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 AVOCADO CULTIVATION IN INDIA

P.C. Tripathi , G.Karunakaran,T.Sakthivel, V Sankar and R. Senthilkumar

Central Horticultural Experiment Station

Indian Institute of Horticultural Research
Chettalli – 571 248, Kodagu, Karnataka
E mail: [email protected]
 AVOCADO CULTIVATION IN INDIA

Avocado(Persia americana) is a native of tropical America. It originated in Mexico and Central

America, possibly from more than one wild species. The early Spanish explorers recorded its
cultivation from Mexico to Peru but it was not in the West Indies at that time. It was introduced
into Jamaica in 1650 and to Southern Spain in 1601. It was reported in Zanzibar in 1892. It was
first recorded in Florida in 1833 and in California in 1856. In India it was bought during first
decade of nineteenth century. Avocado is the most nutritive among fruits. The pulp is rich in
proteins (up to 4%) and fat (up to 30%), but low in carbohydrates. The fat is similar to olive oil
in composition and is widely used in the preparation of cosmetics. Avocados have the highest
energy value (245 cal/100 g) of any fruit besides being a reservoir of several vitamins and
minerals (Table 1). The avocado is rich in copper and iron, two mineral constituents of
antioxidant enzymes, avocados again prove their nutritionalquality. Potassium is also high in
avocados, as it is has one of the highest potassium rates in tropical and non-tropical fruits and
vegetables. The avocado is associated with lower blood pressure because it is high in
monounsaturated fat. All amino acids are found in the avocado . Another benefit is avocados
have been shown to maintain good cholesterol while reducing bad cholesterol.
Avocado is mainly used fresh, in sandwich filling or in salads. It can also be used in ice creams
and milk shakes and the pulp may be preserved by freezing. Three antifungal compounds have
been isolated from the peel extracts of immature fruits of the Green cultivar. The avocados are
found, to contain high proteins, their caloric value ranges from 1500to 2250 calories per Kg (i.e.
2.3 pounds). Our food analysts are of the view that theprotein content of an avocado is three
times that of an apple, nearly equal to that of thelocal plantain and less than olive fruit
Table 1. Chemical Composition of Avocado Fruit (per 100g of edible portion)
Nutrients Quantity Nutrients Quantity
Protein 1.7 g Calcium 10.00 mg
Fat 26.4 g Chlorine 11.00 mg
Total carbohydrates 5.1 g Copper 0.45 mg
Crude fibre 1.8 g Iron 0.60 mg
Vitamin A as carotene 0.17 mg Magnesium 35.00 mg
Ascorbic acid 16.00 mg Manganese 4.21 mg
Niacin 1.10 mg Phosphorus 38.00 mg
Riboflavin 0.13 mg Sodium 368.00 mg
Thiamine 0.06 mg Sulphur 28.50 mg
Source: Madhav Rao and Abdul Khader, 1977
HistoricalBackground
Avocado was introduced by anAmerican missionary, residing in Bangalore between the years
1906 and 1914 was from Royal Botanical Gardens,Ceylon. No extensive propagation of these
with an eye on theircommercial possibilities was attempted til 1940, though theclimatic
conditions and soil requirements in the region wereideal for their large scale cultivation. In fact,
onaccount of its close resemblance to butter and identical lack of any taste it is sonamed in these
parts as 'Butter Fruit.a few seedlings of their choice varietieswere also occasionally brought from
their home country by the American missionarieswho came for periodical stays in India during
1912 and 1940. This is the reason than morethan a dozen varieties of Avocado grown in many
parts of this region and hillstations like Kallar near Nilgris, Palni, Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Coorg,
etc.The small avocado orchard in the Maharaja's Palace at Bangalore and in thebungalows of a
few Britisherswere plated during that period. The influx of Americans in very large numbers
soon after the outbreak of the Second World War, renewed interest in the propagation of
avocados.In the meantime the Government of Mysore opened a research station for non-citrus
fruits at Hessaraghatta, Bangalore and about 150 avocado seedlings of differentspecieswere
introduced in the research station. Later on these treeswere removed but lots of seedlings were
planted in Bangalore and parts of Karnataka and Kerala. Lot of promising varieties avocado were
brought for planting in Karnataka, Kerala , Tamilnadu, Sikkim and other states time to time for
planting. The avocado cultivation has gain aoverwhelming popularity during last one decade due
to nutrition properties of the fruits.
Area and production
The Avocado is originated in Central- South American countries. A lion’s share of the Avocado
production of world, produced in these countries. Avocado production of the world was 4.5
million tonnesin 2012. Mexico is the largest producer and exporter of Avocado in the world.
This Mexico is the largest avocado producer followed by Chile, Indonesia, United States,
Dominican Republic, Colombia, Brazil, Peru etc (Table 2) . The Avocado production in Asia is
limited but some of the countries like China, Vietnam, Korea. Mexico supplies 45 percent of the
international avocado marketThe avocado market is still growing. Around 4.5 million are
harvested commercially worldwide, over 1 million tonnes (25%) of which are traded
 internationally. By now, the value of the international avocado trade amounts to 2.1 billion
dollars. The USA is the number one importer in the world, followed by the Netherlands, which
plays an important role as transit country in the international trade. The top ranking export
countries are producing countries Mexico, Chile, and Peru.

