Trial Methodology and data analysis

Trial Setup

The trial is located on Redrock Orchard, Hummock Road, Pemberton, close to the coast, east of Bundaberg in Queensland. The trial set up is as an observational trial to monitor stress in 12 year old 816 macadamias and investigate whether the addition of foliar products can mitigate that stress and sequentially have a beneficial effect on crop yield and quality and tree health.

Because of the nature of tree monitoring using sap flow meters, the configuration of trees was partly dictated by this restraint. Last season, trees were chosen from a single row:

Three trees from the same block were chosen that are of similar size and vigour and the same variety (816), these three were grouped and treated with the same product. A buffer of 2 trees is in between each treatment which was not treated. Please refer to the manufacturer's website for details on the products

Treatment 1: Control (water)

Treatment 2: Endo-Fight Treatment

Treatment 3: Kelpak treatment

Treatment 4: Enhance KCS with Bio Elite

This configuration was then replicated on the same block on a row to the north of the initial set up. The initial set off trees was sprayed using a Silvan spot sprayer in the 2018-2019 season. The only parameters measured for the 2018-2019 season were the yield and quality measured by Redrock and the Suncoast Gold Macadamias laboratory. The results were inconclusive as the stress measuring components were not available in time, however, the Kelpak treatment gave a return on investment above the control.

Application

The various treatments were applied at 2.5L total volume per tree by spray drone (equivalent to 780L/ha)

Control Water only

Endofight 64ml/tree

Kelpak 7.5ml/tree

Enhance KCS 19ml/tree

BioElite 0.32ml/tree

Application Timing

The trees were sprayed on 3 separate occasions

24/08/2020 Flowering

30/09/2020 Nut set

05/11/2020 Nut drop/marble size