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MacAlert - January 2022
2022 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Spotting bugs. Although shells have hardened, damage is still possible and will be worse after rain. • Leptocoris. More Leptocoris have been found in orchards over the last few weeks. • Macadamia nut borer. MacTrix wasp releases should continue into January if you are in NSW or Sth East QLD • Husk spot and husk rot. January is a good time to assess the extent of loss. • The wet season has arrived. Have a plan in place to deal with storm damage to the orchard and infrastructure. • Start preparing for pre-harvest clean-up. Orchard floor fanatics make more money. • Ausmac2022 is just around the corner, register now.
MacAlert - May 2022
2022 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Have you applied for disaster relief if eligible? • Following the wet season conduct a survey of your orchard for long term impacts including Phytophthora. • There are a number of ways to plan crop inputs for the season ahead. • Returning husk back to the orchard is one of the most cost effective ways to replace many nutrients. • Do you know the details of the organic matter you are purchasing? Compost, mulch, manure, soil conditioners, etc? • Continue to audit harvest efficiency and make adjustments as require, especially for machinery in wet conditions. • With more humid conditions and nuts at higher field moisture, it is vital to manage nuts post-harvest. • Have you finalised your plan for post-harvest management?
MacAlert - April 2022
2022 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Disaster grants and loans are available – do not rule out your eligibility; ensure you have plenty of photographic evidence. • If you conduct soil and leaf tests during Autumn, book or organise these now to assist in determining organic amendments to be applied following harvest. • Monitoring and managing vertebrate pests such as cockatoos, rats and pigs are essential during nut drop. • Consider orchard access and machinery performance in relation to weather conditions. • Six ways to prevent quality (and money) loss with simple ventilation of harvested nuts proving effective. • Conducting harvest efficiency audits and analysis of on farm crop loss may prove invaluable to your farm management. • As harvest continues and the weather cools, start thinking about frost mitigation if relevant to your region and begin planning your canopy management strategy.
MacAlert - February 2022
2022 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Following rain, late season monitoring may be required. • Botryosphaeria is part of a group of fungi causing increasing damage in many tree species, including macadamia. • With prolonged summer rain and/or a heavy crop, you may need to adjust your nutrition program. • Pre-harvest clean-up ensures minimal old nut, sticks and debris remain on the orchard floor and dramatically improves harvest efficiency. • Conduct pre-season audits for you processor in advance, allowing time for any corrections before harvest. • Monitor for maturity. Husk colour is an on-farm indication of maturity but your processor will perform an accurate assessment. • With harvest around the corner, ensure equipment is in good order. Preventative maintenance is the key to reducing breakdowns during the season.
MacAlert - March 2022
2022 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
• Recovering from heavy rain and flooding – short and long term response. • Assess Phytophthora root rot and trunk canker over the next few months following wet weather. • Continue with a consistent nutrition program, which may need to be increased due to the wet weather. • Orchard floor preparation, cleaning and checking for any contaminants are essential for food safety. • Safety audits are a possibility WH&S QLD have informed the AMS that they intend to audit macadamia operations. • There are major benefits to completing a crop loss assessment. • Consider ways to reduce your harvest period and set up the orchard for the following season.
MacAlert - December 2021
2021 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Macadamia nut borer (MNB). Monitor for MNB and release MacTrix effectively. • Spotting bugs. Keep monitoring for spotting bug, using late season techniques like drop sheets. • Young tree pests. If you have younger they can be severely affected by pests in summer. • Nutritional demand is increasing as trees need to support developing nuts. • Tree water requirements are generally at their peak and will remain high through to harvest. • With heavy rain expected, large organic matter applications need careful thought. • Storm season is here again and you need to be prepared to minimise impact and deal with any damage. • Have you got all your preparations for the Christmas/New Year period in place? • Benchmarking data collection is underway for the 2021 season. • AusMac2022 is just around the corner, register now.
MacAlert - November 2021
2021 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Nut shed is a normal part of the crop cycle. • Continue to monitor for pests such as: o Macadamia nut borer eggs, which signal the start of flights into orchards. o Spotting bug damage at least weekly and preferably twice weekly in warmer regions. o Macadamia seed weevil infestation in shed nuts. • Nutritional demand is increasing as trees need to support both new flush and developing nuts. • Monitor soil conditions and, if your orchard is irrigated, avoid stress-induced nut drop by keeping trees well-irrigated. • Orchards don’t need to look like golf courses. There are many benefits to letting grass and other ground cover grow. • The potential for damage from hail, wind, excessive rain or flooding caused by intense storms is increasing. • Benchmarking data collection is starting now for the 2021 season. • Register for MacGroups which are to be held in November and the beginning of December. • AusMac2022 is just around the corner.
MacAlert - October 2021
2021 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: Continue to monitor for pest and diseases. Husk spot, If your orchard has a history of husk spot and/or has susceptible cultivars you will need to be ready to apply fungicide as nutlets reach match-head size Macadamia seed weevil (MSW), The female seed weevils lays its eggs between the husk and developing nut. Spotting bug, Early in the season look for damage on nutlets as they reach pea size. Nutritional demand. If you are unsure of how trees are progressing nutritionally, spring is a good time to sample leaves after flowering and before they flush. Organic matter should be on the orchard floor and orchard prunings moved back under trees as soon as possible Water demand. Water requirements will marked increase in October and remain high until March. Mechanical, Keep sprayer and spray tractor maintenance as breakdowns during this period can be costly.
MacAlert - September 2021
2021 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Continue to monitor at least twice per week for pest and diseases that affect flowers. • Lace bug, flower caterpillar and flower diseases such as Botrytis and Cladosporium are more prevalent in some regions. Monitor weather conditions and known hotspots within the orchard. • Discuss control options with your pest consultant or grower liaison officer to select strategies and application timings that will have minimal impact on beneficials such as bees. • Communicate with your beekeeper on stocking rates and hive positions to develop a plan that provides flexibility for you both, and crucially, keeps bees safe. • Tree water demand is increasing with the warmer weather • Discuss tree nutritional demand and spring soil and leaf sampling with your consultant • After mulching remaining nuts to reduce the risk of rats and kernel grubs, consider reduced mowing strategies to allow grass and other inter-row species to flower.
MacAlert - August 2021
2021 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Start monitoring for pest and diseases that impact flowers, paying particular attention to out-of-season flower problems that can build up and a wet August forecast. • Active environmental and visual monitoring for pests such as lace bug and flower caterpillar and diseases such as flower blight start. • As the weather warms tree nutrition and water requirements increase, particularly once flowers emerge. • At the end of harvest, review the season including: o Machinery/equipment performance and required upgrades o Processor consignment reports o Crop loss assessments and yield monitoring o Orchard health assessment • Prepare for the start of new crop protection season. • Now is the time to think about seeding a cover crop. • Pollination is round the corner and managed hives need to be arranged.
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