Australian Almond variety evaluation program

⁠⁠⁠Hort Innovation is a not-for-profit, grower-owned research and development corporation (RDC) for Australia’s $15.1 billion horticulture industry. Hort Innovation invests around $120 million in research and development (R&D) and marketing programs annually to provide benefit to industry and the wider community.

• To continue assessment of existing progeny developed through project National almond breeding and evaluation program (AL17005), involving the use of novel tools and technologies (including genetic markers) that may improve efficiency of evaluation and analysis processes. 
• To continue with a focus on breeding traits including self-compatibility, tight shell seal, hull rot, rust and bacterial spot resistance, improved architecture suitable for shake and catch harvest and traits that confer climate resilience. 
• To include grower trials at larger scale on commercial almond orchards to validate variety assessments under Australian production and management regimes in different almond producing regions, this will be developed in collaboration with the Almond Board of Australia (ABA) plant improvement committee. 
• To link with the other almond levy funded crop production, and communication and extension projects to maximise benefits from research activities, in addition to linkage with Hort Innovation Frontiers funded projects associated with tree intensification, pollination and genomic data generation. 
• To collaborate with international organisations to the benefit of the Australian Almond industry. 
• To continue to progress commercialisation of new varieties to enable grower adoption based on advice from the ABA plant improvement committee regarding suitability of varieties for the Australian Almond industry. 
• To collaborate with project National tree genomics program (AS17000) (and any successive tree genomic focused projects that include outcomes for the Australian Almond industry through variety improvement and screening).