Hass Avocado Fruit Research Articles

ARIMAX Modelling: Response of Hass Avocado Respiration Rate to Environmental Factors

This research explores how random events influence the respiration rate in Hass avocado beyond deterministic models in order to develop better strategies for extending its shelf life. Understanding these factors can enhance the accuracy of postharvest management strategies. The Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model with exogenous variables (ARIMAX) is an alternative stochastic probability model which is capable of modeling complex, externally influenced phenomena such as respiration. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of three exogenous variables, namely temperature, relative humidity, and ambient illumination, on the respiration rate of Hass avocado fruits. Data on the respiration rate and exogenous variables were obtained using sensors coupled to a data acquisition system in a prototype of continuous airflow. The Box–Jenkins methodology was employed to construct the ARIMA models. The temperature, relative humidity, ambient illumination, and respiration rate variables were adjusted to the ARIMA models (3,1,2), ARIMA (1,1,2), ARIMA (1,1,2), and ARIMA (1,1,3), respectively. The ARIMAX (1,1,3) models were obtained from the pre-whitened respiration rate series. The impact detected in the transfer functions indicates increases in the respiration rate of 0.34%, 1.52%, and 0.99% for each unit increase in the temperature, relative humidity, and ambient illumination variables, respectively. In this regard, ARIMAX modeling is reliable for explaining the physiological response of Hass avocado fruits due to external factors. In future research, it is intended to extrapolate this stochastic modeling procedure to measure the effect of dynamic loads on the respiratory metabolism of fruits during transportation, where there is a considerable loss in the quality of fresh products.

A First Omics Data Integration Approach in Hass Avocados to Evaluate Rootstock-Scion Interactions: From Aerial and Root Plant Growth to Fruit Development.

Grafting, the careful selection of rootstocks and scions, has played a crucial role maintaining Chilean avocado fruit quality standards in a scenario in which climate change and drought-related issues have considerably decreased avocado fruit production in the last fifteen years. The historical use of seedling rootstocks in Chile has experienced a recent shift towards clonal rootstocks, driven by the potential to produce more consistent and predictable crops. This research aims to compare Hass avocado plants grafted on Mexicola seedling and Dusa® clonal rootstocks in a soilless and protected system using (i) a differential expression analysis of root and leaf samples and (ii) a fruit transcriptomic and metabolomic integration analysis to improve our understanding of rootstock-scion interaction and its impact on avocado tree performance and fruit quality. The results demonstrated that no significant transcriptomic and metabolomic differences were identified at fruit level in the ready-to-eat (RTE) stage for Hass avocado fruit from both rootstocks. However, Hass avocados grafted on the clonal rootstock showed greater aerial growth and slightly increased fruit size than the seedling rootstock due to the enrichment of cell wall-remodeling genes as revealed in leaves and fruit at harvest stage.

Arabic gum/chitosan/Zn–NPs composite film maintains the quality of Hass avocado fruit by delaying ripening and activating enzymatic defense mechanisms

Avocado fruit is a climacteric fruit that has a short life after harvest. Chitosan (Ch) and Arabic gum (AG) have a pronounced effect on the storability of fruits. This investigation aimed to determine the effect of individual or combined use of Ch and AG as well as Ch/AG enriched with 2, 4, 8% Zn–NPs on physio-biochemical attributes and antioxidant capacity of Hass avocado fruit during cold storage (7 °C). The result showed that Ch or AG alone succeeded in maintaining fruit quality of Hass fruit during cold storage. Also, combined application of Ch/AG was more effective than individual application of Ch or AG in reducing fruit weight and polyphenol oxidase activity (PPO) as well as increasing total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and malondialdehyde (MDA). Moreover, Ch/AG coating enriched with 8% Zn–NPs recorded the lowest fruit weight loss, fruit decay %, TSS fruit content, fruit firmness and improved fruit skin and pulp color significantly compared to Ch/AG and control. Coating with Ch/AG/2%Zn NPs recorded the highest peroxidase (POD) activity, while Ch/AG/8% Zn–NPs recorded the highest TAC and the lowest PPO activity. Moreover, enriched Ch/GA with Zn–NPs recorded the highest CAT and POD activity compared to the control. This study shows the efficiency of Ch/AG enriched with Zn–NPs on preserving Hass avocado fruit quality during cold storage by delaying ripening process and activating enzymatic defense mechanisms.

