News

The AMS extends its congratulations to Dr. Chris Searle, who has been appointed as the first Chair of the International Macadamia R&D Committee, a sub-committee of the International Macadamia Symposium Committee (IMSC). 

Chris’s appointment was announced at the recent International R&D Forum in China, attended by more than 100 researchers from most macadamia origins. Dr. Elrea Strydom from SAMAC was announced as Deputy Chair.

The R&D committee is responsible for driving international R&D collaboration across all macadamia origins in non-competitive areas. Such areas are:

• ensuring all macadamias that reach the consumer are of a consistently high quality
• correctly identifying pests and diseases
• how to grow macadamias at high altitudes
• the genomics that underpin breeding.

They will drive collaborative projects including:

• a smart phone app to identify pests and diseases in each country
• a database of cultivated macadamia varieties and some of their characteristics
• post-harvest quality and 
• a register of all international macadamia researchers.

The secretariat of the R&D committee is provided by the IMSC with support from the Municipal Government of Lincang and is based in Lincang City in Yunnan.