Australian Avocado Production
Problem Solving Strategies for
Avocado Profitability, Quality & Yield
Disease in Avocados
Avocado Production Constraints
Crop Stress, fruit drop
Use stress mitigators to reduce the impact of stress events on crops; including fruit drop.
Contains specific balance aminogram and antioxidants that builds a strong stress mitigating profile in avocado.
Rhino HighTech
Reduces fruit and flower drop by strengthening the peduncle (fruit stem)
Super Kelp
Naturally stimulates root growth and reduces crop stress
Avocados - Grower Case Study
Crop: Avocado
Region: Childers, Queensland
Grower Background
Donaldson & Co is an avocado producer in Childers. Fifty of their trees were Phytophthora affected, some were down to the stump. Here is an interview with Nicola Donaldson about how those trees respond to the treatment.
The Strategy
Soil Health Products
Sabel X - Hort - to help trees recover
Application
Soil spray application 1st application for 83 trees, with fertigation as a follow-up application.
Interview with Nicola Donaldson, Donaldson & Co, Childers, Queensland
Phytophthora Affected Avocado Trees
We've got just over 2,000 avocado trees. Seven hundred and fifty are Shepard, which are the hardest to grow, and the remaining are Hass. There's a big difference between Shepard and Hass avocados. Shepard are the most valuable crop, but they are the most difficult and were the first ones to be affected by Phytophthora. I’ve got a few sick Hass trees, but they hang on better than the Shepard trees.
Sustainable Farming Solutions Soil Health Products
I had a row of trees I called the 'hospital row'. The trees were very sick and I'd lost a few. 83 trees with varying degrees of Phytophthora damage (50 with severe damage) were treated with SABEL-X Hort to help them recover from the damage. Since the SABEL-X Hort experiment with Sustainable Farming Solutions, the treated trees improved out of sight. Within a week, they were greener and healthier looking and I haven't lost any of the trees. I was thrilled.
I wanted to give them another dose straight away, because I am so impressed with the way they're picking up. But apparently you don't do that. However, it's going to be a treatment that I use every year to improve growth, particularly for struggling trees.
Avocado Tree - Recovery
I mixed the sachet and sprayed it into the ground with about 2 litres of water per tree site. After the initial treatment and assessments for Trichoderma root establishment confirmation, we then did a follow-up fertigation application over the whole orchard. I will be fertigating the whole orchard again in 6 months’ time, as I believe that SABEL-X Hort is that good for Avocado trees.
Even the trees that don't need it help look good, afterwards. I had actually lost quite a few trees to Phytophthora. And they now they are coming back. Even stumps are coming back.
Improved Avocado Yield
The fruit sets of the Hass this year are incredible. Absolutely incredible. I think every flower was fertilised. The SFS treatment, SABEL-X Hort is such a good product for Avocado root health. I am seeing clear benefits in improved yield. On both fronts this has been a great result for us, by using SABEL-X Hort.