Question❓| Upskill 📚 | Information ℹ️ | Picture 📷 | Special Offer 🎁

Edition 9

👋 Hey TropicalBytes family, welcome to this week’s edition of Q.U.I.P.S.!

As the fastest-growing subtropical farming community out there, we're thrilled to be your BFF (Best Farming Friend), saving you hundreds of hours by unearthing hidden gems like actionable tips, practical knowledge, industry insights, and so much more - all with the end goal of equipping you for excellence and success.

Before we dive into today’s edition, our ask is for you to please share your own creative ideas, ask any burning questions you may have, or let us know which topics you’d love to see covered.

Remember, we’re here for you - the awesome TropicalBytes community!

Let's dive right in! 🚀

Estimated read time: 3 minutes

In Today’s Email:

• Q: Would ‘Co-operation’ Ever Work? 🤔

• U: Clever Ways to Efficiently Heat Your Drying Bins 🔥

• I: Comprehensive Top-working Macadamia Guide (PDF) 📚

• P: A Flower Crab Spider's Photobomb Surprise 🕷️

• S: Its Back: FREE Macadamia Pests Poster! ✅

Question❓

Would ‘Co-operation’ Ever Work?

Farmers are, by nature, co-operative. They even call their supply stores ‘Co-ops’ 😂. But, they’re also human! And humans are, quite often, not so co-operative. Our competitive natures, pride and egos make it far too uncomfortable.

There is no answer for the question we pose today. Instead, it’s a seed – something to chew on when you next peer through the fence line, the border that’s invisible to all the pests we spend so much effort fighting…

Ah, so now you get where this is going…

Imagine for a second, what would happen if ALL the farmers, in an ecosystem, co-operated in a united front to manage the pests affecting their livelihoods?

What if they committed to a single programme, an INTEGRATED APPROACH, across all crops, that synchronised efforts (sprays, biologicals, alternate food sources – everything)?

Indeed, it would take some effort, thought and strategy.

But surely that would be SO MUCH more effective than individual farms working in silos, with the bugs watching on, having a good cackle as they move from one farm to the next, building immunity and growing stronger as they exploit the uncooperative system that we throw millions at today…

Are we, humans, being outsmarted by insects? 🤔

⏰ Friendly Reminder: Got Any Questions? Submit Them Here to Be Answered.

Upskill 📚

Getting Heat to Your Drying Bins

Farmers are, undeniably, a crafty, diligent and inventive lot... Their knack for innovation shines in the many creative ways they’ve employed to introduce heat into their macadamia drying bins.

Macs don’t necessarily have to be dried; it happens naturally. But as we cram more into a smaller space and want them to dry quicker, we have to facilitate the process.

How much air and heat you pump into the nuts depends on how much of a hurry you are in.

And in our power-challenged country (South Africa), electric heaters are not only expensive, they’re also compromised.

So, here are some other ways you can dry your nuts quicker… 🐿

• JAFF 3 & JAFF 24 - Shells, collected from the local processor, are used to fire up the boiler. This pushes hot water through a radiator inside the drying area which adds enough heat to the drying bins to reduce humidity and accelerate the drying process.

• JAFF 13 - During the day, the heat from the shed ceiling is passed through the drying bins and through a sump filled with plain concrete bricks, which are heated in the process. At night, only air from the brick sump (which is now hot) is drawn through the bins, thereby creating 24 hours of (free) hot air.

• JAFF 23 - Air from the ceiling, heated by the sun, is used to dry the nuts, keeping the process going through the night with dehumidified air.

⏰ Friendly Reminder: Share Your Own Creative Upskill Tips Here

Information ℹ️

Your Ultimate Guide to Top-Working Macadamias

While top-working/grafting might typically be categorised under 'upskill,' this time, we're going beyond the basics.

We're not just guiding you on how to make the cut – we're diving down the rabbit hole into the world of "top-working macadamias." 🕳️🐇

👇 So, grab your copy of our comprehensive guide, filled to the brim with step-by-step info of everything you need to master. You could even save yourself a small fortune by ditching the need for some pricey expert.

Upcoming Industry Events

• WoodEX | 27 - 29 June

• FOOD & DRINK TECHNOLOGY (FDT) AFRICA | 13 – 15 July

• NAMPO CAPE | 13 – 16 Sept

• International Macadamia Symposium (IMS ‘23) | 18 to 21 Sept

• PROPAK CAPE | 24 to 26 October

Picture 📷

Photobombed by a Flower Crab Spider

Flower crab spiders are beneficial predators in orchards, providing natural pest control by preying on many 'baddies'. As they wait in flowers for their prey, they also contribute to pollination. Although they don't single-handedly eliminate pest issues or ensure successful pollination, they play a valuable role within a broader integrated pest management (IPM) strategy, contributing to a healthier and more productive orchard ecosystem.

🤓 Fun Facts: Flower crab spiders, known as Thomisus, are compact little predators, ranging from 3-11mm in size. Impressively, they can mimic the colour of their surroundings, undergoing transitions from white to yellow or even pink, depending on the flower they are sitting on. However, not all species possess this ability, with some maintaining a cryptic brown hue to blend with bark or grass seeds.

Equipped with longer and thicker front legs, the flower crab spider can often capture prey three times its size, with an impressive crab-like grip. A quick bite behind the prey's head kills it, and the spider then dissolves and consumes the insides, leaving behind a hollow, perfect insect form.

Male flower crab spiders are often seen riding on females (see photo below👇), waiting for the opportune moment post-moult to mate when the female is least likely to resist or attack. After mating, the female lays her eggs in a leaf-cone, the female guards them until she dies, leaving her young to scatter.

⏰ Friendly Reminder: Share your farm pics, ideas, tips, or solutions with the TropicalBytes community to inspire one another, overcome challenges, and elevate your operations – together. Share Here

Special Offer 🎁

Its Back: FREE Macadamia Pests Poster!

The response to our Macadamia Pests Poster last week was nothing short of phenomenal. You loved it, and we heard you!

For those who may have missed out, here's another chance. We’re bringing it back!

For one more week.

Don’t miss out and grab yours now 👇 And yes, it's still 100% FREE!

That’s a wrap folks! We hope you enjoyed this week’s QUIPS edition.

Don't forget to join us in the comments section below 👇 – it's kinda like a family Braai but better! There, you'll find no screaming kids, awkward photos, or tipsy uncles telling bizarre stories. Let's get the conversations cookin'! 🔥 

Until then, happy farming, deep learning, and warm smiles.

We'll see you next week! 🌱

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