Our Insights

End of season chill accumulation update from Shane Phillips shows a variable 2025 chill season with most sites recording lower chill than 2024. Early bud movement and extended flowering are expected due to fluctuating temperatures and minimal rain forecasted.

This week’s update highlights a rapid shift in bud development across key growing regions as chill accumulation winds down. Temperatures are now driving strong bud movement, dormancy breaker rates may need adjusting to protect emerging buds. Weather forecasts indicate optimal flowering conditions from late July into early August across the Riverland, Mildura, Swan Hill and Griffith. Compare this season's chill units to previous seasons.

This week’s update from Chemist Shane Phillips highlights current crop development and chill accumulation trends across key horticultural regions. Most areas have now received adequate chill for several crops, with early bud movement observed in almonds and pomegranates. A forecasted cold snap following early-week rain may influence progression.

This week’s chill accumulation update from chemist Shane Phillips highlights key developments across the Riverland and beyond. With almond varieties on track to flower soon, warmer breaks and fluctuating temperatures are already prompting early bud movement across several crops, including cherries, almonds and pomegranates.

The next newsletter in our weekly chill accumulation series, brought to you by BioCentral Laboratories’ chemist Shane Phillips. Each week, Shane shares regional insights to help growers manage bud development, flowering windows and dormancy-breaking strategies across key horticultural regions. In this update, Shane reports that Swan Hill is well placed for an early bud burst, while Griffith is tracking well below average chill levels, presenting a scenario he’s never seen before in the area.

Each week, Shane Phillips tracks chill accumulation across five key regions: Loxton, Renmark, Swan Hill, Griffith and Mildura to help growers and advisors make informed decisions. This week, chill has been progressing steadily despite a warm spike on one of the days. Swan Hill is showing strong chill hours and early bud movement in almonds, grapes and low-chill stone fruit are possible. With chill levels unusually low for this time of year Griffith is falling behind, raising concerns for crops like prunes and cherries. Patterns are more in line with the Riverland than typical Griffith behaviour.

Shane Phillips, Head of R&D at BioCentral Laboratories, provides a fresh update on chill accumulation in the five key growing regions: Loxton, Renmark, Swan Hill, Griffith and Mildura. These insights help growers and industry advisors plan ahead for orchard readiness and management. Read on to find out how the season progresses and regional differences emerge.

Each week, Shane Phillips, Head Chemist of Research & Development at BioCentral Laboratories, shares updated chill hour data for five key horticultural regions: Loxton, Renmark, Swan Hill, Griffith and Mildura. This consistent tracking helps growers, agronomists and industry professionals monitor chill accumulation throughout the season, supporting more informed decisions around crop readiness and orchard management.

A paper by Shane Phillips, Lead Chemist discussing the role of polymers in reducing buildup of colloidal clays in drip irrigation systems and increasing laminar flow characteristics in irrigation systems.

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