Soil moisture management field day: Houhora, 29 November 2023

NZ Avocado invites you to join us for a field day on Wednesday 29 November 2023 from 1.00pm – 3.00pm at Hukatere Orchard Limited, 86 Hukatere Rd, Houhora. The orchard is managed by Just Avocados.

Like many orchards in the region, trees on the property are showing signs of water stress as a result of the heavy rainfall. Additional drainage is being considered and we are trying to get an external drainage expert to attend the field day to join discussions. As we look ahead into a potentially dry summer the value of soil moisture monitoring will be discussed along with some of the commercial options out there.

Field day topics will include

• Orchard walk with discussion about drainage.
• Soil moisture management and value of management options.
• The financial benefit of crop load management to improve consistency of production and fruit size.
• Discussion on the benefit of tree height reduction.
• Influence of soil moisture on fruit size with importance of early fruit development.
• Attending growers will be encouraged to share their own experiences of crop load management and beneficial spring orchard management practices.