Organic Avocado Management Practice

1 October 2009 Avocado Growers ManualOrganic Avocado Management Practice Copyright NZ Avocado Growers AssociationPG 1 of 17 Organic Avocado Management PracticeIntroductionThe culture of avocados within an Organic system has been practiced for at least 25 years in New Zealand. The longest standing Organic Avocado orchard was certified in 1984. There are different approaches to Organic Management ; many of these practices have been developed by growers from their understanding of biological principles. Some of these practices have a foundation in work done by scientists or Organic practitioners in other industries and some of these practices are based on the grower s experience. As such, there are few studies of the efficacy of Organic production systems for avocados in New Zealand. This does not mean they don t work, but the research has not been done to establish how well they work.

2 This chapter is intended to share the principles of Organic practices . Many of the practices that are in common use are considered to have a sound basis. Sufficient progress in growing avocados organically in New Zealand has been made in recent years to give Avocado growers the confidence to continue working and developing Organic practices . Main Points For many growers the fundamental principle that determines Organic practices is managing the living part of the soil. The three aspects of soil fertility Management that need attention are the soil chemical balance, ensuring a diverse range of beneficial microbes are present and feeding the soil microbial activity. Foliar sprays are used to manage stress conditions. The orchard and its surrounds are thought of as an ecosystem. As the ecosystem becomes more diverse it becomes more robust.

3 Pest and disease Management starts with managing the conditions that grow a healthy processPeople worldwide are becoming increasingly concerned about where their food comes from and Organic certification is an established way that consumers have of discerning whether or not their food is completely free of residues and grown sustainably to an audited standard. From the grower perspective this offers recognition in the market place as well as within the grower community for the principles of how they apply their Management . Certifying an Avocado orchard as Organic is a process that can be complex and confusing. However once systems have been established and documented it is a reasonably straight forward exercise that need not be a barrier to making the decision to certify an operationNew Zealand Food Safety AuthorityDifferent regulations are in place in different export markets and some countries require government to government assurance that Organic standards are appropriate for their market.

4 The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is the government body charged with administering the Official Organic Assurance Programme for New Zealand. The European Union (EU), USA and Japan all operate within this framework. The NZFSA authorises Bio-Gro and AsureQuality to certify to the standards acceptable by those markets. At the time of writing Australia is working through the introduction of a National Standard. It is expected New Zealand certifiers will be recognised as equivalent under the new system. There are some rules for the USA, EU and Japanese market that differ from other export markets. Certifiers provide the information growers need to work within these rules change and evolve on a regular basis, and the information in this chapter is a guide only. At the time of writing (2009) there are four options for orchards to obtain Organic certification within New 2009 Avocado Growers ManualOrganic Avocado Management Practice Copyright NZ Avocado Growers AssociationPG 2 of 17 Demeter This is a certification label that is known internationally but cannot be used as an export label.

5 It is administered by the Bio Dynamic Association and is based on the work of Rudolph Steiner. In some industries international market recognition can be gained by having dual certification with one of the full export certifiers. The Demeter label is sought after by consumers with an understanding of bio dynamic principles. There are many growers who Practice bio dynamic principles without certification and often with no Organic certification at all. Organic Farm NZThis is a low cost certification system intended for the New Zealand market only. It uses the Bio-Gro standard and is administered by a peer review system. Typically it is used by small orchards, allowing them to label produce as Organic without needing to meet export is an independent body owned by the New Zealand Biological Producers and Consumers Council Incorporated and offers two levels of certification. A lower cost New Zealand market only option at a considerably reduced rate from the full export certification.

6 Export level certification requires the certifier to implement a range of procedures that are not needed for domestic only certification. They are IFOAM accredited (International Federation of Organic Movements) as well as a Third Party Authority within the NZFSA Official Organic Assurance Programme. IFOAM was established to be an international standard recognisable across borders. Countries that are considered regulated markets do not recognise IFOAM as they have legislation that defines Organic Practice . AsureQualityAsureQuality offers one level of Organic certification to export standard. It is a state owned enterprise that is also a Third Party Authority within the NZFSA Official Organic Assurance Programme and is IFOAM accredited. Becoming certified organicThe first step towards Organic certification is often to become a member of the New Zealand Organic Avocado Growers Incorporated.

7 Membership is not required for certification but the group can assist with the information a grower needs to undertake when making decisions regarding the certification process. The information includes any sources of assistance that are available, information on current practices , seeing how growers have overcome particular issues, current marketing options and advocacy. The date of application is considered as the annual renewal date for certification. It is best to have this date before the harvest season begins as it will also become the date that the property attains full certification status once the conversion period is complete. A reduced period of conversion can be applied for based on evidence that an orchard has been practicing organics already. For export certification the application must be approved by NZFSA. Under normal circumstances the first year is considered a registration year in which the fruit has no Organic status.

8 After that it is considered conversion produce which can then be sold as Organic conversion fruit alongside fully certified fruit. Depending on market conditions this fruit may achieve a similar price to fully certified fruit on the New Zealand market and at times may also be marketable as Organic conversion export fruit. The first audit is always the most onerous for growers as systems have yet to be fully developed. It can take as much as a day and a half or two days to prepare for an audit which is usually two to four hours. Preparation for an audit can easily be reduced to half a day or less with experience. Primarily, working within certification is about using certified inputs. There are two levels of certified inputs: The first is approved, which means products can be used with no restriction. A copy of the invoice and the certificate current at the time of purchase is needed for the next audit.

9 The second is restricted. These products require written approval from the certifier before use. Micro nutrients are usually in this category and certifiers ask that an explanation and possibly supporting information be given with the application for restricted use. It is preferable to have any restricted inputs detailed in the Management plan that is submitted at the audit. This way any restricted inputs for the season can be approved in advance. If there is a change of plan during the year, approval can readily be asked for as needed. An audit is done by the certifier each year, looking at the records from the previous year, having a look around the orchard and approving the Management plan for the next year. October 2009 Avocado Growers ManualOrganic Avocado Management Practice Copyright NZ Avocado Growers AssociationPG 3 of 17 Establishing an Organic Avocado OrchardSite selection is important to any horticultural enterprise.

10 For Organic avocados the soil characteristics of the site will be a major factor that determines how well the orchard can be established. The drainage characteristics of the soil are particularly important as poor drainage can allow Phytophthora root rot to establish and affect the cropping potential of the trees. Trees on previously contoured sites often perform poorly when compared to trees established in undisturbed areas within the same Management . Additional attention is needed to build soil quality in these areas. When establishing an Avocado orchard the concept of plant succession is used. The type of plants on the land of the orchard is often changed from that of grassland to a forest environment. To successfully change, understanding the connection soil microbial succession has when establishing new plantings is required. The soil microbial complexity increases where the number of different species and the number of different kinds of species increases.