Avocado, Persea americana, is a large evergreen tree native to South Central Mexico reaching a height of about 20m, or up to 10 m if grafted. It has an irregular and dense crown, and a bole that usually branches from low down and can be up to 45 cm in diameter. The flowers are greenish-yellow and the leaves are arranged alternately. Avocado fruits are eaten raw or used as a sandwich spread and in desserts. It is pear-shaped and green with a mild and pleasant flavor. The leaves can be made into tea or, when toasted, used as flavoring in stews and bean dishes. The plant, in general, has a wide range of medicinal uses. Extracts of the leaves have shown antihypertensive and anticancer activities. The leaves are used against dysentery, coughs, high blood pressure, liver problems, and gout. The bark is used against diarrhea while the fruits are used to lower blood cholesterol level, promote hair growth, sooth skin and treat skin conditions, and as aphrodisiac. Grounded seeds are used in the treatment of various skin conditions. Seeds also yield oil, which is used in the cosmetic industry, and dye used for marking clothes. The wood is moderately soft but heavy. It is brittle and not durable, hence only ideal for light construction purposes.There are three main races of avocado: Mexican , Guatemalan , and West Indian .
Persea americana is an evergreen Tree growing to 15 m by 25 m at a fast rate.
It is hardy to zone 10 and is frost tender. The flowers are pollinated by Bees, Insects. The plant is not self-fertile.
It is noted for attracting wildlife.
Suitable for: medium and heavy soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic soils and can grow in very alkaline and saline soils.
It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Fodder: Fruit Global Crop Industrial Crop: Medicinal Management: Standard Other Systems: Homegarden Other Systems: Multistrata Staple Crop: Oil
Different forms of the plant can succeed in a range of climates, ranging from subtropical with occasional frosts to lowland and highland tropics, where it can be grown at elevations as high as 2,800 metres. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 14 - 40°c, but can tolerate 10 - 45°c. When dormant, the plant can survive temperatures down to about -4°c, but young growth can be severely damaged at -1°c. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 500 - 2,000mm, but tolerates 300 - 2,500mm. Prefers a rich, neutral to alkaline soil and a position in full sun. Succeeds on all kinds of soil. Requires a well-drained soil, the plant is intolerant of water-logging. West Indian rootstocks are fairly tolerant of saline conditions, though other forms are intolerant. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 5.8, tolerating 4.5 - 7. Requires a position sheltered from strong winds. Seedlings take 6- 8 years to produce fruit, whilst grafts can start fruiting in their second year. Yields of 15 tonnes per hectare have been recorded, but averages are about half that figure. Mature fruit can be left hanging on the tree for weeks without damage. The three main races of Avocado are as follows. There are many named varieties of each race:- Mexican. This is the hardiest form, succeeding in subtropical climates and not well adapted to lowland tropical conditions. It can withstand short periods when temperatures drop as low as -6°c. The optimum temperature for growth is between 14 - 25°c. It has the highest oil content, over 20% and up to 30%. Guatemalan. This form is semitropical. It can withstand short periods when temperatures drop as low as -4?c. The optimum temperature for growth is between 15 - 28°c. It has a medium oil content generally between 10 - 20%. West Indian. This form is wholly tropical and grows well in a lowland tropical climate. It can grow in a temperature range of 12 - 40°c, though the optimum is between 24 - 32?c. It has the lowest oil content, generally below 10%, down to around 3%. Although the flowers are hermaphrodite, the male organ produces pollen when the females are not receptive and so each tree is functionally self-sterile. Therefore at least two different trees are required for pollination. Each avocado flower opens twice. The female part ripens first, then the flower closes to open many hours later in the male stage. In the Mexican form, this gap is more than 24 hours, from morning to the next afternoon, whilst in the Guatemalan it is less than 24 hours. Flowering Time: Mid Spring Late Spring/Early Summer. Bloom Color: Pale Green. Spacing: 20-30 ft. .
Resources
77135064
Optimizing phosphonate use for
CORE – Aggregating the world’s open access research papers
Phytophthora root rot management in
Shepard avocados in North Queensland
Matthew Weinert
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and77135064
Optimizing phosphonate use for
Phytophthora root rot management inShepard avocados in North Queensland
https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/77135064.pdf77135064Armillaria root rot UC ANR 3503
Armillaria Root Rot
Ipm.ucdavis.edu
Armillaria mellea
Armillaria root rot infects many crops and native and orna-
mental plants. Common hosts include avocado, cherimoya,Armillaria root rot UC ANR 3503
Armillaria Root Rot
Armillaria mellea
Armillaria root rot infects many crops and native and orna-http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/IPMPROJECT/ADS/Armillaria_root_rot_UC_ANR_3503.pdfArmillaria root rot UC ANR 3503CAS 1983 083
California Avocado Society Yearbook 67 (1983): 83-86.
