canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Young Tree Canopy
Management
![Page 2: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
Maccmanagement Pty Ltd
3 farms managed in the Bundaberg region
Company started in 2005 first trees planted in June 2006
2 Orchards developed from scratch – originally Sugar cane and small crop farms
Majority of trees planted in 2007, first crop in 2010 with this years crop approximately 200tn
![Page 3: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
40,125 trees planted at 8 x 4
Varieties include: 816, A203,741,660,Daddow,344,246,A268
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 3
![Page 4: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 4
![Page 5: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
32,375 trees planted at 8 x 4
Varieties include: 816,741,Daddow,A16
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 5
![Page 6: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Farm Prep and Planting
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 6
![Page 7: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 7
![Page 8: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Hand Pruning Young Trees
• Main Structure based on
a central leader
• Strong lateral branches
• Narrow crotch angles
removed
• Less prone to wind
damage
• More open tree at
maturity
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 8
Primary purpose is
to develop a strong
well balanced
framework for future
growth
![Page 9: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
Narrow Crutch Angle
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 9
![Page 10: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Inward growing branches
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 10
![Page 11: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Hand Pruning Young Trees
• Manual work carried out
with secateurs
• Average cost to prune
(Young trees sub 2 year
age) $0.12 per tree per
round
• Good worker doing 120
to 140 trees per hour or
1000 trees per day
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 11
![Page 12: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
Hand Pruning Young Trees - The good
• Effective in reducing wind
damage to young trees
• Good structure formed
and held in some
varieties – 741, 660, 344
and 246
• More open tree reduced
pest pressure – Twig
Girdler
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 12
![Page 13: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
Hand Pruning Young Trees - The bad
• Reduction in early yields when
compared with other methods
• Hard to source required volume
of labour – job requires training
• Lack of labour meant frequency
of pruning over 75000 trees
was not high enough and led to
too much foliage being
removed each round slowing
tree growth
• Some varieties just not suited –
A203
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 13
![Page 14: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Mechanical Pruning
• To promote branching and increase early yield
• To control canopy size to minimise wind damage
• Skirting of trees to allow access for harvesting
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 14
![Page 15: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
Mechanical Pruning
• F.A.M.A. 3 bladed pruner used
• Cuts skirt, side and top at same
time. Two passes per tree
• Average cost $0.20 per tree
(Includes depreciation and
direct costs)
• Approx. 200 trees per hour
average
• Pruned at an interval to promote
branching every 30cm
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 15
![Page 16: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)
Mechanical Pruning - The Good
• Effective protection from wind damage
• Increased yield in year 3,4 and 5
• Low capital cost – pruner sits on old tractor and is used
whenever time allows
• Atypical tree shape maintained by pruning to point.
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 16
![Page 17: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/17.jpg)
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 17
![Page 18: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/18.jpg)
Mechanical Pruning - The Bad
• Low tractor speed, two
passes per tree
• Increased density of
trees as they mature
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 18
![Page 19: Canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval](https://reader034.vdocuments.mx/reader034/viewer/2022051322/546d1329af795962298b5228/html5/thumbnails/19.jpg)
Conclusions
Hand Pruning
- Effective on some
varieties
- Hard to source
competent labour on a
large scale
Friday, September 28, 2012 Scott Norval 19
Mechanical Pruning
- Relatively fast and cheap
- Increased early yields