Upcoming PIPS3 Program Roadshow Walk and Talk in Orange, NSW

12 Apr 2023

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APAL

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2 mins read

APAL and industry updates

An interactive afternoon of discussion with the PIPS3 Program research leaders – IPDM, nutrition, soil health and climate challenges

The apple and pear industry’s flagship R&D program, PIPS3 continues it’s series of events planned across Australia’s growing regions to showcase the outcomes of recent research, and most importantly chat about local challenges and solutions whilst in the orchard.

Orange will be the next location to host an event, taking place on 26 April 2023 at Nashdale Hall Cargo Road Nashdale, NSW 2800. The event will commence at 1pm with a social lunch and interactive presentations to kickstart the day. This event brings leading Apple and Pear researchers into the region to discuss the outcomes and activities of the PIPS3 Program, and chat in the orchard about how these may relate to NSW growing regions.

Orange has been the location of the NSW PIPS3 Soil Health (AP19006) demonstration site for the past three years. Trials have been conducted to test the effects of varying floor managements on soil health, tree health, IPDM and fruit quality, as well as impacts upon typical orchard managements. Dr Nigel Swarts of the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, supported by Jess Fearnley of NSW DPI, will lead a discussion on cover cropping, treeline management, deciduous fruit tree nutrition (he will cover cherries for local growers also) and introduce the use of the SINATA tool, now a part of the SWAN Systems irrigation and nutrient software platform, to better inform orchard water and nutrient decisions.

The event will move to a nearby orchard for the release of the biological control agent of Codling Moth, Mastrus ridens! Leader of the PIPS3 Program IPDM Project (AP19002), Greg Lefoe of Agriculture Victoria’s AgriBio, will present on the process undertaken to import and rear the predatory wasp, and the monitoring that will be undertaken to assess its impact upon Codling Moth populations in the Orange region. Greg will also chat about more general approaches to IPDM and lead a discussion on what others are doing in the region to transition to IPDM practices- what are the challenges? How can these be overcome? The day will wrap up by 4pm.