A tissue-culture propagation technology created at The University of Queensland (UQ) is poised to enhance avocado production in Latin America to satisfy increasing demand.
The technology, which can grow hundreds of plants from one cutting and, was developed by a team led by Professor Neena Mitter at UQ’s Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation and was licensed to Chilean nursery Grupo Hijuelas through UniQuest, UQ’s commercialisation arm.
Dr. Chris O’Brien from UQ stated that this technology will accelerate the production of four essential avocado rootstocks in the region.
“The propagation and tissue culture technology is a faster and cheaper way of producing clonal rootstocks, which have traditionally taken around 18 months to grow,” he said.
An avocado tree’s rootstock influences its performance and using seedling rootstocks can lead to variable quality.
“This UQ technology means we can use clonal trees with the traits growers want, which means they can grow
better crops.”
Dr. O’Brien mentioned that the team plans to visit Chile later this year to showcase the technology, aiming to enhance the production of Zutano, Velvick, Reed, and Kidd avocado rootstocks.
Grupo Hijuelas’ CEO, Juan Goycoolea, expressed enthusiasm for the collaboration, noting that the partnership is expected to advance agricultural research and development throughout Latin America.
“We are working with cutting-edge technology that has shown excellent results in evaluation plots in Australia and we want to bring these benefits to our producers,” he said.
Grupo Hijuelas operates internationally with its own nurseries and strategic partnerships in countries such as Chile, Peru, Mexico, South Africa, Colombia, and Europe.
Dr. Dean Moss, CEO of UniQuest, stated that the UQ technology enables avocado producers to rapidly increase plant production, providing significant benefits for both farmers and consumers.
“It’s no secret that South Americans are among the largest consumers of avocados in the world, as well as huge exporters to European markets,” he said.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for exceptional UQ research to help build an agriculture pipeline of avocados that is efficient and plentiful in years to come.”
The tissue-culture propagation technology was first licensed in Australia to Anderson Horticulture for Reed avocado rootstock in 2022.
The deal is the recipient of the 2024 UniQuest Commercialisation Impact Award.
The technology was developed as an outcome from research funded by the Australian Research Council with contributions from UQ, the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, Anderson Horticulture, Jasper Farms, and Millwood Holdings.
According to figures from the Business Research Company, global revenue from the avocado market is projected to reach approximately $23.4 billion in 2024, with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) 8.3 per cent.
This market size is also expected to see strong growth in the coming years, meaning any new innovations to help meet this forecast demand will be of particular importance to avocado producers the world over.
In terms of Australian avocado production, the most recent research from Avocados Australia, in partnership with Hort Innovation, detailed the most recent figures.
Production of avocados in Australia has increased year on year in seven of the last 11 years, with 115,385 tonnes produced in the last season.
This figure represents a decrease of 5.57 per cent compared to the previous year. However, in contrast, the gross value of production (GVP) for Australian avocados was estimated at $574 million, reflecting a 42.43 per cent increase from the prior year.
And of the Australian producers, Queensland continues to produce the most Australian avocados, with 65 per cent of production. Western Australia produced the next largest share at 18 per cent.
As well as working with Avocados Australia, Hort Innovation has partnered with Lifecycles to understand the environmental footprint of Australian avocados, by conducting an environmental life cycle assessment (LCA).
This initiative is motivated by the growing need to enhance sustainability efforts, inform future strategic investments, address consumer information demands for market development, and comply with new environmental reporting requirements.
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) will provide avocado growers and their industry associations with environmental performance metrics, such as averages and benchmarks, as well as insights into environmental hot spots and improvement opportunities, to support the industry’s sustainability goals.
It will complement other studies commissioned by Hort Innovation that focus on industry benchmarking and sustainability strategies. The LCA will generate quantitative information that decision-makers can use to justify sustainability initiatives.
The study will primarily focus on greenhouse gas emissions and water usage/water scarcity impacts (water footprint).
It will encompass two scales: individual case studies and an industry-level analysis. The individual case studies will examine various production typologies in detail, while the industry-scale LCA will gather a broader data set representing the Australian avocado industry.
“This project will help to underpin our sustainability strategy which is currently under development,” said John Tyas, CEO of Avocados Australia.
The project will span approximately two years and is funded by Hort Innovation, utilising the avocado research and development levy along with contributions from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is a grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation dedicated to the Australian horticulture industry.
Ultimately, the innovative tissue-culture propagation technology from UQ represents an advancement in avocado production, promising to meet the soaring global demand.
By facilitating faster and more efficient cultivation of essential rootstocks, this collaboration between UQ and Grupo Hijuelas positions both Australian and Latin American avocado industries for growth.
Coupled with ongoing sustainability efforts and research initiatives, the industry is poised to enhance its environmental performance while capitalising on profitable market opportunities.
As consumer preferences continue to evolve, these advancements will be crucial for ensuring a reliable and sustainable supply of avocados in the years to come.