Ross Arnett - Malua Farm

Ross Arnett’s farm, “Malua”, located on the Alstonville Plateau in northern New South Wales, has been in his family since 1872.

​The macadamia orchard is 10 hectares with 2,000  mature trees.  Ross, a SoilCare member, has been using biological farming practices for many years and says, “soil health is fundamental to good farming practices. I use compost to feed the soil biology and promote healthy soil, which leads to healthy trees. Healthy trees have fewer pest and disease problems. Better soils make better trees!”

Biodiversity is also very important at Malua. Ross promotes this by using cover crops and shrubs to provide habitat for insects and birds. This diversity keeps an orchard healthy. Around the perimeter of the orchard Ross has planted tall growing cover crops like sunflowers, sun hemp, and sorghum, mixed in with buckwheat and clovers.   “That height diversity is really good for attracting insects and birds,” says Ross.

In the inter-rows between the trees, he grows lower-growing cover crops that bring beneficial insects into the orchard, including aphids, which then lady beetles, and lacewings, which are natural predators for common macadamia pests.  It’s a complex, natural arrangement that all works beautifully!” he says.  Ross hosts numerous research projects at Malua, including biocontrol of insect pests with Richard Llewellyn and Christopher Carr from BioResEd.  Numerous cover crop trials have been established and are ongoing with support from Abigail Makim also from BioResEd.

​Read more about Ross and Malua Farm at Australian Macadamias and ABC News ​