News

Our Macadamia Masterclass participants toured Project Paradise, Macadamias Australia and Alloway Macadamias, and heard from a wide range of researchers as part of their sustainability and ag tech module in Bundaberg last week.

Presenters provided information about what on-farm sustainability means, what it looks like in practical terms, and why it matters.

“Participants were given an in-depth understanding of sustainability, and an appreciation of why resource use efficiency is the ultimate measure of good farming,” says industry development officer Emily Grieve.

A visit to Macadamias Australia provided the class with a practical case study on the enterprise’s sustainability journey across all facets of growing and production. This included their use of renewable resources such as biochar which is returned to the orchard as a form of carbon. 

Also on the agenda was a tour of ‘Project Paradise’, a new macadamia venture in the Bundaberg region. The project, due for completion this year, will see a 780,000-tree, high density orchard developed on 1500 ha of farmland, making it the largest orchard in the world.

At Project Paradise, MFM senior operations manager Armand Smit and orchard manager Josh Crow talked to the class about the orchard design and establishment, as well as future water, operational and orchard management requirements. The class also viewed automation and precision spraying displays by Swarm Farm Robotics and DC Agricultural Innovations. 

A wide range of scientific researchers and industry experts also presented on a range of sustainability projects and industry forecasting tools:

• Pollination - Dr Stephen Trueman, Griffith University
• Hyperspectral imaging, brown centre and biochar - Dr Shahla Hosseini Bai, Griffith University
• Industry benchmarking - Shane Mulo, Grant Bignell, QDAF
• Forecasting macadamia yield at the block level - Dr James Brinkhoff- AARSC, University of New England
• Australian Tree Crop Mapping - Craig Shephard- AARSC, University of New England.

The 2-day class finished with a visit to Alloway Macadamias to view a pollination site which exemplified the importance of interplanting cultivars to maximise cross-pollination. 

The Masterclass will finish in August with a tour of the Almond Centre of Excellence orchard in South Australia. 

Our thanks go to all our presenters and hosts - Omen Ag, Macadamia Farm Management, Swarm Farm Robotics, DC Agricultural Innovations, Griffith University, AARSC UNE, QDAF, Alloway Macadamias and Macadamias Australia. 

About the Masterclass in Macadamia Management

The industry’s Masterclass in Macadamia Management offers a comprehensive 12-month program designed for experienced orchard managers. The class is run annually by the AMS.

The masterclass covers six core topics:

• Orchard floor nutrition and soils
• Canopy management
• Water management
• Pests and diseases
• Harvest and post-harvest management
• Sustainability and innovative technology

It also includes aspects of advanced management, such as integrating digital technologies, leadership skills and workplace health and safety.

The masterclass offers participants a fantastic opportunity to enhance their orchard’s productivity, profitability and sustainability. It is limited to current macadamia farm managers with at least two years of management experience. 

For more information about the next Macadamia Masterclass, contact the AMS on 1800 262 426.