Variety P ::

Early producing variety with a very thin husk
Cumulative kernel yield from 9 years of trials at $4/kg NIS price
38.5% mean total kernel recovery
Smaller tree that has potential for higher density planting

$53,935

Total kernel yield per hectare at Bundaberg

$50,826

Total kernel yield per hectare at Alstonville

Performance

At Bundaberg, Variety P was ranked Number 9 out of 30 varieties in overall kernel yield and was second for kernel canopy efficiency. At Alstonville (a site without irrigation), P was the fifteenth most productive variety, and cumulative kernel yield was much better than for varieties 344 and 741, but not as good as for 246 or 816.

Using a nut-in-shell (NIS) value of $4/kg, total kernel yield per hectare over the nine-year trial period was $53,935 at Bundaberg, and $50,826 at Alstonville (cumulative NIS yield x percentage kernel recovery. This is for 312 trees per ha. Please note that the average NIS price over the past 11 years is $4.72 per kg)

Significantly higher yields for Variety P have been recorded in commercial high-density plantings. This smaller variety is suited to these types of plantings as it is an early bearer, has a good structure, the canopy is open for spraying, and branches tend to be shorter and not elongated.

Growth habit

Variety P is a short, round tree with a small, slightly dense canopy
It is an early bearer and nut-drop pattern is consistent with a late peak
Nut clustering is variable on flower racemes
Husks are very thin, and mean total kernel recovery in trials was 38.5%
Kernels are of medium size and the variety has a mid-range percentage of whole nut recovery
It has few sticktights

Pest & disease resistance

Variety P had an abnormal vertical growth (AVG) score of zero when grown at a susceptible site at Bundaberg
At Alstonville, it had 2.33% of nuts infected with husk spot and scored zero at Bundaberg
It has low susceptibility to husk rot, scoring a zero rating at both Alstonville and Bundaberg (on a 0 to 2 scale)
Its mean percentage fruitspotting bug damage at Alstonville was 0%

Variety P growing at Bundaberg and as it is a smaller tree it could be planted at higher density in the shallow soils in Bundaberg

1 2 3

High Density Plantings

Variety P has found a niche in higher-density plantings (550+ trees per hectare).

Please see this article from the AMS Bulletin where trees at 4.4 years of age were estimated to produce 3.75 tonnes of NIS per hectare in a Bundaberg orchard.

Nut drop

Figures 1 and 2 below show nut-drop pattern in 2016 for Variety P at the trial sites at Bundaberg and Alstonville. These patterns were consistent over the nine-year trial period so provide a good indication of nut-drop.

Regional suitability

From trial results, Variety P is well suited to the Bundaberg region and is well worth evaluating on the shallow coastal soils of northern New South Wales.

Extended testing

This variety has been carefully assessed for 21 years – nine years of regional variety trials and, before that, 12 years in progeny blocks.

This testing extends to trees used as budwood sources, which have been DNA tested for trueness to type. Blocks of trees have been planted as future sources of budwood for grafting in both Queensland and New South Wales.

Australasian Plant Genetics (APG) will make every effort to provide budwood for grafted trees, and large amounts of Variety P budwood are now available.

Test on farm

Variety P commercialisation is managed by APG.

While the association is confident that Variety P will perform well in Bundaberg and other growing areas, it recommends that its suitability to local conditions and to individual farm management systems be tested by growers by planting trial plots.

Trees can be ordered from nurseries licensed by APG. Crop inputs need to be matched to expected higher yields.

Figure 1. Nut-drop pattern for Variety P at Bundaberg, 2016

Note that the two points for 27 July reflect the fact that nuts were harvested from the floor and stripped from the trees on the same day (highest point).

Figure 2. Nut-drop pattern for Variety P at Alstonville, 2016

Note that the two points for 29 August reflect the fact that nuts were harvested from the floor (highest point) and stripped from the trees on the same day.

Availability

Variety P has Protection under the Australian Plant Breeders’ Rights Act (PBR Act) and is currently licensed to 14 nurseries, distributed from New South Wales to Mackay in Queensland.

A royalty of $4.00 (plus GST) will be added to tree price and purchasers will be required to sign a Non-Propagation agreement before collecting grafted trees.

Please note that there are significant royalty discounts to $3.00 per tree (plus GST) for large orders of more than 5000 trees and also for high density plantings.

Part of the royalty collected (less management fees) will be passed back to the Australian macadamia industry to be used for RD&E projects, which are determined by the industry and Hort Innovation.

Acknowledgements

The Project Regional Variety Trials Series 3 Phase 2 was funded using the macadamia research levy and contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australian horticulture.

This fact sheet was developed by APG & AMS in conjunction with Dougal Russell and his team from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.