Outcrossing Rate and Fruit Yield of Hass Avocado Trees Decline at Increasing Distance from a Polliniser Cultivar

Optimal fruit production from many tree crops relies on the transfer of cross-pollen between trees of different cultivars rather than the transfer of self-pollen between trees of the same cultivar. However, many orchards are established with wide blocks of single cultivars, which can result in high percentages of self-fertilised fruit and sub-optimal yield and quality. We aimed to determine whether outcrossing rates and yield of Hass avocado fruit decline with increasing distance from polliniser trees of cultivar Shepard and whether selfed fruit are smaller than outcrossed fruit. Outcrossing rates declined from 49% at six trees (40 m) from a block of Shepard trees to 30% at thirty trees (160 m) from a block of Shepard trees. Tree yield across this distance declined by 44% as a result of a 69% decline in the number of outcrossed fruit per tree, without a significant decline in the number of selfed fruit per tree. Outcrossed Hass fruit were 12% heavier than selfed Hass fruit, with 3% greater diameter and 5% greater length. The study results demonstrate the importance of interplanting Type B avocado pollinisers closely with Type A Hass trees to increase fruit yield and size.

Molecular Identification and Fungal Diversity Associated with Diseases in Hass Avocado Fruit Grown in Cauca, Colombia.

Hass avocado fruit diseases are one of the main marketing constraints in Colombia. To identify and reveal the diversity of fungi associated with diseases in fruits and peduncles, symptomatic samples were collected from 67 farms in the 9 main Hass avocado-producing municipalities of the department of Cauca located in southwestern Colombia. A total of 237 monosporic isolates were obtained that were subjected to DNA extraction, amplification of the ITS region, sequencing and functional diversity analysis based on Hill numbers by municipality and altitude. The results indicated that the genera Pseudocercospora, Diaporthe, Colletotrichum, Neofusiococcum, Lasiodiplodia and Pestatoliopsis were associated with fruit diseases. The genus with the highest number of effective species was Colletotrichum. The ITS region revealed 100% identity of the species Pseudocercospora norchiensis, which was the first report of this pathogen in the crop. There was a greater richness and diversity of associated species in the three municipalities, revealing that the higher the altitude was, the lower the richness and diversity of fungi associated with fruit diseases. These results will provide a better understanding of the identification and diversity of pathogenic microorganisms present in avocado production systems in this region of Colombia.

Characterization of Fungal Communities Associated with the Lenticel-Like Damage of ‘Hass’ Avocados in Two Geographical Locations in Colombia

Different postharvest diseases and disorders affect ‘Hass’ avocado fruits. Among them, lenticel-like damages, which compromise the fruit epidermis without affecting the mesocarp, are important causes of fruit rejection worldwide. However, lenticel-like damage etiology is still unclear. To better comprehend this disorder, we evaluated the level of the lenticel-like damage from Hass avocado fruits from two different growing regions in Colombia at different harvest seasons. We also characterized the fungal microbial communities associated with these fruits by Illumina MiSeq. We found that the level of lenticel-like damage varies with the farm and with the harvest season, and increases during cold storage. Fungal communities associated with Hass avocado fruits were influenced by the farm and the lenticel-like damage level. Regardless of the farm, Ascomycetes were increased four-fold compared with Basidiomycetes in severely damaged fruits, while in mildly damaged fruits the ratio was equal. In particular, severely damaged fruits from the more affected farm (El Sinaí) were enriched in Colletotrichum and Pseudocercospora, while fungi in mildly damaged fruits from the less affected farm (La Escondida) include Cladosporium, Vishniacozyma, Meira, and Symmetrospora. Altogether, our results suggests that fungal communities of Hass avocado exocarps influence the lenticel-like damage development and might be responsible for the damage differences between farms.

Polígono CIE L*a*b* para cuantificar roña (Sphaceloma perseae) en imágenes de frutos de aguacate

Avocado scab causes great economic losses in Mexico and the world. This study aimed to provide an automatic method of quantifying this symptom. The proposed method uses polygonal regions from the a-b plane of the CIE L*a*b* color format to identify a color (even with variations) and different avocado fruit shades. The polygons were used to determine the scab percentage in 70 Hass avocado fruit images. The scab percentage was estimated with a diagrammatic scale, and the regression equation y = 0.5848x, with an r 2 = 0.80, was found when comparing these results with scab percentages obtained from digitized images (observed). With the method presented in this study, the equation y = 0.9923x was found, with an r2 = 0.8672, so the proposed automatic method performed better.

