Advances in pre-harvest management of avocado

Abstract

This chapter reviews the pre-harvest management of avocados, fruit losses and their causes and control, with a special emphasis on fruit quality. It highlights key production techniques required for sustainable cultivation of the crop. It discusses existing information on the floral biology, the importance of the rootstock, emphasizing potential resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi and ways of combining resistance with tolerance to other disease-causing organisms and / or abiotic factors. The chapter describes the global efforts in the search for new rootstocks and new varieties to solve the problems attributed to reliance on the `Hass´ variety. Conventional avocado propagation techniques as well as methods such as Brokaw clonal and microcloning have been discussed. It also describes soil, fertilizers and climate needs, cultivation techniques, tree formation, management of the crown and the use of chemicals, among others. The effect of pre-harvest factors on the post-harvest quality and storability of the fruit are also discussed.