Pollination, pruning and fertiliser planning is contracted out. Remainder of work is completed by owners.
Canopy management
Tree spaced 9m X 9m
Trees are managed as individuals
Max height of trees is 7m
The priority when pruning is light interception followed by structural tree balance, access for pickers and spraying, removal of dead and diseased material and management of crop load.
Structural pruning is carried out once a year in autumn (Late Feb – early Mar) and flower and fruit thinning is never carried out.
About 25% of the canopy is removed each year with pruning.
Soil and soil moisture management
Orchard is predominately clay loam with some clay areas that aren’t planted.
Leaf litter and avocado pruning are used to mulch trees.
Soil moisture is not monitored on the orchard. Irrigation decisions are made based on visual assessment of tree and recent and forecast weather.
The orchard is 100% irrigated with ground based micro sprinklers.
At peak summer it is common to irrigate for 6 hours per irrigation event twice a week using sprinklers with a 6m diameter that deliver 45l/hr (9.5mm per irrigation event)
Sprinkler heads are varied based on tree size, age and health. Some trees have 2 sprinkler heads and sick trees get extra mulch and have sprinkler clamped off.
Control valves have been checked in the last year and pipework is assessed on an ongoing basis including mainlines, sub-mains and laterals.
Pollination
Pollinizer species include Bacon, Zutano, Fuerte and Reed at a percentage of 1-5%
Honey bee hives are brought onto the orchard at about 1-5% flowering at a rate of 3-4 hives per hectare. Hives are located evenly through block.
Soil and fertiliser application
Soil and leaf tests are carried out once a year in April.
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 and foliar every year.
Calcium fertiliser is not applied.
Fertiliser in some form is applied 19 times a year.
Tree health management
Trees are injected once a year with phosphonate with no root testing conducted to verify root concentration.
