In A Nutshell Winter 2024 | Page 10

INDUSTRY NEWS

Demand for self-fertile varieties continues

MOSSMONT NURSERIES SELF-FERTILE VARIETIES
Pyrenese
• Size 22 / 24
• Crack out 50-55 % with good in shell use
• General nut seal
• Semi-hard shell varieity
• Vigorous growth habit with open growth structure , medium size
• Harvest 14-21 days after Nonpariel
• Blooms 3-4 days after Nonpariel
Shasta
• Early variety with heavy production , light and smooth kernel like Monterey or Carmel
• Size 20 / 22 to 24-25
• Crack out 60-65 %
• Blanches well , sweet flavour
• Trees are medium size , vigorous , with a semi-upright to spreading habit
• Blooms and harvests slightly ahead of Nonpariel
LEFT : Jonathon and Carrie Moss with some of the self-fertile trees being delivered to almond growers in the next four weeks .
10
AUSTRALIA ' S almond nurseries will
by Burchell Nursery in California .
be busy for the next four weeks , as
Mr Moss said Shasta is still the most
they harvest their young trees and
popular variety accounting for 70 % of
dispatch them to growers for planting .
the self-fertile trees the nursery has
This year 80-90 % of the trees grown
produced this season .
by Mossmont Nurseries at Griffith
According to the Almond Board of
have been self-fertile .
Australia ’ s Industry Insights from
Sixth-generation nurseryman
2022-2023 , 48 % of all almond
Jonathon Moss said demand for
plantings in Australia are Nonpareil ,
self-fertile trees doubled in 2019 and
with 27,391 hectares planted .
2022 and then tripled in 2023 .
The second most popular variety is
“ The price of bee hives is the biggest
Carmel at 14,343 hectares , followed
contributor towards the move to selffertile
by Monterey with 6,675 hectares .
varieties ,” Mr Moss said .
“ Nonpariel is still in the picture ,
The nursery is supplying trees
Carmel and a smattering of other
primarily for greenfield developments
varieties were ordered in small
in New South Wales , Victoria and
volumes for 2024 but demand for
South Australia .
Monterey has stopped ,” Mr Moss said .
The nursery , which has been
The trees being dispatched in the
operating for 171 years , grew Shasta
next month have been cared for by
as its first self-fertile almond variety in
Vanuatu and East Timorese workers
2016 .
from the Pacific Australia Labor
A second self-fertile variety ,
Mobility Scheme ( PALM ).
Pyrenees , has been available to the
Mr Moss said some of the PALM
Australian almond industry for the
workers have been with the nursery
past three years and Mr Moss said it ’ s
for seven years .
considered a replacement for Carmel .
Under the PALM arrangements , the
Both Shasta and Pyrenees were bred
nursery workers spend nine months
In A Nutshell - Winter 2024 Vol 25 Issue 2
in the Riverina before returning to home to see their families for three months . The weather in the past year has been less challenging for the nursery , but Mr Moss said there were still issues to overcome . Fungicide sprays were applied weekly . Humidity was high and that created fungal and disease pressure . On one weekend in January , more than 100mm of rain fell at the nursery , which was a concern for the rootstock . “ There ’ s always a different challenge each year ,” Mr Moss said . The nursery is urging growers who are replanting or developing greenfield sites to order their almond trees 12 months in advance . Mr Moss said this is critical if the industry moves towards hybrid rootstocks like Garnem and Cornerstone . “ Rootstock nurseries supply this material and the peach / almond cross is grown from tissue culture ,” he said .