STEPS FOR SUCCESS WITH CHERRY FRUIT SET PAGE 2
CHRIS BINNS
SIGNALS POSITIVE CHANGE FOR HORT
PAGE 7
After starting in the rural retail business 25+ years ago with CRT, joining Farmlands has felt a little like a homecoming.
After those first few years with CRT, I spent some time with Wrightson before working for the last 22 years with Tasman Crop and Horticentre – and when the opportunity to join Farmlands and lead the Horticulture team was presented, it was a very easy decision to make.
Although I live in Motueka, I will be spending plenty of time out and about in all regions that have horticulture deeply ingrained within them.
Farmlands’ underlying mantra is to be the go-to for everyone connected to our land, so obviously horticulture is extremely important in this space. We have a dedicated team of Technical Advisors across the country, and my aim is to help grow our
knowledge and our reach across the regions. Our people, along with our Shareholder community, are obviously the backbone of Farmlands and my role is to try and enhance our capabilities to help deliver the best possible advice, support and product offering to meet customer needs now, and also what we may need in the future. I’m keen to help make sure that we have a sustainable business that will and can cater to whatever those needs become further down the track.
Our horticulture community has seen some very large challenges presented to it over the last few years and certainly even more so in the last twelve months, for a variety of differing reasons across all of our growing regions. Farmlands would like to wish you a successful year ahead, and I know our team will do everything they can to support and assist you as the new growing season creeps up on us all.
In this issue:
Multi-pronged attack provides benefits for grape growers
10
Long-lasting weed control for grapes, kiwifruit and hops
Protect kiwifruit by sending birds packing
Liquid black spot fungicide returns for apples
4 6 11
Controlling grass and broadleaf weeds in vineyards, orchards and hop gardens has several benefits. Eliminating weed competition helps crops achieve their full yield potential at harvest time, with the added advantage of removing habitat for potentially costly insect pests and disease pathogens.
In recent years, control has typically involved repeat applications of foliar knockdown herbicides, which only control weeds present at the time of application. Glyphosate is a good example of this type of chemistry. It has been widely used to stop weeds competing with crops for essential resources such as light, water and nutrients during the growing season.
Since the discovery of glyphosate-resistant ryegrass in Marlborough vineyards in 2012 however, many growers have become more focused on recognising the risk of herbicide resistance and implementing appropriate management strategies to slow its development.
A pre-emergence herbicide is now available which gives grape, kiwifruit and hop growers economic, longer-lasting weed control using different chemistry from knockdown herbicides.
Chateau®, from Nufarm, contains 500g/kg flumioxazin, a Group 14 herbicide which provides effective control of a wide range of key weeds.
Chateau forms a protective barrier on the soil surface which effectively prevents the emergence of a wide range of both grass and broadleaf annual and perennial weeds after their seeds germinate.
Weeds controlled at germination include many which are poorly controlled by some knockdown herbicides; for example mallows, tall willow herb and stinging nettle.
Chateau will not leach or volatalise, and poses no risk to soil health, including having no negative effects on earthworms and soil microorganisms.
When applied according to label instructions, it controls weeds for 4-8 months.
Paul Greenbank, Nufarm Territory Manager for Hawke’s Bay, says Chateau has a very wide weed spectrum and six years of testing in New Zealand have confirmed its crop safety, efficacy and season-long weed control.
“This is an important product for growers. The active ingredient in Chateau provides both an extremely effective alternative mode of action (MOA) for use in herbicide resistance management strategies, and control of an extremely wide range of key weeds.”
Safe and effective on a wide range of soil types, Chateau has the further benefit of coming in pre-packaged water soluble bags, so no weighing or handling is required. For best results, this new herbicide requires careful preparation, application and timing. For further information contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor.
Article supplied by Nufarm.
Protamin strikes a note with both conventional and organic growers.
