How Do You Like Them Apples? Plunkett Orchards & Isuzu

September 24, 2024

General Manager of Plunkett Orchards, Andrew Plunkett (right), with Maintenance Manager Brenton Rae (left)

If the price of apples and oranges is something that can never be agreed on, at least there’s nothing like the pleasure of biting into a crisp, fresh apple.

It’s a sensation so poignant that one of Australia's leading fruit suppliers, Plunkett Orchards, is needing to meet heightened demand with a revamped irrigation system driven by Isuzu Power Solutions.

Situated in the golden growing belt of the Goulburn Valley, the orchards sit on 235 hectares of prime land, producing oodles of fresh fruit to deliver across Australia and 29 countries internationally.

The first trees were planted in 1889 by Carl and Hannah Lenne, who it seems, also sowed the seeds for the orchards’ blooming success today.

The orchards are currently headed by Andrew Plunkett, great-grandson of this original growing family and a fourth-generation farmer with his own vision for the future.

Plunkett Orchards cultivates popular apples such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady, Gala, Sundowner, Kanzi, and Rockets, along with a variety of pears.

“Everyone wants fresh fruit these days, compared to the many years of canned fruit we enjoyed,” said Andrew.

“People are eating a wide range of varieties, and we need to meet that demand.”

To ensure the right apples are going to the right customers and as fresh as possible, they’ve invested in the latest sorting and packaging technology—at no small cost to the business but with a big return on investment.

“Our process includes scanning every piece of fruit, and that determines up to 45 different uses for any apple,” explained Andrew.

“The apples are then separated and packed for customers that require fruit at that particular specification.”

Keeping the apples in prime condition is a computer-controlled irrigation system, powered by a 3.0-litre common rail 4JJ1TYBW01 industrial engine from Isuzu Power Solutions (IPS).

Plunkett Orchards’ irrigation accommodates for changing climatic conditions on the property, watering the base of each tree and using an overhead misting system to keep apples cool during the active growing season.

Via a series of hand-built channels, water is fed from the Shepparton Irrigation Area, which is part of the 9,950 square kilometre state-wide Goulburn-Murray Irrigation District (GMID) irrigation system that accounts for 70 per cent of Victoria’s water storage.

Plunkett Orchards recently upgraded to a new Isuzu industrial engine to ensure reliable power over the Aussie summer, where irrigation and water misting runs up to 24 hours a day, seven days a week—ensuring fruit grows in an optimum environment.

The 4JJ1TYBW01 sits under the IPS ‘Premium Made-to-Stock’ range with exhausts, air systems, control units and other accessories installed so it can be switched on straight away and get down to work.

“We had an existing Isuzu 4JG1TPW powerplant that had been in operation for well over 15 years, but with the long hot summers we needed to ensure we had a reliable irrigation engine power package on hand, so we reached out to Isuzu Power Solutions for an upgrade,” said Maintenance Manager Brenton Rae.

“The new engine comes with greater running efficiencies, which is important as it has to run both the irrigation and water spray system to cool the fruit 24/7 during the hot periods over summer.

“For all of this to run off the one engine unit—which is much quieter and more fuel efficient— it is a true testament to the product meeting our demands.”

One of the key operational features of the 4JJ1TYBW01PRM engine package is the top-of-the-line Murphy MPC10 controller with remote start, stop and RPM control.

Continually monitoring, assessing and protecting the engine, this advanced controller allows Plunkett Orchards to keep a close eye on their critical systems with simple integration into their management system for further peace of mind.

“This system has allowed for far greater flexibility with the irrigation of the orchard,” said Andrew.

“Having the ability to check and operate the system remotely is like having an extra set of hands.”

Andrew’s enthusiasm extends to Isuzu’s customer service and engineers that determine the best configuration for Plunkett Orchards, based on their requirements and previous set-up.

“My late father purchased the previous engine and I had very little information to go off when first enquiring.

“But from the initial contact, the IPS team was terrific in working with us to provide the exact solution that we required.

“Within half an hour I had a full run-down on what we previously had installed and a detailed proposal of its replacement.

“The whole process was complete in a matter of days, from contact through to offering a solution. We assumed it could be weeks, if not months, for the unit to be installed, but we had it up and running in another handful of days,” continued Andrew.

“As a fruit grower there are a lot of challenges—it’s about how you meet those challenges and make the right decisions quickly.

“Working with IPS was for sure the right decision for us.”

Isuzu Power Solutions range of products includes industrial engines, power units and generator sets, available through Isuzu Trucks dealers and specialty outlets. 