Genetic and physiological control of fruit development in macadamia

The two commercial macadamia species Macadamia integrifolia and Macadamia tetraphylla, are native to the east coast of Australia but are now grown in all sub-tropical regions of the world. While the understanding of crop agronomy and yield of macadamia has improved markedly in recent years, nut quality, in particular kernel size and kernel recovery have not been fully studied. Cross-pollination increases kernel and nut-in-shell (NIS) weight and kernel recovery of macadamias. However the effect of pollen parent (xenia) on fruit growth and development has not been studied. A greater theoretical understanding of how kernel size and kernel recovery are determined may enable better targeting of selection for these traits.Submitted in the fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast, 2013