nutrition and soil health to optimize production monitoring and manipulating orchard nutrition to...
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2012 International Macadamia Symposium – Brisbane, Queensland Australia
Monitoring and manipulating orchard nutrition to
maximise quality and yield:
science, tips, and tools
Integrated Agronomic Solutions
• Laboratory and Analytical Services
• Nutrition Management
• Pest and Disease Management
• Remote Sensing
• Postharvest Quality Control
• Research and Development
• Software and Data Management
• Marketing – B2B and Direct
• Training
AgPro
Hosting of grower data via cloud accounts
Overview
• The basics of nutrition science and management • Integration of nutrition with other agronomic
principles • Trends, nutrient form, manipulation,
Hormone/Nutrient interactions
Why is this relevant to me
• Potential to increase production through greater understanding of macadamia plant nutrition and hormone manipulation/management
• To provide an understanding of and how to
Implement a complete and integrated process to have a real impact on orchard productivity and profit.
Digitise block boundaries to enable you to track performance spatially
Work toward variable rate – NDVI, yield mapping, zonal sampling
• Live soil moisture, EC and temperature monitoring • Quicksoil monitoring of soil solution enables the determination of nutrient
composition
Decline of water
use at 10 cm
Water use
commences at 40 cm
Preferential feeding zones
Mechanisms for nutrient uptake
• Diffusion (osmotic potential) – Nutrient ions move from high to low
concentrations
• Mass flow – Ions move in the soil solution to the plant roots as
a function of transpiration loss of water form the leaves
• Root interception – Suggests roots come into contact with the ions
• Diffusion: potassium, magnesium, calcium and to lesser extent, zinc and iron
• Mass flow: nitrogen, calcium, copper, boron, manganese, magnesium, and sulfur
• Root interception: Calcium, Phosphorous
Mechanisms for nutrient uptake Exchange
Vs
Solution
Nutrient ratios change with depth
This can cause anomalies that, at the surface seem inexplicable
When compared to Sap and quicksoil results, an understanding of nutrient
interactions begins to form
And then a targeted regime can be implemented
Nutrient interactions
Uptake of this
nutrient
Decreases the uptake of these
nutrientsIncreases uptake of these nutrients
NH4+ Mg, Ca, K, Mo Mn, P, S, Cl
NO3- Fe, Zn Ca, Mg, K, Mo
P Cu, Zn Mo
K Ca, Mg Mn (on acid soils)
Ca Mn (on acid soils)
Mg Ca, K, Mo
Fe Cu, Zn
Zn Cu
Cu Zn, Mo
Mn Zn, Ca, Mo
Documented nutrient interactions. (Adapted from Tisdale et al., 1985)
Availability of Macro-nutrients at various pH’s
Micronutrient uptake
Timing of applications
• Matching peak demand of specific elements at each phenological interval (just before) is critical.
• Manipulation of phenological intervals is achieved through the use of each of the 5 plant hormones
• It is essential to match nutrient availability with these application.
• Understanding the partnerships is critical.
Optimal Demand Pathways
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
EV FL FS FF PEH
Mg
Ca
K
P
N
Hormones’ influence on nutrient demand
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
EV FL FS FF PEH
ABA
GA
Au
Cy
Using Sap tests in Macadamias
• sap testing is a snapshot of elements in the sap stream while dried tissue detects the total amount of element in the leaf;
• sap testing, therefore, can detect a temporary shortage caused by a range of factors other than nutrient deficiency in the soil.
• This can be critical if the higher demand is due to heavy nut load and supply is restricted by an imbalance of cations (for instance) or application of an antagonistic hormone.
Using test results to monitor performance of applied product.
or monitor trends to understand optimal demand pathways.
Factors to take into consideration when calculating total elemental requirement
•Balancing requirement from lab result to optimal ratio or level
•Yield goal – nutrient removal
•Sampling depth
•Bulk density
Incorporate your pest and other parameter monitoring into decision making process
As there is strong correlations between nutritional status and susceptibility to pest and disease
How can I implement this on my farm
• invest into understanding what is happening within the orchard (regular pest monitoring, soil, quicksoil, sap and dry tissue testing)
• create an action plan to which performance can be tracked
• implement action plan recording and variations to it
• review results, compare, refine and re implement
Take home message
• Holistic approach to agronomy and management; – soil and tree nutrition are just a cog, but a critical one.
• Importance of MONITORING to target your response and reduce waste • -start a cycle of continuous improvement • Attention to detail • - focus on ppm/ mg/kg and the tons will come • - doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result
is the definition of madness. Isolated sequential experimentation • Return on investment for good growers • - 2% of gross production value into technical assistance delvers a 5-10%
return on investment at best and reduces risk of crop failure at worst.
SHARE THE LOAD, DON’T
GO IT ALONE
A FEW SHARP SETS OF EYES ARE
BETTER THAN JUST ONE SET
THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR
IMPROVEMENT SO TURBO CHARGE YOUR ORCHARD
AND START MAXIMISING YOUR
YIELD
Thanks Hortus Technical Services Pty Ltd
Locked Bag 3901, Bundaberg Qld 4670
Unit 1, 336 Goodwood Rd, Bundaberg Qld 4670
Office: +61 7 4132 5000
Mobile: +61 (0) 434 678 228
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.hortus.net.au
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