With an ever-increasing focus for growers on nutrient budgets, soil preservation and environmental management, we see the farming industry moving toward more sustainable practices. This is primarily to accommodate the demands of an increasing world population and rising concern for environmental issues. Both conventional growing styles and organic crop management can benefit from having the ability to utilise sustainable nutritional inputs.
Over the last few decades, Biolchim Group began to recognise this trend and has been hard at work developing new technologies to support this shift in growing practices. Recently released within the New Zealand market, Protamin is being used both in horticultural and agricultural markets with increasing success.
Protamin is a highly nutritional and efficacious product with low environmental impact. This line of highlyinnovative products is notable for its efficiency, which is due to the slow release of nitrogen and other essential nutrients. The small dimensions of both granules and pellets and the flexible mode of application allow unrivalled efficiency in meeting the demands of every crop and pasture.
The biostimulant complex APR® (Proteic Activator of the Rhizosphere) acts on roots, soil and nutrient absorption.
The exclusive production process FCH® enables the organic components to remain unaltered and fully bio-available.
The complex carrier action of APR® and Protamin can increase root absorption and reduce nutrient losses.
PROTAMIN-line products can be distributed on the soil surface without burying because they can be solubilized even with low moisture levels.
Protamin can absorb water also at critical temperature conditions for soil biological activity, thus creating a favourable micro-environment for useful microorganisms, which help to make nutrients available to plants.
“ Protamin is a great option in our organic vineyard. We side-throw it under vine pre-budbreak and cultivate it in. I like the NPK product the best, as I have seen the results of using this product in preflower leaf samples.”
Ryan Fraser – Paritua Vineyard Orchard Manager (Hawkes Bay)
“ Best choice of high value N for our organic vineyard. And in a very manageable dry granular form.”
Andre Lategan – Amisfield Vineyards Vineyard Manager (Central Otago)
“ We now get a similar response to growth in the organic orchards when applying Protamin, compared to the inorganic products used in conventional orchards.”
Miguel Peterle – Whitehall Fruitpackers
Production and Harvest Manager (Waikato)
Protamin is available through Farmlands branches nationally in New Zealand.
For more technical information on Protamin and other Biolchim products contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor.
Proactive approach protects buds, leaves and shoots. Loss of flower buds and leaf and shoot damage through bird activity in spring can be catastrophic for kiwifruit growers - and it can happen very quickly.
UPL NZ Ltd Regional Sales Manager Upper North Island Pieter Van Der Westhuizen says prevention is the best approach.
He says new kiwifruit buds often appear at a time when birds have limited food resources, so birds will take advantage of this newly-emerging food source. “Birds are opportunistic feeders. Ultimately, if they pick off the buds, that’s all the growth for that year gone.”
This strips valuable growth and future yield from kiwifruit vines, resulting in financial losses to growers.
Pieter says in areas with high bird pressure, the consequences can be severe. He says vine location can also play a part, with blocks close to bird habitats such as native bush often especially vulnerable. “Damage is also usually highest near shelter-belts and other roosting sites.”
“What growers want is for the birds to leave the orchard and find something else to eat.”
He says Flock-Off™ is an effective but sustainable re-set for the birds’ feeding behaviour.
Flock-Off is a proven, non-toxic option to repel birds. It works by irritating the birds’ sense of taste and smell. But, Pieter says, birds are not harmed.
The active ingredient – methyl-anthranilate, which occurs naturally in a range of flowers and grapes - stimulates the trigeminal sensory system in the bird’s beak, eyes and throat. Although most animals possess these nerves, only birds react negatively to this product.
Birds exposed to Flock-Off rapidly develop a conditioned response to avoid treated crops. However, re-application is essential. Pieter explains when the resident bird population leaves the area, it creates space for new birds to populate it. “You need to deter new populations with repeat applications if needed.”
Typically, Flock-Off gives up to 1-2 weeks’ control, depending on weather conditions and vine growth. New growth is not protected, so re-application at 7 to 10 days may be required if bird pressure continues. Regular monitoring is also highly recommended.
