Author: Chris Robinson

Recommended Reading

Basil and Jean Baldwin are Australian hazelnut growers, with a 500 tree orchard at Forest Reefs, Blayney, NSW. Basil is an agronomist and published his PhD thesis in 2015.

Called “The Growth and Productivity of Hazelnut Cultivars (Corylus avellana L.) in Australia“, his thesis assessed the growth of 26 cultivars grown at 5 different sites, two each in NSW and Victoria and one in Tasmania. (Unfortunately for New Zealand growers, the cultivar “Whiteheart” was only planted at the site in Tasmania.)

The thesis is chock-full of valuable information. The literature review brings together what is known about hazelnuts, and discusses the effect of climate and soil, factors which influence growth and production, and the attributes and relative merits of of various cultivars (there’s a helpful characteristics and merit guide for cultivars in Appendix A).

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Introducing the HGANZ Exec

My name is Christine Robinson and I am the new Exec hired by the Committee.

My job is to provide administrative services to HGANZ, things like taking the Minutes of the meetings, sending out emails or finding information on something as directed by the Committee. I will also take over creating the quarterly Newsletter, leaving Paul more time for his hazelnuts. In addition, my job it to apply for grant money to progress the aims of HGANZ. The Committee has some big goals for the industry, and I’ll take on the basic research and writing parts, allowing them to do the thinking and polishing, all while continuing with their day jobs.

I have a very old PhD (2005) in plant diseases, but children and my husband’s career derailed my plans. HGANZ gives me the opportunity to get back into plants and science and keep my brain alive. Hopefully I will meet many of you over the next year or so, as I will help organise Field Days. Until then, here is a picture of me with my dog – he enjoys eating hazelnuts too.