canopy management mature orchard management methods utilised in south africa - alwyn du preez
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Canopy Management
Alwyn du Preez Technical / Horticultural Advisor
Golden Macadamias
6th International
Macadamia
Symposium
Canopy Management
• Why?
• Which factors to take into account?
• How?
• When?
6th International
Macadamia
Symposium
Why?
• Consistent production
– Maintaining bearing capacity
– Light interception
• Pest Control
– Stinkbug damage
– Nutborer / False Codling Moth
Challenges
• Tree spacing
– before the 90’s wide spacing 9-10m X 5-6m
– 90’s and 2000’s high density planting. 2.5-5 X 4.5-8m.
The Big Challenge: Management of the different tree spacing!
• Different regions
– Coast more windy
• Reproductive / vegetative balance
• Timing - Pruning program - post harvest
• Cash flow / Return
6th International
Macadamia
Symposium
6th International
Macadamia
Symposium
Older plantings Spacing: 9-10m X 5-6m
Mostly No central leader
Not over grown - simple pruning
• Selective cuts – 1 to 3 big cuts
Greatest amount of wood
with the fewest cuts
• Shoulder and Topping
Overgrown orchards – Bigger cuts
• Have to get regrowth at the base
• Leave branches to bear fruit
• Re-activation of unproductive inside
• Experimentation
6th International
Macadamia
Symposium
Older plantings Spacing: 6 -8m X 3-5m
Overgrown but no height problem
• Cut rows open
• Cutting shoulders / topping
Topping – 2 to 3 year project
• Stimulate regrowth lower down
Overgrown plus height problem
• Top trees - first
• Cut rows open
• Work to “Christmas tree” shape
6th International
Macadamia
Symposium
Medium density Spacing: 6 -8m X 3-5m
Well maintained orchards
• 1.8 - 2 m tractor row width
• Height reachable with spray equipment
• “Christmas tree” shape
• Simple recipe for labourers
• Remove every 2nd tree in the row
6m x 3m very intense - pruning annually
Tree row removal in some cases
Odd spacing 12m x 3m ?
6th International
Macadamia
Symposium
High Density Spacing: 2.5-5m X 4.5-5m
• Top working to better cultivars
• Transplanting
• Tree removal
Controlling Re-growth
• A big part of the purpose of Pruning is lost if there is no effective follow up
• Break out the new growth by hand
• Timing – Dec and Jan
• Flush must not be too thick and hard to remove
• Topping - cleaning out everything at cut
• Lower side branches- do selective removals
– Remove water shoots
– Small “spur branches “ bear nuts
6th International
Macadamia
Symposium
6th International
Macadamia
Symposium
Equipment Pole pruners Hand saws
Chainsaws Pneumatic pruner
6th International
Macadamia
Symposium
Central leader • Pruning when trees are young - easier and cheaper
Thank you
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