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SOUTH QUEENSLAND AVOCADO STUDY GROUP

Minutes from meeting at Ro Lu a h s orchard, 144c Keys Rd, Hampton 10 am till 4.30 pm, Thursday 1 December 2016

TAKE HOME MESSAGES A booklet to help you manage fruitspotting bug has recently been published and distributed.

Pruning to reduce tree height and open up the canopy for better light penetration will also assist

with spotting bug management.

Spotti g ug is p o e to fa ou i g hot spots a d likes to etu to old da age. Trap hedges are an effective way to monitor spotting bug numbers and dictate timing of sprays.

Keep a look out for pinhole borers and report their presence if you suspect you have them.

Be aware of the potential of damage at flowering from citrus blossom bug.

The S all T ee High P odu ti it I itiati e has the pote tial to deli e a u h ette u de sta di g of avocado growth and breakthroughs in productivity however it is premature to change orchard

practices based on the preliminary results.

Canopy management is all about better light penetration into the tree canopy and keeping trees to a

manageable size.

Sta t a op a age e t ea lie athe tha late a d do t e sh a out p u i g ha d. Prune every year as soon as you can after harvest and before flowering.

Completing harvest by the end of July and pruning straight after minimises alternate bearing and has

been a successful strategy for some growers in the area.

Take steps to avoid sunburn damage to newly exposed limbs.

Selective limb removal is becoming the favoured pruning practice.

Under tree mulching produces beneficial results.

Irrigating and fertilising often is producing good results.

'Whilst every care has been taken in preparing these minutes, the Department of Agriculture and

Fisheries (DAF) accepts no responsibility for decisions or actions taken as a result of any data,

information, statement or advice, expressed or implied, contained in these minutes. The views and

recommendations of the speakers are not necessarily endorsed or supported by DAF."

Part of the group participating in the farm walk

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Present (56)

Growers (46)

Steven & Alex Ashe & Carol Stevenson, Jim, Marian & Andy Bailey, Paul & Natasha Bartle, Anthony &

David Beutel & Jeff Dent, Daryl & Jackson Boardman & Marie Cousin & Pierre Couvreur, Terry Clark,

Judy Dover, Dennis & Lorraine Dugdell, Kate Erbacher & John Gillingham & Kaylea Paulger, Michael

Geraghty & colleague, Terry & Jan Holland, Ray Kensington, Bill & Kathy Kereczko, Greg & Jenny

Krenske, Robyn Lubach & Jim Riley & Richard Pennefather, Bill McMahon & Ben Shuttlewood, Bede

McKenzie, Graham Sanders, Allan Scott, Graeme Squires, Andrew Richmond & Nid Ritchareon, John

& Chris Tannock, Andy Veal & Ash Campbell,

Non-growers (10)

Anthony Allan (The Avolution), Ryan Baddock (ANZ), Jamie Exelby & Bruce Stark (Lindsay Rural),

Brian Forster (Nutritech), Astrid Hughes (Hort Innovation), Craig Maddox (NSW DPI), Simon Newett

& Peter Rigden (DAF), Sam Scalora (Barmac).

Apologies (8)

Michael Flynn, Ken Otte, Robert Price, Jenny Margetts.

AGENDA

10:00 am MORNING TEA

10:30 am Welcome & introductions – Simon Newett, DAF, Nambour 10:35 am Industry update – Daryl Boardman, Avocados Australia Ltd director, local grower &

packer

10:45 am Insect pest management including spotting bug – Craig Maddox, Entomologist, NSW DPI

11:15 am Small Tree High Productivity Initiative, 2016 yield results – Peter Rigden, DAF, Nambour

11:35 am Principles of canopy management - Peter Rigden or Simon Newett, DAF, Nambour,

Qld

12:05 pm The G eat Ca op Ma age e t De ate – the pros and cons of different systems including yours

