Dream team panel session orchard management case studies - green field orchard - alan yamaguchi

Dream team session

Good drainage and nutrient/moisture retention

Tolerant to compaction

Sandy loam, clay loam

Is organic matter content important? ◦ Very important for root development and

nutrient/moisture retention

Distribution critical ◦ Pollination: < 0.2 PET

◦ Nut Size: 0.2 – 0.4 PET

◦ Oil Accumulation: 0.5 – 0.6 PET

Would you utilise irrigation? ◦ Need depends on rainfall pattern

◦ Irrigation critical for Nut Size and Oil Accumulation period when rainfall inadequate

Sufficient to provide economies of scale for cost efficient operations

Would it be staged plantings or all in one planting? ◦ Plant schedule dependent on finance and

availability of preferred grafted cultivars for the site

HAES: 294-Purvis, 344-Ka’u, 508-Kakea, 800-Makai

Would you use pollinators? ◦ Cultivars to serve as pollinators for each other.

Minimum: 7.6 x 7.6 meters or greater

What row configuration would you plant? (east/west or north/south or on the contour?)

◦ North-South

What is the maximum length per row? ◦ 500-600 meters

Would you mound the rows? ◦ Not Necessary

◦ Grade land to allow mechanized operations

(planting shade tolerant grasses?) ◦ Establish grassed water-way on a contour at 150

to 300 meter interval within the field to trap eroded soil and minimize run-off into streams.

Year 5 production target = 0.03 (tonnes of

SK/ha)

Year 10 production target = 0.68 (tonnes of

SK/ha)

Year 20 production target = 1.41 (tonnes of

SK/ha)

◦ None

What method would you use? ◦ None

IPM ◦ Pesticide

◦ Natural enemies

◦ Establish habitat for natural enemies

Please incorporate any additional ideas/points/issues you feel are important. ◦ Compile as much environmental data for orchard

site: Climate, Soil, Irrigation

◦ Select Cultivars with compatible bloom periods, nutrient requirement, drought tolerance, pest resistance, kernel quality retention during delayed harvest.

◦ Cultivar growth rate at selected site to determine tree space and plant configuration