Table 2: Major avocado producing country of world (2012)

Country Production ( Tonnes) Country Production ( Tonnes)

Mexico 1 316 104 China 110 000
Chile 160 000 Guatemala 95 000
Dominican Republic 290 011 Spain 76 800
Indonesia 294 200 Congo 70 000
U.S.A. 245 000 Venezuela 83 000
Colombia 219 352 Israel 73 351
Peru 215 000 South Africa 91 603
Kenya 186 292 Cameroon 72 000
Brazil 159 903 Haiti 53 000
Rwanda 145 000 Australia 48 951

The production in India is very limited and they are not commercial plantation of Avocado.The
agro-climatic conditions prevailing in various parts of the country appear to be favourable for
bringing more areas under avocado. Presently, plantations are not well organized and they are
scattered. Also, quite a good number of improved varieties are now available with higher yield
potential. Avocados are grown scattered in southern tropical states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala,
Karnataka, and Maharashtra. Also popular in the northeastern Himalayan state of Sikkim on hill
slopes at elevations if 800- 1,600 meters. Avocados are grown at higher elevations frequently, to
prevent soil erosion.Avocado is grown successfully in neighboring Sri Lanka, where good-
quality fruits are harvested during May to August and December to January at different regions.
Similar agro-climatic conditions to Sri Lanka are available in the Andamans and Nicobar Islands
and in the tropical southern India. With proper varietal selection it should be possible to exploit
also the possibility of out-of-season production, thus enhancing the availability of fruits for a
longer period during the year. Avocado fruits produced in the country can be marketed without
much difficulty, particularly to meet the requirement of the growing tourist industry. The
mainland India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are attracting foreign tourists in a large
number of places, where avocado could find a good market access. Avocado has also a good
export potential.
Soil and climate
Avocados cannot tolerate northern India’s hot dry winds and frosts, typically grown in tropical or
semitropical areas with rainfall in summer and humid, subtropical rainfall areas. Intolerant to
saline conditions and optimum range of pH is from 5 to 7, are characteristics of this unique fruit.
The climate zone of avocados is from true tropical to warmer parts of the temperate zone.
Avocados can be grown on a wide range of soils, but they are extremely sensitive to poor
drainage and cannot withstand water-logging. They are intolerant to saline conditions. Optimum
range of pH is from 5 to 7. Depending on the race and varieties, avocados can thrive and perform
well in climatic conditions ranging from true tropical to warmer parts of the temperate zone. In
India, avocado is not a commercial fruit crop. It was introduced from Sri Lanka in the early part
of the twentieth century. In a very limited scale and in a scattered way it is grown in Tamil Nadu,
Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka in the south-central India and in the eastern Himalayan state of
Sikkim. It can not tolerate the hot dry winds and frosts of northern India. Climatically, it is
