for crop protection activities. Following harvest, ensure shed equipment and vehicles are thoroughly cleaned and conduct and audit of your chemical store.
MacAlert June 2024
2024 | Kojetin L | Manual/guide
We are heading into the peak pest and disease monitoring and control period. Book your pest consultant to monitor for critical pests and diseases in July and begin discussing the season ahead. Ensure you have completed the assessments to compile the new season's nutrition program. Mulch is important to increase water holding capacity, mediate soil temperatures during spring growth and improve soil/orchard condition. Make sure you are prepared for frost risks if you are in an area that is impacted heavily. The BOM has handy weather tools to help you plan ahead. Are you ready for spraying? Calibrate and service your spray equipment, conduct coverage tests, choose appropriate nozzles and ensure weather monitoring tools are ready. In NSW, the Environmental Protection Agency has had macadamia spray management under scrutiny. Ensure you have adequate spray records, chemical storage/handling protocols, spray drift management, weather monitoring protocols, neighbour engagement and farm pesticide management plans in place. Are you managing nuts with increased field moisture adequately? On farm post-harvest storage conditions are critical in seasons that are wetter than usual. Contact a professional beekeeper to bring managed hives to the orchard. Save the dates for the July/August MacGroup events in your region.
MacAlert May 2024
2024 | Kojetin L, Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Assess and monitor phytophthora levels in your orchard after months of above average rainfall. Plan your crop inputs for the season ahead to to replenish nutrients, build soil fertility and support tree/crop development. Considerations to make when using ethephon and the best weather conditions to apply. Prepare for frost risk and ensure your orchard is protected. Rules of thumb to ensure your kernel quality is maintained during times of wet weather. Should you consider tree shaking for your orchard? Start thinking about when you will be conducting any pruning and orchard floor repair.
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