Understanding the reproductive biology of Terminalia ferdinandiana for improved fruit yields

Terminalia ferdinandiana Exell., also known as the Kakadu plum, is an important food plant endemic to northern Australia. The fruit has substantial commercial demand as it contains sought-after antioxidants and the greatest concentration of ascorbic acid of any fruit known worldwide. Better knowledge of its reproductive biology is required to increase fruit production from wild stands and sustain commercial demand. Experiments demonstrate that T. ferdinandiana is andromonoecious and self-incompatible, relying on cross-pollination for successful fruit production. Wild stocks of this species are pollen limited, likely caused by pollinator satiation in dense, synchronously flowering stands. These findings indicate that enhanced fruit production requires supplementation of suitable pollinators in wild stands.