grown in tropical or semitropical areas experiencing some rainfall in summer, and in humid,
subtropical summer rainfall areas.
Varieties
All three horticultural races adapted to tropical and sub-tropical conditions i.e. West Indian,
Guatemalan and Mexican have been tried in India. The cultivars of West Indian race are grown
in localized pockets in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In tropical and near-tropical
areas, only West Indian race is well-adapted but its hybrids with Guatemalan (e.g. Both
selection) perform well and are considered valuable for extending the harvest season. In less
tropical regions, hybrids of Guatemalan with Mexican race predominate since they combine the
cold hardiness of the latter with the superior horticultural traits of both and also bridge the two
seasons of maturity. In the eastern Himalayan state of Sikkim, avocado has been introduced
successfully in hill ranges with an altitude of 800 to 1,600 metres. Both the Mexican and
Gautemalan races are grown successfully in Sikkim. In avocado-growing areas of Sikkim,
temperatures range from 12 to 30°C with an average annual rainfall of 2,000 millimetres. The
Mexican race is cultivated on mid-altitude hills (pH 5-6). The fruit of Mexican race are Small
(250 g) fruit type, ripening 6 to 8 months after flowering. Fruits have thin smooth skin with a
large seed fitting loosely in the central cavity. Oil content is up to 30 per cent in the fruits. Trees
of this race are cold hardy. The fruits of Guatemalan raceare fairly large, weighing up to 600 g
and borne on long stalks. The fruits ripen 9-12 months after flowering. Fruit skin is thick and
often warty. Seeds, held tightly in the hollow of the fruit, are small. The oil content in fruits
ranges between 8 and 15 per cent. The fruits of West Indian race are medium in size and the fruit
skin smooth, leathery and glossy. Fruits are borne on long stalks and require up to 9 months for
ripening from the date of flowering. Its seeds are large, fitting loosely in the cavity. The oil
content of the fruit is low (3-10 per cent). This race is suitable for warm tropical climates.The
varieties Fuerte, Bacon, Zutano, Hass, Booth 7, Booth 8, Sharwil and Ettinger are reported to be
promising (Table 3).
Table 3: avocado cultivars grown in major avocado growing areas
USA Furerte, Hass, Zutano, Bacon, Reed, Gwen, Pinkerton,Pollock,
Simmonds, Nadir, Booth 8, Lula, Hardee, Ruchle, Hall, Hickson,
Monroe.
Australia Zutano, Sharwd, Bacon, Purete, Hass, Green Gold.
New Zealand Fuerte, Zutano, Hayes, Hopkins, Hass, Polock, Booth, Simmonds, Reed.
Israel Fuerte, Hass, Nabal, Ettinger, Horshim, Wurtz, Ardith, Adi, Iriet, Gil
Brazil Fuerte, Hass, Carlsbad, Nabal, Ryan, Edranol, Corona, Solano, Quintal,
Fortuna, Ouro Verde
South Africa Fuerte, Hass, Edranol, Ryan, Hayes, Pollock
Mexico Fuerte, Hass, Bacon, Reed, Criollor, Zutano
Spain Hass, Bacon, Furete, Reed, Sutano, Gwen
India Green Type, Purple, TKD-1, Nabal, Linda, Puyevla, Gott-Froid, ,Furete,
Pullock, Waldin.
Indonesia AlpukatHijauPanjang, AlpukatHijauBundur, AlpukatMerahPanjang,
AlpukatMerahBundur

The description of some of the varieties is as follows:

Hass
Predominantly Guatemalan but with some Mexican genes; a chance seedling of unknown
parentage, selected by Mr. Rudolph Hass at La Glabra Heights , California; Flower group A;
Oval shaped, small to medium fruits with pebby green skin forming purplish black when ripened
and creamy, pale green flesh available throughout the year; 66-70 % recovery.
Fuerte
Mexican x Guatemalan hybrid ; collected by Carl Schmidt in 1911 from Atlixco, Puebla,
Mexico; survived extremely cold weather in California , January 1913 and consequently named
‘Fuerte’ meaning ‘strong’ or ‘hardy’. Flower group B; Pear shaped, medium to large size
weighing 170 – 500g. smooth green fruits of high quality with creamy, pale green flesh, easily
peeled and available late fall through spring; 75 – 77 % recovery.
Gwen
Gwen is a selection from the University of California avocado breeding programme. It is a
selection of ‘Thille’, which is in turn a seedling of Hass. Plump, oval, green, medium to large
fruits turning dull when ripe, pebbly and thick in appearance with creamy, pale green flesh
available late winter through late summer.
Bacon
A Mexican x Guatemalan hybrid; Originated 1928 in Bueno Park , California; Flower group B;
Fruit ovate; mid-winter green-skinned variety of good quality, medium-sized weighing 170-
510g; Skin thin, green and glossy with leathery texture; Early maturing with very pale yellow-
green flesh, recovery 61 % . precocious with consistent production and higher yields than Fuerte.
Zutano
Mexican x Guatemalan hybrid; Selected by W.L.ruitt at fallbrook, California in 1926. Flower
group B; Pear shaped, large fruit with shiny think, yellow green skin and light textured pale
green flesh with light taste and moderate shelf life available fall through early winter. Recovery
65 %. Susceptible to anthrocnose and is moderately susceptible to Phytophthora root rot. A
successful pollinizer for Hass.Tolerant to saline conditions.
Reed
Guatemalan; Originated on property of James Reed, Carlsbad, California, about 1948, probably
‘Anaheim’ X ‘Nabal’ hybrid; Round shaped, medium to large sized fruits weighing 270 – 680g ;
slightly pebby thick green skin and buttery flesh with good taste and good shelf life, available
summer to early fall
Pinkerton
Guatemalan hybrid; Originated about 1959 as a ‘Rincon’ seedling on the property of J. and W.
Pinkerton, Ventura, California and thought to be Rincon X Hass hybrid, a semi dwarf, Flower
group A, Fruit pyriform, medium size weighing 230-425g, seed size is relatively small, mid
season maturity with attractive cream coloured flesh, recovery 82%. Resistant to Anthracnose.
Xanh
Big sized fruits ( 170-180mm in length and 400-600gm weight), good quality fruits with light
yellow pulp colour
Pollock
Originated in Miami before 1896; commercially propagated in 1901; oblong to pear shaped; very
large, up to 5 lbs (2.27 kg); skin smooth; flesh green near skin, contains 3 to 5% oil; seed large,
frequently loose in cavity. Season: early July to Aug. or Oct. Shy-bearing and too large but of
superior quality.
TKD 1:
Developed at Horticultural Research Station, Thadiyankudisai of TNAU, Tamilnadu.
The fruits are medium sized and round. Trees upright and semispreading hence suited for high
density planting. Yield 264kg / tree. Fruits are sweet TSS8o brix, fat 23.8%, protein 1.35%.
CHES A-1
Selection of seedlings of unknown origin identified by CHES Chettalli. The Tree medium (15-16
feet) spreading, leaf 20-22 cm long ,8-10 cm wide. Flowers in March –April and June July.
Fruits borne in clusters of 3 to 5, medium size green, round weigh 200-250 g. ripen in May –June
and September – October. Total Soluble Solids - 10.5 O Brix. Pulp- pale yellow, Recovery -
60 percent. Yield- 300-500 fruit per tree

