Maximising the use of OrchardNet: Part 1 – Production

June 2013 | Prepared by AgFirst | Future Orchards® OrchardNet training

OrchardNet® was developed as a practical orchard-management and benchmarking system for recording production information at block level. Part 1 of this Future Orchards® training resource focuses on using the production functions of the database to build an accurate history and support in-season decisions.

Production records can include actual and estimated crop information, fruit weight and block-level history. Estimates can be updated as the season changes, allowing OrchardNet to provide a current forecast rather than relying only on end-of-season records.

Consistent block data allows growers to compare years, varieties and orchard areas and to connect crop targets with later results. It also supports benchmarking, because the value of a national dataset depends on growers recording production information in a consistent format.

The training resource is most useful when OrchardNet is treated as a working management system rather than an archive. Regular updates allow growers, managers and advisers to use current information to plan labour, assess crop load and review whether blocks are tracking towards their production goals.