Avocadosource
Integrated Control of Avocado Root Rot
J. M. Kotzé
Major pests
- Acromyrmex octospinosus
Ageratina adenophora
Aleurodicus dispersus
Aleurodicus dugesii
Aleurodicus neglectus
Amblypelta lutescens
Amblypelta nitida
Araecerus fasciculatus
Atta
Atta cephalotes
Attacus atlas
Avocado sunblotch viroid
Bactrocera aquilonis
Bactrocera carambolae
Bactrocera dorsalis
Bactrocera kandiensis
Bactrocera passiflorae
Chrysomphalus dictyospermi
Conotrachelus aguacatae
Conotrachelus perseae
Copturus aguacatae
Cornu aspersum
Cricula trifenestrata
Cryptaspasma perseana
Cryptoblabes gnidiella
Diabrotica fucata
Dinurothrips hookeri
Dothiorella aromatica
Dysmicoccus brevipes
Epiphyas postvittana
Glomerella cingulata
Heilipus lauri
Helicotylenchus dihystera
Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis
Hemiberlesia lataniae
Hypomeces squamosus
Icerya seychellarum
Lagocheirus araneiformis
Lasiodiplodia theobromae
Longidorus
Maconellicoccus hirsutus
Melanaspis obscura
Milviscutulus mangiferae
Naupactus xanthographus
Neotermes holmgreni
Nipaecoccus nipae
Nipaecoccus viridis
Niphonoclea spp.
Paracoccus marginatus
Paraleyrodes goyabae
Parasaissetia nigra
Parthenolecanium persicae
Persea americana endornavirus
Phyllocnistis hyperpersea
Phyllocnistis perseafolia
Phytophthora cactorum
Phytophthora cinnamomi
Phytophthora cryptogea
Planococcoides njalensis
Potato spindle tuber viroid
Pratylenchus brachyurus
Pratylenchus vulnus
Protopulvinaria pyriformis
Pseudacysta perseae
Pseudaonidia trilobitiformis
Pseudocaecilius citricola
Pseudocercospora purpurea
Pseudococcus longispinus
Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae
Pythium vexans
Radopholus similis
Raffaelea lauricola
Rhizobium radiobacter
Rhizobium rhizogenes
Saissetia coffeae
Saissetia oleae
Scirtothrips perseae
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Selenaspidus articulatus
Selenothrips rubrocinctus
Setaria pumila
Sphaceloma perseae
Sphaceloma purea
Spodoptera littoralis
Stenoma catenifer
Stericta albifasciata
Suana concolor
Thaumatotibia leucotreta
Thrips palmi
Trialeurodes vaporariorum
Trichodorus
Trioza aguacate
Xyleborus glabratus
Xyleborus immaturus
Xyleborus neivai
Xyleutes punctifer
Zeuzera coffeae
Minor pests
- Adoretus versutus
Albonectria rigidiuscula
Aleurocanthus woglumi
Aleurodicus cocois
Aleurodicus pulvinatus
Anastrepha fraterculus
Anastrepha ludens
Anastrepha serpentina
Anastrepha striata
Aonidiella aurantii
Aonidiella orientalis
Aphis gossypii
Aphis spiraecola
Argyrotaenia citrana
Aspidiotus destructor
Aulacaspis tubercularis
Bactrocera cucurbitae
Bactrocera facialis
Bactrocera jarvisi
Bactrocera tryoni
Batocera rufomaculata
Botryosphaeria parva
Cacoecimorpha pronubana
Calonectria ilicicola
Cassytha filiformis
Caulophilus oryzae
Cephaleuros virescens
Cerataphis lataniae
Ceratitis capitata
Ceratitis cosyra
Ceratitis rosa
Ceroplastes ceriferus
Ceroplastes destructor
Ceroplastes rubens
Ceroplastes rusci
Chrysodeixis includens
Coccus hesperidum
Colletotrichum acutatum
Colletotrichum boninense
Colletotrichum godetiae
Crypticerya multicicatrices
Diaprepes abbreviatus
Diaprepes spengleri
Euwallacea fornicatus
Ferrisia virgata
Ganoderma lucidum
Gibberella avenacea
Grovesinia pyramidalis
Haematonectria haematococca
Helicotylenchus multicinctus
Helicotylenchus pseudorobustus
Helopeltis antonii
Hemicriconemoides mangiferae
Icerya aegyptiaca
Leptoglossus zonatus
Marasmiellus scandens
Myzus persicae
Nectria pseudotrichia
Neofusicoccum australe
Neofusicoccum nonquaesitum
Neonectria macrodidyma
Neonectria radicicola
Nezara viridula
Oligonychus peruvianus
Oncobasidium theobromae
Pantomorus cervinus
Parabemisia myricae
Paratrichodorus porosus
Pennisetum clandestinum
Peridroma saucia
Pestalotiopsis clavispora
Phytophthora cambivora
Phytophthora citricola
Phytophthora heveae
Phytophthora nicotianae
Pinnaspis strachani
Planococcus citri
Platynota stultana
Podosphaera perseae-americanae
Polyphagotarsonemus latus
Pratylenchus penetrans
Pseudococcus jackbeardsleyi
Pseudotheraptus devastans
Pseudotheraptus wayi
Pulvinaria psidii
Raffaelea canadensis
Rhynchophorus palmarum
Rosellinia bunodes
Rosellinia necatrix
Rosellinia pepo
Rotylenchulus reniformis
Schizoneuraphis himalayensis
Sinoxylon conigerum
Sophonia orientalis
Spodoptera eridania
Trachysphaera fructigena
Tridax procumbens
Verticillium dahliae
Xiphinema
Xyleborinus saxesenii
Xyleborus perforans
Xyleborus volvulus
Xylella fastidiosa
Xylosandrus compactus
Xylosandrus crassiusculus
Xylosandrus morigerus
Zonocerus elegans
Zonocerus variegatus