Avocado industry produces guide to “reading” avocado trees

Thursday 11 Aug 2011

Over the past three years the Avocado Industry Council (AIC) has been working with avocado growers and consultants to help fight the industry’s most challenging factor - irregular bearing.

NZAGA & AIC Chief Executive Jen Scoular says “the avocado industry has the potential to triple in value, but growth is constrained by the impacts of irregular bearing; a situation where trees fail to produce a viable crop every year.”

As part of the ongoing effort to understand the causes of irregular bearing, the industry has produced a new tool; Reading your trees: A New Zealand avocado grower’s guide aims to help growers implement tailored orchard management strategies to mitigate the effects of irregular bearing.

Project lead, AIC Laboratory Manager Toni Elmsly says that one of the factors that has lead to the development of the guide is growers’ reliance on prescriptive or ‘one size fits all’ tree management.

“Every orchard situation is different which makes it difficult to prescribe one set of management strategies for irregular bearing - here we are giving growers the tools to assess their individual needs based on the signs their own trees are displaying,” she says.

AIC Technical Manager Henry Pak says “to achieve consistent crops and overcome irregular bearing, orchard management activities need to be applied at the correct time.”

The guide defines indicators of an ‘ideal’ tree at key stages of the growth cycle.  Growers are then able to assess and rate their own trees using scales in the associated workbook. The guide also offers inputs and tactics growers can consider to address issues they have identified.

According to Toni, the industry’s most successful growers are those who have the ability to identify and understand the symptoms their trees are displaying and respond with appropriate management inputs.

Grower and contributor to the guide, Hilton Paul says Reading Your Trees is an exciting development.
“It is a practical hands-on tool that should be used consistently all year,” he says

Jen Scoular is delighted to be able to deliver the new guide to the industry in time for the 2011 AGA Annual General Meeting in Whangarei on12 August.

“Reading your trees is a significant contribution to the industry; we look forward to seeing how it will inform, stimulate and encourage our grower community to take a more proactive approach to orchard management.”

Reading your trees was partly funded by a grant awarded to the project from the MAF Sustainable Farming Fund.

Reading Your Trees is available for free to all members of the NZ Avocado Growers’ Association Inc. and will be launched to members 12 August at the Whangarei Grower Forum & NZAGA Annual General Meeting and also at the Bay of Plenty Grower Forum 17 August. All members will be sent a copy following these dates.

Non members are able to purchase the guide from the Avocado Industry Council.

About Irregular Bearing
Hass avocados, which account for approximately 95% of commercial avocado orchards in New Zealand, are extremely prone to irregular bearing.  This occurs when trees flower heavily and set a large crop in one season at the expense of a return crop in the following season.  Irregular bearing may be triggered by adverse climatic events or management practices.

About MAF Sustainable Farming Fund
The Fund was set up in 2000 to fund projects that contribute to the economic, environmental and social wellbeing of New Zealand’s land-based primary industries. To date the SFF has supported nearly 700 projects involving all sectors and interests.

About NZ Avocado Growers’ Association Inc. and Avocado Industry Council Ltd
The New Zealand avocado industry is New Zealand’s third largest fresh fruit export sector, with exports last year totalling $67m.

The 2011-12 season will see the industry produce its biggest crop ever at 5.4 - 5.8 million trays which represents a jump of just under one million trays from the previous biggest season.

The NZ Avocado Growers' Association Inc (NZAGA) and Avocado Industry Council Ltd (AIC)  work with the New Zealand industry to set export standards, facilitate market access, promote New Zealand avocados and provide technical information to all New Zealand growers of which there are over 1500 based mainly in the BOP and Northland.

ENDS

IMAGE AVAILABLE

For further comment, contact:
Jen Scoular
Chief Executive
Jen.scoular@nzavocado.co.nz        07 571 6147  OR  021 741 014   


For media assistance, contact:
Midge Munro
Communications Manager
midgemunro@nzavocado.co.nz        07 571 6147  OR  021 275 3331