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MacAlert June 2023
2023 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • We are heading into the peak pest and disease monitoring period. The impacts of this year’s weather conditions need to be factored into your management. • There is still time to adjust nutrition before flowering, so discuss your soil/leaf sampling results with your consultant and develop a nutrition program. • With current prices, the incentive to harvest and its cost are being weighed by each grower. Your grower liaison can help sample in blocks you aren’t sure are worth picking up. • Do you understand how kernel assessments on samples from your consignments are conducted and what this means for grower payments? The AMS is holding kernel assessment workshops. • Winter is the best time to prepare your farm for the fire risk season ahead. • Are you ready for spray activities over the next few months?
MacAlert May 2023
2023 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key Messages this month include: After months of above average rainfall, assess Phytophthora levels in your orchard. There are a number of ways to plan crop inputs for the season ahead, soil and leaf sampling and crop load assessment. When purchasing organic matter, do you know what you are purchasing? Heading into winter, monitor weather conditions for frost and apply frost protectant if required. Have you considered tree shaking? There are a range of efficiency and orchard health benefits. Continue to audit harvest efficiency and make adjustments as required in the orchard and shed. This season might be the time to consider major canopy rejuvenation if you have the reserves to do so. Analysis of consignment reports is most helpful when done block by block and can direct rationalisation with current farm gate prices. The BOM predicts a likely return to El Nino conditions over the coming months.
MacAlert April 2023
2023 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Uninterrupted processes and machinery performance are essential during harvest. • Harvest regularly at least every three weeks aiming for > 90% pick up. • Kernel quality relies on actively managing moisture and heat in stored nuts. • Soil sampling is the best way to understand trends in key soil properties and nutrient levels, while leaf sampling gives a within-tree view of nutrient status at a phenological stage. • Organic Inputs. It may seem early, but now is the time to determine what organic amendments you will be applying immediately after harvest. • Controlling vertebrate pests is essential during nut drop. • Are you analysing on-farm crop loss? • With lower farm gate prices have you considered rejuvenating canopy management?
MacAlert March 2023
2023 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Wet weather has been perfect breeding conditions for insects such as moths that can impacts flush and nuts. • Are you seeing signs of thrip and mite or monolepta beetle damage on new flush? Chat to your consultant about whether control is required. • Rats control relies on proactively keeping the population down. • Phytophthora translated to it’s original Greek means “plant destroyer”. Now is the time to assess it’s impact in your orchard with a new, simple severity scale. • Long term productivity relies on consistent nutrition but low farm gate prices may mean you need adjustments. • Orchard floor preparation is not the only clean up required prior to harvest, infrastructure cleaning is required. • 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? • Don’t miss the deadline for grant applications and fund acquittals.
MacAlert February 2023
2023 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include : • Spotting bug. Late season damage is only fully revealed in consignment reports. Damage is worse in thin-shelled cultivars and following rain. • Macadamia Nut borer (MNB). Like many pests, MNB is triggered with warm, wet weather. Damage appears as 2-3 mm holes at the top of shells. • Botryosphaeria branch dieback. We’ve been hearing more about this disease because it is causing increasing damage in many tree species. Infection symptoms are obvious in summer. • If the orchard has experienced prolonged summer rain and/or a heavy crop, you may need to adjust your nutrition program. • Finish pre-harvest clean-up ensuring minimal old nut, sticks and debris remain on the orchard floor. • Download the AMS Harvest Checklist and Grower Harvest Tips. • Are you concerned about how to prioritise inputs and adjust operations for the season ahead? RSVP for the AMS MacGroup events.
MacAlert January 2023
2023 | 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. We don’t know if this is due to population surges or better late season (knockdown) monitoring. • Macadamia Nut Borer. MaxTrix wasp releases should continue into January. This is particularly important if you have thin shelled cultivars. • Is it Husk spot or Husk rot? They need to be dealt with differently. • Water requirements are now at their maximum, but most regions have ample water in the soil profile. • Have a plan in place to deal with storm damage to the orchard and infrastructure. • Start preparing for preharvest clean-up. Orchard floor fanatics make more money. • This won’t be a “usual” season with regard to nut deliveries. Ensure you have plans in place and adequate storage options.
MacAlert December 2022
2022 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key messages this month include: • Macadamia Nut Borer (MNB), keep monitoring for MNB eggs. It is critical in December to release MacTrix and understand its' limitations. • Spotting bugs, keep monitoring by examining fallen nuts for evidence of damage and then swapping to in tree monitoring. • If you have trees younger than four years that may not be bearing, remember they can be affected by pests that will hamper growth. • There is nutritional demand to support both spring flush and developing nuts. • Storm season is here again, and you will need to be prepared to deal with any orchard damage. • Benchmarking data collection is underway for the 2022 season. • Start a conversation with your processor. With global and potential domestic oversupply, many things will be different to what is “usual”.
MacAlert - November 2022
2022 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
• With the current conditions, monitoring for spotting bug will be critical. Look for damage at least weekly and later you will need to drop sheet to understand blind damage. • Monitor for macadamia nut borer (MNB) eggs signalling the start of flights into the orchards, to help time releases of MacTrix. • Check shed nuts on the ground for macadamia seed weevil (MSW) eggs or larvae. • Leaf miner will likely be driving you crazy! We have had a season like no other for this usually minor pest. • With later flowering and very wet season, a later than usual husk spot control program may be required. • Nutritional demand is increasing to support both a new flush and developing nuts. • Orchards don’t need to look like golf courses! There are huge benefits to letting the orchard go. • The potential for damage from hail, wind, excessive rain or flooding from intense storms is increasing and will remain through summer, so be prepared. • The new ‘Macadamia Industry Benchmarking & Sustainability Insights 2022-2027’ project has started and data collection for the 2022 season is underway, but they need you to complete the collection form.
MacAlert - October 2022
2022 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
• If your orchard has a history of husk spot and/or susceptible cultivars, you need to be ready to apply fungicide as nutlets reach match-head size. • Macadamia seed weevil (MSW). As weevils try lays their eggs between the husk and developing nut, there is a critical period to protect. • Spotting bug, early in the season look for damage on nutlets as they reach pea size. • Banana fruit caterpillar (BFC). In northern regions, monitor for BFC in leaf litter. • If you are unsure of how trees are progressing nutritionally, spring is a good time to sample leaves after flowering before the new flush. • Current demand for potassium and calcium is high from developing nutlets. • October/November are generally the last months you can apply animal manures and uncomposted material. • Keep up monitoring and sprayer maintenance over the next few months. • The forecasted wet period ahead is an opportunity to seed/plant areas of your farm that need improved groundcover.
MacAlert - September 2022
2022 | Australian Macadamia Society | Manual/guide
Key topics this month include: • Monitor weekly to fortnightly for pest and diseases that affect flowers. • Best practice during flowering is to bring managed pollinators into the orchard to assist naturally occurring pollinators and hives that remain year-round. • During spring, biological processes and input demands will increase. • All preparations for spraying should now be complete and your equipment calibrated and ready to go. • You are likely to be doing some sort of canopy management over the next few months. Remember to be safe.
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