Avocado in vitro micropropagation technology successfully validated for Chile and Latin America through Grupo Hijuelas–University of Queensland partnership.

🌱Key milestone in in vitro avocado micropropagation: technology validated at commercial scale in Chile

We are very pleased to share a major advance in the alliance between the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) in #Australia and Grupo Hijuelas: the in vitro avocado propagation technology, or tissue culture, developed by Neena Mitter and her team in Queensland, has been successfully validated for commercial-scale application after months of development and rigorous testing at our facilities in #Hijuelas 🥑

Although the project is still in the prototype phase, the results confirm that this innovation can operate reliably and efficiently beyond the laboratory, opening up new possibilities for the fruit industry in Chile and Latin America.

We announced this alliance in October, welcomed the first visit from Brisbane in January, and this is the first time avocado tissue culture has reached this stage in this part of the world. It is a major step forward with the potential to transform the industry.

This milestone has been made possible thanks to the rigorous and consistent technical work of Dr. Chris O’Brien, researcher at The University of Queensland, together with the professional and operational team at Grupo Hijuelas, who have managed every phase, protocol, consultation, and follow-up process with great dedication and vision. Congratulations to everyone involved!

The team is now preparing to scale up this technology for the 2026/2027 season, with the goal of significantly increasing the availability of high-quality avocado plants that are healthier, more uniform, and better adapted to the demands of global markets, as well as to soil, climate, and grower requirements.

Through this international collaboration, a concrete and transformative solution is taking shape to address the current challenges of avocado production.

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