Photo credit: Dr Ian Bally, Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
Western Sydney University scientists are pioneering the future of genetics for next generation orchards as a node leader of a $41 million five-year funded Hort Innovation project. They will focus on generating new knowledge on complex traits at a crop level, accelerating the development of new varieties of almond, apple, macadamia, citrus and mango for domestic and export markets.
The project, delivered through Hort Innovation's Frontiers investment program, aims to advance orchard productivity and profitability, and empower breeders, growers, and scientists with cutting-edge tools to deliver the next generation of horticultural tree orchard systems.
The collaborative project brings together plant genomics and molecular physiology research strengths from Western Sydney University, QUT, Murdoch University, and The University of Queensland along with collaborators such as the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (QDAF).
Western's node leader and plant molecular biologist Associate Professor Christopher Cazzonelli , from the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment , said the goal is to grow smaller trees with greater productivity and climate-proof their resilience by decoding the genetic underpinnings of key productivity traits.
"This transformative endeavour promises to accelerate the development of new cultivars and sustainable growing practices, ushering in a new era of efficiency and innovation for Australian tree crop orchard systems," said Associate Professor Cazzonelli.
"To fast-forward the process of breeding new varieties suitable for the next gen orchards we intend to develop and integrate molecular markers into genomic selection models and use traditional breeding methods to revolutionise orchard management."
Building on more than five years of tree genomics research, the project aims to improve orchard production and develop new tree crop varieties with national levy and publicly funded breeding programs. It will address the challenge of crops including apple and almond that need a certain amount of cool exposure time will be to breed varieties that flower consistently with precision management to intensify production.
The Western research team intends to identify almond tree varieties that can predictably flower under diverse climates, some early, others late, depending upon the geographical agroecosystem, and this precision of control should sustain consistent yields.
Hort Innovation Chief Executive Officer Brett Fifield said this program would prepare tree crop farming for a more productive and profitable future.
"Equipping plant breeders with the tools to develop genetics for the next generation of orchards will support the horticulture industry to increase labour-use efficiency, enable the adoption of automation technologies, and enhance resilience to climate change and diseases," said Mr Fifield.
QDAF project leader, Dr Natalie Dillon, said that "Horticultural production of mango is still in its infancy in Australia and consumers prefer juicy, less fibrous fruits with vibrant orange hues and uniform colour which are marketable traits important for consumer appeal."
The green-to-yellow to purplish-pink colouration of mango fruits can be altered by the tree crop environment. These colours are reflective of the accumulation of carotenoid and anthocyanin photoprotective pigments, nutritional metabolites that have superior antioxidant activity.
Associate Professor Cazzonelli added, "Mango fruit colour is one of several traits we aim to discover the genetic processes and develop molecular markers for selecting cultivars that grow fruits desirable in appeal, texture, and nutrition, which provides economic benefits for growers."
The Western Sydney University research team comprises Professor Cazzonelli, agricultural crop biochemist Dr Rob Sharwood ; Distinguished Professor David Tissue in horticultural cropping, and horticultural plant physiologist Associate Professor Oula Ghannoum .