Propagation
In India, avocado is commonly propagated through seeds. The viability of seeds of avocado is
quite short (2 to 3 weeks) but this can be improved by storing the seed in dry peat or sand at 50C.
Removal of seed coat before sowing hastens germination. In India most of the trees grown are
seedlings in origin. The seeds taken from mature fruits are sown directly in the nursery or in
polyethylene bags. When 8-12 months old, the seedlings are ready for transplanting. The
seedling trees toke more time to start fruiting and the yield and fruit quality is is highly
variable.Due to cross-pollination, there is great variability in the seedlings produced from seeds,
it is impossible to obtain genetically uniform plant as indicated for the formation of commercial
orchards. These seedlings plants take long time to produce first crop and fruit quality in
unreliable. Vegetative propagation of superior clones of avocado by budding or grafting is
essential to avoid these problem. Experiments conducted with two method of grafting (veneer
and cleft) and two methods of budding (T and patch) in all the months of the year at CHES
(IIHR) Chettallirevealed that after 90 days of grafting , the mean percent success was highest in
cleft grafting (32.5%) while lower mean success was observed 8.3% in veneer grafting(8.3%),
T- budding (7.5%) ,Patching budding(5.8%). Among different months highest mean success was
recorded in month of September (32.5%) followed by 22.5% in the month of March and August.
Among the differentcombinations of months and propagation methods, highestsuccess (70 %)
was recorded in cleft grafting performed during the month of September . This was closely
followed by same method done in month of March month (60%). The success in cleft grafting is
higher than other three methods in all 12 months. The growth of the scion was also higher in
cleft grafting than other methods. It was concluded that cleft grafting in the month of September
and March were most suitable for the multiplication of avocado(tripathi and kuranakaran,2013).
At the Fruit Research Station, Kallar, Tamil Nadu, layering as well as inarching gave up to 75
per cent success, while in West Bengal chip-budding is reported to be successful. In India,
presently, there is no commercial nursery engaged in vegetative propagation of avocado, nor is
there any initiative either at governmental or private level to undertake nursery production of
avocado planting material.
Field preparation and Planting
The avocado plantation in a relatively new area required care in selection of the varieties. The
varieties of both A and B groups should be selected and their flowering must overlap. The
proportion of A and B group varieties can be 1:1 or 2:1. Avocado is planted out to a distance of 6
to 12 meters depending on the vigour of variety and its growth habit. For varieties having a
spreading type of growth, like Fuerte, a wider spacing should be given. In areas prone to excess
water, they should be planted on mounds as avocados cannot withstand waterlogging. In Sikkim,
a planting distance of 10 x 10 meters on hills slopes is preferred. While in south India, when it is
planted with coffee the plating distance varies from 6meter to 12 meters. The pits of 1 cubic
meter size are dug during April – May and filled with farmyard manure and top soil (1:1 ratio)
before planting. Planting is done in June-July or sometimes in September. In Coorg, a region of
Karnataka , avocado trees are planted also as one of the mixed crops in a primarily coffee based
cropping system(Tripathi and Karunakaran, 2013).
Nutrient management
Avocados need heavy manuring, and application of nitrogen has been found to be most essential.
In general, young avocado trees should receive N, P2O5 and K2O in a proportion of 1:1:1 and
older trees in the proportion of 2:1:2. At a pH of above 7, iron deficiency symptoms may appear,
which may be corrected by applying iron chelate at the rate of 35 g/tree. Various micronutrients
(Fe, Zn, B) have profound influences on tree growth, nutrient uptake and yield of avocado.
Integrated nutrient management with inorganic fertilizer, supplemented by organic manuring, is
advocated for avocado. In Coorg area and the humid tropical region of Karnataka, Kerala and
Tamil nadu the fertilizers should be applied in two split doses in May -June and September-
October. While in Northern India fertilizer may be applied in two split doses in March-April and
September-October or just before and after the onset of the monsoon. Foliar application of zinc
sulphate (0.5 per cent) and other micro nutrients may be undertaken in April-May or September
–October. These micro nutrient may be applied as soil application along with other fertilizers
(Table 4).
Table 4: fertilizer schedule recommended for avocado.
Elements Age of Plant ( Year)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7& Above
Nitrogen (g/plant) 100 200 300 400 500 600 800
Phosphorus ( g/plant) 30 60 90 120 150 180 210
Potassium ( g/plant) 60 120 180 240 300 360 400
Farmyard manure(kg/plant) - 10 20 30 40 50 60

Training and pruning

The plants need to be given light pruning in initial stages for developing an open centre canopy.
After that pruning is rarely practiced. In upright varieties such as Pollock top is done to reduced
the tree size while in spreading varieties like Fuerte, branches are thinned and shortened. The
dropping and ground touching branches need to be pruned for ease in cultural practices. Heavy
pruning has been found to promote excessive vegetative growth, consequently reducing the
yield.

Irrigation
In India, avocado is grown in those areas where rainfall is high and fairly distributed throughout
the year. Therefore it is grown under rain fed conditions and irrigation is generally not given.
Irrigation at intervals of three to four weeks during the dry months is beneficial.Sprinkler
irrigation has been reported to improve the fruit size and oil percentageand advances harvesting
time. To avoid moisture stress during winter season, mulching with dry grass/dry leaves is
desirable. Flooding is undesirable as it promotes root rot incidence.

