New Varieties Available ::

VARIETY G (MIV1-G)

Image of 9 year old Macadamia tree - variety G - in Bundaberg

Mean total kernel recovery of ~42.6%

Total kernel yield per hectare
$61,555
Bundaberg site

Total kernel yield per hectare
$62,235
Alstonville site

This data is cumulative across the nine-year trial period & based on $4.72 per kg

MORE ABOUT :: VARIETY G

VARIETY J (MIV1-J)

Mean total kernel recovery of ~44.8%

Total kernel yield per hectare
$58,763
Bundaberg site

Total kernel yield per hectare
$50,229
Alstonville site

This data is cumulative across the nine-year trial period & based on $4.72 per kg

MORE ABOUT :: VARIETY J

VARIETY P (MIV1-P)

Mean total kernel recovery of ~38.5%

Total kernel yield per hectare
$53,935
Bundaberg site

Total kernel yield per hectare
$50,826
Alstonville site

This data is cumulative across the nine-year trial period & based on $4.72 per kg

MORE ABOUT :: VARIETY P

VARIETY R (MIV1-R)

Mean total kernel recovery of ~37.8%

Total kernel yield per hectare
$50,433
Bundaberg site

Total kernel yield per hectare
$59,342
Alstonville site

This data is cumulative across the nine-year trial period & based on $4.72 per kg

MORE ABOUT :: VARIETY R

Each of the new varieties has been evaluated as part of a group of 20 industry breeding lines compared with existing industry-standard varieties in a range of sites around Queensland and New South Wales. The assessment measured yield, kernel quality and tree performance of all varieties to ultimately select and release these four exciting new high-yielding varieties to the macadamia industry.

The information on these varieties has been sourced from the RVT Series 3 (Phase II) up to the end of Year 9. This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the macadamia research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government and Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Some key terms explained ::

Nut-in-shell (NIS) value

is the price paid in $ per kilo by processors to growers for nuts, uncracked and dehusked at 10% moisture content

Kernel recovery

is the percentage of kernel (weight) to nut (weight) when the nut is cracked

Cumulative kernel recovery

total cumulative nut-in-shell weight/yield per hectare across nine years of trial period multiplied by the percentage kernel recovery for that variety

Sticktight

the husks that don’t drop at harvest and hang in the tree for some time

these husks can be hosts to spread huskspot in next year’s crop

all the varieties have been given a subjective sticktight rating from visual observations

Huskspot

caused by a fungal pathogen Pseudocercospora macadamiae, is a major disease of macadamia in Australia

the fungus may persist in diseased old husks (sticktights) for over 2 years

Husk rot

caused by several fungal species, amongst others Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and Phomopsis spp.

Abnormal Vertical Growth (AVG)

a disorder of macadamia trees that is characterised by excessive upright growth with few side branches and increased vegetative vigour resulting in reduced flowering, poor nut set and reduction in yield (O’Farrell, 2011)

Grafting

a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined so as to continue their growth together

Budwood (Scion)

short lengths of young branches with buds prepared for grafting on to the rootstock of another plant

Rootstock

a stem with a well developed root system, to which a piece from another plant is grafted

FAQ ::

Are these new varieties available for planting outside of Australia?

The commercialisation agreement for these four new macadamia varieties is limited to sales of the new plants within Australia.

Any enquiries to purchase plants for production outside of Australia should be directed to the owners of the PBR – Hort Innovation and DAF.

How much is the royalty payable per plant?

The royalty payable per plant is currently $4 + GST and this figure is set by the owners of the PBR. This amount of royalty is collected by the licensed nursery at the point of sale for plants and is remitted back to the owner of the PBR.

Macadamia Innovation receives a small percentage of this royalty as the commercialisation fee for managing access to and sales of any of the new varieties.

The remaining amount of the royalty is returned to the owners of the Plant Breeders’ Rights (PBR) for each variety. A part of the revenue from the royalty is returned back to the Macadamia Fund managed by Hort Innovation for re-investment into industry R&D projects, including further breeding programs.

For more information about where the royalty payment ends up click here

How long does it take from order to delivery for new macadamia plants in any of these new varieties?

As these trees are grafted onto a rootstock, it takes a reasonable period of time for the rootstock to grow to a sufficient size for grafting and then a further period once a piece of budwood has been grafted before the plants are ready for planting. As these varieties are new to the market, it is the supply of budwood for grafting that is the factor limiting sales.

Allow up to two years from the time of ordering to expected delivery of trees – the nursery will be able to give you a more concrete timeline based on your confirmed order.

What type of legal agreement will I have to sign to access these new varieties?

All four of these new high yielding macadamia varieties are fully protected under PBR. To purchase any of these new varieties, you will be required to sign a Non-Propagation Agreement with the licensed Nursery business that you purchase plants from.

A Non-Propagation Agreement commits you to a series of terms including:

the purchaser of the macadamia trees agrees and covenants that the trees will be grown by the Commercial Grower only for the production of nuts and kernel for sale and WILL NOT under any circumstance attempt to undertake any further propagation in any form of any of the trees
the Commercial Grower agrees not to use any part of the plants supplied for breeding, plant improvement or selection of any kind, or permit the use of genetic material from the supplied plants in any manner
the macadamia tree planting material supplied to the Commercial Grower will not be sold, transferred, leased, hired, bartered, given, shared or in any way parted with, unless approval is given in writing from the Licensor

The DRAFT agreement is available for review here

What data is the ‘boost in productivity’ claim based on?

Each of the new varieties was evaluated as part of a group of 20 CSIRO breeding lines compared with existing industry-standard varieties – 344, 268, 741, 816 and A16 – in a range of sites around Queensland and New South Wales.

The assessment measured yield, kernel quality and tree performance of all varieties to ultimately select and introduce these four exciting new high-yielding varieties to the macadamia industry.

The ‘*Up to 38% Boost in Productivity’ compares the total cumulative kernel yield at both Bundaberg and Alstonville over 9 years compared with the same time period for the variety 741, as reported in RVT Series 3 Phase 2.