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In this issue: disease and research updates; irrigation
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September 2016

CropWatch

Nutrition: Nitrogen is key during spring. Regularly applying smaller amounts is more effective than large slug doses. Zinc and manganese micro nutrient sprays need to be applied when leaves are two-thirds expanded (mid–late October).

Pruning: Early spring is the last opportunity for pruning after harvest. Trees should also be skirted after harvest to maintain access for herbicide shrouds and keep next season crop up off the ground.

Reworking: Early spring has the highest success rates for reworking trees. For more information see the factsheet Reworking citrus trees (http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/agriculture/horticulture/citrus/management/other-information/rework).


PestWatch

Red scale: The first peak of male red scale flights is early October. Time oil sprays for 3–4 weeks later (late Oct–mid Nov) to coincide with the peak of crawler and whitecap activity. Crawler hatching can vary between regions and between orchards within a region. Regular monitoring to a protocol is essential to best time your oil application.

Thrips: Monitor fruitlets for Kelly’s citrus thrips between fruit set and calyx closure (end Oct). Take action if threshold levels are reached (i.e. 5% level of infestation).

Queensland fruit flyQFF: Queensland fruit fly activity (pictured) has picked up after winter. A bait spray applied now has great efficacy as overwintering females must feed on protein to mate and lay eggs. A single female fruit fly can lay several hundred eggs. Killing fruit flies before the first generation is the most sensible pest management strategy rather than tacking the fifth generation in late autumn. Local monitoring with traps is critical to better target bait sprays.

Citrus gall wasp: Citrus gall wasps emerge over a month generally from mid-October to mid-November. New management options are available: see Citrus gall wasp article.


wood showing damageExoticWatch

Mal secco

Mal secco is a crippling disease found in Mediterranean region that causes dieback and loss of productivity… read more




 


oranges on conveyor beltCitrus postharvest science: new research

John Golding (NSW DPI, Postharvest researcher) reports on three citrus postharvest topics that were presented at the from the VIII International Postharvest Symposium: Enhancing Supply Chain and Consumer Benefits - Ethical and Technological Issues in Spain: new fungicide chemicals, postharvest zero residue and controlling green mould with LED light … read more

 


damage from diseaseStop the rot…

Alternaria black core rot caused significant issues this season on Imperial mandarin. New information reveals that only selected fungicides provide effective control … read more





 


plasma treatment on orangeCold plasma technology can be a game changer for fruit rots control

Dr SP Singh, NSW DPI, will be conducting research in an innovative postharvest treatment called ‘cold plasma’. This has the potential to revolutionise postharvest disease control in fruits by significantly reducing fungicide application rates and providing opportunity for alternative softer fungicides to be used … read more
   





 


weighing orangesSunraysia on-farm research results available

NSW DPI research results from over 20 on-farm trials conducted in the Sunraysia region. The project included trials for ground potassium application, potassium foliar sprays, growth regulators, growth enhancing sprays, sunburn control sprays and more … read more


 
 

gall on a twigCitrus Gall Wasp emergence soon: new control strategies

Citrus gall wasp is expected to emerge from about early October. New control strategies using systemic insecticides and Surround® have been investigated in the HIA Gall Wasp project and are showing some positive results … read more



 
   

leaves with deficiencyCitrus nutrition masterclass

A detailed series of citrus nutrition masterclasses are being delivered in the Riverina and soon to start in Sunraysia. The five-masterclass workshop provides participants with a detailed knowledge of citrus nutrition so they can develop a fertiliser plan to suit their soil conditions. Book in now for the Sunraysia course … read more



 
 

irrigation line with dripNew factsheet: Converting to drip from sprinkler

A new Primefact is now available from the NSW DPI web site outlining the challenges and solutions of converting a sprinkler irrigated orchard to drip irrigation.
 
 

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