12:45 pm Nutrient replacement – Simon Newett 1 pm LUNCH (kindly sponsored by Lindsay Rural in Gatton through Jamie Exelby)

1:45 pm Complete evaluation forms

1:50 pm Set the topic, venue and date for next meeting

2:00 pm Background of the orchard – Robyn Lubach 2:10 pm FARM WALK – focussing on canopy management and soil moisture 3:00 pm CHRISTMAS DRINKS & KEBABS (kindly sponsored by Redbank Plantation and Cool

Haul)

INDUSTRY UPDATE – Daryl Boardman The AAL AGM was held in November and produced two board member changes; Jim Carney has

taken over from Lachlan Donovan as one of the two board members for Central Queensland and

Dudley Mitchell has become one of the two board members for Western Australia.

The Hort Innovation Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP) (which replaces the IAC in the old

HAL organisation) has been elected and is operational. The avocado industry has $1.7 million

available to disperse into R, D and E projects and any ideas that members of the group have for

projects is welcome. Da l suggested iti g the o the a k of the field da s e aluatio sheets.

Export readiness is going to be an increasingly important issue over the next few years.

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INSECT PEST MANAGEMENT IN AVOCADO – Craig Maddox, NSW DPI Please refer to the presentation for more detail.

Fruitspotting bug (FSB)

A new publication called NSW DPI a age e t guide: Fruitspotti g bugs 6 has been dist i uted to all g o e s i a eas affe ted FSB ith the latest Talki g A o ados agazi e.

There are two FSB species that attack avocados in South Queensland, Amblypelta lutescens and

Amblypelta nitida. In the warmer areas of Far North Queensland A. lutescens is the only species.

As well as attacking fruit, FSB will also attack young shoots.

FSB prefer macadamias but they will move from macadamias to avocados when the macadamia nuts

become too hard for them to feed on.

Importance of canopy management for FSB control

Craig stressed the need to keep trees small and open (a) to make it easier to achieve good spray

coverage, and (b) because FSB prefer dense foliage. You can reduce FSB damage by around 10%

simply by appropriate canopy management.

Pest hot spots Craig emphasised that FSB will return to old stings. Previously damaged fruit is twice as likely to be

stung again later in the season compared with undamaged fruit. You can actually attract FSB to

where you want them by creating a hot spot because FSB comes back to where the old damage is.

Pheromone monitoring trap

The pheromone complex for attracting Amblypelta lutescens has been identified and lure traps for

monitoring this species are being developed and should be commercially available soon. These will

be of greatest use for growers in Far North Queensland for monitoring (not controlling) Amblypelta

lutescens where it is the only species. The advice is to locate these traps in hotspots because it will

work out too expensive to locate them throughout the orchard.

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The pheromone for Amblypelta nitida (the species more common in the southern production areas)

is yet to be worked out.

Beneficial insects

Anastatus is a tiny wasp that parasitises FSB eggs and is available from Bioresources

http://www.bioresources.com.au/ . However since FSB lays its eggs anywhere in the surrounding

vegetation and orchard and only lays the eggs singly the potential of Anastatus is limited. It is useful

as a general control to lower the level of FSB incidence but cannot significantly reduce numbers if a

high level of infestation exists.

Trap hedges

Trap hedges are a proven means of monitoring spotting bug numbers and predicting impending

flare-ups of spotting bugs in commercial crops. A trap hedge should contain 2 to 3 plants of Mock

orange (Murraya paniculata), 1 to 2 plants of Macadamia ternifolia and 1 longan tree. The volatile in

Murraya paniculata that attracts FSB is the same as the volatile in macadamia but in Murraya

paniculata it is about 100 times stronger. Macadamia ternifolia flowers one month before

commercial macadamia species. Longan fills the summer gap for these insects. (A native called

Ri o ood is a good host ut lo ga is ette .

This combination of the three host plant species will allow spotting bug to be monitored throughout

the year; however the plants must be kept small in order to be able to search them effectively.

