Healthy Soils – Healthy and Productive Groves Field Day Program: WA: South West

REGISTER BELOW

Sunday 28 March 2021–Preston Valley Grove, 209 Lowden-Grimwade Rd, Lowden (via Donnybrook) 6240 WA

Field Day Host – Mick Ryan, Preston Valley Grove

PROGRAM

• Arrival from 8.30 am at Preston Valley Grove
• 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”, Lifting grove productivity and “OliveCare® grove best practice checklists” with Greg Seymour (AOA CEO).
• 9.40 PM Session 2 (100 min) Grove Walk: “Grove innovations and issues” – considerations for managing an organic olive grove, including grove redevelopment & management to improve soil and tree health, and grove productivity with Mick Ryan (Preston Valley Grove):
  • Preston Valley Grove on-farm biosecurity best practice – with Michael Thomsett (AOA President) & Mick Ryan
  • Preston Valley Grove maintaining a productive tree canopy with Mick Ryan
  • Preston Valley Grove nutrition best practice (Ref session 3) with Peter Briscoe (Bioptiv) & Mick Ryan
  • Preston Valley Grove managing and monitoring soil moisture including, irrigation, inter row management, mulching and the benefits of building soil carbon with Andy Gulliver (C-Wise) & Mick Ryan

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 (Bioptiv).
• 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): Including a contractor awareness and machinery support EXPO, including:
• Soil improvement / composting with Andy Gulliver (C-Wise)
• Soil / leaf analysis and grove nutrition with Peter Briscoe (Bioptiv)
• Demonstration of measuring microbial activity in soil with Peter Briscoe (Bioptiv)
• Soil moisture monitoring – TBA
• On-farm weather stations – TBA
• Other grove machinery and contractors -TBA
• Also guided tour of Preston Valley Grove oil processing facilities.

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 Andy Gulliver (C-Wise)
• 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 Andy Gulliver (C-Wise)
• 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 23 March 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.