July 9, 2025
Growers gathered at the 2025 Orchard Research Review were treated to a wide range of presentations covering everything from orchard sanitation and beneficial insects, to management and control of key pests and diseases, such as ALCM, mealybug, bull's eye rot and black spot.
The importance of an integrated approach was highlighted during the sanitation session, with sanitation, forced ascospore release and inoculum monitoring/quantification all intricately linked.
Practical discussions on sanitation equipment and work rates along with spore monitoring and trapping emphasised to growers the purpose of sanitation in effectively breaking the disease life cycle and improve the spray programme efficacy.
Grower presentations on the complexities of spraying, staff training and machine maintenance and improving biodiversity within an orchard were greatly appreciated by all in attendance.
One of the day's highlights was PFR's research into ALCM and plant volatiles, where single sensilla recordings were used to see if ALCM midges could detect certain volatiles. An electrode was inserted into the antennae of the insect to monitor for a response while it was pinned down.
