Next-gen macadamias: Breeding better trees for Australian growers

A new national project is underway to develop macadamia trees that are better suited to Australian growing conditions with the aim of improving nut quality, increasing yields and reducing the time to harvest.

The initiative is led by the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation and is backed by Hort Innovation with co-investment from the Australian Government and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries.

 Hort Innovation CEO Brett Fifield said the project will support Australia's position as a global leader in macadamia production.

“This investment is about creating even better adapted trees for different macadamia-growing regions across Australia,” he said.

 The breeding program will apply tools such as genetic markers, artificial intelligence and geonomic selection to shorten the variety development cycle for more than 20 years to around 10, with new tree lines released every few years.

 Lead researcher Dr Mobashwer Alam said work will involve close collaboration with growers.

“Our vision is to deliver high-performing, climate-resilient trees that fruit earlier, produce better quality and optimally sized nuts that reduce production costs,” he said.

 The project forms part of the National Macadamia Breeding and Evaluation Program and is expected to drive improvements in production, biosecurity and export potential for the sector.