Nothing goes to waste at Select Harvests , where hulls and shells are converted to electricity , and the ash created at the power plant is used to produce high-nutrient compost and liquid fertiliser for the orchard .

About 44,000 tonnes of compost is produced every year , reducing the need for imported fertigation by 30 %. In orchard , Select Harvests has developed a process in which a machine digs a furrow , where compost is placed and covered over , delivering nutrients straight to the root zone . By delivering compost straight to the root zone it is more quickly available and prevents the compost from being swept up during harvest , resulting in improved soil health , crop health , and root biology , reduced erosion , increased soil carbon , and increased moderation of soil structure through the retention of nutrients , soil moisture , and temperature . The Co-Gen system also produces 800 tonnes of dry ash per year . In 2020 and 2021 Select Harvests worked towards creating a means of converting this dry ash into highgrade , potassium-rich liquid fertiliser . On-farm trials have demonstrated that this product can be delivered as a potassium supply while also providing benefits in drip irrigation cleaning and a pilot plant has been designed to scale up this process .

Select Harvests continues to explore alternative means of utilising the byproducts of almond growing . The latest project involves developing a means of using a chemical additive to digest almond hulls . In this process , urea is used to break down almond hulls producing high-value nitrogen and potassiumrich products , and a liquid high in polyphenols , flavonoids , and other components that are useful as natural insecticides and fungicides . To scale up this process , Select Harvests has received a grant from Sustainability Victoria for a pilot plant to be commissioned in July of this year . Initially , outputs from this project have been used internally but there is potential for this to be expanded . A provisional patent application has been issued with full patent-pending and agronomy trials planned for later in the year . Select Harvests ’ processing facilities also play a significant role in reducing waste and increasing the quality of the product . After the shell and hull are removed almond kernels go through a rigorous sorting process at Select Harvests ’ secondary processing facility . Depending on quality kernels , are sorted into different grades . This process not only increases the quality of the product by removing lower-grade or visually damaged almonds and lower

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In a Nutshell Winter 2022 Vol 23 Issue 2 | Page 7