RESEARCH & EVENTS
Meet our new ACE assistant manager
THE Almond Centre of Excellence ( ACE ) has a new assistant manager . Anna Eadie has been appointed to the role , replacing Melissa Macfarlane . She ’ ll work closely with ACE manager Anthony Wachtel to oversee the day to day running of the farm . Anna is no stranger to the ACE orchard , she ’ s worked there in a casual capacity since 2017 . She ’ s witnessed the transformation of the 60-hectare experimental and demonstration orchard . Anna remembers helping to water in the initial ( horizon one ) trees when they were planted . “ I had to drive around in a tractor watering every tree ,” she said . Anna said her promotion to ACE assistant manager is exciting and there ’ ll be lots to learn along the way .
New ACE assistant manager Anna Eadie is looking forward to having a more active role with researchers .
“ I ’ m looking forward to having a more active role with the researchers ,” she said . “ It will be a huge learning curve for me , especially doing the record keeping , computer work , identifying and assigning jobs to do around the farm .” Anna grew up in Wellington , New Zealand , and was introduced to the almond industry as a backpacker 11 years ago . “ It was all completely new to me and harvest was busy , exciting and sometimes chaotic ,” she said . “ I really love machine work , that ’ s my happy place , especially operating the shaker but I ’ m comfortable on all the equipment .” When Anna isn ’ t working she likes to spend time with her family . She also has a lot of pets including guinea pigs , chickens , cats , dogs and fish . Anna also has a passion for travel and is looking forward to visiting Queensland and New South Wales with family in the coming weeks . Her favourite almond recipe is whole kernels roasted in the oven , coated in sugar and cinnamon .
ACE to trial single block plantings of self-fertile varieties
MORE than 2000 self-fertile trees are about to be planted at the Almond Centre of Excellence ( ACE ) for a new trial being run by the Almond Board of Australia . The area , which is just over five hectares in size , will help to demonstrate the benefits and cost efficiencies possible in planting self-fertile almond varieties in single blocks , as opposed to the traditional plantings with alternating rows of pollinators and Nonpareil . Assessments will be made on a range of parameters and production traits including nut set , production and yield efficiencies , nutrient and water uptake and orchard uniformity . Five consecutive rows of Carina , Mira , Vela , Independence , Shasta and Pyrenees are being planted this season . These varieties will be grown on a combination of Nemaguard and Garnem rootstocks .
The trees will be planted at the ACE Orchard ’ s Horizon 2 density which is a spacing of 6.5m between rows and 3m between trees . Insect exclusion nets will be installed before flowering to prevent cross pollination and provide the opportunity to measure the ability of each flower to set fruit using its own pollen or pollen from flowers on the same tree and without insect assistance . This will provide a useful baseline of pollination potential of commercially available self-fertile varieties should
European Honeybees become unavailable . Initially all varieties will receive the same water , fertiliser and pruning regime that ’ s suitable for their age and currently reflects industry practice . However , each variety will have its own irrigation valve so that in the future irrigation and fertiliser management practices can be tailored to suit each variety as more knowledge is gained during the trial . As part of the project the ABA will be looking to conduct several case studies on growers with single block plantings of self-fertile varieties to build a set of guidelines for their management in different regions . If you would like to be involved as a case study , please contact one of our Industry Development team members .
32 In A Nutshell - Winter 2024 Vol 25 Issue 2