Synthesis and application of Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles with antifungal activity and ethylene inhibition in postharvest of avocado cv. Hass

Avocado is highly susceptible to postharvest diseases and rapid ripening, making it challenging to maintain its quality and shelf life. One potential solution is the use of nanoparticles that can act as both antimicrobial agents and ethylene inhibitors. In this study, we synthesized Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles through a solution combustion method and subjected them to various characterization techniques, including X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. These nanoparticles were then tested for their effectiveness in combating common avocado pathogens and their ability to inhibit ethylene production. To apply our findings practically, we treated Hass avocado fruits in the postharvest stage with a suspension of Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles and stored them under controlled conditions to simulate the ripening process. The Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles formed agglomerates within the nanometric range and exhibited oxidation-reduction characteristics, effectively inhibiting ethylene production and degrading Rhodamine-B dye. Moreover, these nanoparticles displayed robust antimicrobial activity, significantly suppressing the growth of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides sensu lato pathogens. Treated fruits in the postharvest phase showed reduced microbial growth, decreased incidence of anthracnose, stem and root diseases, and an extended shelf life compared to the control group, due to ethylene inhibition. Ag-doped TiO2 nanoparticles, with their dual capabilities of antimicrobial activity and ethylene inhibition, show promise in improving postharvest management of Hass avocados. They have the potential to enhance fruit quality, reduce postharvest losses, and improve marketability. Further research and field trials are essential to fully explore the practical applications of these nanoparticles in commercial avocado production and distribution.

Assessing the RP-LC-MS-Based Metabolic Profile of Hass Avocados Marketed in Europe from Different Geographical Origins (Peru, Chile, and Spain) over the Whole Season.

Spain dominates avocado production in Europe, with the Hass variety being the most prominent. Despite this, Spanish production satisfies less than 10% of the overall avocado demand in Europe. Consequently, the European avocado market heavily relies on imports from overseas, primarily sourced from Peru and Chile. Herein, a comprehensive characterization of the metabolic profile of Hass avocado fruits from Spain, Peru, and Chile, available in the European market throughout the year, was carried out. The determination of relevant substances was performed using high- and low-resolution RP-LC-MS. Remarkable quantitative differences regarding phenolic compounds, amino acids, and nucleosides were observed. Principal component analysis revealed a natural clustering of avocados according to geographical origin. Moreover, a specific metabolic pattern was established for each avocado-producing country using supervised partial least squares discriminant analysis. Spanish fruits exhibited high levels of coumaric acid malonyl-hexose II, coumaric acid hexose II, and ferulic acid hexose II, together with considerably low levels of pantothenic acid and uridine. Chilean avocado fruits presented high concentrations of abscisic acid, uridine, ferulic acid, succinic acid, and tryptophan. Fruits from Peru showed high concentrations of dihydroxybenzoic acid hexose, alongside very low levels of p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, coumaric acid malonyl-hexose I, and ferulic acid hexose II.

Biodegradable films with fungistatic activity for the postharvest control of Fusarium solani in Hass avocado fruit

Little is known on the use of biodegradable films for the control of diseases in crops of agricultural importance. Consequently, the objective of this work was to determine the efficacy of chitosan hybrid films impregnated with thyme essential oil on Hass avocado fruits previously infected with Fusarium solani isolated from the northeastern highlands of Puebla, Mexico. The native strain of F. solani was morphologically and molecularly identified and the fungistatic activity of three chitosan films supplemented with 0.7% (FT1), 1.0% (FT2) and 1.3% (FT3) of thyme essential oil was evaluated in situ on the growth of F. solani in avocado fruits. Texture, transmittance and opacity of the films were obtained by scanning electron microscopy and UV-Vis spectrometry, respectively. Overall, it was recorded that films with a higher concentration of thyme essential oil (1-1.3% w/v) presented lower transmittance in the UV light range and higher opacity. Avocado fruits infected with F. solani simultaneously treated with FT2 and FT3 reduced the appearance of symptoms while preserved firmness, as well as fiber, fat, reducing sugars, and protein content (p < 0.01). In the same context, these materials promoted the conservation of the content of the nutraceuticals linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid and palmitoleic acid for 21 days. These results suggest that the hybrid films generated in the present study have the ability to control fusariosis caused by this fungus, prolonging the shelf life of Hass avocado fruit.

