ISHS Acta Horticulturae 694: International Symposium on Harnessing the Potential of Horticulture in the Asian-Pacific Region
PHYSIOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS TO MACADAMIA (MACADAMIA INTEGRIFOLIA) PRODUCTION |
| Authors: | D.O. Huet, L.M. McFadyen, T. Olesen |
| Keywords: | Light interception, hedging, pruning, tree training |
| Abstract:
Macadamia orchards planted at high densities (300-400 trees/hectare) quickly become crowded. This seems to have little effect on the immediate yield potential of trees; yields generally plateau as orchard light interception approaches 94%. However, crowding does affect management practices, obstructing machinery and reducing spray efficiency. It also has the potential to cause long term reductions in yield through shading of the orchard floor which leaves the soil bare and prone to erosion, and wet, delaying harvest. Radical intervention, such as severe topping and tree removal, causes substantial short-term reductions in yield. Moderate intervenetion, such as side hedging to maintain alley ways, has less effect on yields, but does not control tree height. There is no proven long-term strategy for maintaining the size of macadamia canopies. At present, the development of such a strategy is compromised by limited knowledge of the physiological processes governing vegetative and floral shoot and nut development. We plan to improve our understanding of theses processes through a number of field based pruning trials on several cultivars, to generate trees with a range of architectural/light interception profiles and phenological stages, as a means of improving our understanding of these processes. | |
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