Tree Crop June/July 2024

Technology in orchards

Hort IQ provides latest data

In a hallmark move, Hort Innovation is opening access to the latest, most comprehensive Australian fruit, vegetable and nut consumer data available through a new platform – Hort IQ.

Products and services

Grochem’s tree crop range grows

Earlier this year, Grochem Australia regained the distribution of a suite of plant growth regulators and associated adjuvants.  These products were originally developed by Grochem over 15 years ago, and complement its range of insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, and pheromone-based products.

Almonds - Technology in orchards

Yield mapping helps almonds

This article reports on data collected in 2024 by two Ag-IQ Almond Yield Mappers fitted to two self-propelled harvesters. One on a commercial almond farm at Murtho, South Australia and the other on the Almond Board of Australia’s Almond Centre of Excellence (ACE).

Citrus

No shortage of fresh Australian juice

Peak industry body Citrus Australia has assured Australian consumers they will continue to have consistent access to orange juice made from locally-grown fruit.

Citrus

No shortage of fresh Australian juice

Peak industry body Citrus Australia has assured Australian consumers they will continue to have consistent access to orange juice made from locally-grown fruit.

Products and services

Watch it grow with Vayego

Adelaide Hills fruit grower Joe Ceravolo is a strong adopter of integrated pest management friendly insecticides and one of his latest moves to combat codling moth has brought the added bonus of weevil control.

Tree crop insights

Promising start to apple and pear season

Favourable growing conditions across most regions have contributed to a promising start to the 2024 season, with a good quality crop expected for both apples and pears, according to the Australian Apple and Pear Crop Estimate for 2024, completed annually by APAL.

Tree crop insights

Stoller Integrated Solutions help growers

A cohort of agronomists from across the Riverina, Sunraysia and Riverland recently took part in a tree crop walk and training day to learn more about issues facing local growers.

Establishment & maintenance

Taking a laser to light orchard distribution

By Liqi Han (University of Queensland) and Ian Goodwin and Mark O’Connell (Agriculture Victoria) The Narrow Orchard Systems for Future Climates project is a partnership between state agriculture agencies in Victoria, SA, WA and NSW, the University of Queensland, and Plant and Food Research NZ.

Bees and pollination

AgriFutures sets the stage for varroa fightback

In a critical juncture for the honeybee industry, AgriFutures Australia in partnership with the industry’s peak national representative body, the Australian Honey Bee Industry Council (AHBIC) is set to launch a suite of varroa mite (Varroa Destructor) focused resources.

Flower, Thinning & PGRs

Challanges with high density orchards

Matthew Cottrell is a citrus, wine and table grape grower in Nangiloc, Victoria. His family-owned business, Cottrell Farms, has 230 hectares of citrus orchards, including a range of early, mid, and late navels, as well as seeded Daisy and Tangold mandarins.

Know your pest

It’s an inside job

You have hidden enemies: the pests that work away inside plant tissue. These pests are not shy; they just choose to get inside because they can, the tucker is good… and because they have less trouble with predators (and growers). Ion Staunton*

Technology in orchards

Tech sparks hort expansion

The role technology will play in the expansion of the horticulture industry has been underlined by a series of innovations featured at Australia’s largest horticulture trade show, Hort Connections.

Mangoes - Featured Crop

Career change strikes gold at Evaldar

A Central Queensland couple who changed careers from mining and media to become mango growers have been named Honey Gold Grower of the Year by leading producer Piñata Farms.

Nuts - Featured Crop

Jurassic bunya nut makes its mark in 2024

In case you’ve never heard of it, the bunya nut is not just a culturally significant Australian nut – dating back to Jurassic times – it could have a big future thanks to University of Queensland-led research revealing its substantial health benefits.

Almonds - Nuts - Featured Crop

Neutrog’s work on almond rot

The Neutrog R&D team has been working in South Australia’s Century Orchards for a number of seasons to explore how biologicals can be used to improve production with a specific trial relating to the impact of Hull Rot.

Products and services

Do adjuvants boost herbicide efficacy?

By Cindy Benjamin, WeedSmart The old saying oils ain’t oils certainly holds when it comes to adjuvant products available to enhance the performance of herbicide actives and other agricultural chemicals.

Almonds - Nuts - Featured Crop - Fungicides

Strategic use of fungicide urged

There has been strong uptake of new alternative fungicides across the almond industry, however careful application has been urged to avoid resistance and maintain their long-term effectiveness.

Hort Connections

Excellence in hort awarded for 2024

Leading lights of the Australian horticulture industry have been recognised at the Horticulture Awards for Excellence 2024 at the Hort Connections Gala Dinner in June.

News

Corteva integrates Stoller to boost crop performance

Corteva Agriscience will integrate Stoller Australia into its domestic operation to scale and strengthen the development of sustainably focused solutions for Australian growers.

News

Unlocking health benefits of fresh produce

A groundbreaking $4.3 million collaboration with growers and scientists is spearheading a nutritional revolution and enticing Aussies to embrace the untapped health treasures available in fresh produce.

News

RIC receives global accolade

Australian Government farm business lender, RIC (Regional Investment Corporation) has been honoured with a global banking and finance award in recognition of achievements in innovation and transformation.

News

Pink Lady Decisions

It has been more than 10 years since Pink Lady America LLP filed an application before the European Union Intellectual Property Office for the "WILD PINK" wordmark in class 31, stirring a long-standing opposition by Apple and Pear Australia Limited (APAL) and its EU Licensee Star Fruits Diffusion SA, on the grounds of Article 8(1)(b) and 8(5) EUTMR, i.e. likelihood of confusion and breach of reputation with earlier PINK LADY marks (word and device).

News

Citrus industry stands firm against biosecurity levy

Citrus Australia chief executive Nathan Hancock has told grower members “as hard-working citrus growers, it goes without saying you want to see your money spent on projects and programs where progress can be tracked, and money is wisely invested”.

News - Sustainability

Nutrien  focuses on emissions

As the focus on sustainability continues to escalate, Australian agribusiness Nutrien Ag Solutions is helping farmers understand their emissions and on-farm opportunities.