Trellis citrus production trial and video
Dr Dave Monks (Research Horticulturist) is leading the citrus component of the National Tree Crop Intensification in Horticulture Program (AS18000) funded by the Hort Frontiers Advanced Production Systems Fund. The citrus project has several components including high-density pruning, dwarfing trees using viroid and rootstocks, tree architecture and trellis production.
Steven Falivene (Development Officer) is the instigator of the trellis production component. Steven has a passion for budgeting and new technologies and believes growing citrus on trellises for improved yield and robotic harvesting could be the next revolutionary change for the industry. Steven said, “there are lots of opinions on growing oranges on a trellis but unfortunately there is no published data to realistically assess its viability in Australian conditions.” Dean Morris, a citrus grower in Leeton, uses trellising in Afourer mandarins and this trial builds on his experiences.
The trial, at NSW DPI Dareton Primary Industries Institute, has been established in blocks of 16-year-old Atwood and Hockney navels stumped to about 80 cm. The block has a 5 m row and 3.5 m tree spacing, which produced good yields during early tree growth but now the canopy is overcrowded and shaded with yields dropping to below 20 t/ha. Part of the problem is the need to hedge the trees regularly for row access. A separate pruning trial on the same block is assessing different pruning methods.
Since installing the trellising, Dr Mahmud Kare has joined the project team. Mahmud has worked on orchard intensification in mangos and he will provide valuable experience to the citrus small trees project team. He also shares Steven’s passion to try trellis production and has rearranged the trial to have an extra trellis treatment. The treatments include espalier (Figure 1), palmate and cordon trellis systems (Figure 2). A demonstration row of other training systems is also being established.
Steven will be focusing on the applied (e.g. pruning and harvest efficiency) and budgeting (cost:benefit) aspects and Mahmud will be providing an extra layer of scientific investigation, including the relationship between light interception and distribution, canopy volume and yield.
The trees are expected to fill the trellis quickly and in five years, we should have an early indication of the fruitfulness of the contrasting trellis systems and have citrus harvesting robots working.
A trellis trial with Navels has been established at NSW DPI Dareton Primary Industries Institute.
Video
Contact details
Dr Dave Monks (03 5019 8400) can be contacted for more details about the tree intensification project and Steven Falivene (0427 208 611) for the trellis component of the project.
This is a project of the National Tree Crop Intensification in Horticulture Program, funded by the Hort Frontiers Advanced Production Systems Fund, part of the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative developed by Hort Innovation, with co-investment from NSW Department of Primary Industries and contributions from the Australian Government.
March 2021
