Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation - University of Queensland

At the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, we have developed the world’s first successful pipeline for avocado tissue culture. With ARC-Linkage funding, our team of researchers, growers and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries demonstrated complete proof-of-concept from Lab to Orchard.

Our system can produce up to 500 clonal plants from a single shoot-tip in culture within 8 - 12 months. Now, with funding from an Advance Queensland Innovation Partnership (AQIP), we have teamed with Central Queensland University (CQU) and the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) to deliver this technology.

Tissue Culture for Australian Avocados
Project Information Pack

Nursery production of elite avocado clonal plants with desired high-quality rootstocks in expected quantities is challenging. This has imposed extended waiting periods for growers to obtain nursery trees.

This project aimed to improve the efficiency of clonal avocado rootstock propagation through tissue culture (TC) technology to propagate true-to-type rootstocks of the highest quality year-round, to eliminate the constraints of conventional clonal propagation.

Across a three-year timeframe, this project has delivered a holistic feasibility study of tissue culture technology. This was achieved by developing the technology; undertaking in-field plant trials; evaluating economic commercial feasibility; and investigating industry readiness and perceptions about the use of the technology, through a partnership between The University of Queensland, Central Queensland University and The University of Southern Queensland.

Project Information Pack (PDF, 43.4 MB)

Project Impact

A productive, competitive and sustainable avocado industry in Queensland

Potential for 3-fold higher yields with rapid multiplication of new cultivars coming from breeding programs and facilitate high-density orchards.

Export options

Early indications suggest demand from global nurseries for plants themselves, plus potential to reach >10% export goal of ‘Premium-Australian’ fruit through follow-on productivity gains.

Reduced environmental footprint

Significantly less inputs to propagation (water/ chemical/land/soil/plants) at reduced risk to industry, which means no dependence on seed or seasonality.

Researchers smash avocado production bottleneck

If you enjoy avocado on your toast in the morning, you will soon be thanking University of Queensland researchers for keeping up the supply of your favourite breakfast fare.

Avocado Research Team

If you would like to find more about this research, and/or how it can benefit your business, please contact us by sending us an email.

Professor Neena Mitter

Centre Director, Centre for Horticultural Science
E. n.mitter@uq.edu.au

Dr Alice Hayward

UQ Amplify Researcher
a.hayward@uq.edu.au

Dr Jayeni Hiti Bandaralage

Postdoctoral Research Fellow
j.hitibandalarage@uq.edu.au

Dr Madeleine Gleeson

Research Assistant
m.gleeson1@uq.edu.au

Mr Chris O'Brien

Research Assistant
c.obrien4@uq.edu.au

Avocado research in the news

I Hass to have you – researchers unpick the perfect avocado

Published on: 23 November 2022

What makes the perfect avocado?
In a world-first, University of Queensland scientists have completed mapping the genome of the popular fruit, a resource that can drive future research and innovation opportunities for Australian avocado growers.
Avocado clonal trees to feed the masses

At a nursery in the far reaches of Northern NSW, Australian technology is turning the avocado industry on its head. For the past six years scientists have been working with the Anderson Horticulture nursery and other avocado growers to produce tissue-culture-based avocado clonal plants.
Queensland science makes the avocado production bottleneck toast

Published on: 7 June 2021

The world’s first Hass avocados produced by trees grafted on tissue culture plants are tasty, healthy, and disease-free, say University of Queensland scientists, who pioneered the break-through technology.

Avocado tissue culture propagation

Avocado’s contribution to the global bioeconomy records a world production exceeding 5.9 million tonnes/year.

Meeting the plant supply for increasing demand has become challenging due to difficulty in rootstock propagation. Rooting an avocado cutting is cumbersome, thus has forced the industry to depend on genetically diverse and seasonally available seedling rootstocks for tree production. A tissue culture based clonal propagation system could provide a viable industry relevant alternative.