Birds may be observed in the area for 24-48 hours after treatment but will then generally leave the area. New flocks entering the treated area within 10 days will move on once the population has been exposed to Flock-Off.
The level of Flock-Off repellence may vary, depending on species, but it has proven to be highly effective on the usual bird species found in kiwifruit orchards.
Ask your Farmlands Technical Advisor to tell you more about how Flock-Off might work in your kiwifruit orchard.
Approved pursuant to the HSNO Act 1996. Approval Code HSR101257. See www.epa.govt.nz for controls. Exempt from registration under the ACVM Act 1997.
Preparation is everything when it comes to optimising cherry fruit set this season with a plant growth regulator at flowering.
It’s not always needed for all trees, nor in all locations. However, as large-scale orchard development continues to expand into non-traditional growing areas, particularly in Central Otago, using a plant growth regulator to delay flower senescence for better pollination and fertilisation is becoming increasingly valuable.
And when weather conditions are not ideal for pollination, it can make a significant difference to yield. Likewise with certain cherry varieties, like Staccato and Skeena.
ReTain® is a naturally-occurring plant growth regulator which reduces ethylene production in plant tissue.
As soon as the cherry flower opens, the female part of the flower or ovule begins to senesce, and in some varieties, it is viable for a shorter time than others. ReTain effectively keeps the ovule alive for longer.
Delaying flower senescence also has significant benefits when variable weather during flowering affects bee activity. Bees are very sensitive to cold conditions and are not active if temperatures drop below 13°C.
ReTain has been registered for use with New Zealand cherries as a flowering spray since 2016.
One of the most important steps for success in using this technology to optimise fruit set is also one of the simplest
to achieve – order your ReTain early and make sure it’s on hand when the time comes to spray.
The application window is very short, and accurate timing is essential. With occasionally as little as 24 hours between ‘just right’ (30% flowering) and ‘too late’ (70% flowering), if you don’t have ReTain on orchard, ready to go, it’s easy to miss your opportunity.
Efficacy is reduced by late application, as most flowers are then past the stage where ReTain will have an impact.
Growers who use it successfully say they also keep a very close eye on development of their crops, so they know when the window is approaching.
For best results, Nufarm development manager Alan Cliffe recommends growers follow these guidelines:
• Monitor the development of blossom on trees closely.
• Aim to apply ReTain at 30% bloom. If conditions are unfavourable for spraying at 30% bloom, there is a short window out to 60% bloom for application to achieve successful results. Do not apply after full bloom.
• Apply ReTain alone – adjuvants are not recommended for blossom sprays.
Ask your Farmlands Technical Advisor for more information about ReTain.
Article supplied by Nufarm.
®ReTain is a registered Trademark of Valent BioSciences Corporation, IL, USA.
Spray drift can be caused and exacerbated by various factors including application speed, operating pressure, nozzle selection, boom height, proximity to crop, weather conditions and also by what is mixed into the spray tank. There are many reasons to mitigate spray drift, including applications near sensitive areas (e.g. public), to avoid potential off-target residues, crop effects (e.g. phytotoxicity) or potential contamination (e.g. water ways) and legal or industry mandated requirements - to ensure the active is on the target for optimal efficacy.
Squall® is a specific Drift Reducing Adjuvant, made from 100% biodegradable polymers. Squall® minimises driftable fines by producing a larger median droplet size. It also improves deposition, delivering more spray onto the target by reducing spray droplet bounce off the crop, with enhanced rain/irrigation fastness.
The polymers in Squall® increase the viscosity of the spray solution, to minimise the potential for smaller droplets to form as the spray solution exits the nozzle under pressure, in the presence of typical spray application conditions. Squall® also counteracts the negative effects that some products and tank-mixtures can have, which can lead to the production of small (driftable fine) droplets. The enhanced deposition onto the crop is particularly beneficial for harder to wet crops (e.g brassicas, onions etc.) combined with the improved rainfastness – further advancing results in-field.
