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