Is Australia Macadamia production

really a unique cropping system?

Prepared by: Robbie Commens (AMS)
Why do we do what we do?

₋ Why don’t we irrigate in all growing regions?

₋ Why do we use H2 rootstocks?
₋ Why do we plant on an average of 8m x 4m?
₋ Why do we harvest for 7 months of the year?
₋ Why do we prune young trees?
₋ Why do we use finger wheel harvesters?

• If we DONT ask these questions of ourselves, we are

accepting that the status quo is the best we can do.....

• Settle vs striving ?
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The “Why” Study Tour?
• Macadamias are
– native tree,
– proteaceae tree,
– evergreen
– high oil content
• Do those differences make us a unique cropping
system?
• Or have we chosen to be different?
• I wanted to find out some answers to those questions
– The easiest way to learn is to find someone already achieving
success and ask them how?

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Study Tour to Where?

• Hawaii
– Macadamias
• California
– Almonds
– Walnuts
– Pistachio
– Pecan
• Mexico 3 weeks

– Macadamias

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Hawaii - Macadamias
Macadamias EVERYWHERE!

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Wide spacing kept trees small?

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Unique aspects to Hawaii macs?

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Hawaii lessons learnt

• We are not smarter than the trees

– Crowding is inevitable

• Wide spacing is not a solution – more a delay

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California – Almonds, Walnuts,
Pistachios & Pecans
Pistachio

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 Walnut

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 Walnut crowding

We are not alone with canopy crowding!

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Almond

We are not alone

with canopy
crowding!

Good Problem!

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 Pecan

The BIGGEST trees I saw

Common problem – exposed roots

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California lessons

• We are not alone

• Canopy Management challenges
• Production challenges
• IDEAS!

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Mexico - Macadamias
 Mexico

Completely different focus in their breeding program

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Mexico

• Australia and AMS are world leaders

Other countries are following our lead already – are we utilising

that to its full potential?

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Lessons learnt
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What did I find?

1. Harvest period

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Macadamia harvest program

• Harvest = 30 weeks
– 2 x 15 week rounds
– 4 x 7.5 week rounds
– 6 x 5 week rounds
– 8 x 3.75 week rounds

• Feb to August

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What are other industries doing?

• Almonds = 8 weeks full crop

– 2 x 4 week rounds

• Walnuts = 8 weeks full crop

– 2 x 4 week rounds

• Pecans = 8 weeks full crop

– 2 x 4 week rounds

• Pistacchio = 8 weeks full crop

– 2 x 4 week rounds

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What is the difference?
Harvest % of time Growing % of time
100% 100%
85% 85% 85% 85%
90% 90%

80% 80%

70% 70%
55%
60% 60%

50% 50%
45%
40% 40%

30% 30%
15% 15% 15% 15%
20% 20%

10% 10%

0% 0%
Macadamia Almond Walnut Pecan Pistacchio Macadamia Almond Walnut Pecan Pistacchio

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How can we reduce harvest?

• Other industries use

– Machinery
• (Shakers and sweepers)
– Plant Growth Regulators

• Why cant we ?

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Difference in growing time %
Almond, Pecan, Walnut,
Macadamia Pistachio
% time focused on growing 45% 85%
% difference 189%
Current efficiancy as comparison 53%
Current Production (t/ha NIS) 2.75
Potential increase by improving
harvest efficiency 5.2
National crop on the average
production (15,000ha) 77,830

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What did I find?

2. Wheel sweepers

*The $6 million opportunity!

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 The $6 million opportunity
• Wheel sweepers = Reduce losses
– Minor losses compound together and add up
Width of Wheels (2 wheels) 0.8 Scenarios based
Width of rows harvested 8 on size (per year) $ Tonnes
% of ground driven over 10%
5 $2,062.50 0.7
% of crop effected 10%
Likely loss due to nuts driven over 50% 10 $4,125.00 1.4
Likely loss from driving over nuts 5% 15 $6,187.50 2.1
25 $10,312.50 3.5
Estimated losses
per ha on industry average 40 $16,500.00 5.6
production (2.75t/ha) 0.14 100 $41,250.00 14
value per tonne $3,000
$ financial loss per ha $412.50 15,000 $6,187,500.00 2,100

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What did I find?

3. Canopy Mgt starts before the trees go into

the ground
- Do our orchards have a predetermined “commercial life” ?

OR

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What did I find?
4. Built Relationships

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How could this help Aus Mac industry?
25,000 Inland NSW
Coastal NSW
South-east Qld
We20,000
should know/embrace the fact we can do
8,000t Gympie
Bundaberg

much better! Other

NIS (tonnes)

15,000
– 2014 Industry Average of 0.8t SK/ha (2.75t NIS/ha)
•
10,000 41,000t national (15,000ha)
– 2019 Industry Average of 1.2t SK/ha (4t NIS/ha)
•
5,000 60,000t national crop! (15,000ha)

-
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Year

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What have we done in the past?

1.1 t 1.0 t 0.9 t 0.8 t

SK/Ha SK/Ha SK/Ha SK/Ha

0.6 t 0.7 t
SK/Ha SK/Ha

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Take home lessons learnt
1. Reduce harvesting period
– period focusing on growing = $$$$$$
2. Wheel sweepers
– Reduce losses (crop we have already grown!)
3. New orchards should have a pre planned
commercial life (that may be 50 years?)
4. Look outside our backyard!
– Access experience and ideas from other tree nut
industries
5. Mac industry has HUGE potential!!!

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Thank you

• Albert Einstein
defined insanity as –

“doing the same

thing over and over
again but expecting a
different result”

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