Squall® can be used in all situations for the application of crop protection products to assist with drift mitigation, adherence to buffer zones, including those where the addition of a drift reducing adjuvant is a mandatory requirement. It can also be used for all application methods, irrespective of sprayer setups or nozzle types (including TeeJet and Air Inclusion, etc.). The use rate for Squall®, using high volume ground-based spray applications, is 0.5% (500 ml / 100 litres).
Squall® is tank mix compatible with a wide range of foliar fertilisers and crop protection products including insecticides, fungicides, herbicides and budbreak enhancers (e.g. hydrogen cyanamide and Advance Gold®), without impacting crop protection efficacy. Squall® may not be compatible with some OD (oil dispersion) formulations. Crop safety has also been demonstrated for a wide range of arable, pastoral and horticultural crops (including Kiwifruit, Grapes and Apples), and growing situations.
18% driftable fines (% by volume less than 100μ). 191μ median droplet size
5% driftable fines (% by volume less than 100μ). 266.7μ median droplet size
Contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor for further information on how to get the best out of Squall® or refer to arxada.co.nz/specialty/squall
Article supplied by Arxada.
SPRAY DRIFT BOOM SPRAY WITH SQUALLBiological crop protection solutions are playing an increasingly important part in crop protection systems, with their ever-improving efficacy and favourable environmental profile which includes minimal impact on beneficial insects and other organisms.
Entrust™ SC Naturalyte™
At the forefront of ‘biologicals’ is Corteva Agriscience which has invested in the development of biological products, including a ‘Biogro-certified’ Group-5 insecticide, Entrust™ SC Naturalyte™.
In the summer of 1982, a research scientist was taking a walk through an abandoned rum distillery in the Caribbean when he was struck by the ghostly, eerie silence in a climate where the resonant buzz of insect life drones 24 hours per day. The sudden quiet was deafening. Intrigued, he took some soil samples and discovered a unique, naturally occurring soil bacterium - Saccharopolyspora spinosa - which produces active metabolites, via fermentation, which give excellent control of certain insect pests.
After years of development and testing, Entrust™ SC Naturalyte™ was released, a product characterised by efficacy equivalent to synthetic insecticides, but with the safety and environmental toxicological benefits of biological insecticides. While it is Biogro-certified, it works alongside both conventional and organic vegetable and fruit production, delivering proven efficacy and sustainable productivity.
The active ingredient in Entrust SC Naturalyte is Qalcova™, which is active on several important insects, with a unique mode of action that is safe to many beneficial insects and which allows a great fit with Integrated Pest Management systems.
Contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor for more information.
Article supplied by Corteva.
• Bio-Gro Organic certification for use in both conventional and organic cropping systems
• Excellent safety, environmental and toxicological profiles
• Fast-acting with translaminar activity – pests stop feeding almost immediately after exposure
• Effectively controls eggs and all larval growth stages of caterpillars
• Works by contact and ingestion – two modes of entry for increased control
• Activity in all life stages including; egg, larvae and adults.
TARGET PESTS
• Cherry slug, diamondback moth, Kelly’s citrus thrips, thrips, leafroller, pear slug, potato tuber moth, tomato fruit-worm, white butterfly.
• Avocado, citrus, field tomato, grapes, kiwifruit, pipfruit, potato, stonefruit, fodder brassica, vegetable brassica.
Eliminating multiple pain-points for grape growers is the focus for sustainable solutions provider UPL NZ Ltd.
Northern South Island Regional Manager Pete de Jong says there are a lot of bases to cover - literally.
Sulphur has long been used as a low-cost safeguard against potentially disastrous powdery mildew and erinose mite. Pete says Microthiol® Disperss’s unique sulphur formulation applied with non-ionic adjuvant Ranger® takes it up a notch. “There are benefits in efficacy, reduced waste and ease-of-use.”
