Next up, almond trees that self-pollinate

Some California almond tree growers spend up to $1 million renting bees to pollinate their groves.

That expensive business tactic may be coming to an end, reported The Fresno Bee last week.

An excerpt from the story, via The Seattle Times:

Those in the hunt to develop and market a self-pollinating almond tree include Craig Ledbetter, a U.S. Department of Agriculture geneticist; the University of California; and private breeders.

The concept is not new. Self-pollinating trees have been used in Spain for years. But Spanish almonds tend to have a hairy texture and a strong almond taste.

Ledbetter’s challenge was to isolate the self-pollination traits of the Spanish tree and the mild taste and smoother texture of the nonpareil almond to create a new tree. After years of crossbreeding, Ledbetter thinks he’s found the right combination.

The USDA is set to begin evaluating field trials soon.

What does this mean for regular almond-consuming populace? Dump your bee pollination portfolio.

–Toshio Suzuki