Growers need to be able to identify the 5th instar stage of spotting bugs (see page 15 in the guide)

and once 30% or more of all spotting bugs found in the trap hedge are at the 5th stage instar then

invasion of the avocados is imminent and the avocados should be sprayed within 10 days. Trap

hedges should be inspected once per week, late morning is best in spring whilst late afternoon is

best in summer.

Craig Maddox and Ruth Huwer were able to reduce FSB damage to 0.01% by planting a trap hedge

and monitoring it in order to dictate timely sprays.

If anyone in the South Queensland region would like to establish a trap hedge please contact Craig

at: craig.maddox@dpi.nsw.gov.au

Existing insecticides registered for use against spotting bug

1. Trichlorfon (e.g. Dipterex, Lepidex) – important to keep pH of tank mix below 6.5 because if it is alkaline then the half-life of the active ingredient is significantly shorter.

2. Beta-cyfluthrin (e.g. Bulldock) – is effective but because it is a broad spectrum insecticide it will kill beneficial insects often resulting in a flare up of pests such as scale insects and mites

3. Methidathion (e.g. Suprathion) – is also a broad spectrum and will have the same effect on beneficials as beta-cyfluthrin.

If spraying is required during flowering then the better one to use to minimise bee death is

trichlorfon.

Possible new insecticides

Applications for registration have been made for two new insecticides:

Transform® – Dow AgriSciences Active ingredient sulfoxaflor Residue trials recently completed

http://www.bioresources.com.au/mailto:craig.maddox@dpi.nsw.gov.au

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Toxic to bees on direct contact Two week residual action Effective against sap feeding insects

Trivor® - Adama

Two active ingredients: o Acetamiprid - knockdown o Pyriproxyfen – insect growth regulator

Residue trials completed Efficacy trails completed Rates to be determined Effective against sucking insects, scales etc

These two insecticides have different modes of action which is good and, if registered, should be

used in rotation in order to reduce chances of resistance developing. If registration applications are

successful they may be approved for use some time in 2017. They must not be used until registration

has been granted.

Organic options

Se o X hi h is ade f o a e t a t f o a pla t alled Butte fl pea has so e effe t o su ki g insects (like FSB).

A atu al p eth u p odu t alled P ga i is also a aila le ho e e e a a e that ei g a pyrethrum it is broad spectrum and will kill all insects including beneficial ones, also, natural

pyrethrums are broken down very quickly by UV light.

Telling the difference between Fruitspotting Bug and Queensland Fruit Fly damage (QFF)

This is described on pages 140 and 151 in the Problem Solver Field Guide. The main difference is that

QFF damage is much shallower than FSB damage.

Typically QFF is monitored using traps such as CueLure and if numbers reach certain threshold levels

coarse bait sprays are applied to the lower foliage of the avocado trees.

Trunk borers/Pinhole borers/Ambrosia beetle/Euwallacea

These are tiny species of beetles (about 2mm long) that have a symbiotic relationship with specific

species of fungi that grow on timber. The beetles are usually attracted to stressed or dying trees,

bore into them and inoculate the timber with the fungi. They then lay their eggs in the excavated

tunnels and when the larvae hatch out the feed o the fu gal ga de s that de elop i the ood after inoculation. The concern is that some of these beetles are also attacking healthy trees.

A very damaging species in Florida is causing Laurel Wilt which is killing native laurel species and

avocado. Another species is causing losses in California and Israel. There is some activity in North

Queensland of a related species and some cases have been recorded on the Sunshine Coast.

It is something to look out for and report if you suspect it. Symptoms include tiny holes about 1mm

in diameter bored into trunks and branches with tell-tale fine sawdust showing at the entrance of

these holes. Sudden wilting and death of branches (a similar symptom to Phellinus noxius) can occur.

One grower reported the appearance of these pinhole borers in a tree after it was struck by lightning

then the beetles moved to adjoining trees too.