Biostimulants Improve Yield and Quality in Preharvest without Impinging on the Postharvest Quality of Hass Avocado and Mango Fruit: Evaluation under Organic and Traditional Systems

The fruit agribusiness sector is one of the most dynamic in Colombia. Within this sector, avocado and mango are of great importance, both in terms of area planted and volume exported. Increasing the productivity, quality, and postharvest life of these fruits is a priority, due to the high losses that occur in the preharvest and postharvest stages. One current alternative to achieve this are biostimulants, which have the potential to improve the productivity and quality of fruit. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the preharvest application of two biostimulants on the yield and quality of avocados and mangos. The study was carried out in production systems for cv. Hass avocado (traditional and organic) and cv. Keitt mango (traditional). In each system, two treatments were evaluated: conventional and conventional + biostimulant. Under field conditions, yield and quality variables such as weight, number of fruits, visual appearance, and size were determined. In postharvest, the fruits obtained from preharvest treatments were subjected to two storage conditions (6 and 20 °C) during the ripening process. Postharvest quality variables such as respiration, ethylene rates, weight loss, color index, firmness, total soluble solids, and titratable acidity were evaluated. The results indicated that the use of biostimulants caused a significant increase (p ≤ 0.05) in the yield, number of fruits, and preharvest quality parameters of size and weight, without negatively affecting the postharvest quality of the fruits. The biostimulant increases the total weight of fruits in organic and conventional avocado by ~55 and 25%, respectively, while in mango, this figure increased by ~23%. Hence, biostimulants can be utilized to increase the productivity of fruit trees.

Automated detection of internal fruit rot in Hass avocado via deep learning-based semantic segmentation of X-ray images

Internal rot of avocado fruit (Persea americana), attributable to fungal infection, occurs at the end of the ripening process and causes only minor changes in the appearance and texture of the fruit surface. Manual inspection of rot by sight and touch commonly conducted in countries importing avocado fruit is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and subjective. In this context, X-ray line scanning has been proven as an advantageous method of fruit rot detection because of its speed of data acquisition and the indication of internal rot by bright regions in associated images. However, some fruit internal disorders exhibit only poor changes in contrast, resulting in low detectability by traditional image processing. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of a detection model using deep learning-based semantic segmentation in identifying two types of fruit rot, stem-end and body rot, in Hass avocados. Therefore, U-net+ + was trained and validated via 5-fold cross-validation to classify every pixel in an X-ray image as either infected or not. Then, each X-ray image was binarily classified based on either the presence or absence of internal fruit rots, achieving an accuracy of 0.98. Furthermore, the percentage of infected area was quantified with a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 3.15 %. Lastly, the proposed model detected both stem-end and body rot as well as rot along low-contrast fruit edges. The results of this study indicate that the proposed automatic inspection system using deep learning-based X-ray image analysis can effectively detect internal rot in Hass avocado fruit. This non-destructive, objective detection model can therefore increase efficiency and reduce misclassification in post-harvest avocado inspection. Furthermore, deep learning-based X-ray imaging has potential for applications in fruit inspection for internal cavities attributable to diseases or wounds.

Estimating the Ripeness of Hass Avocado Fruit Using Deep Learning with Hyperspectral Imaging

Rapid ripeness assessment of fruit after harvest is important to reduce post-harvest losses by sorting fruit according to the duration until they become ready to eat. However, there has been little research on non-destructive estimation of the ripeness and ripening speed of avocado fruit. Unlike previous methods, which classify the ripeness of fruit into a few categories (e.g., unripe and ripe) or indirectly estimate ripeness from its firmness, we developed a method using hyperspectral imaging coupled with deep learning regression to directly estimate the duration until ripeness of Hass avocado fruit. A set of 44,096 sub-images of 551 Hass avocado fruit images was used to train, validate, and test a convolutional neural network (CNN) to predict the number of days until ripeness. Training, validation, and test samples were generated as sub-images of Hass fruit images and were used to train a spectral–spatial residual network to estimate the duration to ripeness. We achieved predictions of duration to ripeness with an average error of 1.17 days per fruit on the test set. A series of experiments demonstrated that our deep learning regression approach outperformed classification approaches that rely on dimensionality reduction techniques such as principal component analysis. Our results show the potential for combining hyperspectral imaging with deep learning to estimate the ripeness stage of fruit, which could help to fine-tune avocado fruit sorting and processing.

