2014 Australian Macadamia Society 40th Anniversary Industry Conference

1. Pest and Disease Management
Prepared by: Name…Chris Searle.
Title….Grower Liaison Suncoast Gold
Date….

2. Grower success story
Geoff Chivers

3. The
Geoff Chivers
Story
Building an integratedmanagement system

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Why Geoff Chivers?
 Manages 43ha - 14,000 tree orchard by himself – shed labour
 Averaged over 1.2 t/kernel/ha over last 4 years – up 1.6 t/k/ha
 Ranked number 8 in benchmarking for tons/kernel/ha last year
and number 3 for quality – bad year for tonnage
 Estimates cost of production around $1.00 per kilo NIS
 Nominated every year for State of Origin awards
 Either won or been in top three for quality at Suncoast Gold
 Chairman of Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers (>$400 m)
 Married to Narelle and they have two talented sons

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Background
 Moved from Melbourne to Bundaberg 1985 to grow stone fruit
 Planted first macs in 1989 – mix 344/660/741 – 50% of farm
 All on sprinklers at start
 Second planting 1992/93 A16 (30%) and A4 (20%) of farm
 Orchard mainly on 8x 4 but two blocks 7x 4
 Moved whole farm to drip irrigation in 1992 – first to do so
 Soils are primarily yellow and red podzolics - limiting growth
 Flat farm

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Components of Geoff’s success
 Balanced system – all components are intermeshed - can’t
remove/alter one element without having impact on all others
Component One – an open and receptive mind
 “Fortune favours the prepared mind”
 Good solid farming background - knows the importance of
doing things right and on time - working hard for success
 Open to new ideas – values research, other ideas and opinions
 Early adopter of ideas and techniques - not overcapitalised
 Key message – open mind, seeks expert advice and timeliness

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Component 2 – varietal mix
 Time management – one man 14,000 trees – 43 ha
 Mix of varieties- 50% of farm is 344/741/660 – early/mid
season droppers, 20% A4 mid dropper,30% A16 mid/late
 Longer work season but greater capacity to manage more trees
 Spreads pest and disease spraying windows- do job properly –
as has time to treat each group as individuals
 Spreads harvest window – only harvesting one third of farm
 Matches daily harvest intake with drying front – maximising
quality

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Component 3 - Nutrition
Fully automated system

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Component 3 - Nutrition
 Four leaf and soil tests per year – since 1999 - long history
 Seeks professional advice – constantly changing nutrient input
 Mainly fertigation- little and often suits poor low retention soils
 Fertigates every weekend – cheap power
 Maximises uptake/nut production without stimulating growth
 Applies approx 120 kg N, 180kg K, 5kg B and 250-500kg/ha/yr
micro-fine gypsum through drip – quality
 Recently moved to dunder – cheap K and C - 12,500 litres week
 KEY Message – testing and professional tailored advice

10. Component 4 - Irrigation
• Two 8 L/hr drippers/tree
• 2.5-3 ML/ha/yr very efficient
• Minimal maintenance (cost)
• Uses monitoring equipment
• Minimises –drainage
• Minimises loss low skirts/mulch
• Power bill < house bill
• Fertigates at weekend -off peak
• Bought farms to get water
• Irrigator of year in 2000
Key Message - Scheduling
• Importance of water

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Component 5 - Canopy and orchard floor
Low skirts
min water loss
cool roots
retains mulch
Canopy height max - 6m
Approx 90% row width
Good light distribution
Low productive canopy
Hedged and limb
removal
Carpet Grass
inter-row

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Building block 5 - Canopy and orchard floor
• Low skirts
• Retain mulch/organic matter –
imp water and nutrient retention
• Puts up mulch from inter-row
after harvest using combinator
• Mulches in-situ under tree
• Cool environment, good biology
• Keeps nuts dry during harvest
Key messages
•Manages canopy height
•Manages orchard floor

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Component 6 - Pest and disease control
 Real copy will go here
• Monitored weekly - experienced
external person
• 2-3 sprays for husk spot – starts match
head
• Banana caterpillar – blow out mulch/
mulch /put back with combinator
• Average only half the farm sprayed for
spotting bug. Uses perimeter spraying
• One full Bulldock for nut borer
Christmas another mid to late Jan
• Excellent coverage – uses air-shear
• Tower reaches to top of trees
Key Messages Monitoring and
excellent coverage

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Component 7 - Harvesting and drying
Matched system
Rate of harvesting equals
rate of drying front
Harvests at least every 3
weeks
Hasn’t over capitalised

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Component 7 - Harvesting and drying
 Uses old John Deere with modified nut nabber
 Changed to mid sized wheels and Admac dehusker – mid sized
wheels allow head to pass under low skirts
 Harvests around 3 tons per day – when dry
 Waits for nuts to dry in field following rain
 Gets round within 3 weeks during peak of season
 Nuts stay relatively dry - canopy structure/ drip irrigation
nuts don’t get hot and cold – slow in-field drying

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Component 7 - Harvesting and drying
Basic shed
equipment. Two
open topped 20 ton
silos - no back
pressure
• 50cm nuts/day
• Very large shed –
supplies warm air
Key messages
•Warm air
• Rate of harvesting
approx equal speed
of drying front
• Excellent drying
Primary sort on
way in
Quick secondary
sort on way out

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Sorting innovations
Shed labour used to
cost around $12,00
year
Now all done by Geoff
and son
Roller table with
shadowless LED light
Stands at end of table
Long time to see defect
nut
Head/eye movement
movements left to right
– more natural

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Intermeshing and balanced system
 Change rate of harvesting from three to six tonnes/day
 Require larger wheels, lift skirts, more water loss, more water
power/required, less canopy, allow trees to grow taller to
compensate, poorer coverage, more insect damage, nut intake
faster than dying front, not enough warm air in shed, poss
decline in quality - result poss income loss and higher costs
 When making adjustments in your operation ensure there not
an exercise in bottleneck shifting and don’t create additional
problems

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Summary
 One man running 40 ha (14,000 trees) orchard – however
inputs from multiple people
 Monitored – soil and leaf analyses, water, pests and diseases
 Allows for and seeks professional input and discussion
 Understands how production elements are related
 Manages all components equally – balanced system
 Spends money where necessary but doesn't over capitalise
 Not afraid of new ideas
 Very profitable farming operation - around $1.00 kg costs