Ben Brown
Industry Development Manager,
Almond Board of Australia
Ben Brown was appointed as Almond Industry Liaison Manager in May
2007, and in 2011 took on the role of Industry Development Manager.
Ben is responsible for working with almond growers, ensuring industry
issues are identified and addressed in the R&D strategic planning
process. He oversees a broad range of communication activities to
assist in the transfer and uptake of research outcomes. Ben also has
management responsibility for the almond industry’s budwood site
located in Monash, South Australia.
Growing Better Trees
An overview of plant improvement
activities
Ben Brown
Almond Board of Australia
Plant Improvement Committee
Tony Spiers
Andrew Lacey
Tim Orr
Ross Skinner
Ben Brown
Dr Michelle
Wirthensohn
Brett Rosenzweig
Daryl Winter
Australian Scion Breeding Program
• Primary evaluations
Current Project
– Monash
– Dareton
• Secondary evaluations
– Lindsay Point
• “Tertiary evaluations”
– Small scale, commercial trial plots
• Commercialisation
New Project
Imported Varieties - Californian Evaluations
• Nonpareil (control)
• Monterey
• Butte
• Padre
• Livingston
• Wood Colony
• Sonora
• Avalon
• 3 years of data:
– Phenology (bud burst,
flowering, harvest date)
– Yield
Imported Varieties - Spanish Evaluations
• Nonpareil (control)
• Planted 2009, 4th leaf
• Marcona
• Evaluating phenology, yield, etc
• Francoli
• Glorieta
• Masbovera
• Vayro
• Tarraco
• Constanti
Imported Rootstocks - Field Evaluations
• 15 rootstocks:
– Nonpareil (control), GF677, GF557, GF749, Adafuel, Garnem,
Felinem, Monegro, Brights, Hansen 536, Cornerstone, Nickels,
Krymsk 86, Penta, Tetra
• ~7,000 trees budded in March 2012
– Nonpareil, Carmel, Price, Monterey & Price
• Ready for planting in July 2013
Rootstock Nematode Screening
• 17 rootstocks:
– Nonpareil (control), GF677, GF557, GF749, Adafuel, Garnem,
Felinem, Monegro, Brights, Hansen 536, Cornerstone, Nickels,
Krymsk 86, Penta, Tetra, Atlas, Viking
• Glasshouse based
• Root-knot (Meloidogyne spp.) nematode resistance:
– M. javanica
– M. incognita
– M. arenaria
Rooting & Bench Grafting Trials
• 3 Spanish rootstocks:
– Garnem
– Felinem
– Monegro
Dwarfing Rootstocks
• Importation & reviewing literature of potential
prunus dwarfing rootstocks
– 2 are in post entry quarantine
– 1 is in the process of being imported
– Several more under review
Certification & Trademark Scheme
• Three components:
– Pathogen tested
– Trueness to type
– Minimum nursery tree standards
• Supplementary component:
– Supply contract template for growers to use with their nursery to
ensure tree supply
• Rights and responsibilities of each party
• Mechanics of the transaction (payment, disputation, delays, etc)
• Define limits (time, costing, warranty, etc)
Phil Watters Award
• 2014 Nominations Now Open
– Nominations close 30 August 2013
• 2012:
– Dean Dinicola
– California study tour
• 2013:
– Craig Spilsbury
– California and Israel study tour
Acknowledgements
• Horticulture Australia Limited
– This project has been funded by
HAL using the Almond industry levy
and matched funds from the
Australian Government.
• University of Adelaide
• CSIRO
• Almond Plant Improvement
Committee
• Lacton Pty Ltd
• Nutwood Orchards
• Omega Orchards
• Select Harvests Ltd
• Ausbuds Pty Ltd (Mark Ryland)
• Olea Nurseries (David Bazzani)
• Graham’s Factree
• Riverland Vine Improvement
Committee
• Victorian and Murray Valley Vine
Improvement Committee