Avocado fruit sorting by hyperspectral images

The paper shows the use of the methods of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in a range of 400–1000 nm and multivariate analysis for sorting Hass avocado fruits. The decomposition of the data matrix of HSIs of avocado fruits was carried out using the principle component analysis. The reflection bands in the visible and near-infrared spectral regions interrelated with the process of maturation and the moisture content of avocado fruits were revealed. It has been established that visualization upon avocado inline sorting by moisture is possible when using factor loadings as pseudo-color. Calibration models for determination of moisture and dry matter of avocado fruits were built based on the data of moisture measurement and hyperspectral images. The matrix of spectral data was formed by two methods: random selection of spectral signatures of HSIs from the whole surface of fruits or the image surface of HSIs of fruits (initial HSIs) as a region of interest (ROI). Based on the data of moisture measurement and selection of spectral signatures of hyperspectral images, calibration models were built for detection of moisture and dry matter of avocado fruits. Using sequential simulation by the projection to latent structures (PLS) method, accurate calibration models were developed to detect moisture (RP2 = 0.89) and dry matter (RP2 = 0.92) in the composition of avocado fruits. When building calibration models by the initial HSIs, models were obtained to predict moisture (RС2 = 0.99) and dry matter (RС2 = 0.99) in the composition of avocado fruits. It is proposed to use calibration models by the initial HSIs to determine moisture and dry matter in the intervals of the acceptable values according to the acting standard UNECE STANDARD FFV-42:2019.

Evaluation of Antifungal Activity from Bacillus subtilis strain AS80 Against Pathogenic Fungi Isolated from Hass Avocado Fruits

F ruit rot and anthracnose are the main diseases in avocado fruits caused by fungal species. Solving this problem with chemical reagents has led to human health and pollution problems. Therefore, this study was aimed to select antagonistic bacteria to control those pathogenic fungi. The pathogenic fungi were isolated from avocado fruit occurred fruit rot or anthracnose symptoms. Based on morphological characteristics and the BLASTn results of sequences of the internal transcribed spacer of ribosomal DNA, the obtained fungal isolates belonged to three fungal genera, namely Fusarium, Lasiodiplodia and Colletotrichum, which was the most commonly occurring. Pathogenicity tests were evaluated on avocado fruit. Then the rhizosphere bacteria were isolated from the avocado rhizosphere. To study antagonistic activity, 101 bacterial isolates were cultured with five fungal pathogens using dual culture technique. The bacterial isolate AS80 exhibited high potential to against Fusarium sp. (61.7%), Lasiodiplodia sp. (66.7%) and Colletotrichum sp. (74.1%). The strain AS80 was used to evaluate the efficacy control of Fusarium sp. on “Hass” avocado fruit. The in vivo evaluation revealed that AS80 showed high efficacy against Fusarium sp. The 16s ribosomal DNA sequencing indicated that AS80 was similar to Bacillus subtilis (99.53 %). Further study under field conditions should be done to validate their efficacy.

Do Rootstocks Influence Global Fruit Quality, Postharvest Performance and Metabolite Profiles of Persea americana cv. Hass?

The choice of rootstock has a significant impact, not only on fruit growth and development, but also on avocado fruit quality and postharvest performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare attributes related to the postharvest quality of Hass avocados from “Mexicola” and “Duke 7” rootstocks grown under similar conditions. This study included two harvests: early (23–26% dry matter) and middle (>26–30% dry matter) per season for the 2016/2017 and 2017/2018 seasons and two storage conditions (regular air (RA) at 5 °C and controlled atmosphere (CA) at 4 kPa O2 and 6 kPa CO2 at 5 °C) for 55 days. The results showed significant differences in firmness, color and vascular and flesh browning between storage conditions; in addition to these last three attributes, the rootstock played an important role. The fatty acid profile did not reveal significant differences between fruit from both rootstocks. Finally, the polar metabolite profiles revealed differences only for the storage condition, not associated to the rootstock, which could affect the postharvest performance of Hass avocado fruit. This study is one of the few available showing the interaction of rootstock/Hass cultivar on fruit quality and postharvest performance.

