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About 58 resources matched your search criteria.
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.
MacAlert April 2024
2024 | Kojetin L, Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Tips for the harvest period. Wet weather has made harvest a challenge. Ensure harvest gear is maintained and follow actions to maximize kernel quality. • Soil and leaf sampling. How and when to take samples of your orchard, and how to get the most out of your results. • Organic inputs. Now is the time to determine organic amendments you will be applying directly after harvest. • Rats, cockatoos and feral pigs. Controlling vertebrate pests during nut drop is essential. Read about management practices you can implement to mitigate these pests. • On-farm crop loss. Understanding where loss is coming from can be invaluable. • Frost mitigation. Consider management practices if you are in frost-risk areas, especially if you have younger trees which are highly susceptible.
MacAlert March 2024
2024 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month: • Rats. Wet weather has made ideal conditions for rats and mice. • Thrip and Mite damage. Thrip and mite flare ups are often the direct impact from too frequent use of disruptive chemicals. • Kernel Grub. Check storage bins for pests attracted to the odour from broken shells, like kernel grub. • Phytophthora. Phytophthora root rot and trunk canker have a significant impact on production following wet weather. Now is a good time to asses its prevalence. • Nutrition. Long term productivity relies on consistent nutrition which usually includes organic material. You may need to monitor closely more mobile elements such as nitrogen. • Orchard floor preparation is not the only clean up required prior to harvest. Cleaning and checking for any contaminants are essential for food safety as well as a supply requirement with your processor. • There are major benefits to completing a crop loss assessment on all loads coming into the shed. • Are there ways to reduce your harvest period and set the orchard up for the following season sooner?
MacAlert February 2024
2024 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month: Rats. If you're not actively managing rats now, it will only get worse through harvest. Spotting bug. Late season damage is only revealed in consignment reports or on drop sheets. Botryosphaeria branch dieback. Symptoms become obvious in late summer. The autumn flush has started earlier this year in response to rain. Monitoring flush, in particular where flush is poor is a pre-emptive way to identify tree health issues. Finish pre-harvest clean-up ensuring no old nuts, sticks and debris remain on the orchard floor. With orchard hygiene and clean-up in progress, ensure mulcher parts (grease points, belts, hammers and retaining bolts) are not worn and functional. Conduct thorough maintenance of dehusking/sorting shed. February/March MacGroups are your chance to connect with others in the industry. RSVP now.
MacAlert January 2024
2024 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month • Spotting bugs. Although shells have hardened, damage is still possible and will be worse after rain. • Leptocoris. More Leptocoris have been found in recent seasons and we are unsure why. • Macadamia nut borer. MacTrix wasp releases should continue into January. • Bark/boring beetles. More prevalent in recent dry seasons, members of the scolytid beetle family, commonly known as bark beetles or borers can cause tree and nut damage • Husk spot and husk rot. January onwards is a good time to assess any loss from these two husk diseases in the orchard. • Water requirements are now at their maximum. Macadamias are highly susceptible to water stress during oil accumulation which will continue into late February in Queensland and early March in New South Wales. • Heading further into summer, heavy rain along with the potential for strong winds, storms, cyclones and east coast lows are all a possibility. • Start preparing for preharvest clean-up. Orchard floor fanatics maximise income. • On-farm nut storage will be important as the supply chain changes. Storage is nuanced and professional advice is recommended, even if you have a small operation.
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