Pollination, pest monitoring, spraying and fertiliser planning is contracted out. Remainder of work is completed by owners.
Canopy management
Tree spaced 8m X 8m
Trees are managed as rows
Max height of trees is 4-5m
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 twice a year in spring and autumn. Fruit thinning is carried out once a year.
Soil and soil moisture management
Orchard is predominately clay loam of volcanic origin.
Leaf litter and avocado pruning are used to mulch trees.
Soil moisture is not monitored on the orchard.
The orchard is 100% irrigated with ground based micro sprinklers.
At peak summer it is common to irrigate for 2 hours per irrigation event more than twice a week using sprinklers with a 4m diameter that deliver 30l/hr (4.8mm per irrigation event)
Sprinkler heads are varied based on tree size and age.
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 are unknown but are at a percentage of 7-10%
Honey bee hives are brought onto the orchard at about 1-5% flowering at a rate of 8-10 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 applied when deficient.
Fertiliser in some form is applied 16 times a year.
Tree health management
Trees are injected and have foliar application of phosphonate more than twice a year with no root testing conducted to verify root concentration.