For further information see APPENDIX 2: AMBROSIA BEETLE INFORMATION SHEET

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Citrus blossom bug

In recent years citrus blossom bug has emerged as a serious pest in Central NSW. The nymphal stage

feeds on avocado flower buds and flowers and their feeding also causes a toxic reaction in the

flowers thus destroying them. Adults lay their eggs in the young soft tissue of flower panicles which

in itself also damages the flowers. Crop failure can result from attack by these insects.

Photos by Sandra Hardy, NSW DPI

Trichlorfon will control citrus blossom bug but it needs to be applied at or just before flowering time

and it is toxic to bees. Hives need to be closed up if a spray is necessary. Spraying at night will reduce

bee death.

Ivy leaf roller

These can be an issue in the cooler regions of South Queensland. The trick to controlling leaf rollers

is to spray when larvae are laying eggs or when larvae are very young. Prodigy® is a good soft option

spray. Phytodietus sp. is an effective parasite. Robyn mentioned that she had some Ivy Leaf Roller

some weeks ago but not enough to warrant spraying.

Adult citrus blossom bug with the distinct

green to yellow heart on its back, however it

is the nymphs that does the most damage

Damage to flower buds inflicted by citrus blossom bug

nymphs.

Nymphs of the citrus blossom bug, this is the stage that does the damage to avocado flowers

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Other fruit flies

There is a suspicion that there are some other species of fruit fly, other than QFF, in Central NSW

and perhaps Queensland too. These may be Java fruit fly, the Lesser Queensland fruit fly or another

species. Cue Lure and Zingerone are two pheromones that are being used to try and attract these

flies so they may caught and identified.

Rutherglen bug

Large swarms can do significant chewing damage to plant tissue, especially new growth. In small

numbers they are not a problem.

Lace bugs

These are a pest in macadamias but do not affect avocados.

SMALL TREE HIGH PRODUCTIVITY INITIATIVE – Peter Rigden, DAF, video prepared by John Wilkie Please refer to the presentation for more detail.

A pre-recorded presentation prepared by the project leader John Wilkie was played. It provided

background to the project and also presented results of the first harvest from the planting systems

density trial at Bundaberg.

Yields in avocado, macadamia and mango have been stagnant for many years in Australia. The

project was inspired by the breakthroughs achieved in the apple industry which has seen trees

bearing earlier and yields more than triple. The project has a team of about 30 scientists conducting

research on these three crops into planting density, tree architecture, canopy management and

molecular biology (genetics). The avocado planting systems trial at Bundaberg is one part of the

project.

In the trial at Bundaberg avocados are being grown on two different rootstocks, Velvick and Ashdot,

at three different densities, 222, 555 and 1111 trees per hectare. Two years after planting they

yielded 1.6, 1.8 and 7.3 t/ha respectively. The trees on the Ashdot rootstock were smaller than those

on Velvick. Please refer to the presentation for more information.

Some questions arising from the presentation:

1. To skirt or not to skirt? (Terry Holland) It depends on your situation.

Advantages of skirting:

Allows better ventilation of the canopy which potentially reduces anthracnose infection. Less likelihood of branches interfering with under-tree sprinklers and their wetted pattern.

Disadvantages:

Less shading of root area means it will be more exposed to the sun and wind which is a disadvantage under hot, dry conditions. Micro-climate around root system is largely lost.

Leaf mulch over root area likely to be blown away by wind.

2. Is the trial team keeping records of costs? (Daryl Boardman) A basic record of inputs for the various management systems has been maintained but these inputs

reflect the fact that the work has been carried out on an experimental not commercial basis. A full

cost analysis of the different production systems is being considered for inclusion in the next phase

of the research which is currently under consideration and will begin in 2018.

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3. What height will the trees be kept at? (Terry Clarke) The maximum tree height will be 4 metres.

PRINCIPLES OF CANOPY MANAGEMENT – Peter Rigden Please refer to the presentation for more detail.

