"A" cultivars: Hass, Gwen, Lamb Hass, Pinkerton, Reed. "B" cultivars: Fuerte, Sharwil, Zutano, Bacon, Ettinger, Sir Prize, Walter Hole. Certain cultivars, such as the Hass, have a tendency to bear well only in alternate years. After a season with a low yield, due to factors such as cold (which the avocado does not tolerate well), the trees tend to produce abundantly the next season. This heavy crop depletes stored carbohydrates, resulting in a reduced yield the following season, and thus the alternate bearing pattern becomes established.
Propagation and rootstocksWhile an avocado propagated by seed can bear fruit, it takes roughly 4–6 years to do so, and the offspring is unlikely to resemble the parent cultivar in fruit quality. Thus, commercial orchards are planted using grafted trees and rootstocks. Rootstocks are propagated by seed (seedling rootstocks) and also layering (clonal rootstocks). After about a year of growing in a greenhouse, the young plants are ready to be grafted. Terminal and lateral grafting is normally used. The scion cultivar will then grow for another 6–12 months before the tree is ready to be sold. Clonal rootstocks have been selected for specific soil and disease conditions, such as poor soil aeration or resistance to the soil-borne disease caused by phytophthora
DiseasesAvocado trees are vulnerable to bacterial, viral, fungal and nutritional diseases (excesses and deficiencies of key minerals). Disease can affect all parts of the plant, causing spotting, rotting, cankers, pitting and discoloration
A Cultivars
HassWhile dozens of cultivars are grown in California, the Hass avocado is today the most common. It produces fruit year-round and accounts for the majority of cultivated avocados in the US. All Hass avocado trees are descended from a single "mother tree" that was raised by a mail carrier named Rudolph Hass, of La Habra Heights, California. Hass patented the productive tree in 1935. The "mother tree", of uncertain subspecies, died of root rot and was cut down in September, 2002. Medium sized (150-250g) ovate fruit with a black pebbled skin. Nutty rich flavour. Oil 19%. The skin ripens black. A hybrid Guatemalan type, to 26°F. Tree size - 6m x 4m
GwenSeedling bred from Hass x Thille in 1982. Higher yielding and more dwarfing than `Hass' in California. Fruit has an oval shape, slightly smaller than `Hass' (100-200g). Rich, nutty flavour. Skin texture is more finely pebbled than `Hass', dull green when ripe. Not hardy, to 30°F.
PinkertonFirst grown on the Pinkerton Ranch in Saticoy, California, in the early 1970s. Seedling of Hass' Rincon. Large fruit, small seed, green skin deepens in colour as it ripens. The thick flesh has a smooth-texture, creamy, pale green, good flavour and high oil content. It shows some cold tolerance and bears consistently heavy crops. Excellent peeling characteristics. A hybrid Guatemalan type, to 30°F. An important variety in Israel.
ReedDeveloped from a chance seedling found in 1948 by James S. Reed in California. Large round green fruit with a smooth dark, thick glossy skin. Smooth and delicate, slightly nutty flavour. The skin ripens green. A Guatemalan type, to 30°F. Tree size - 5m x 4m.
B Cultivars
BaconDeveloped by a farmer named James Bacon in 1954. Medium-sized fruit. Light taste, smooth green skin. Yellow-green flesh. When ripe, skin remains green but darkens slightly, and fruit yields to gentle pressure. Cold-hardy variety, down to -5°C.
EttingerA Mexican Guatemalan cross, seedling of Fuerte. Originated in Israel and put into production there in 1947. Cold tolerance 4 hours of -6°C in a mature tree. Smooth thin green skin that does not peel easily. The flesh is very pale green.
FuerteA Mexican Guatemalan cross originating in the Mexican state of Puebla. The fuerte earned its name, which means strong in Spanish, after it withstood a severe frost in California in 1913. Hardy to 26°F. Medium-sized pear-shaped fruit with a green leathery skin, easy to peel. Creamy flesh of mild and rich flavour. Oil 18%. The skin ripens green. Tree size - 6m x 4m.
