What was it all about?

This project, which ran between 2013 and 2015, continued the work of a series of projects spanning the previous decade that sought to evaluate the effect of rootstock on tree growth.

It secured the future of the avocado variety block at Maroochy Research Station, Queensland; captured establishment data from trees planted in 2012 at Waikerie, SA; and undertook detailed analyses of yield data generated from previous rootstock projects.

The key outcomes were…

• A healthy repository of avocado germplasm at Maroochy, tested to be free of avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBVd)
• Data on survival, growth and yield for the first three years obtained from the rootstock trial at Waikerie in the tristate area
• Detailed analyses of rootstock performance across production zones, variability in propagation type and incidence of biennial bearing.

The project also contributed…

• Estimation of the relative contribution of site factors or environment and genetics on yield of avocado
• Identification of rootstocks with superior performance (establishment, growth, yield, postharvest quality) in each major growing region, for recommendation to industry
• Enhanced capacity for rootstock evaluation in Australia (including trial design and complex data analyses).