This presentation focussed on the theoretical and practical considerations of managing avocado

canopies and outlined some different options and their merits.

THE GREAT CANOPY MANAGEMENT DEBATE – all A facilitated discussion was held using the following headings as topics.

Development of tree shape in newly planted trees - complex or single leader?

Most pinch the tips out of the young tree – one reason given was that it helps control tree height; another said that developing a spreading tree helps with the selective limb removal approach of

canopy management.

No grower present tries to develop the single leader architecture. Varieties such as Reed, Lamb Hass

and Maluma have a natural single leader and lend themselves to this approach but one grower of

Lamb Hass even pinches the tips out of this variety as well.

Low density spacing vs. conventional spacing vs high density

In the South Queensland region land is usually not the main limiting factor so growers tend to plant

at a fairly low density. The greatest limiting factor in this area is usually the availability of water.

Examples of tree spacing (metres) used by growers present are:

7 x 7, 9 x 9, 10 x 5, 10 x 6, 10 x 8, 10 x 10, 12 x 3.5 (offset)

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One grower, from Mt Tamborine, plants at 5 x 5m spacing, the reason is because he has limited land

available, he has to prune often.

When to start pruning?

Growers present start pruning at between 4 years to 6 years.

One grower is about to start on 20+ year old trees that have never been pruned. In some trial

pruning he had taken some trees taken down to 4m but now thinks he will go lower.

One grower took 14m high trees down to 2m using an excavator-mounted forestry mulcher. This

system was able to do 10 – 15 trees per hour, and cost $220/hour. This works out to be $15 to $22/tree. It produces coarse mulch. Follow up with a chainsaw is required to tidy up. All trees were

done by 1st September. They are cropping well now and are being kept at 4 metres. Cooler

conditions result in less regrowth in South Queensland compared with Central Queensland.

Note: large old trees generally produce smaller fruit and because they are difficult to spray

(especially the tops of the trees) usually have worse damage from fruitspotting bug and from

anthracnose fruit rot. Another grower has, in some cases removed big old overgrown trees and

taken the opportunity to re-design the blocks, mound, choose better rootstocks and re-plant. Fruit

from young trees is generally better than from old, overgrown trees.

Staghorning

Staghorned trees need pruning 12 months later to thin and manage regrowth. There was a question

about managing the coppice of shoots that appears after staghorning. Initial hand stripping to leave

the shoots that are strongly attached and are in desirable positions has been found to be quick and

effective by some growers. However it is best to leave some extra ones present to allow for losses

since they break off easily when young.

In over-grown trees major limb removal over a period of about 3 years was generally considered a

better option than staghorning by most growers.

Robyn Lubach pointing out canopy management practices

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Hedgerow vs. individual tree?

Everyone present grows trees in hedgerows. One grower has trees spaced 12 x 12m but still

manages them as a hedgerow.

Mechanical hedging vs. selective limb removal?

Only two growers present use mechanical saws and they follow with chainsaws to tidy up. Generally

mechanical saws can manage branches up to a maximum of 100mm in diameter.

Dealing with prunings

A 64 HP chipper is used by some to deal with cut branches. The mulch is used under the trees.

Some growers contract a forestry mulcher to drive down the interow mulching pruned branches

deposited in the interow. These vary in size and can cost between $160 and $500/hour. A grower

said that the larger one was able to process the prunings from 900 trees in 4 days. This worked out

to cost $18/tree. In both examples growers needed to follow up with their own mulcher to reduce

the size of the wood chips.

Robyn said it took her team 21.5 man days to conduct selective limb removal pruning on 400 trees

that were 8m tall. This was followed by chipping into a stockpile and then spreading the chips as

mulch under the trees. It cost $12/tree which included the savings on not having to bring in mulch

hay.

What time(s) of year to prune?

To reduce the chances of alternate bearing growers have found it best to undertake major pruning

straight after harvest. Robyn likes to finish harvesting by 31st July, and the pruning begins

immediately after harvest.