Intercultural and weed management

Deep cultivation in avocado orchards should be avoided because of surface roots.Intercropping

with legumes or shallow-rooted crops can be done in young orchards which can smoother weeds
also. The monoculture plantation of avocado may be maintain with sod culture. The weed are
major problems in high rainfall zones of south India . The use of gramexone or Ghyphosate is
recommended to control weeds. In coffee based plantation system, scruffling done for coffee is
sufficient to control weed. Care should taken that the roots of avocado not disturbed during
scruffling.
Flowering, pollination and fruiting
Avocado starts bearing at 5-6 years after planting and has a marked tendency to
biennialbearing which is prevalent in a number of other fruit trees. But there is specific problem
infruitset as far as avocado concerned.In avocado, the inflorescence is a compound panicle. The
individual flowers aremorphologically bisexual having fertile male and female organs. But they
exhibit dichogamy viz., the male and female organs coming to maturity at different time thereby
avoiding self pollination of an individual flower. In dichogamy, they are protogynous viz., the
female partscoming to maturity before male organs. The type of dichogamy in avocado is a
complicated oneunique to avocado-the diurnally synchronous dichogamy. The female parts of all
flowers thatopen at a time in a particular tree will mature simultaneously and hence behave
functionally asfemale flower. The male parts of same flowers will come to maturity when the
flowers opennext time and hence all of them behave as male flowers during that period. By this
the crosspollination between flowers of the same tree are also ruled out. The situation is further
worsenedby the fact that all the trees of a particular group will be exhibiting the same sex phase
at a particular time and the opposite sex phase during the next opening of the same flower. So if
thetrees of single group are planting in mass, they will not set fruit and each group requires
interplanting of trees of mother group, the two groups being compatible with one another.Based
on this unique flower behaviour, avocado cultivars can be divided into two groups A& B. In
group A, first opening takes place in the morning, second opening during the afternoon of the
following day. In group B, first they open in the afternoon then again nextmorning. Therefore,
every morning A-pistils can be fertilized by B-pollen, while duringafternoon B-pistils are ready
to receive A-pollen. Studies on flowering and fruiting behaviour of 40 accessions of avocado
was carried out at CHES, Chettalli revealed that number of panicles/shoot ranged from 2.6 (PA-
I-4) to 13.8 in PA-VII-2. The panicle length ranged from 4.1 cm in PA-XII-1 to 16.1 cm in PA-
XVII-2. The number of flowers per shoot ranged from 16.71 to 218.96. The panicles were
produced on terminal bud and most of them were determinate type. The flowering period ranged
from 15 to 28 days. All the flowers were hermaphrodite. The double opening of flowering was
noticed in all the accessions. In first opening only stigma was receptive. In second opening was
next day when only anther dehiscence took place. Most of the flowers opened in the morning
time between 8 to 10.00 AM but some of the flowers opened in the afternoon between 2.0 to 5.0
PM . The average initial fruit set was 3.62%, it was highest (8.74%) in PA-VIII-3 and lowest
(0.50%) in PA-VI-1. Average final fruit set was 0.32%. Heavy fruit drop was observed after
fruit set. The main reason for low fruit set is peculiar flower opening process. Avocado has
perfect flowers produces bisexual flowers but exhibit dichogamy. Thus self-pollination is almost
impossible. The pollination is mainly performed by insects. The studies conducted at CHES,
Chettalli reveled that insect species including 7 hymenopterans, 7 dipterans, 3 coleopterans were
recorded on avocado flowers. Among all the visitor groups, hymenoptera order constituted the
major pollinators (52.66%), followed by dipteran order (39.57%) and coleopteran was the least
(7.62%) of the total pollinators in avocado orchard. In the group of Hymenopterait was found
thatApis cerena as major pollinator with 17.56% followed by Apis florea with 11.3%. Similarly
8.82% of Tetragonula sp. and ants each followed by 6.16 % of wasp were observed. A. cerena
