Business Development Group Update – December 2018

December 2018 | Prepared by Nic Finger, AgFirst | Future Orchards® Business Development Group newsletter

The December 2018 update reviews national fruit-size progress and full-bloom dates for key apple and pear varieties. Nic Finger explains how OrchardNet fruit-size records can be compared by calendar date or days after full bloom to identify whether a block is tracking ahead of or behind regional and national trends.

The newsletter also focuses on nutrition monitoring. Soil and leaf-test data can be entered into OrchardNet and compared with reference curves, helping growers refine fertiliser programs and understand how nutrition may be affecting fruit quality, packout, return bloom and fruit set.

Finally, the issue shows growers how to update final 2018 packout data and use block analysis reports to compare performance. It also flags increased bird and fruit-bat pressure as a seasonal risk requiring early planning where protection is limited.