Applying Microthiol Disperss with Ranger substantially improves the outcome as UPL Adjuvant Product Manager David Lingan explains. “Generally, spray droplets tend to bounce off grape berries’ surfaces. You want the spray on the target, not on the ground. And you want to extract maximum value and reduce waste and drift.”
UPL’s independent trials found that adding Ranger to Microthiol Disperss improved overall disease control compared to using Microthiol Disperss alone. This is due to Ranger improving product spread and adhesion on the grape berries and leaves.
Microthiol Disperss is produced using a patented micronising process that ensures uniform hyper-dispersible granules. It goes into suspension quickly and completely, providing more consistent coverage and reduced phytotoxicity compared to traditional sulphur products.
The finely-ground French-sourced sulphur particles range in size from one to six microns with most particles at three microns. Traditional wettable powder sulphur products have particle sizes ranging from 40 to 100 microns with a
medium of 25, so there are eight times more particles in Microthiol Disperss than the standard, providing not only enhanced cover and protection of the leaf surface, but also adding additional benefits.
“No-one wants hold-ups with blockages in spray gear. Microthiol Disperss’s formulation dissolves quickly, so there are no issues.”
Added to the tank while the agitator is running, Microthiol Disperss is also easy to re-disperse if spraying is halted temporarily due to rain, lunch or smoko breaks.
Microthiol Disperss can be measured more accurately with virtually no dust. “It’s more precise, and more pleasant to work with. The packaging makes handling simpler with a paper tear-tab – no knives are required. That saves time and makes things safer and tidier.”
Pete recommends Microthiol Disperss with Ranger at the beginning of the season and then later with synthetic protectant fungicides. This helps extend their life and manage the ever-present risk of resistance.
“Many wine companies have a minimum tolerance for powdery mildew with maximum acceptable infection levels, which is a powerful motivator to effectively manage powdery mildew control and protect existing chemistry.”
Find out more about Microthiol Disperss from your Farmlands Technical Advisor.
Registered pursuant to the ACVM Act 1997, No. P004795. See www.foodsafety.govt.nz for registration conditions. Ranger – Exempt from registration under the ACVM Act 1997. Approved pursuant to the HSNO Act 1996, No. HSR000816, HSR002503. See www.epa.govt.nz for approval controls.
® Registered trademarks
After a break of three years, including 12 months of crop safety trials, a well-known protectant fungicide used for managing black spot in apples is once again available to New Zealand growers.
Nufarm Technical Specialist Andy Davis says the company could have re-launched Captan 600 Flo (Group M4) last season, after a change in manufacturing plant in 2020, but preferred to take no chances with fruit finish.
“There was no change to the formulation – it’s identical to what was available previously. But the product is being manufactured in a different Nufarm plant now, so we wanted to assess it ourselves for russet, because we know how important crop safety is to growers.”
So as a result, three trials1 were done during the 2021 growing season, in Nelson and Hawke’s Bay, comparing the ‘new’ Captan 600 Flo in its normal use pattern with a water-dispersible granule (WDG) formulation containing the same active ingredient as an industry standard.
Andy Davis says results from this work indicate Captan 600 Flo won’t cause fruit finish problems, and that growers have welcomed the company’s caution.
It’s a timely re-launch for the liquid fungicide, with recommended applications to guard against secondary infection in summer starting from the stage fruitlets develop their waxy layer, usually in early December.
“This is an important feature of using Captan for black spot in apples – it should not be applied before that layer is present,” Andy notes.
Captan 600 Flo contains 600 g/litre of captan in the form of a suspension concentrate (SC). It is labelled for control of glomerella, ripe spot and sooty blotch as well as black spot in both apples and pears.
The liquid formulation is easy to handle and measure, with no concerns about dust dispersal during mixing, Andy says.