starts foraging from 6.00 AM and continues till 12.00 Noon. However, it was observed that the
peak foraging period for A. florea, Tetragonula sp. was from 9.00-12.00hrs. Of total bee
population,A. cerena had the maximum number of visits (7.87 visits/30min/bunch) followed by
A. florea (5.06vists/30min/bunch), and Tetragonula sp. and ant species (3.96 visits/30min/bunch)
each.
Fruit harvesting and yield
Avocado plants raised from seeds start bearing five to six years after planting while
grated plants stars yielding in 3-4 years. Mature fruits of purple varieties change their colour
from purple to maroon, whereas fruits of green varieties become greenish-yellow. Fruits are
ready for harvest when the colour of seed coat within the fruit changes from yellowish white to
dark brown. Mature fruits ripen six to ten days after harvesting. The fruits remain hard as long as
they stay on the trees, softening only after harvest. The yield ranges from about 100 to 500 fruits
per tree. In Sikkim, fruits are harvested during July to October is the usual harvesting time. In
Coorg area fruits are available from June to October . In Tamil Nadu, July-August is the peak
harvest time.
Post-harvest handling, storage and marketing
Avocados do not ripen on the tree, and fruits soften only after they are picked. Fruits need to be
picked carefully. They should be harvested at the correct stage of maturity. In India, fruits of 250
to 300 grams in size are preferred. Most popular varieties are Hass, Fuerte and Green. Hard,
mature fruits are harvested and allowed to ripen during transport and distribution. unripe
avocados can be stored for up to four weeks at 5.5 to 8°C. Presently, there is no organized
marketing system for avocado as the production is small and production areas are scattered.
Pests and diseases
The Anthracnose root rot, leaf spot, Stem rot, The scab are the major diseases affecting avocado.
Anthracnose
Anthracnose is becoming major problem but effecting the fruit yield and quality. It is caused by
Colletotrichumgloeosprotioides. The symptoms are developed in the fruits either or after harvest
initially the symptom is large light, brown circular, lesions which turns into dark brown or black
colour of the sometime. Infection results in shedding of young fruits. Remaining fruits become
deformed. The copper based fungicide copper oxide, copper trioxide may be used to control this
disease in the initial stage. The orchards sanitation like burning of fallen leaves and fruitshelp to
reduce inoculum. Post harvest treatment of urns to control the disease is also recommended
inmany countries. Controlled atmospheric storage of fruits in 2% O2 at 7.2oC for 3-4 weeks
helps to prevent the development of the fungus in storage.
Phytophthora Root Rot
The most serious disease of avocado is the root rot caused by Phytophthora cinnamoni,leading to
death of plant. The disease effects the roots and they became black and eventually die which
effects the overall growth and yield of the plants. The disease situation is aggravated by ill
drained and waterlogged conditions. Metalaxyl (Ridomil) mixed with soil before planting or
applied as a soil drench controls root rot at least for four months after treatment. Soil drenching
of Ridomil (1gai/10 lit) controls root rot.This disease may be minimized by using tolerant
varieties , avoiding water logged areas for planting, soil solarization, use of metalaxyl,
potassium phosphonate may be used.
Avocado scabSphacelomaperseae
Oval or irregular brown or purple spots on fruit with rough texture are formed. High humidity
encourages scab growth and spread. Use of tolerant varieties and spray of copper containing
fungicides helps to control the scab problem.
Insect Pests
Mites, mealy bugs, scales are the important insect pests of avocado.
Mites
Three species of mites prey on avocado trees. The avocado brown mite lays eggs on the tree's
leaves, and in large numbers damages and destroys the plant's foliage. The perseamite also harms
avocado tree foliage, leading to fewer fruits, though the six-spotted mite typically only causes
leaf discoloration. Predatory mites will keep the population of all three mites under control, as
will avoiding the use of chemical pesticides that kill their natural enemies.
Mealy bugs (Planococcuscitri)
Mealy bugs are not major problem in avocado but use of insecticides kills the natural enemies of
