By Tim Jackson
Almond Board of Australia chief executive
THE Almond Board of Australia has this week officially taken ownership of the Almond Centre of Excellence orchard at Loxton.
While the 60-hectare experimental and demonstration orchard is based in South Australia’s Riverland, the work being done at the orchard is relevant across the Sunraysia and nationally.
The ACE orchard aims to advance almond production systems and ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry.
Up until now the property has been owned by the South Australian Government and managed by the ABA on a long-term lease.
Taking ownership will trigger the final phase of infrastructure and mark the culmination of project that was initially the vision of former ABA chief executive Ross Skinner.
Planning has begun to construct amenities on site to service staff, researchers and visitors.
The idea of establishing an industry-managed self-funded experimental farm was proposed by Mr Skinner and received the support of Brendan Sidhu (then ABA chairman) and the ABA board of directors.
It was developed with support from the South Australian and Federal governments, along with the industry’s affiliated Research and Development Corporation Hort Innovation.
A lot of perseverance was needed to make the ACE orchard a reality.
The support of the Hort Innovation executive and board of directors as well as growers has been pivotal in establishing the facility.
In the first instance and more recently, a feasible funding model needed to be developed, an appropriate site for the orchard had to be found and suitable staff recruited to run the property. A collaborative approach by the key stakeholders helped establish a sustainable model.
While the deed of agreement with the South Australian Minister for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries was executed in 2015 and the first almond trees were planted in September 2017, those first trees are now only reaching maturity.
A reference committee consisting of growers, ABA staff and commercial stakeholders prioritise the research trials and plantings on the property.
Their top priority is to push the boundaries beyond industry standard practice.
There are currently 13 trials at the orchard investigating soil amelioration, rootstock and scion compatibility, planting density, pruning responses, architectural studies, cover crops, breeding evaluations and much more.
The site has also been Bee Friendly Farming certified and features ag-tech trials including bird control lasers, a plug-and-play autonomous-driving tractor and spray unit, and engineering solutions for navigating narrow rows in the high density section of the orchard during harvest.
Associate Professor Florent Trouillas from the University of California was a special guest at the ACE open day as part of his regional tour with the ABA.
Prof Trouillas is a plant pathologist specialist in cooperative extension at the UC Davis Department of Plant Pathology, specialising in fruit and nut crop pathology, disease etiology, diagnosis, epidemiology, and control of fungal and bacterial diseases of fruit and nut crops.
His research goals are to contribute to the understanding of plant diseases and to develop strategies to control them.
These can include the testing of new chemistry compounds and screening for natural competitors. He works with pistachio, almond, olive, cherry, walnut, and other crops important to the California economy. In his UC Davis laboratory he works to help farmers grow healthier crops, improve the quality of their products, and ensure the prosperity of their farming.