Metabolic profiling and biochemical analysis of stored Hass avocado fruit by GC‐MS and UHPLC‐UV‐VIS revealed oxidative stress as the main driver of ‘blackspot’ physiological disorder

SummaryThe goal of this study was to use GC‐MS and UHPLC‐UV‐VIS‐based metabolomic tools combined with chemometric analysis to discriminate between fruit with blackspot physiological disorder independently of storage condition (regular air or controlled atmosphere) and without blackspot (hereafter referred to as ‘Control’). The study looked at polar metabolites, enzymes, fatty acids and oxidative stress markers. Fruit with high levels of lenticel damage are more likely to develop blackspot, which appears to be exacerbated by H2O2 and peroxidation of lipids. Lower catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and phenylalanine‐ammonia lyase (PAL) activities together with lower levels of polyphenols (syringic acid, epigallocatechin, quercetin and vanillic) and fatty acids (linolenic, linoleic and palmitic acid), as well as ß‐sitosterol, methyl‐3‐hydroxybutyrate, glyceric acid, hydroxyl butanoic acid, L‐threonic acid, hydroxyl glutaric acid and xylose contributed to a higher prevalence of blackspot disorder in stored Hass avocados, which was accompanied by upregulation of soluble proteins. Finally, chemometric analysis revealed a positive relationship between blackspot disorder with gluconic, palmitoleic, galactose oxime, glyceric, hydroxyglutaric, MDA, syringic and oleic acid, as well as a negative relationship with catechin, epigallocatechin, SOD, CAT and tagatose. The study concluded that oxidative stress is the main driver of ‘Blackspot’ physiological disorder.

First Record of Colletotrichum anthrisci Causing Anthracnose on Avocado Fruits in Chile.

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum species is one of the most frequent and damaging fungal diseases affecting avocado fruits (Persea americana Mill.) worldwide. In Chile, the disease incidence has increased over the last decades due to the establishment of commercial groves in more humid areas. Since 2018, unusual symptoms of anthracnose have been observed on Hass avocado fruits, with lesions developing a white to gray sporulation. Morphological features and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses using six DNA barcodes (act, chs-1, gapdh, his3, ITS, and tub2) allowed the identification of the causal agent as Colletotrichum anthrisci, a member of the dematium species complex. Pathogenicity was confirmed by inoculating healthy Hass avocado fruits with representative isolates, reproducing the same symptoms initially observed, and successfully reisolating the same isolates from the margin of the necrotic pulp. Previously, several Colletotrichum species belonging to other species complexes have been associated with avocado anthracnose in other countries. To our knowledge, this is the first record of C. anthrisci and of a species of the dematium species complex causing anthracnose on avocado fruits in Chile and worldwide.

Efficiency of Turmeric, Hibiscus and Beet Root Extracts as an Eco-Friendly Edible Coating to Extend storage Life of Hass Avocado Fruit

Efficiency of Turmeric, Hibiscus and Beet Root Extracts as an Eco-Friendly Edible Coating to Extend storage Life of Hass Avocado Fruit

Mathematical modelling of Hass avocado firmness by using destructive and non-destructive devices at different maturity stages and under two storage conditions

Abstract Devices which are used to determine firmness of non-destructive nature do not penetrate the skin or damage the underlying flesh of the fruit and do provide real-time results, avoid raw biomass loss and allow the testing of every individual fruit and repeated testing of the same fruit, thus providing many advantages for researchers and the industry alike. Contrarily, destructive methods puncture the fruit and thus only a subsample, selected to represent all fruit, can be tested. In addition, different operators can generate quite different values for the same fruit using a hand-held penetrometer. Hass avocado from two commercial orchards was collected, and fruit firmness was measured at harvest, during two storage conditions controlled atmosphere (CA) and regular air (RA), during shelf-life and at the ready-to-eat stage using both destructive (Fruit Pressure Tester, mod. FT327, Wagner Instruments, Greenwich, USA) and non-destructive devices (Model TA.XT plusC, Stable Micro Systems Ltd, England). Then, the mathematical relationship between these two devices was assessed using Spearman Correlation coefficient (rho) and p-values adjusted by Benjamini-Hochberg and Bonferroni procedures. Thus, 3,200 fruits were evaluated during two harvests and two subsequent seasons. A moderate and positive association between destructive and non-destructive devices was found (rho coefficient ranging from 0.41 to 0.51). The variance explained by the regression models ranged from 0.53 to 0.63; all of them were significant with good accuracies (i.e., 0.79; 0.78; 0.73; 0.76). The results prompt us to conclude that a non-destructive texture analyser device can be used to accurately predict firmness measured by a penetrometer in Hass avocado fruit and contribute to avoiding fruit discards.