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#ausmacadamias 
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.
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.
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