mealy bugs causing major problem. Mealy bugs are sexually dimorphic. Yellow eggs are
produced in a loose colony of waxy filaments. About 50-100 or more than 100 eggs covered in
an ovisac are deposited by female. Mealy bug breeds continuously on different hosts like citrus,
Murraya koenigi, coffee in Coorg region. Mealy bug observed on fruits during September-
October months. It was found both on the immature and ripened fruits. The mealy bugs
produced large quantity of honey dew, which attracts other insects and these insect lay egg on
the fruits and deteriorate the quality of fruits. Mealy bugs are tend to be serious pests in the
presence of ants because the ants protect them from predators and parasites.These may be control
by release of lady bird beetle, Cryptolaemus montrouzieri at 10 beetles/tree after fruit set.
Spraying 150ml dimethoate + 250ml kerosene in 100 of water (or) 10g of carbaryl +10 ml
kerosene in 10 l of water gives effective control of mealy bugs.
Thrips (Scirtothrips perseae)
Obvious feeding by Thrips scars on fruit. These scars begin as scabs or leathery patches and
spread across fruit. The adult insect is orange-yellow in color with distinct brown bands and
reaches 0.7 mm in length.Insect thrives in cooler temperatures and may undergo 6 or more
generations per year.Addition of coarse organic mulch about 6 inches thick below trees may help
to reduce survival of Thrips pupating in soil. Selective insecticide should be selected to control
these insects so that minimum damageis done to populations of natural enemies.
Fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis, B. caryeaea)
Very less percentage of fruit fly infestation was noticed on rambutan. Fruit fly infests the ripened
fruits. Its infestation is more in southern states. The female fruit fly lays eggs on the mature fruits
with the help of its pointed ovipositor. After hatching the maggots feed on pulp of these fruits
and the infested fruits starts rotting and fall down. As a result brown patch appears around the
place of oviposition. The maggots come out of the affected fruit and pupate in the soil.Pre-
harvest IPM combined with sanitation (Collection and destruction of fallen/infested fruits) +
Placing Methyl eugenol trap @ 4-6/acre + In severe infestation spraying of bait spray
(Decamethrin (Decis) 2ml+ 100g of jaggery in 1 litre of water) is recommended.
Avocado has high nutritional value and usefulness of it,s high quality fats in promoting
health of heart and circular system is attracting lot of people to use it in their daily diet.. The
growing use of Avocado oils and fats in cosmetics is also a reason of increasing popularity of
this fruit. In India, consumption of Avocado is limited to high elite group of large Metropolitan
cities but with increasing awareness about the health concerns, the demand of avocado is
increasing. In India, alarge area is suitable for cultivation of Avocado. There is good scope of
Avocado cultivation in India but there is need to develop better varieties for Indian conditions
and development of production technologies for Avocado.
 REFERENCES
1. Ghosh, S. P.2000. Avocado Production in India In Avocado production in Asia and the
Pacific. FAO Corporate Document Repository.
2. Jayanthi Mala B. R, Tripathi, P. C., Sunanda Sanganal and Sankar, V. (2014) Pollinators
diversity and their role in pollination of Avocado(Persea americana Mill). International
symposium on conservation and management of pollinators for sustainable agriculture and
ecosystem services” at NASC Complex, Pusa, New Delhi September 24-26(accepted)
3. Tripathi, P.C, and Karunakaran, G. 2013. Bharat Mai Navaneet Phal (Avocado) Ki
Kheti:Varthaman sthithi evam Sambhavanaye (InHindi) (Avocado cultivation in India:
Present status and possibilities) Bhumi Nirman (Bhopal) 16th Jan -15th Feb : 11
4. Tripathi, P.C, and Karunakaran, G. 2014. Standardization of time and method of propagation
in Avocado
5. Tripathi, P C, V. Sankar, Jayanthimala, B.R., Sunanda, S. and G. Karunakaran (2014)
Studies on flowering behaviour of avocado accessions under humid tropical conditions of
Coorg region. National Seminar cum- Workshop on Physiology of flowering in perennial
cropsheldat CISH lucknow during May 24-26,pp.28.
6. Whiley, A.W.; Schaffer, B. and Wolstenholme, B.N. (2002) The avocado: botany,
production and uses. CABI publishing UK.416pp.

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