INDUSTRY NEWS
Self-fertile varieties dominate travel discussions
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WITH 40 per cent of Australia’ s almond industry due to be replanted in the next five to 10 years, many growers are grappling with what variety to grow, while ensuring their second-generation orchards are set up to thrive. This was a hot topic throughout the study tour. Many of the Australian growers on the study tour were eager to see Yorizane, but there was variability in the appearance of the trees throughout the valley due to soil and climate differences, as well as orchard management.“ There’ s still so much to learn about it and it’ s going to be interesting to see what it grows like in Australia in our conditions,” Melina Mueller from Walker Flat Almonds said. Seeing Fruition One, the gene edited self-fertile variety, at the Sierra Gold Nursery in Yuba City was a highlight for Select Harvests Technical Officer Joshua Moss and ofi’ s agronomist Samir Mecwan. Two small rows of two-year-old trees were growing in an enclosed area to prevent bees pollinating the trial. In California’ s winter, 150 hectares of Fruition One will be planted, and Josh said that will lead to more data about how the variety performs being available in coming years.“ It will be very exciting to see where that is going to land, especially if bees continue to become more of a problem,” he said. Aroona Farms General Manager Luke Benham said there were a handful of varieties seen on the study tour that had a lot of potential, including Parpareil, but from a self-fertile perspective it was hard to ignore Independence.“ I think the market is going to be strong for a long time on that and I think there’ s an opportunity for us to expand our hectares of Independence in Australia,” he said. ABA Riverina Grower Director James Callipari said the ABA board is interested in the trends and performance of some of the new selffertile varieties and their uptake in California.“ If Californian growers can develop a critical mass of some varieties then it is much easier for our growers and our marketers to join in with that,” he said. Data presented by the Almond Board
In A Nutshell- Spring 2026 Vol 27 Issue 3
Seeing Fruition One, the gene edited self-fertile variety, at the Sierra Gold Nursery in Yuba City was a highlight for Select Harvests Technical Officer Joshua Moss.
of California showed Nonpareil is the most popular almond variety being grown in California, followed by Monterey and Independence.“ Self pollinators are the future, but traditional varieties still have a place, provided we can manage our input costs,” Damian Browning from Bellevue Pastoral Company said. The majority of almond orchards in Australia are planted on Nemaguard rootstock, but it was hard to find in California, where hybrid rootstocks dominate. Some Californian almond orchards are in their fourth and fifth generations. There were warnings about back to back plantings on Nemaguard rootstock and the importance of preparing soil to prevent replant disease. Seeing an excavator and a horizontal grinder operating near Parlier was another highlight for many study tour participants. Brent Holtz, who pioneered Whole Orchard Recycling, explained the benefits of turning the trees into woodchips and incorporating the material into the soil before the orchard is replanted. Agricultural waste isn’ t allowed to be burnt in the San Joaquin Valley and growers can offset the costs of Whole Orchard Recycling by applying for grants. Many of the growers on the study tour would like to incorporate Whole Orchard Recycling into their redevelopment plans but the costs are currently too expensive. While there is a lot to learn from the Californian’ s, there are some aspects where Australia is further advanced including irrigation management and automation.“ They are way ahead in terms of varieties and replant and Whole Orchard Recycling because they are fourth and fifth generation,” Damian Browning said.“ Everyone looks to California for the answers and solutions but we are ahead in a lot of aspects."