Assessing industry impact from an orchard systems research program in Australia

The ‘National Tree Crop Intensification in Horticulture’ program (2020–2025) is a research collaboration formed under the Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative of Hort Innovation, a grower-owned, not-for-profit research and development corporation for Australia’s horticulture industry. The goal of this program is to increase the productivity and profitability of five tree crops grown in Australia (Almond, Avocado, Citrus, Macadamia and Mango). This was achieved by progressing knowledge and understanding of the physiology, agronomic, genetic, economic and management practices needed to intensify production systems, and having growers engaged in this learning process through the formation of active crop reference groups and action learning events. Project partners are the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries [now known as Department of Primary Industries] (DAF) in Queensland, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation – The University of Queensland (QAAFI-UQ), NSW QLD Department of Primary Industries (DPI), Plant & Food Research (PFR), South Australia Research and Development Institute (SARDI), and QLD Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) in Western Australia. Program delivery is directed by a Program Logic model which comprises two Key Result Areas: 1) Research to develop new knowledge and understanding and 2) Communication and engagement to achieve industry impact. Measuring the industry impact of this program has been guided by two strategic documents: the Communications and Engagement Plan and the Monitoring and Evaluation Plan. Measuring the impact of communication and engagement activities and outputs has been achieved via; coordinated collation of program activities and outputs, individual event evaluation, case studies of stakeholder understanding and adoption, and mid-term project stakeholder surveys and reviews. This paper details the results of the industry impact evaluation for this project, discussing the relative success of the activities and outputs conducted, and recommending actions which could be used within future orchard systems research programs to achieve industry impact.