The 2011 Australian Almond Industry Phil Watters Award was awarded to Riverina almond grower Dean Dinicola at this year’s Australian Almond Conference held in Victor Harbor, South Australia, at the end October.
The Phil Watters Award recognises service to the Australian almond industry, in particular a dedication to research, development and the improvement of almond production, adoption of best practice and promotion of horticulture to the community.
In accepting the Award Dean advised the Conference Delegates that he felt very honoured to be the 2011 recipient of this industry Award which also carries with it a prize of $10,000.
“It is a privilege to receive this award in honour of Phil Watters who's dedication and hard work contributed significantly to the Australian Almond industry” said Dean.
Dean began working on the family property at Lake Wyangan in the Riverina, at the age of 16 and has been heavily involved in the development of the almond orchard.
Since leaving school Dean has completed an Almond Best Practice Agronomic Management Training Program and has helped to coordinate and run trials and field days at their property in conjunction with Ben Brown of the Almond Board of Australia. He has embraced the latest technological advances and best practice management practices to bring the family almond property into production, and he maintains a strict irrigation, fertigation and spraying programme.
Dean is now seen as a leading innovator in almond production in the Riverina region and has set up his own fertigation system that uses 2 kilometres of black poly pipe as a solar heater to produce hot water for the mixing tank to allow the fertilizer to totally dissolve before being applied through the irrigation system. He has also utilised a swivel PTO gearbox in his harvester to allow greater manoeuvrability within the orchard.
The Almond Board of Australia selection committee for the Award noted Dean’s drive and innovation had contributed significantly to him achieving his goal of excellence in his almond orchard.
Dean will use the prize to fund a study tour to California where he will investigate more efficient and effective ways of storing and drying high moisture almonds prior to delivery to processing companies. He is also interested in looking at new self pollinator varieties and any new techniques in fertilisation and irrigation to enhance Almond production within the orchards.
The Award is part funded from a trust administered by the Almond Board of Australia (ABA) and is part funded by Horticulture Australia. It is dedicated to the memory of Phil Watters, a respected individual and dedicated technical officer in the almond industry.
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