Ian and Janet McConachie Macadamia Conservation Research Grant
Ian and Janet McConachie have devoted decades to the both the macadamia industry and conservation of the wild macadamias on which the industry is based. Through a generous donation, they have enabled long-term support for research into the ecology and conservation of these rare Australian plants, and the rich sub-tropical forests that support them.
The very first grant was made to Mollie Cooper at Southern Cross University in 2023, to study the mycorrhizal status of wild Macadamia tetraphylla plants. Since then WMC has joined forces with the Australian Flora Foundation (AFF) to offer grants that can cover up to three years of research focused on the ecology and conservation of macadamias.
Through our collaboration with the Australian Flora Foundation we ensure that the scientific merit and technical feasibility of research proposals are assessed by an accredited panel of scientists, selected for their experience and knowledge in the field of Australian plant biology.
The first full grant through the AFF was to Dr Albert Wong in 2024 to extend research on tissue culture and cryopreservation techniques for macadamia to develop a specific tissue culture protocol for the critically endangered M. jansenii.
The 2025 Ian and Janet McConachie Macadamia Conservation Research Grant has been awarded to Dr James Makinson to find new Macadamia tetraphylla populations and monitor trees in their habitat for pest and pollinator activity, using machine learning to analyse satellite imagery and camera images, backed up by field work.
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Finding new M. tetraphylla sites and monitoring the insects that visit them
This project brings together specialists in entomology, macadamia pollination, bee behaviour, neuromorphic systems and machine learning from Western Sydney University to use neuromorphic machine learning to search satellite imagery for undiscovered wild populations of M. tetraphylla, the species that has lost the most habitat through clearing. Selected sites will then be monitored for pest and…
Continue Reading Finding new M. tetraphylla sites and monitoring the insects that visit them
Tissue Culture in the Tool-Kit for endangered Macadamia jansenii
Dr Albert Wong is working with a team at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation investigating the potential to grow macadamias through tissue culture. This WMC grant supports a project aiming to develop a tissue culture protocol for Macadamia jansenii, because so far, every individual macadamia tested requires a specific combination of growing…
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Macadamia tetraphylla root-fungi-soil interactions
This project seeks to investigate which fungal groups are associated with the roots of M. tetraphylla. Mollie will use eDNA techniques to look at the M. tetraphylla root mycobiome – that is, the fungal community that lives within plant roots. This includes mycorrhizal fungi that can grow around and inside roots and even into the…
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Seed banking for Macadamias – is it possible?
In 2018 we reported on trials at the Royal Sydney Botanic Gardens to dry and store macadamia seeds and retain their viability (see below). There were exciting initial results, with some seeds germinating after storage in liquid nitrogen for a month, but subsequent trials showed that germination and survival was not consistent, and that that…
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Wild Macadamia Hunt update
Cultivated macadamia trees have significantly less genetic diversity than wild trees. This means wild trees may have a greater capacity to respond to changing conditions, new diseases, human needs, and climatic change. Learning more about the genetic composition of wild macadamias gives us the chance to conserve and protect this important native species. There might…
MCT is the proud recipient of Tech Voucher Grant from the NSW Government
MCT successfully applied for a $15,000 Tech Voucher Grant in collaboration with the Southern Cross University (SCU). The NSW Department of Industry Tech Voucher program is designed to increase access by Small and Medium Enterprises to NSW research and development (R&D) organisations and promote collaboration. Through this grant, the NSW Government is supporting the development…
Continue Reading MCT is the proud recipient of Tech Voucher Grant from the NSW Government