Tree Crop August/September '26

Tree crop insights

Queen of health benefits

A high-antioxidant fruit created in Queensland could have the potential to boost human brain activity and scientists at The University of Queensland are keen to carry out further research.

Tree crop insights

Adapting to climate change

Climate change is altering crop yields but not to the same extent for all plants.

Tree crop insights

Benchmarking for almonds

As growers seek to make more informed decisions, a new statistics and benchmarking project is set to provide reliable data to support planning, forecasting and long-term growth for Australia's almond industry.

Tree crop insights

How is your MAP performing?

For Australian stone fruit growers and exporters, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) is more than just a plastic bag.

Cherries

Extending the shelf life of cherries

Fresh cherries have a high moisture content, which makes them highly perishable and limits their storage stability.

Cherries - Featured Crop

Exploring New Zealand’s cherry industry

A group of emerging Australian cherry leaders group headed across the Tasman in August, to explore New Zealand's cherry-growing region of Central Otago.

Tropical trees - Featured Crop

Millennials and Gen Z drive growth in organic banana category

Global demand for organic bananas is strong. Usually, in northern hemisphere markets, it slows down after the typical winter and early Q1 spike, but it has continued to remain elevated and the outlook is favorable.

Tropical trees - Featured Crop

Expansion boosts avocado industry

Australia’s largest avocado packing, marketing and export business has unveiled a $17 million expansion of its Manjimup facility, using robotics, artificial intelligence and automation to dramatically increase the amount of fruit it can process.

Tropical trees - Featured Crop

Scaling the art of ripening through a two-generation partnership

Ripening more than 75,000 boxes of bananas and 100,000 boxes of plantains per week requires precision, predictability and partners who can scale.

Tree crop insights

Fertiliser alternative for growers

As global agriculture faces an unprecedented combination of economic and environmental crises, a revolutionary Australian-made solution is answering some of the biggest talking points: soaring chemical costs driven by geopolitical conflict, the declining nutritional value of heavily fertilised food, and severe soil degradation.

Water supply & irrigation

Almonds and water use

The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast an El Niño spring, characterised by warmer ocean surface temperatures in the central Pacific, which can cause drier summers and warmer daytime temperatures.

News

Not all extra virgin olive oils are equal

The Australian Olive Association urges consumers to choose oils carrying the Certified Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil logo after recent retail testing highlights quality failures in many of the imported oils.

Disease & weed control

Macadamia grower transforms pest management

Management of Macadamia Farm Management’s orchards in the Bundaberg region, Queensland, relies on both chemistry and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to get the best results.

Disease & weed control

Prospr the next step in autonomous weed control

Croplands Equipment, in partnership with Yamaha Agriculture, has released a new herbicide spray attachment designed for seamless integration with Prospr, Yamaha Agriculture’s autonomous vehicle platform marking the next phase of automation in horticultural weed control.

Disease & weed control

Timing can make the difference in orchard pest management

In tree crop production, controlling pests is not simply about what you use – it is about when you use it.

News

Breakfast boardroom updates industry

Fresh produce leaders across Australia and New Zealand gained key economic insights into Asia, India and greater Hong Kong at a breakfast boardroom hosted by the International Fresh Produce Association of Australia-New Zealand (IFPA A-NZ) ahead of Asia Fruit Logistica.

News

Australian Citrus Congress hits Mildura for 2027

Following a sold-out Congress in Adelaide in 2026, Citrus Australia is introducing a new alternating format for its flagship industry event.

Products and services

Powering work between the rows

In tree crop production, the big jobs get the attention - spraying, irrigation, pruning, harvesting and crop protection. But it’s the hundreds of smaller jobs in between that keep an orchard running.

Products and services

Parka brings new layer of protection for Australian growers

Agreva Sustainable Agriculture is pleased to welcome Parka, an innovative crop cuticle supplement developed by Cultiva.

Products and services

Dimpling bug targeted by insecticide

Australian apple and pear growers have a new option for managing apple dimpling bug in pome fruit, following approval by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) of a label extension for Versys insecticide.

News

Records tumble at Asia Fruit Logistica

Asia Fruit Logistica concluded its 19th edition today in Hong Kong, underlining its status as the premier global trade platform for Asia's fresh produce business after three days of exhibitions, expert insights and networking at AsiaWorld-Expo.

Water supply & irrigation

Trunk sensors show when orchards are getting thirsty

A new Agriculture Victoria study is testing whether sensors mounted directly on the tree can give growers a clearer, continuous picture of plant water stress in almond, nectarine and pear orchards.

News

Hort leaders selected

An impressive group of 10 current and emerging leaders across the Australian horticulture industry have been selected for the inaugural Global Grower Leaders Program.

Cherries - Featured Crop

Unique product range for cherry growers

Cherry growers and their advisers are keenly aware their crops are among the most demanding of the summer fruits to produce.

Products and services

Managing russeting and fruit finish in apples and cherries

For apple and cherry growers, achieving a clean, uniform and attractive fruit finish is an important part of producing a crop that meets market expectations. While yield and fruit size remain fundamental to orchard performance, skin appearance can have a significant influence on pack-out, grading and market value

Products and services

Managing abiotic and biotic stress with Kendon Lime Sulphur

Every plant, whether a productive fruit tree or an ornamental shrub, carries a unique genetic code. A code which determines how tall it can grow, how much fruit it can bear, how resistant it can be to disease, and how well it responds to environmental changes.