Avocados may not be the most common crop in northern Victoria, but Marion and Geoff Peters are banking on the fruit being a winner along with their apples, even in the face of low water allocations.
The husband and wife team have owned their 18 hectare farm in the Colignan district for ten years, developing two-thirds and leaving the rest as natural bushland.
They recently took advantage of free, confidential information sessions being offered for a limited time to horticulture irrigators in the southern Murray-Darling Basin and say it has given them confidence about their management plans.
One of the highlights of the session for Marion was the water budgeting computer software which allowed her to enter and analyse the property's data.
"It confirmed we had made the right decisions about crop choices and the value we could afford per megalitre of water," she said.
"Water is going to be an on-going issue so it is important to take advantage of any information that’s available."
The free, confidential one-on-one sessions are held on farm as part of a project operating in Sunraysia through the Murray Valley Horticulture Alliance.
They provide horticulture irrigators with financial and agronomic information to help them deal with the 'irrigation drought' currently being experienced in the region.
The project is being run by Horticulture Australia Limited in partnership with industry and supported by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
The Peters’ operation began with organic vegetables as a cash crop during the establishment phase for the avocado and apple trees.
The mainstay for several years was zucchinis, but although they're in demand, Marion says the returns aren't high enough to pay for the water that would have to be bought.
"We're a small family operation and can't afford to take on the big producers, so have to be very careful about what we choose and meeting market specifications," she said.
"That's one of the reasons that we've chosen not just avocados and apples but organic farming too.
"Avocados are used to a sub-tropical climate and aren't easy to establish in this semi-arid area.
"Dry heat and winds during flowering can cause pollination issues, and they need sufficient water on the roots before it gets too hot as they are unable to take up water rapidly during a heat wave.
"But we are working the farm full time and can afford to pay close attention to their needs, and because there is low humidity, there aren't the pests and diseases that usually plague the crop in its natural environment so it fits nicely into the organic system here."
Marion said the sessions helped with their decision-making by providing a sounding board.
"The extension provider who came over, Graeme Thornton, didn't tell us what to do but showed us several alternative ways to think about what we needed to do.
"During the session we also walked around the property and discussed irrigation scheduling, how to irrigate with low water and how to maintain the trees and keep the property weed free.
"I think the sessions are worthwhile for any growers who want to clear the grey areas of their thinking and get some clarity."
