Tree Crop Aug/Sept 2024

Tree crop insights

Underground acoustics amplify soil health

Barely audible to human ears, healthy soils produce a cacophony of sounds in many forms – a bit like an underground rave concert of bubbles and clicks.

Citrus - Tree crop insights

Maximising citrus productivity in Sunraysia

When it comes to their nutrition, the Pardos work closely with Carlo Niutta of Nangiloc Ag Supplies and using their $/ha rule of thumb, they have become long-term users of the Haifa range of specialty fertilisers.

Know your pest

Longtailed mealybug monitoring update

Technical agronomist and InSense owner Russell Fox says the longtailed mealybug LTMB (Pseudococcus longispinus) is proving to be not just a very persistent pest – it is also a pest on the increase in many areas and crops.

Bees and pollination

Hive movement sparks varroa concern

An estimated 300,000 hives will be transported to and from NSW, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria to pollinate almond orchards this year, sparking fears of a varroa mite increase across borders.

Know your pest

Soon there will be bugs

As the temperatures rise, so do the pests! Learn how to protect your crops from Fruit Spotting and Banana Spotting Bugs before they wreak havoc.

Fruit Fly

Rising temperatures wake up fruit fly

The arrival of spring temperatures will see an increase in activity of Queensland fruit fly. Frut fly bait spray rig - DacGel is the only powder bait spray formulation on the market.

Macadamias - Tropical trees - Featured Crop

Science helps speed up cultivar release

Future-proofing a burgeoning macadamia industry is the focus of a long-term breeding program led by researchers at The University of Queensland.

Cherries - Featured Crop

Growers benefit from industry workshops

The Australian Fruit Growers Victorian Conference provided an opportunity for Dr Greg Lang from Michigan University to visit NSW and Victorian cherry growing regions while he was in the country.

Cherries - Featured Crop

Aussie cherries front and centre at Asia Logistica

Tasmanian cherry growers, are making their presence felt at this years Asia Fruit Logistica event in Hong Kong.

Cherries - Featured Crop

Stop the rot

Blossom blight and brown rot are common diseases found in Australian cherry orchards. Blossom blight reduces the number of viable flowers and damages fruiting shoots, reducing crop yield.

Products and services

Outright 770 makes hard work easy

Outright 770 Spray Adjuvant is designed to simplify and enhance the herbicide application process for farmers.

Avocado - Featured Crop

Size and shape key to premium avocado prices

A plant growth regulator (PGR) which targets increased fruit size and shape is helping Australian avocado producers yield high returns from their orchards in increasingly challenging farming times.

Products and services

Croplands and Nelson Hardie join forces

Croplands, Nufarm’s emerging solutions spray equipment platform and US-based Nelson Manufacturing, have announced a distribution partnership to deliver a range of high-quality, robust and reliable high-performance trailed and self-propelled Nelson Hardie orchard sprayer units to the Australian and New Zealand nut and tall tree crop markets.

Disease & weed control

Kendon the key to crop success

Kendon Lime Sulphur, made by boiling lime and sulphur to produce calcium polysulfides, is a key tool in Australian Agriculture.

Disease & weed control

De-sucker without the drama with Spotlight

Spotlight herbicide : FMC area business manager Yan Wu said SpotlightPlus Herbicide is purpose built for horticulture and is formulated with a built-in oil adjuvant.

Harvesting

Bighorn stands out for harvest

Bighorn open-mouth fruit picking bags are a standout tree crop harvesting tool, offering durability, comfort, and practicality. Available in many size from 26L through 70L, Bighorn bags are tailored for different fruits.

Cherries - Featured Crop

New product outshines to reduce cherry cracking

A new trial of Biostart Foliacin, conducted on a north Victorian commercial cherry orchard in 2023, was undertaken to compare the product with a commonly used competitor also used for reducing cherry cracking.

Macadamias - News

Premier macadamia event hits the Gold Coast

The premier event on the Australian macadamia industry calendar – AusMac2024 – will hit the Gold Coast, October 29-31.

Featured Crop

Pinata Farm becomes Hall of Fame pinup

Fourth-generation farming business, Queensland’s Piñata Farms, has been inducted into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame for outstanding leadership and innovation in Australia’s food production industry spanning more than 60 years.

Almonds - Apples - Citrus - Macadamias - Mangoes - News

Investment looks to profitable future

Growers and plant scientists are working together on a $41M tree crop program to accelerate the development of new almond, apple, citrus, macadamia and mango varieties.

News

Congress heads to the Riverina in 2025

The regional NSW city of Griffith will host the 2025 Australian Citrus Congress, providing a practical environment for the exchange of knowledge and high-quality networking.

News

Incitec Pivot unveils upgraded facility

Incitec Pivot Fertilisers (IPF) has unveiled its newly upgraded fertiliser import and distribution facility at Portland in regional Victoria, following a $20 million investment in the site.

News

Special edition recognises history of Australian science

The colourful history of plant pathology in Australia since colonisation is the subject of special edition of Historical Records of Australian Science, edited by QAAFI’s Associate Professor Andrew Geering.

News

IFPA  focuses on sustainable future

The International Fresh Produce Association Australia-New Zealand (IFPA A-NZ) has assembled the exemplars of Australasia’s produce industry, to advance the supply chain’s conversation on sustainability at two key Sustainability Summits in Australia and New Zealand next week.