Pongamia trials on established Pongamia trees, to achieve reliable, high Pongamia yields in northern Australia. Achieving reliable, high Pongamia yields in northern Australia requires elite cloned varieties, careful management of irrigation and fertiliser, lower planting densities, and attention to pollination. Stress management, soil selection, and pilot-scale trials are essential before commercial expansion. The crop’s variability and sensitivity to management and environment mean that a “one size fits all” approach will not work.
NACS conducted trials, across 5 sites in northern Australia, from September 2023 to November 2025 for the monitoring of seed yields and to research gaps in the information needed to plant and grow Pongamia. We discovered that the success of flowering appears to be a complex process governed by plant hormones and stress, amongst a number of other findings. NACS established ‘Rules of thumb’ for commercial plantings of pongamia as a guideline to initial plantings.
As at July 2026, is the most up-to-date research into pongamia yields and updated assumptions made in the document “A technical and economic appraisal of Pongamia pinnata in northern Australia” (Wylie, P. et. al. 2023). This research will provide confidence in any decision to invest in Pongamia plantations.
