2022 Macadamia Production Course

The Macadamia Production Course covers all aspects of macadamia production – from selecting a site and planting it,  right through to managing older orchards. As all of you have your farm work to complete, we split the sessions up to minimise the impacts upon farm operations. This will also make it possible to have field visits that cover most aspects of macadamia production – harvesting, dehusking, flowering and nutset, early nut development and major orchard works such as soil profiling and pruning.  

It comprise 5-6 sessions but held as three blocks, with each block a month apart. Each day will be a blend of theory and practical. The course will start in July 2022 and the last session will be September 2022. Each session will typically be a morning of theory and an afternoon of practical in the field. 

The class topics are listed below. The order of topics might change depending upon the weather.  

1. Industry Background & Progress, The Macadamia Tree, Varieties and ID, Soil Types & Considerations, Macadamia Orchard Design & Considerations
2. Nut Quality, Nut Maturity, Harvesting, Storage & Processing, Understanding Payment Systems, Marketing, Delivering to Marquis
3. Pest & Disease Management, Sprayer Set Up & Coverage
4. Ensure Quality Trees, Pre-plant Block Preparation, Planting Trees, Young Tree Management
5. Soil Health, Tree Nutrition & Fertiliser Programs
6. Orchard Floor, Erosion & Canopy Management, Older Orchard Management