Tatura SmartFarm – introduction to the Sundial experimental orchard

2019 | Dr Ian Goodwin, Agriculture Victoria | presentation

This Future Orchards® resource focuses on tatura smartfarm – introduction to the sundial experimental orchard. It brings the subject into a practical orchard-management context, with attention to measurable production, fruit-quality and business outcomes rather than treating the topic as an isolated technical exercise.

The Sundial orchard is a multi-directional, highly sensorised experimental system established to investigate how row orientation, tree density, training system, rootstock, cultivar and irrigation influence light capture, physiology, labour efficiency, yield and fruit quality. The platform also supports research into sun damage, colour development, transpiration, crop regulation, water relations and root extent.

For growers, the resource is most useful as a decision-support reference: combine the technical principles with local block data, site conditions, labour constraints and market requirements, then monitor whether the chosen strategy improves consistency and profitability over time.