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MacAlert June 2026

2026 | Grieve E, Kojetin L, Long E | Research report/Update

Key messages this month include:
Peak pest and disease monitoring and control period is approaching so start the discussion with your pest consultant about the season ahead
Watch out for flower blights and the newly classified rachis tip dieback
If your region is frost prone, keep up to date with risk factors and mitigation inputs
Boron is required for flower and nut development - decide on either ground or foliar application
Have you ordered organic material to be applied after harvest? The sooner it's on the orchard floor, the great the benefit for the season ahead
Profiling is best done in drier months
Are you ready for spraying?
Ensure staff have valid chemical application certifications
Make sure to have a pollination plan
Join the July 2026 MacGroups to hear the latest industry updates on disease prediction, successful pollination, hive standards and new cultivars.

AMS News Bulletin Winter 2026

2026 | Davies L, Grieve E, Xu X, Rincon-Florez V, Mensah T, Kojetin L, Bond D, Hamilton-Bate C, Searle C, Akinsanmi F, Wilkie J, Trueman S, Mulo S, Wilson R, Wallace H, Slaughter G, Bignell G, Herbert M, Alam M, Parfitt C, Toegel H, Haberman A, Farrer M, Hosseini Bai S, Russell G, Zhao Z, Hulthen A, Singla A, Chakma N, Shao Z | News Bulletin

Winter 2026 articles include:
CEO’s report
Representation and advocacy
Market update
Marketing news
Industry development
Nuts for Life update
AMS welcomes new CEO Ben Baldwin
Remembering Ross Burling 1971–2025
Macadamias: ancient Australians that need our help
AusMac2026
Frontiers co-investment: how it works and how macadamia growers can participate
Know your levies
Why AMS membership matters
Planning for a successful transition
Autonomous robotics and precision spraying technologies: advancing herbicide management in macadamias
APVMA suspends second-generation rat baits – how macadamia growers adapt
Varroa mite resistance threatens macadamia pollination
Macadamia lace bug
Flower diseases in macadamia: what we know and how to manage them
Translating PhD research in macadamia diseases into orchard solutions
Biochar type and rate shape nutrient retention in macadamia orchards
Why landscape context matters for macadamia pest management
How macadamia pollinators move between cultivars
Using rootstocks to maximise productivity: comparing Beaumont and H2
Tracking macadamia crop losses from farm to processor
Australian macadamia minor use permits

MacAlert May 2026

2026 | Grieve E, Kojetin L, Long E | Research report/Update

Key messages this month include:
Phytophthora remains a pervasive disease in macadamia. While conditions this season have been drier, the impacts of multiple wet seasons are still prevalent in many orchards.
Continue auditing harvest efficiency, checking the condition of consumable or wearing parts and looking out for machine damage to nuts.
Haloxyfop is not suitable for use in during harvest periods.
Planning crop inputs for the season ahead is crucial. Be sure to assess broader aspects such as soil fertility to support long-term productivity.
With cooling weather, the opportunity to apply ethephon may have passed. Consider the conditions required for effective results.
Begin monitoring for frost events and determine if protectants are required.
With recent rain, nut could be at a higher field moisture. Removing the heat and moisture from respiration is essential to maintaining kernel quality.
Book your pest consultant to monitor for critical pests and diseases next month.
Contact a beekeeper to bring managed hives to the orchard. Varroa mite is having severe impacts on the honey bee industry, so don't expect hives to be as easy to secure as usual.
Save the date for July MacGroups. Running from 14 to 29 July, be sure to mark your region's MacGroup in your calendar.

2026 March MacGroup Presentation recordings

2026 | Broster J | Video

Missed Dr John Broster at March MacGroups? Watch his presentation on weed identification, MRL considerations and practical strategies to manage herbicide resistance in macadamia orchards.

2025 AMS Showcase video

2025 | Grieve E, Kojetin L | Video

The AMS Showcase events in Queensland and the NSW attracted more than 400 growers and industry representatives across both states

Rodenticide update: what growers need to know

2026 | Kojetin L | Research report/Update

There has been a regulatory change affecting second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGAR’s). Products containing brodifacoum (i.e. Tomcat II and Ratsak Fast Action), bromadiolone (i.e. Bromakil), difenacoum (i.e. The Big Cheese), difethialone (i.e. Generation) and flocoumafen (i.e. Storm) previously allowed in and around nonorchard areas such as sheds, homes and buildings, have been suspended by APVMA for 12 months. This is while a safety review is conducted regarding impacts on wildlife, pets and other non-target species.

MacAlert April 2026

2026 | Grieve E, Kojetin L | Research report/Update

Key messages this month include:
It's all about harvest efficiency and post-harvest handling for the next months to maintain kernel quality and minimise rejects.
Blocks sprayed with ethephon generally take twice as long to harvest.
Tree and soil moisture stress increases sticktights. It is not impacted by ethephon.
Haloxyfop is not suitable during harvest as it poses a food safety risk if it contacts nuts, even in husk.
Second generation anticoagulant rodenticides have been suspended from March '26 for one year. Use is only allowed under strict conditions.
Controlling vertebrate pests is essential during nut drop.
Soil and leaf sampling informs productivity and identifies limiting factors that are hard to diagnose by visual assessment alone.
Are you analysing on-farm crop loss? Discuss a protocol with your grower liaison officer.
Consider frost mitigation if you're in a frost-risk area and have younger trees which are highly susceptible.
Good quality nursery trees are a long-term investment, forming the foundation of your orchard for years to come.
View the nut-in-shell defects guide to help manage problems in the orchard that cause defects.

MacGroup highlights, resources and feedback

2026 | Kojetin L | Article

Thanks to everyone who joined our recent MacGroup events, bringing growers and industry members together to focus on orchard floor and weed management ahead of the coming season.

Herbicides in macadamias - a practical guide

2026 | Kojetin L, Grieve E | Fact Sheet

Herbicides are one tool in orchard floor management, not a stand-alone solution. Best results come from using them as part of an integrated program that includes groundcover management, timing, and mechanical control.

MacAlert March 2026

2026 | Grieve E, Kojetin L | Research report/Update

Key messages this month include:
The key to harvest is to manage people, machinery, grass and nuts without bottlenecks, delays or quality loss.
If you are applying herbicide, only use registered herbicides and follow all label directions. ID weeds before choosing a product.
Check withholding periods before spraying.
Rat control relies on consistent baiting and managing forage/shelter areas.
Conserve natural predators such as wasps, spiders and lacewings.
Check storage bins for pests attracted to the odour of broken shells, like kernel grub.
Maintaining tree health and productivity relies on consistent nutrition, best applied in smaller quantities more regularly.
In QLD an active campaign on moving plant safety is underway. Check that you have met all the legal responsibilities.

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