INDUSTRY NEWS
Countdown to Australian Almonds R & D Forum
Field trips will again be a highlight on the Australian Almonds R & D Forum program for the 2025 event, to be held in Robinvale this October.
THE countdown is on to the biennial Corteva Australian Almonds Research and Development Forum at the Robinvale Community Arts Centre on October 21 and 22. The event will kick off with the Sustainability Workshop 10:30am to 12noon with Leading Harvest at Robinvale Football Club and the ABA AGM at 11am at the Robinvale Community Arts Centre. Two field trips have been organised on Tuesday afternoon, with one focusing on orchard spraying, while the other examines integrated pest and disease management. On Wednesday delegates will gather in the theatre at the Robinvale Community Arts Centre for a series of presentations covering issues including almond quality, breeding, non-infectious bud failure, pollination and agrichemicals. Here are some of the highlights:
Managing pests Pest management is a big focus for the 2025 R & D Forum. Delegates will get the opportunity to hear from Australian and Californian researchers working in this field, while growers will share their experiences managing orchard hygiene and participating in the Carpophilus Beetle Monitoring Network.
New technology There’ s a variety of tools available that can help growers make better farm management decisions. AI and Machine Learning are being used to improve weather forecasting, while vision and lidar sensors can help with yield estimation, mummy nut mapping and hull rot detection.
Growing Almond Leaders graduation The eight participants in the almond industry’ s leadership program will graduate on the Tuesday night of the R & D Forum. Their course started in late January and has included several online and in person catch ups throughout the year. These sessions have focused on developing the participants ' leadership skills while also building knowledge on the Australian almond industry. As part of their leadership course, graduates were required to identify an industry issue and posters on these topics will be displayed at the R & D Forum.
Networking opportunities Three functions have been organised during the R & D Forum to enable everyone to network. Following the field trips on Tuesday afternoon, delegates are invited to stay at the Robinvale Community Arts Centre for the welcome function sponsored by Haifa. Catering will be provided by food trucks, with a variety of cuisine on offer. On Wednesday morning a networking breakfast will get underway at 7am, thanks to the support of Adama. The Robinvale Euston Rotary Club will be serving up a selection of hot and cold breakfast options, to ensure tummies are full before presentations begin in the theatre. The R & D Forum will wrap up with happy hour, giving growers and other industry representatives one final chance to mingle before they head home. For further information about the R & D Forum, including how to register visit www. almondboard. org. au / events
industry. australianalmonds. com. au
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