Wood chips derived from prunings spread as mulch

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In recent years growers have found that leaving fruit to hang for a late harvest in the expectation of

better prices is not as lucrative as perhaps it used to be and it also leads to alternate bearing.

On trees with no fruit, limb removal can be carried out between Christmas and the start of the next

harvest and this should also be prior to flowering. Remember to apply sunburn protection measures

if needed. If it is possible to wait until autumn when temperatures are cooler the amount of re-

growth will be less.

Mulch

Many hardwood materials contain chemicals that are toxic to avocado trees, however hardwood

chip is OK to use as long as it is allowed to stand in low heaps for 1 to 2 years to allow the harmful

material to either leach out through rainfall or irrigation and/or breakdown (until no scum/oil is in

the water that percolates through the heap). This process will take place more rapidly in a warm,

wet environment.

A question was asked about the suitability of Cypress pine as mulch under avocado trees. No

information has been found to answer this question so until specific information can be found it is

advised that you treat this material as if it was a hardwood, that is, allow it to age (described above)

before placing it under avocado trees.

Use of PGRs vs no PGRs

One grower who uses PGRs mainly to improve fruit shape says that it does have some effect on

edu i g a op leaf igou ot e su essfull .

FARM WALK

Robyn Lubach gave a comprehensive briefing on the orchard before we headed into the field.

The orchard was developed in partnership ith Ro s othe -in-law Brian and first planted in 1986. Robyn took complete ownership of the orchard in 2008 and has also planted land on the other

side of the New England Highway. There are now a total of 2,500 trees. The youngest block of

avocados was established in 1998, however about 140 replant trees have been established in the

last two months.

The soil is a good volcanic red krasnozem apart from a gravelly patch in the furthest block. The trees

all a e f o A de so s Nu se a d a e o a mixture of Guatemalan rootstocks.

Irrigation and nutrition

Irrigation water comes from a bore on the property and also from a large deep bore operated by the

Ha pto I igato S he e . The i igate e e da a d uite hea il . Thei sp i kle s deli er 95 L/hr, some trees have one sprinkler whilst others have two. Right now trees are irrigated for two

hours per night and every second day although the trees on the gravelly soil are irrigated every night

and day. Robyn said that irrigation is the most important thing they put on. Soil moisture is

monitored by Enviroscan probes and also by using a small soil auger under the tree to directly assess

soil moisture. Information from the Enviroscans can be accessed by computer and smart phone.

Robyn outlined how irrigation and nutrition practices have evolved. Twenty five years ago they used

to irrigate just once a week, then they applied one long irrigation per day, now it is one or more

relatively short irrigations per day. Eight years ago they used to apply fertilise once per month, now

they fertigate every week.

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Insect pests

One of the insect pests they have here is the planthopper. It sits on the fruit stem and excretes onto

the fruit which leads to sooty mould developing on the fruit skin. There are definite hot spots where these pests are common. They are controlled by Lepidex or Bulldock.

Harvest, yields and quality

Harvest commences in June and they try to finish by the latest on 31 August. This earlier harvesting

is o ki g. The philosoph is o to get the o e i the a k . The ea lie the ha est the less chance of alternate bearing developing.

In 2015 the average yield was 19 t/ha from the producing areas.

% e e P e iu g ade a d % Fi st g ade. % e e ou t a d % ou t .

In 2016 the average yield was 22.2 t/ha. The highest yield was 34 t/ha.

% e e P e iu g ade a d % Fi st g ade. % e e ou t a d % ou t .

They are expecting lower yields in 2017.

Canopy management

The ha e stu ped t ees i the past ut Ro does t like ha i g to do it e ause it takes o years after stumping to get a crop again. Overgrown 10m tall trees were stumped in the past and a

block affected by inundation and a flying fox colony were also stumped some years ago.

