WHAT’S NEW
Integrating Biostimulants into avocado orchard management Just Avocados orchardists are being advised by technical manager, Erica Faber, to use BioStart’s biological range to ensure they have optimal biology in their orchards.
“I see less fungal and pest pressure, a more balanced tree and better overall health as a result of using their biological programme”, says Erica. She recommends Mycorrcin for good soil biology, Foliacin for foliar biofilm health, Digester for decomposing and recycling prunings, and Terracin for resilience against root disease. When Erica arrived in New Zealand five years ago and noticed this country was using a largely agri-chemical approach to avocado tree health, she saw an opportunity to incorporate a biological alternative to improve orchard health and productivity. A qualified horticulturist with 20 years’ experience, Erica specialised in avocados in 2002. In her current role she supports growers to implement programmes that give their trees the conditions and good health to sustainably produce quality fruit and consistent yields year-in and year-out. While Erica had been previously using an integrated biological approach in South Africa, she was very careful in her introduction of biological products into New Zealand. She is emphatic that biological products need to come from reputable companies and to be reliably scientifically trialled. BioStart is a New Zealand company whose biological range has been developed over 27 years using naturally occurring indigenous microbes, and their products have now been extensively trialled with growers. Erica’s approach to orchard management for top results is to encourage good soil biology, lift organic matter, ensure foliar health and use new pruning techniques that balance flowering and foliage. An overriding piece of advice she has for orchardists is to pay detailed attention to every aspect of their trees. “The more intuitive growers get with their orchard, the more they understand and can read the trees, and then the better they can manipulate their own programmes for good results.” Erica says BioStart’s soil biostimulant Mycorrcin “kicks off a microbial process that develops earlier and greater root mass so trees can glean more nutrients, which leads to faster establishment, better health and more consistent fruit production.”
Erica Faber and the Biostart team, Dr Jerome Demmer and Phil Carter, at a Just Avocados orchard management workshop
Her management practices ensure fast orchard establishment, good yield and quality, which has reduced biennial bearing, further indicating that the trees are in optimal health. Mycorrcin is based on fermentation extracts from the beneficial bacteria Pseudomonas putida, and works by activating specific beneficial soil microbes which speed up the plant’s root growth and establishment, leading to greater nutrient uptake. The BioStart decomposition enhancer Digester activates microbes in the soil to break down litter and mulch faster. Nutrients and organic matter are recycled back into the soil, improving nutrition and soil structure. BioStart’s foliar biostimulant Foliacin activates the microbes on plant foliage to lift photosynthesis by helping with green leaf retention, leading to greater photosynthesis and growth. Terracin contains the bacteria Bacillus amyloliquefaciens BS 1b which rebalances or resets soils, providing resilience against root disease. For more information visit biostart.co.nz Erica Faber is an independent technical consultant providing consulting to services to Just Avocados. The ORCHARDIST : AUGUST 2021 69
