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?


Study Tour to Where?

• Hawaii– Macadamias

• California – Almonds– Walnuts– Pistachio– Pecan

• Mexico– Macadamias

3 weeks


Hawaii - Macadamias

Macadamias EVERYWHERE!


Wide spacing kept trees small?


Unique aspects to Hawaii macs?


Hawaii lessons learnt

• We are not smarter than the trees

– Crowding is inevitable

• Wide spacing is not a solution – more a delay


California – Almonds, Walnuts, Pistachios & Pecans

Pistachio


Walnut


Walnut crowding


We are not alone with canopy crowding!

Almond

Good Problem!


We are not alone with canopy crowding!

Pecan

The BIGGEST trees I saw

Common problem – exposed roots


California lessons

• We are not alone

• Canopy Management challenges

• Production challenges

• IDEAS!


Mexico - Macadamias

Mexico

Completely different focus in their breeding program


Mexico

• Australia and AMS are world leaders

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


Lessons learnt

What did I find?

1. Harvest period


• 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


• 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?


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


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?


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


What did I find?

2. Wheel sweepers


*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


What did I find?

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

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

OR


What did I find?

4. Built Relationships


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)


-

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


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!!!


Thank you

• Albert Einstein defined insanity as –

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


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

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