Pest monitoring, spraying and fertiliser planning is contracted out. Remainder of work is completed by owners and one part time staff member.
Canopy management
Tree spaced 10m X 10m
Managed as individual trees
Max height of trees is 7m
Light interception is the priority when pruning, followed by increasing access for spraying and harvesting, structural tree balance removal of dead or diseased material and managing crop load.
Trees are structurally pruned once a year in winter. About 30% of the canopy is removed each year.
Crop load management in the form of flower or fruitlet pruning is not carried.
Soil and soil moisture management
Orchard is predominately sand.
Leaf litter and avocado pruning are used to mulch trees.
Soil moisture is not monitored. The orchard has not been irrigated for the last 2 years but was in previous 2 seasons.
Pollination
Zutano is used as a pollenizer at a percentage of 7-10%
A beekeeping business is run from the property. 11-14 honey bee hives per hectare are on the orchard at 1-5% flowering. Hives are located evenly through block. Hives are located in a central sunny spot within the orchard.
Soil and fertiliser application
Soil tests are carried out less than once a year in May. Leaf tests are carried out in May every year.
A consultant provides a fertiliser plan based on test results and crop loading.
The majority of fertiliser is applied by ground application but foliar application is also used.
Boron fertilisers are applied as ground application every year.
Calcium fertiliser is applied every year as a ground application.
Fertiliser in some form is applied 15 times a year.
Tree health management
Trees are injected once a year with phosphonate with root testing not carried out to check root concentrations. All trees are injected in autumn.
General management