canopy management young tree canopy management – a broad acre perspective - scott norval

Young Tree Canopy

Management

Maccmanagement Pty Ltd

3 farms managed in the Bundaberg region

Company started in 2005 first trees planted in June 2006

2 Orchards developed from scratch – originally Sugar cane and small crop farms

Majority of trees planted in 2007, first crop in 2010 with this years crop approximately 200tn

40,125 trees planted at 8 x 4

Varieties include: 816, A203,741,660,Daddow,344,246,A268

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32,375 trees planted at 8 x 4

Varieties include: 816,741,Daddow,A16

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Farm Prep and Planting

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Hand Pruning Young Trees

• Main Structure based on

a central leader

• Strong lateral branches

• Narrow crotch angles

removed

• Less prone to wind

damage

• More open tree at

maturity

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Primary purpose is

to develop a strong

well balanced

framework for future

growth

Narrow Crutch Angle

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Inward growing branches

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Hand Pruning Young Trees

• Manual work carried out

with secateurs

• Average cost to prune

(Young trees sub 2 year

age) $0.12 per tree per

round

• Good worker doing 120

to 140 trees per hour or

1000 trees per day

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Hand Pruning Young Trees - The good

• Effective in reducing wind

damage to young trees

• Good structure formed

and held in some

varieties – 741, 660, 344

and 246

• More open tree reduced

pest pressure – Twig

Girdler

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Hand Pruning Young Trees - The bad

• Reduction in early yields when

compared with other methods

• Hard to source required volume

of labour – job requires training

• Lack of labour meant frequency

of pruning over 75000 trees

was not high enough and led to

too much foliage being

removed each round slowing

tree growth

• Some varieties just not suited –

A203

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Mechanical Pruning

• To promote branching and increase early yield

• To control canopy size to minimise wind damage

• Skirting of trees to allow access for harvesting

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Mechanical Pruning

• F.A.M.A. 3 bladed pruner used

• Cuts skirt, side and top at same

time. Two passes per tree

• Average cost $0.20 per tree

(Includes depreciation and

direct costs)

• Approx. 200 trees per hour

average

• Pruned at an interval to promote

branching every 30cm

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Mechanical Pruning - The Good

• Effective protection from wind damage

• Increased yield in year 3,4 and 5

• Low capital cost – pruner sits on old tractor and is used

whenever time allows

• Atypical tree shape maintained by pruning to point.

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Mechanical Pruning - The Bad

• Low tractor speed, two

passes per tree

• Increased density of

trees as they mature

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Conclusions

Hand Pruning

- Effective on some

varieties

- Hard to source

competent labour on a

large scale

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Mechanical Pruning

- Relatively fast and cheap

- Increased early yields