robbie commens - is australian macadamia production really a unique cropping system?

Is Australia Macadamia production really a unique cropping system?

Prepared by: Robbie Commens (AMS)

Why do we do what we do?

₋ Why don’t we irrigate in all growing regions?

₋ Why do we use H2 rootstocks?

₋ Why do we plant on an average of 8m x 4m?

₋ Why do we harvest for 7 months of the year?

₋ Why do we prune young trees?

₋ Why do we use finger wheel harvesters?

• If we DONT ask these questions of ourselves, we are accepting that the status quo is the best we can do.....

• Settle vs striving ?

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

The “Why” Study Tour?

• Macadamias are – native tree,

– proteaceae tree,

– evergreen

– high oil content

• Do those differences make us a unique cropping system?

• Or have we chosen to be different?

• I wanted to find out some answers to those questions – The easiest way to learn is to find someone already achieving

success and ask them how?

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Study Tour to Where?

• Hawaii– Macadamias

• California – Almonds– Walnuts– Pistachio– Pecan

• Mexico– Macadamias

3 weeks

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Hawaii - Macadamias

Macadamias EVERYWHERE!

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Wide spacing kept trees small?

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Unique aspects to Hawaii macs?

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Hawaii lessons learnt

• We are not smarter than the trees

– Crowding is inevitable

• Wide spacing is not a solution – more a delay

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

California – Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios & Pecans

Pistachio

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Walnut

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Walnut crowding

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

We are not alone with canopy crowding!

Almond

Good Problem!

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

We are not alone with canopy crowding!

Pecan

The BIGGEST trees I saw

Common problem – exposed roots

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

California lessons

• We are not alone

• Canopy Management challenges

• Production challenges

• IDEAS!

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Mexico - Macadamias

Mexico

Completely different focus in their breeding program

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Mexico

• Australia and AMS are world leaders

Other countries are following our lead already – are we utilising that to its full potential?

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Lessons learnt

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

What did I find?

1. Harvest period

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

• Harvest = 30 weeks

– 2 x 15 week rounds

– 4 x 7.5 week rounds

– 6 x 5 week rounds

– 8 x 3.75 week rounds

• Feb to August

Macadamia harvest program

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

• Almonds = 8 weeks full crop– 2 x 4 week rounds

• Walnuts = 8 weeks full crop– 2 x 4 week rounds

• Pecans = 8 weeks full crop– 2 x 4 week rounds

• Pistacchio = 8 weeks full crop– 2 x 4 week rounds

What are other industries doing?

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

What is the difference?

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Macadamia Almond Walnut Pecan Pistacchio

Harvest % of time

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Macadamia Almond Walnut Pecan Pistacchio

Growing % of time

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

55%

15% 15% 15% 15%

45%

85% 85% 85% 85%

• Other industries use

– Machinery

• (Shakers and sweepers)

– Plant Growth Regulators

• Why cant we ?

How can we reduce harvest?

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Difference in growing time %

Macadamia Almond, Pecan, Walnut, Pistachio

% time focused on growing 45% 85%

% difference 189%

Current efficiancy as comparison 53%

Current Production (t/ha NIS) 2.75

Potential increase by improving harvest efficiency 5.2

National crop on the average production (15,000ha) 77,830

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

What did I find?

2. Wheel sweepers

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

*The $6 million opportunity!

The $6 million opportunity

• Wheel sweepers = Reduce losses

– Minor losses compound together and add up

Width of Wheels (2 wheels) 0.8

Width of rows harvested 8% of ground driven over 10%% of crop effected 10%Likely loss due to nuts driven over 50%

Likely loss from driving over nuts 5%

Estimated losses

per ha on industry average production (2.75t/ha) 0.14value per tonne $3,000

$ financial loss per ha $412.50

Scenarios based on size (per year) $ Tonnes

5 $2,062.50 0.7

10 $4,125.00 1.4

15 $6,187.50 2.1

25 $10,312.50 3.5

40 $16,500.00 5.6

100 $41,250.00 14

15,000 $6,187,500.00 2,100

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

What did I find?

3. Canopy Mgt starts before the trees go into the ground

- Do our orchards have a predetermined “commercial life” ?

OR

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

What did I find?

4. Built Relationships

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

How could this help Aus Mac industry?

We should know/embrace the fact we can do

much better!– 2014 Industry Average of 0.8t SK/ha (2.75t NIS/ha)

• 41,000t national (15,000ha)

– 2019 Industry Average of 1.2t SK/ha (4t NIS/ha) • 60,000t national crop! (15,000ha)

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

-

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014

Year

NIS

(to

nn

es

)

Inland NSW

Coastal NSW

South-east Qld

Gympie

Bundaberg

Other

8,000t

What have we done in the past?

1.1 t SK/Ha

1.0 t SK/Ha

0.9 t SK/Ha

0.8 t SK/Ha

0.7 t SK/Ha

0.6 t SK/Ha

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Take home lessons learnt

1. Reduce harvesting period – period focusing on growing = $$$$$$

2. Wheel sweepers– Reduce losses (crop we have already grown!)

3. New orchards should have a pre planned commercial life (that may be 50 years?)

4. Look outside our backyard! – Access experience and ideas from other tree nut

industries

5. Mac industry has HUGE potential!!!

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by

Thank you

• Albert Einstein defined insanity as –

“doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result”

2014 AMS 40th Anniversary Industry Conference proudly presented by