Tree Crop News

Pome fruit - Harvesting

Apple thinning: a returning challenge!

Many of today’s most grown apple varieties need fruit thinning to obtain the right fruit bearing, desired fruit size, and to avoid biennial bearing.

Stone Fruit

Why peach stones split and what causes gum?

Peaches, like all stone fruit, grow in three stages. Understanding this can help you to understand the factors contributing to stone split and gum to exude from peaches, Bas van den Ende writes.

Stone Fruit

Highly anticipated NZ apricots set to launch

New Zealand’s summerfruit industry has established NZ Summerfresh Ltd to commercialise the first three new apricot cultivars released by Plant & Food Research after nearly two decades of research and development.

Stone Fruit

Non-destructive quality measuring in stone fruit

Measuring changes in stone fruit ripeness during fruit growth is an important step to help determine when growers need to harvest and guide them with their postharvest handling and marketing strategy.

Mangoes - Branching out

New mango comms manager

The Australian Mango Industry Association has welcomed a new communication manager. After the departure of Jessica Mitchell after six years of dedicated work, the AMIA has welcomed Gabby Taylor to take on the comms role.

News

New owners, same quality

After more than 10 years of ownership, Rural Business and Australian Tree Crop magazines have been sold by the owners of Ag Communication Solutions, John Forrest and Jeff Gilbert. The new owner is McPherson Media Group (MMG), an independent publishing group based in Shepparton, Victoria.

News

$6.4 million cool-climate hort project

Scientists are giving Aussie horticulture growers in cooler climates the opportunity to participate in a $6.4M research trial program to help industry adapt to climate change.

Branching out

Haifa’s new SA and NSW agronomist

Haifa Australia has welcomed the appointment of Sheri Robinson to the role of sales agronomist for the South Australia and the Riverina region in New South Wales.

Technology in agriculture

AI trialled for high-risk bug detection

Some of Australia’s brightest minds are collaborating to finalise a portable device that uses artificial intelligence to help biosecurity officers more quickly identify high-risk brown marmorated stink bugs (BMSB) on the frontline.

News

Warning over scams aimed at farmers

Farmers and small businesses in rural and regional areas are urged to be cautious, particularly when buying heavy machinery, following a spike in scams targeting the agricultural sector.

Mangoes - Technology in agriculture

Breakthrough in mango processing

New machine can peel, de-seed, and cut and dice fruit efficiently, with little waste.

Cherries - Pome fruit - Stone Fruit - Establishment & maintenance

Drapeau-Lehner 2D wall system advantages

An older tree architecture system is finding favour again with growers.

Cherries

Mapping cherry fruitlets to assist thinning

Camera mapping system a more efficient way to assess fruit load.

Cherries - Harvesting

Retractable rain and hail shelters save crops

Rain shelters aid cherry quality and production.

Macadamias - Spraying equipment & application - Technology in agriculture

Robots and autonomous vehicles combat worker shortage

'Reliability of machines far outweighs the reliability of people.'