The preferred canopy management practice is selective limb removal and this is commenced

immediately after harvest. The tallest limb is removed and perhaps another. It results in good fruit in

the rest of the tree.

Mulching

Trees have been mulched annually for the last three years at Hampton and for the last five years on

the Gatton orchard. Mulch hay is grown on the Gatton property and made into large round bales.

They have a tractor drawn implement which teases the hay off the round bale and throws it under

the trees. Benefits include water savings, soil and tree health.

Tree injection

The main injection is carried out in late June using a team of three people who share the jobs of

drilling holes, filling syringes and injecting.

Frost

Some parts of the orchard are susceptible to frost. During this past winter they recorded three frosts

with temperatures down to -1.7, -2.3 and -0.7°C. On the coldest nights the trees were successfully

protected from damage by running the irrigation sprinklers to raise the air temperature, however on

the -0.7°C night the sprinklers were not run and a small number of trees were damaged.

Robyn is using Lisa Martin as her horticulturist.

Farm walk itself

The first stop was to look at some trees that had been opened up for better light penetration. As the

newly exposed side was on the western aspect white paint had been applied to protect them from

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sunburn. Some old sunburn damage from several years ago was visible where pruning was done late

in the year and protection had not been applied.

Jim Riley demonstrated how Lisa Martin has trained them to inspect soil moisture on a daily basis

using an electric drill mounted auger. Trees are mulched annually with hay or avocado wood chips.

Lisa Martin reckons that due to its inefficient root system the avocado tree probably only picks up

about 50% of fertiliser applied. Forecasts of rain are taken into account when planning fertiliser

applications to ensure that the leaching of applied nutrients beyond the root zone is minimised.

Recent heavily pruned trees protected from sunburn with white paint (left). Old sunburn damage (right)

Jim Riley demonstrating the direct method used for assessing soil moisture. A healthy soil and

root system is very important for avocados. Good mulch improves organic matter and

promotes healthy feeder roots. Hay and wood chips augment the natural mulch of leaf fall.

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The second stop was at a block where the trees had reached 10m in height, the trees were topped

to a height of 5 to 6m in September 2015 and the result has been great with fruit lower down now.

The next block visited were trees that had been stumped in 2012. These trees have grown away

vigorously to the point where they are starting to crowd the interows again with the result that the

interow sward has died out. Trees are being pruned to allow better light penetration into the

interow and an irrigation line has also been installed down the centre of the interow for the grass.

Mowing practices have been changed to allow the interow sward to grow longer and flower in order

to encourage beneficial insects, only one side of the interow is mowed at a time and they are also

trying to avoid using Roundup.

Robyn explaining how these trees have

responded well after the height was reduced

from 10m down to 5 or 6m in September

2015. Crop has now set low down.

This block of trees was stumped in 2012.

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RESOURCES MADE AVAILABLE ON THE DAY

Ma age ph tophtho a oot ot poste - Newett & Rigden, Qld DAF Permit 14813 which allows foliar application of phosphorous acid at 0.5% F uitspotti g ug booklet NSW DPI Ca op a age e t guideli es fo a o ados i Aust alia – John Leonardi, AAL Bo o appli atio ate o ksheet – Newett & Rigden, Qld DAF List of currently registered pesticides for avocado

NEXT MEETING SUGGESTIONS

Suggested future field day topics Number of votes

All aspects of mulching e.g. materials, timing, toxic timbers etc 26

WH&S including electrical hazards, elevated work platforms 23

Preparing ground for planting (incl. mounds), planting & early care of trees 20

Export readiness, e.g. what is needed for fruit fly, pesticide residues, post-

harvest care including cool chain temperatures etc

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Remote sensing technology including drones, satellites etc 13

Phytophthora root rot control, especially injecting 12

Irrigation including scheduling 5

Best time of year:

1. May 2. Late November/early December

Extra irrigation line installed to promote interow sward growth. An example of a tree pruned by

selective limb removal to allow better light penetration into the canopy.

