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

Edition 15

👋 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.

Today, we're excited to announce a fresh, focused direction for our future Q.U.I.P.S. newsletters.

The depth of knowledge on TropicalBytes is astounding - even for us! So, to help us navigate this ocean of insights and share our treasures more effectively, we're introducing themed releases.

With the start of a new month and the final lap of winter, we're casting our spotlight onto a topic that forms the lifeblood of farming – Water, and its critical management, particularly in the context of macadamia cultivation.

As we embark on this new themed journey, your participation is more important than ever. 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: What Is Evapotranspiration & How Does It Affect a Mac Tree? 🤔

• U: A Simple Way to Know How Long to Irrigate For 💧

• I: Top 5 Pearls from TropicalBytes' Water Management Article 💡

• P: A Close Look at a Grand 66-year-old Mac Tree 🌳

• S: Snag a Pair of TropicalBytes Branded Gumboots - On Us! 🎁

Question❓

What Is Evapotranspiration and How Does It Affect a Macadamia Tree?

All farmers, new and seasoned, can find value in understanding the daily 'potential evapotranspiration' (ET) rate. Before macs, back when we were in the thick of covering sugarcane, many farmers often mentioned watching the ET rate and supplementing irrigation when this rate got too high.

In answering this question, it’s important to know:

1. What is evapotranspiration?

2. How do different crops react to it?

Evapotranspiration serves as nature's water cycle highway, transferring water from the land back into the atmosphere. This transfer happens through two primary avenues: evaporation from the soil and other surfaces, and transpiration from plants. Wind and low humidity are two key players that ramp up transpiration.

When ET rates are high, sugarcane will continue to lose water through its leaves (transpire). Farmers, thus, keep the irrigation going to prevent the plants from becoming dehydrated.

Macs, however, play the game differently. During periods of high ET, they switch to survival mode, shutting their stomata, effectively stopping transpiration. What does this mean for you, the farmer? Simply put; irrigating your macs during high ET periods won't do any good. In fact, it could backfire - the roots won't absorb the excess water, leaving you with water-logged soils. And we all know the trouble that invites! 😳

👉 Side Note: You might recall an article we shared back in April of that “very interesting” year, 2020. Despite the world turning topsy-turvy, farm life hummed along, somewhat insulated from the chaos in the cities… but we digress 😊💭 Amidst that year, our Water Management article surfaced as a fan favourite, brimming with practical wisdom.

So, if you missed it or would simply like to revisit, it's certainly worth checking out again → (link)

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

Upskill 📚

A Simple Way to Know How Long to Irrigate For 💧

Reading through this 'upskill', you might find yourself wondering, "Why haven't I done this before?" It's refreshingly simple, completely logical, and recommended by the industry experts.

Let's break it down:

• Begin by digging a trench along the drip line of your row. Aim for about half a metre to a metre deep, and make it wide enough to see the full extent of the soil profile from the surface to the bottom.

• Now, turn on the irrigation and observe. Pay attention to how long it takes for the root zone (about 40cm deep) to get wet.

Here's your takeaway: The time it took to wet the root zone is how long you should irrigate for.

Knowing how often to irrigate can be done similarly…

When you feel it's time to turn the taps on again, remove the dried-off, exposed soil on the trench wall. This allows you to assess the moisture content in the root zone. Is it really dry? You might be surprised to find it's still doing fine, in which case, check back again in a few hours (remember to remove the dry wall again or start a new trench). Eventually, you'll pinpoint the interval after which your soil genuinely needs more moisture.

Congratulations, you've found your irrigation schedule!

A few key notes to remember:

• Canopy cover, soil type and composition, field gradient, aspect, and sun position will all influence your results, necessitating multiple 'test trenches'.

• Don't forget to consider rainfall and adjust your schedule accordingly.

And there you have it - a simple, logical method to refining your irrigation without all the expensive tech.

⏰ Friendly Reminder: Share Your Own Creative Upskill Tips Here

Information ℹ️

The Top 5 Pearls from TropicalBytes' Water Management Article 💡

Here are the Top 5 Pearls from TropicalBytes' Water Management Article: 👇

1. A Wake-Up Call: Water scarcity is not a myth—it's a stark reality! We must adapt and learn to farm more efficiently with less water. This is a crucial consideration for all farmers, even those fortunate enough to have an "inexhaustible" supply, especially when considering changes or expansions.

2. Mac trees are essentially still wild (i.e skillful survivalists). They have specialised systems that enable them to flourish without pampering. What they do need is a balanced ecosystem where life is holistic and natural. We can support this by understanding their specific skills – their transpiration regulation is an example.

3. Mac trees have proteoid roots. Understanding the characteristics of these roots is vital to effective water management. The implication of every point below has been explored in the Water Management article:

   • The roots are typically shallow, ranging from the surface to about 40cm deep (but they can be found deeper).

   • They are extremely thin and delicate.

   • They are sensitive to phosphorus, prone to fungal infections, and do not react well to water logging.

4. Mac trees have sclerophyllous leaves—thick, leathery leaves designed to withstand environmental demands. This makes mac trees different to most other plants in how they regulate their stomata (through which CO2, water, and O2 pass).

5. A thirsty tree doesn't necessarily signify a lack of water. When there’s a lack of water, the salt content is often high in any water that is available – additional gypsum, placed around the root zone, can help neutralise this imbalance. (CAUTION: Before applying any products, make sure to conduct soil tests!)

Upcoming Industry Events

• NAMPO CAPE | 13 – 16 Sept

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

• PROPAK CAPE | 24 – 26 October

🚨 HELP NEEDED! 🚨

Our industry events list could do with some love, and who's better suited to help than YOU? 🫵 

Got an unmissable agri event in mind? Webinar, meetup, study group… you name it! Just click → here and let us know the what, where and when, and we’ll spread the word to our entire TropicalBytes community.

Remember, sharing isn't just caring—it's how we grow together. 🌱

Can't wait to hear from you! 😁

Picture 📷

A Close Look at a Grand 66-year-old Mac Tree 🌳

Not only do these leaves look beautiful, bejewelled in rain drops, we also need to appreciate the grand old ‘dam presenting them. A seedling, from the second batch of seeds Bertie le Roux sourced from Durban Botanic Gardens (Africa’s oldest surviving botanic garden), she is now 66 years old.

⏰ 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 🎁

Snag a Pair of TropicalBytes Branded Gumboots - On Us! 🎁

Who couldn't do with a fresh pair of boots? Be it for you or a member of your farm team, we're giving away a pair of TropicalBytes branded boots!

Want them? Here's your game plan:

• Shoot us an email over to [email protected] with the answers to the 6 quick steps.

• To stand out from the crowd, make sure your subject line reads "QUIPS edition 15 – BOOTS CHALLENGE".

• Entries close midnight on 7th August 2023. The race is on!

Your 6-step ticket to win: 👇

1. Question: Got a farm-related question that's been bugging you? Spill the beans!

2. Upskill: Got a tip or trick up your sleeve that'll help level up our TropicalBytes community? Don't keep it to yourself!

3. Information: What farming topic are you eager to dig deeper into? We're all ears!

4. Picture: Share the coolest farming-related snapshot from your phone. Give us a peek into your farming world!

5. Special Insights: What's your verdict on QUIPS? How has it enriched - or perhaps not - your farming operation? Be frank. We can take it. 😏

6. Boot Size: We want your new boots to be a perfect fit! 👣

We're all set and excited to read your entries!

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! 🌱

The Comment Corner 💬

Join us in the comments section! Share your thoughts, offer your suggestions and enlighten us with your own pearls of wisdom!

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