Healthy and Productive Groves Field Day Program

Lisadurne Hill, 159 Heily Rd, Rushworth, 3612, Victoria

REGISTRATIONS HAVE CLOSED FOR THIS EVENT

Field Day Hosts – Tina & Russ Knight, Lisadurne Hill

PROGRAM

• Arrival from: 8.30 am at Lisadurne Hill
• Refreshments on arrival
• Commence: 9.00 am

AM Welcome, introductions, grove walk and soil and leaf nutrition surveys:

• 9.00 AM Session 1 (40 min): Introductions: “Setting the scene & defining the problem” – with Peter McFarlane (OliveCare® Administrator) – Lifting grove productivity and OliveCare® grove best practice checklists.
• 9.40 PM Session 2 (100 min) Grove Walk: “Grove innovations and issues” – considerations for managing an olive grove, including grove redevelopment & management to improve soil and tree health, and grove productivity – with Russ and Tina Knight (Lisadurne Hill):
  • Lisadurne Hill on-farm biosecurity best practice – with Peter McFarlane (OliveCare® Administrator) and Russ Knight
  • Lisadurne Hill maintaining a productive tree canopy with Andrew Taylor (Pendleton Estate) & Russ Knight
  • Lisadurne Hill grove nutrition best practice (Ref session 3) with Peter Briscoe (Bioptiv) & Russ Knight
  • Lisadurne Hill managing and monitoring soil moisture including, irrigation, inter row management, mulching and the benefits of building soil carbon with John Barton (Charton & Bang, Research & Development), Tom Nelligan (Swan Systems) & Russ Knight.

11.20 AM Break for refreshments (shed): (20 Minutes)

• 11.40 PM Session 3 (60 Min): Soil and Leaf nutrition sampling and analysis with Peter Briscoe (Bioactive Soil Solutions)
• How to sample grove soils for nutrition analysis – how when where?
• Interpreting soil analysis reports
• How to sample the grove for a leaf analysis– how when where?
• Interpreting leaf analysis reports
• Planning a grove nutrition program including use of soil conditioners
• 12.40 PM Break for Lunch: (60 Minutes): With exhibitor grove measuring / monitoring equipment
• Soil improvement / composting with John Barton (Charton & Bang, Research & Development)
• Soil / Leaf analysis and grove nutrition with Peter Briscoe (Bioptiv)
• Demonstration of measuring microbial activity in soil with Peter Briscoe (Bioptiv)
• Soil moisture monitoring with Tom Nelligan (Swan Systems)
• On-farm weather stations with Tom Nelligan (Swan Systems)

PM: Soils, making and using compost, field day evaluation:

• 1.40 PM Session 4 (100 Min): Utilising grove organic waste, making and using compost with John Barton (Charton & Bang, Research & Development)
• 3.20 PM Break for refreshments: (20 Minutes)
• 3.40 PM Session 3 (60 Min): Soils – “Understanding the role of soil carbon, soil water and soil biology” with John Barton (Charton & Bang, Research & Development)
• What is soil carbon and where does it come from
• Soil carbon and soil water
• Collecting more water
• Holding more water
• Giving more water
• Reducing losses
• Economic benefits
• The importance of building soil and tree health for IPDM
• Composting training course and consultancy services
• 4.40 PM – Field day feedback and evaluation (shed) (20 Min)

• 5.00 PM Field day concludes followed by refreshments until 6.00 pm

Registrations close 12 February 2021

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the Hort Innovation olive research and development levy, co-investment from the Australian Olive Association and contributions from the Australian Government.