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CHRISTMAS CHEER

The day concluded with a Christmas drink and kebabs kindly provided by Cool Haul and Redbank

Plantations.

APPENDICES (available on Best Practices Resource)

I. Results from feedback sheets (attached to these minutes) II. Ambrosia beetle information sheet – Kaila Ridgway (attached to these minutes)

III. Insect pest management – Craig Maddox IV. Small tree high productivity initiative – John Wilkie V. Canopy management principles – Peter Rigden

VI. Nutrient replacement approach – Simon Newett

Simon Newett and Peter Rigden

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Very many thanks to Robyn Lubach and her team of Jim Riley and Richard Pennefather for hosting

the day. Thanks also to Craig Maddox for travelling up from NSW to talk to us about insect

management, to Jamie Axelby from Lindsay Rural in Gatton for helping to sponsor the lunch and to

CoolHaul and Redbank Plantations for providing the drinks and kebabs respectively after the field

day.

The project (AV14000) that puts on these workshops is co-funded by Hort Innovation using the

avocado levy and matched funds from the Australian Government. The Queensland Government has

also co-funded the project through the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

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APPENDIX I: GROWER FEEDBACK ON EVALUATION SHEETS

The feedback sheets are designed to collect ideas that will help us improve future study group

meetings.

1. Please circle which category of attendee you belong to?

Commercial avocado grower 28

Agricultural supplier 2

Nursery 1

2. Please circle which of the presentations were of most interest to you? (Circle more than

one if you wish)

Insect pest management including spotting bug 21 The G eat Ca op Ma age e t De ate 16 Principles of canopy management 14 Small Tree High Productivity Initiative 14 Nutrient replacement 12 Industry update 7

3. How useful did you find this workshop?

NOT USEFUL 0

FAIRLY USEFUL 2

USEFUL 6

VERY USEFUL 18

EXTREMELY USEFUL 4

4. Did you feel able to participate? Please circle most appropriate description.

NO 1

YES (SOME CHANCES) 10

YES (MANY CHANCES) 18

5. Have you established new contacts today and/or had beneficial discussions with others?

YES 28

NO 1

6. Have you learnt something new about avocado production today?

YES 27

NO 2

7. Do you intend making changes to any aspects of your business as a result of

attending/participating in today’s activity?

YES 18

NO 11

18

If yes briefly describe:

Insect monitoring

Trap hedge management for spotting bug

Bug Spray

Pest management

Spraying

Use more insect monitoring devices

Pruning

I will re-evaluate our canopy management strategy

Pruning changes

Found the pruning topic interesting

Timely advice on pruning old trees and how to handle some new trees that we have planned

Pruning and staghorning the trees

Pruning and staghorning trees

Checking trees more at flowering

Cut trees smaller

Pruning techniques and spotting bug management

More pruning and spotting bug control Enforces what we are doing

I want to investigate fertiliser timings and quantities for my clients

8. In running the day, what could we do better?

Nothing x5

Nothing – very well run.

All good x2

Keep up the good work.

Perfect.

Very good day.

19

Good speeches and you did not overload it.

Presentations were good quality without overload to absorb information.

I was happy about all aspects.

Ask people to write down their most important question and answer them during the day to include the silent participants.

Air conditioning.

8. Any other comments:

More workshops

As usual very informative - always information to take home and Q & A very helpful and easy to access information.

Would like to see more adverts on the TV with children eating avos.

As always very professional, very helpful.

Keep regular field days.

Thank you for a great day, it was fun.

Well run and informative - good to network.

Nice location with relaxed atmosphere.

Industry should continue these types of events.

All good.

Next topic: Use of phos acid and getting export ready.

Growers were also asked to jot down any ideas they had for avocado research:

More canopy management

Export initiatives and protocols

Keep field days going

Field days/workshops

Soil health

Green mulch crops interow

Pest control issues

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APPENDIX II: AMBROSIA BEETLE INFORMATION SHEET

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