Events

How can you reduce your orchard’s vulnerability to drought and other extreme weather conditions, and maximise the available crop?

Come along to hear how you can effectively plan for the 2020 season in order to maximise your productivity and profitability. Discussions will include:

• A range of information and experiences from leading growers about strategies and adaptations they are using to help cope with drought and other extreme weather conditions.
• Harvesting & dehusking a variable crop - What changes do we need to make to our harvesting operations as a result of our variable crop? How do we adapt our crop protection chemistry when we encounter dry or extreme conditions? What is the impact on tree health when we use Ethrel and other products in dry conditions? Macadamia physiology and nut quality expert Mark Penter (from South Africa) will outline the results of physiology trials that investigated the impact of plant growth regulators on the crop, particularly environmental parameters and use pattern for the application of Ethrel. Mark has completed extensive research on South African orchards during challenging climatic seasons and led numerous research trials to improve on-farm practices which directly impact kernel quality and post-harvest efficiency.
• Controlling pests that have become prevalent in dry conditions (NSW DPI) - How does our pest profile change in dry weather? Which pests are now more prevalent than ever before and how do we manage them?
• New weather forecasting tools (short and medium term) for growers (QDAF) - Hear about the BOM’s new suite of outlooks including weekly, fortnightly and three-monthly timescales. Find out how much above or below-average temperatures are likely to be in your region and the likelihood of productive rainfall in the season. 
• Impact of environmental conditions on our crop - The Benchmarking team have compared weather station data with production data in each region and will unveil the trends.
• Update on global supply, demand and how marketing is evolving for the future (General Manager Marketing Lynne Ziehlke) 
• Regional specific topics will also be covered at each event, providing a chance for growers to discuss current challenges and opportunities in an open forum. In Glass House Mountains, we will be discussing storm recovery and accessing drought subsidies.