Captan 600 Flo is compatible with most commonlyused pesticides. It should not be combined with Bordeaux mixture, lime sulphur, or oils. Its use with emulsifiable concentrates is not recommended.
Ask your Farmlands Technical Advisor for more information.
Article supplied by Nufarm. 1 Nufarm trials NUNZ2130, NUNZ2131, NUNZ2132.
The team at Grochem are a leading supplier of innovative, sustainable options for growers including plant nutrition, insecticides, fungicides and plant growth regulators. They share some tips on products that can help give your plants the best nutrition.
Bud-Wiser has been used and trusted in New Zealand for two decades as a pre-flowering nutritional supplement that contains essential elements for grape, summer fruit and kiwifruit crops, plus for post-harvest use in pipfruit. Now in addition to the boron, zinc and magnesium, we have added molybdenum.
Soil boron is often deficient coming into flowering and the situation is made worse where organic matter in the soil is low. A leaf petiole or blade tissue test less than 30ppm is considered deficient and can lead to poor pollen tube growth and therefore low fruitset. Boron is also important for sugar transportation later in the season. However, high boron levels that are too high can be toxic.
Zinc is one of those immobile elements within the plant so it can’t translocate to where it’s needed from storage. It’s also proven difficult for perennial plants to extract zinc from soil, so a foliar top-up pre-flowering is recommended to avoid clusters of low berry numbers in grapes.
Magnesium is a component of chlorophyll and mobile within the plant. Older tissue has the magnesium removed to supply new growth in times of shortfall.
Molybdenum is mobile within plants and must be present in sufficient amounts to enable nitrate reductase (Google it!). It’s also been found to be fundamental when it comes to fertilizing berries, mainly in red varieties.
Bud-Wiser provides all of these elements in a form easily metabolised by the plant to ensure these critical trace elements are not deficient at key times.
Kiwifruit
Kiwi Combo™
A balanced complex of essential nutrients, including trace elements for canopy, pollen tube development and fruit production.
A key role in kiwifruit nutrient management is magnesium, a fundamental nutrient in chlorophyll that enables leaves to absorb light through photosynthesis, improving canopy development and sizing kiwifruit.
Magnesium deficiencies in kiwifruit are not uncommon, and symptoms don’t usually show until mid-way through the season, when they will reduce plant performance.
Kiwi Combo™ is a highly-soluble form for early to midseason use, supporting canopy growth and fruit size. It can be mixed with other nutritional products, such as commonly-used insecticides and fungicides with the exception of copper fungicides.
Super Boron™
Boron is an essential trace element for flower formation, pollen tube growth and fruitset, so adequate levels are required prior to bloom. Boron also plays an important role in the movement of plant sugars and new cell formation in shoots and roots.
Key benefits of boron:
• Improves flowering
• Improves fruit set
• Gives better skin finish
• Reduces storage disorders
• Improves bud development
Super Boron™ is a highly-soluble micronutrient with added molybdenum for rapid correction of boron and molybdenum deficiencies. It can be mixed with commonlyused insecticide, fungicides, and nutritional products.
Super Boron™ can be applied in spring between tight cluster and pink-bud stage and/or post-harvest in conjunction with other foliar nutrients.
Contact your local Farmlands Technical Advisor for more information.
CAPTION: 1. SmithGS, 2. AsherCJ, & 3. ClarkCJ, 1987
Disease management in vineyards is critical for achieving optimal vine performance and yield.
In combination with recommended best-practice cultivation techniques, a range of crop protection inputs plays an important role in keeping crops clean, healthy and productive.
A well-planned and implemented fungicide programme protects vines and fruit from infection by fungal and bacterial diseases that can severely impact grape yield, quality, flavour and marketability.
Among the options for protecting your coming year’s crop are Prolectus® for botrytis and Digger® EW for powdery mildew.
Prolectus is based on fenpyrazamine, an active ingredient offering unique chemistry and properties which is able to block botrytis across various stages of its biological cycle.
