Day One - APAL short orcharding course in Shepparton July 2024

The inaugural APAL Orchard Management Course was a whirlwind of information and specialised speakers, taking place at the Tatura Smart Farm located 15 minutes from Shepparton. Attendees were a mix of experienced orchard managers, less experienced staff looking for professional development, packhouse staff, field staff and researchers. Day One was focused on financial analysis and plant physiology. Nic Finger of Fruit helped demonstrate cost/benefit analysis for large farm purchases expected to increase efficiency or profitability and how to interrogate pack-out information to find the most profitable fruit sizing strategy. Nigel Cook of Prophyta travelled from South Africa to speak in great depth about plant physiology in temperate climates.

“A key takeaway from the 2020 season in South Africa was the inadequate chill that year impacting flowering. Producers saw late and extended flowering/foliation, enhanced apical dominance and sensitivity to dormancy breakers that could cause bud fermentation.”

Profitability was a hot topic on the field walks on day five, with Plunkett Orchards explaining their purchase of Revo picking platforms quickly paid off as they are used three times per block for pruning, thinning, and picking fruit rather than multiple cherry pickers or staff on ladders.

More information on the Orchard Management Course will be published in each Pomewest newsletter, APAL intend to hold these courses every two years.