SharwilPredominantly Guatemalan with some Mexican race genes, selected in 1951 by Sir Frank Sharpe at Redland Bay, southern QLD, Australia. The name 'sharwil' is an amalgamation of Sharp and Wilson (J.C. Wilson being the first propagator). Scions were sent from Australia to Hawaii in 1966. A medium-sized fruit with rough green skin closely resembling the Fuerte but slightly more oval in shape. The fruit has greenish-yellow flesh; a rich, nutty flavour; good oil content (20-24%); and small seed. Green skin when ripe. It represents more than 57% of the commercial acreage in Hawaii, and represents up to 20% of all avocados grown in NSW, Australia. It is a regular and moderate bearer with excellent quality fruit. Sensitive to frost. More disease and pest resistant than Fuerte.
ZutanoOrigin R.L. Ruitt, Fallbrook, 1926. Mexican variety, hardy to 25°F. Large pear-shaped fruit. Shiny, thin yellow-green skin. Flesh is pale green with fibers and has a light flavour. Moderate peel ease.
Other cultivarsOther avocado cultivars include Spinks. The fruit of the cultivar Florida, grown mostly outside California, is larger and rounder, with a smooth, medium-green skin, and a less-fatty, firmer and fibrous flesh. These are occasionally marketed as low-calorie avocados. Historically attested varieties (which may or may not survive among horticulturalists) include the Challenge, Dickinson, Kist, Queen, Rey, Royal, Sharpless, and Taft.
Avocado-related international trade issuesAfter the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect in 1994, Mexico tried exporting avocados to the US. The US government resisted, claiming that the trade would introduce fruit flies that would destroy California's crops. The Mexican government responded by inviting US Department of Agriculture inspectors to Mexico, but the U.S. government declined, claiming fruit-fly inspection is not feasible. The Mexican government then proposed to sell avocados only to the northeastern US in the winter (fruit flies cannot withstand extreme cold). The US government balked, but gave in when the Mexican government started throwing up barriers to US corn.
Legitimate pest-invasion issues exist, as avocado pests originating in Mexico have made their way to California, including the persea mite and avocado thrips. These pests have increased pest control costs and made previously-relied-upon biological control less feasible. Other potentially disastrous pests, including a weevil, remain risks. Another argument is that the lower prices generated by Mexican (and Chilean) imports would increase the popularity of avocados outside of California, thereby assuaging the loss of profits due to the new competition.
Today avocados from Mexico are allowed in all 50 states. This is because USDA inspectors in Michoacán (the Mexican state where 90% of Hass avocados from Mexico are grown), have cut open and inspected millions of fruit in Uruapan, finding no problems. Imports from Mexico in the 2005–2006 season exceeded 130,000 tonnes.
In 2009, Peru joins Chile and Mexico as an exporter of avocados to the US.
Avocados were more expensive in the US than in most other countries, because those consumed in the US were grown almost exclusively in California and Florida.[clarification needed] The avocado tree requires frequent, deep watering to bear optimal amounts of fruit, particularly in spring, summer, and fall; and due to the increased costs for water in Southern California versus those of prior decades, it is now a costly crop to grow. California produces about 90% of the United States' avocado crop.
Internationally, avocado exports are dominated by Mexico.