Key attributes include excellent translaminar properties which deliver powerful curative and protective activity as well as offering excellent rain-fastness.
In fickle spring weather, these two attributes provide both extra reassurance and flexibility for growers, says Andy Davis, Nufarm technical specialist.
“Prolectus is primarily a protective fungicide treatment. But when the weather is unreliable, it’s helpful to have the added confidence of both kick-back, and rapid rain-fastness.”
Fenpyrazamine is a ‘Group 17 active’ which penetrates quickly into the crop to provide an immediate effect on botrytis infections.
Importantly, it is also safe in regard to a number of key beneficial insects used for biological pest control, including predatory mites and parasitic wasps.
Because fenpyrazamine acts at multiple points of the botrytis lifecycle, Prolectus is able to provide robust, effective disease control.
Digger EW is a broad-spectrum, systemic difenoconazole (Group 3) fungicide with preventative and curative activity against powdery mildew in grapes.
It penetrates grape tissue rapidly and controls disease by preventing the development of sterols in the cell wall of the fungus.
Andy Davis says the proprietary, oil-in-water formulation has shown no cross-resistance to other DMIs approved for powdery mildew control in grapes. Crop safety is excellent, and it produces no signs of leaf burn, berry russet or plant growth effects.
Digger EW has a withholding period on grapes of 56 days. Digger EW must be used in a preventative programme with fungicides that have a different mode of action against powdery mildew. As a resistance management strategy Digger EW must be applied in tank mixture with a multisite fungicide such as sulphur.
For further information contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor.
Article supplied by Nufarm.
®Prolectus is a registered trademark of SUMITOMO CHEMICAL Co., JAPAN.
®Digger is a registered trademark of Nufarm Australia Limited.
Held every four years and with New Zealand holding the hosting rights for 2023 the World Avocado Congress saw the bringing together of over 1160 delegates from 33 countries to discuss, share and learn about this global crop with 130 presentations over three days.
The theme for the year was “respect” – for the people, the environment and for the future and was apparent in how people engaged during the presentations and breaks.
What was also evident were the challenges that New Zealand growers faced, including supply chain issues, rising costs and reduced prices were repeated by the offshore delegates when they presented. However, despite the unbalanced headwinds of supply and demand that exist in the short-term, there were a number of positives presented by the scientific community about how avocados can be produced and adopted by the New Zealand grower.
Some of these include:
Fertiliser and tree nutrition: there now exists a ‘grey area’ between tree nutrition and the function of microbiological activity and what shapes this. Avocados can be grown in a manner that supports microbiological activity within the soil rhizosphere and can be managed through targeted application of nutrition for both tree and soil. Of interest were several presentations on Nitrogen, with how the timing of, and the resulting impact can affect microbiology activity. However, more importantly, were the activities aiding and enhancing soil health.
Tree density, spacing and canopy management: overseas findings indicated the desirability of high-density plantings, with a focus on pruning and the timing for this for canopy management to support increased yields, particularly in the South American countries of Chile and Brazil. This is an area which growers in New Zealand could benefit from and should look to investigate to balance the overall tree carbohydrate source and sinks.
Pollination and fruit set: What are the key drivers that can determine fruitlet abortion? The function of carbohydrate and auxin levels in the early fruit growth stage. How IAA levels during early fruit set can influence abortion and is there a role for bio stimulants during this phase.
The function of sustainability: environmental sustainability is becoming increasingly important and proof of this is demanded by our markets. What roles will technology play and at what level will this be adopted? There was also a strong push towards further research in this sphere and the provision of an overarching approach to the above-mentioned ideas.
Overall, the conference gave attendees confidence that the industry was in good shape to battle through the challenges. For those growers who missed the 2023 Congress and would like to attend, the next one will be held in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2027.
For further information contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor.
Article supplied by Farmlands.
