Supporting macadamia farming

Pest management in Australian macadamias

Macadamia is the sole native Australian plant cultivated and globally traded. The Australian macadamia industry, the country's second-largest nut industry, faces productivity challenges due to insect pests. Predominantly grown along the eastern seaboard of QLD and NSW, from Mackay in the north to Nambucca Heads in the south, macadamia farms are attacked by diverse pests of varying significance. Annual pest control costs, that primarily relies on synthetic pesticides, exceed $500/ha. Concerns over environmental impact, resistance and sustainability have led to the pursuit of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system, aiming for evidence-based thresholds and sustainable improvements in orchard health, productivity and market access.

This project is a Macquarie University-led multi-partner interdisciplinary project that aims to establish a decision support system to facilitate timely and effective pest management decisions for the Australian Macadamia industry to suppress populations of key pests under an economic threshold, ensuring sustained and improved orchard health and productivity. Project outcomes will support macadamia growers, consultants, and value chain members such as processors in having pest-resilient farming systems and sustained market access.

Funding: Horticulture Innovation Australia (MC21000), with levy contributions from Australian Macadamia Society (AMS)

Partners: Cervantes Agritech, Ag Econ

Contact: Dr Bishwo Mainali, bishwo.mainali@mq.edu.au