PLANT AND FRUIT CHARACTERIZATION OF AVOCADO (PERSEA AMERICANA MILL.) GENETIC RESOURCES IN NEPAL

Abstract

Avocado is a newly emerging important fruit crop in home gardens and farms of Nepal. A total of 16 avocado accessions (HRSDAV01, HRSDAV02, HRSDAV03, HRSDAV04, HRSDAV05, HRSDAV06, HRSDAV07, HRSDAV08, HRSDAV09, HRSDAV010, HRSDAV011, HRSDAV012, HRSDAV013, HRSDAV014, HRSDAV015 and HRSDAV016) were characterized for their tree, leaf, fruit and seed traits at Horticulture Research Station (HRS), Dailekh in 2020. Tree, fruit and seed qualitative traits were characterized using the avocado descriptors of International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI). To study the fruit and seed quantitative traits, fifteen matured fruits were harvested from each accession and placed at laboratory in completely randomized design (CRD) with three replications. Results showed the wide variation in tree and leaf characters among 16 accessions. Accessions exhibited highly significant (P≤0.01) differences in fruit weight, fruit length and diameter, pulp weight and pulp/fruit ratio (%). Accessions HRSDAV07, HRSDAV06, HRSDAV09, HRSDAV03 and HRSDAV015 showed the highest pulp/fruit ratio of 83.3, 80.8, 78.8, 75.3 and 74.9%, respectively. Seed/fruit ratio was the lowest in accessions HRSDAV07 (10.9%), HRSDAV03 (12.1%), HRSDAV05 (13.4%) and HRSDAV06 (15.9%). Based on the characterization of fruit and seed traits, HRSDAV03, HRSDAV06 and HRSDAV07 are selected as the best accessions for the commercial production and breeding in avocado at mid-hills of Nepal.