1. The quest to find superior
avocado rootstocks
(AV07008)
Danielle Le Lagadec & Terry Campbell
Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
VC project: Simpson Farm Pty Ltd & Birdwood Nursery

2. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Aim
Identify superior rootstocks that have been excluded from existing
Australian rootstock trials
Trial site
• Established in 2004 in Childers, Central Queensland
• Trial extends over 4 ha
• 11 rootstocks with Shepard as scion & 33 rootstocks with Hass as
scion
• Five replicated plots of three trees each per rootstock with a guard
tree between each plot
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

3. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Trial site
• Deep well drained red soils with low Pc pressure
• Standard farm management practices
Trial monitoring
• Yields per tree, by mass and fruit number
• Fruit quality assessments after cold storage
• Tree health ratings in July (pre-flowering)
• Graft compatibility rating
• Measure tree vigour
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

4. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
‘Shepard’ ‘Hass’
Seedling rootstocks Clonal rootstocks Seedling rootstocks Clonal rootstocks
‘Ashdot’ (Israel) BM1 (RSA) ‘Ashdot’ (Israel) BM1 (RSA)
‘Degania’ (Israel) BM2 (RSA) ‘Degania’ (Israel) BM2 (RSA)
‘Reed’ (USA) ‘Reed’ (USA) ‘Duke 7’ (USA)
‘Zutano’ (USA) ‘Zutano’ (USA) BC101 (Aus)
BW18 (Aus) BW127 (Aus) BC128 (Aus)
BW128 (Aus)
BW197 (Aus) BC16 (Aus)
BW140 (Aus)
BW2 (Aus) BC19 (Aus)
BW16 (Aus)
BW78 (Aus) BW181 (Aus)
BC197 (Aus)
‘Velvick’ (Aus) BW19 (Aus) BC62 (Aus)
BW197 (Aus) BC7 (Aus)
BW2 (Aus) ‘Velvick’ (Aus)
BW5 (Aus)
BW6 (Aus)
BW62 (Aus)
BW68 (Aus)
BW7 (Aus)
BW70 (Aus)
BW78 (Aus)
BW80 (Aus)
BW93 (Aus)
‘Velvick’ (Aus)
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

5. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Shepard
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

6. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Average yield per tree - 2009
Rootstock Tons / ha
Avg Yield / tree - Shepard Ashdot 8.18
BW2 6.93
55 BW78 6.69
50 Degania 6.13
Yield (kg/tree)
45
BW197 5.96
40
BM2 5.52
35
30 Zutano 5.50
25 Reed 5.45
20 Velvick 5.41
Velvick
Zutano
Degania
BM2
Reed
BM1
Ashdot
BW2
BW78
BW197
BW18
BW18 4.90
BM1 4.27
Spacing 11 x 5m: 180 trees / ha
P=0.004
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

7. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Tree size & effective yield
Avg canopy volume - Shepard
350
Canopy vol (m3)
300
250
200
150
100
Reed
Degania
BM2
BM1
BW197
BW18
BW78
BW2
Zutano
Velvick
Ashdot
P<0.001
Avg yield per canopy volume - Shepard
0.35
0.3
Yield (kg/m3)
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
BM2
Degania
BM1
Reed
BW2
BW78
Zutano
BW197
BW18
Velvick
Ashdot
P<0.001
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

8. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Cumulative yield (2006-2009)
Avg cumulative yields (2006-2009) - Shepard
180
Avg yield per tree (kg)
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Velvick
Zutano
Degania
Reed
BM2
BM1
Ashdot
BW197
BW78
BW2
BW18
P<0.001 2006 2007 2008 2009
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

9. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Tree health rating and graft compatibility
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

10. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Hass
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

11. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Rootstock Tons / ha
Ashdot 13.87
Average yield per tree 2009 – seedling rootstocks BW78 13.45
BW68 13.23
BW70 12.03
BW181 11.99
Avg yield per tree - Hass on seedling rootstocks BW140 11.84
BW7 11.67
100 Degania 11.55
80 BW197 11.09
Y ield (kg)
BW19 10.52
60
Zutano 10.48
40
BW2 10.43
20 BW80 10.14
0 BW6 10.12
Degania
Reed
BW78
BW68
BW70
BW181
BW140
BW7
BW197
BW19
Zutano
BW2
BW80
BW6
BW16
BW93
BW128
BW127
BW62
BW5
Velvick S
As hdot
Velvick S 9.67
BW16 9.24
P=0.116
Reed 9.09
BW93 8.54
BW128 8.37
BW127 7.76
BW62 7.62
BW5 6.95
Spacing 11 x 5m: 180 trees / ha
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

12. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Tree size & effective yield – seedling rootstocks
Avg canopy volume - Hass on seedling rootstocks
275
250
225
Canopy vol (m3)
200
175
150
125
100
Zutano
Degania
Reed
Ashdot
BW5
BW16
BW127
BW128
BW181
BW80
BW6
BW140
BW7
BW78
BW2
BW19
BW70
BW62
BW93
BW197
BW68
Velvick
P<0.001
Avg yield per canopy volume - Hass on seedling rootstocks
0.75
0.65
Yield (kg/m3)
0.55
0.45
0.35
0.25
0.15
Degania
Reed
BW197
BW140
BW181
BW128
BW127
BW68
Zutano
BW78
BW70
BW7
BW19
BW2
BW93
BW80
BW6
BW62
BW16
BW5
Velvick
Ashdot
P<0.001
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

13. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Cumulative yield (2006-2009) – seedling rootstocks
Avg cumulative yields - Hass on seedling rootstocks
250
200
Avg yield (kg/tree)
150
100
50
0
Degania
Reed
Velvick S
BW2
BW78
BW70
BW7
BW19
BW181
BW197
BW140
BW80
BW6
BW127
BW62
BW16
BW93
BW68
BW5
BW128
Zutano
Ashdot
P<0.001 2006 2007 2008 2009
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

14. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Average yield per tree 2009 – clonal rootstocks
Rootstock Tons / ha
BC62 11.36
BM2 10.11
Avg yield per tree - Hass on clonal rootstocks BM1 10.01
BC7 9.89
80
70
Duke 7 9.39
60 BC101 9.10
Yield (kg)
50
40 Velvick C 8.56
30
BC197 8.32
20
10 BC16 7.41
0
BC19 7.20
Velvick
BC62
BM2
BM1
BC7
Duke 7
BC101
BC197
BC16
BC19
BC128
BC128 4.20
P<0.001 Spacing 11 x 5m: 180 trees / ha
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

15. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Tree size & effective yield – clonal rootstocks
Avg canopy volume - Hass on clonal rootstocks
240
220
200
Canopy vol (m3)
180
160
140
120
100
BM1
BM2
Duke 7
BC62
BC16
BC101
BC19
BC197
BC7
BC128
Velvick
P=0.001
Avg yield per canopy volume - Hass on clonal rootstocks
0.40
0.30
Yield (kg /m 3)
0.20
0.10
0.00
V elvick
Duke 7
BM 2
B C7
BM 1
B C62
B C101
B C197
B C19
B C16
B C128
P<0.001
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

16. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Cumulative yield (2006-2009) – clonal rootstocks
Avg cumulative yields - Hass on clonal rootstocks
250
200
Avg Yield (kg/tree)
150
100
50
0
Velvick
BC62
BC101
BM2
BC197
BC16
BC19
BC7
BM1
Duke 7
BC128
P<0.001 2006 2007 2008 2009
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

17. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Tree health rating and graft compatibility
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

18. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Conclusions
• Seedling rootstocks
– Ashdot appear to be a dwarfing rootstock with both
Hass and Shepard as scion,
– Ashdot produced the highest yield and was the most
productive rootstock
• Clonal rootstocks
– BC62 has consistently produced the highest yield for
the past 4 season and is the most vigorous tree
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009

19. Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries
Acknowledgments
• Sincere thanks to:
– Birdwood Nursery, Simpson Farm Pty Ltd, QDPI and HAL for
their financial support
– To Simpson Farm Pty Ltd for maintaining the trees and for
providing the labour for the harvest
– Rachael Langenbaker and the staff of the Bundaberg Research
Station for their technical help
© The State of Queensland, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, 2009