Health benefitsHigh avocado intake has been shown to have an effect on blood serum cholesterol levels. Specifically, after a seven-day diet rich in avocados, hypercholesterolemia patients showed a 17% decrease in total serum cholesterol levels. These subjects also showed a 22% decrease in both LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels and 11% increase in HDL (good cholesterol) levels.[20] Additionally a Japanese team synthesised the four chiral components and identified
Propagation and rootstocksWhile an avocado propagated by seed can bear fruit, it takes roughly 4–6 years to do so, and the offspring is unlikely to resemble the parent cultivar in fruit quality. Thus, commercial orchards are planted using grafted trees and rootstocks. Rootstocks are propagated by seed (seedling rootstocks) and also layering (clonal rootstocks). After about a year of growing in a greenhouse, the young plants are ready to be grafted. Terminal and lateral grafting is normally used. The scion cultivar will then grow for another 6–12 months before the tree is ready to be sold. Clonal rootstocks have been selected for specific soil and disease conditions, such as poor soil aeration or resistance to the soil-borne disease caused by phytophthora
DiseasesAvocado trees are vulnerable to bacterial, viral, fungal and nutritional diseases (excesses and deficiencies of key minerals). Disease can affect all parts of the plant, causing spotting, rotting, cankers, pitting and discoloration
A Cultivars
HassWhile dozens of cultivars are grown in California, the Hass avocado is today the most common. It produces fruit year-round and accounts for the majority of cultivated avocados in the US. All Hass avocado trees are descended from a single "mother tree" that was raised by a mail carrier named Rudolph Hass, of La Habra Heights, California. Hass patented the productive tree in 1935. The "mother tree", of uncertain subspecies, died of root rot and was cut down in September, 2002. Medium sized (150-250g) ovate fruit with a black pebbled skin. Nutty rich flavour. Oil 19%. The skin ripens black. A hybrid Guatemalan type, to 26°F. Tree size - 6m x 4m
GwenSeedling bred from Hass x Thille in 1982. Higher yielding and more dwarfing than `Hass' in California. Fruit has an oval shape, slightly smaller than `Hass' (100-200g). Rich, nutty flavour. Skin texture is more finely pebbled than `Hass', dull green when ripe. Not hardy, to 30°F.
PinkertonFirst grown on the Pinkerton Ranch in Saticoy, California, in the early 1970s. Seedling of Hass' Rincon. Large fruit, small seed, green skin deepens in colour as it ripens. The thick flesh has a smooth-texture, creamy, pale green, good flavour and high oil content. It shows some cold tolerance and bears consistently heavy crops. Excellent peeling characteristics. A hybrid Guatemalan type, to 30°F. An important variety in Israel.
ReedDeveloped from a chance seedling found in 1948 by James S. Reed in California. Large round green fruit with a smooth dark, thick glossy skin. Smooth and delicate, slightly nutty flavour. The skin ripens green. A Guatemalan type, to 30°F. Tree size - 5m x 4m.
B Cultivars
BaconDeveloped by a farmer named James Bacon in 1954. Medium-sized fruit. Light taste, smooth green skin. Yellow-green flesh. When ripe, skin remains green but darkens slightly, and fruit yields to gentle pressure. Cold-hardy variety, down to -5°C.
EttingerA Mexican Guatemalan cross, seedling of Fuerte. Originated in Israel and put into production there in 1947. Cold tolerance 4 hours of -6°C in a mature tree. Smooth thin green skin that does not peel easily. The flesh is very pale green.
FuerteA Mexican Guatemalan cross originating in the Mexican state of Puebla. The fuerte earned its name, which means strong in Spanish, after it withstood a severe frost in California in 1913. Hardy to 26°F. Medium-sized pear-shaped fruit with a green leathery skin, easy to peel. Creamy flesh of mild and rich flavour. Oil 18%. The skin ripens green. Tree size - 6m x 4m.
SharwilPredominantly Guatemalan with some Mexican race genes, selected in 1951 by Sir Frank Sharpe at Redland Bay, southern QLD, Australia. The name 'sharwil' is an amalgamation of Sharp and Wilson (J.C. Wilson being the first propagator). Scions were sent from Australia to Hawaii in 1966. A medium-sized fruit with rough green skin closely resembling the Fuerte but slightly more oval in shape. The fruit has greenish-yellow flesh; a rich, nutty flavour; good oil content (20-24%); and small seed. Green skin when ripe. It represents more than 57% of the commercial acreage in Hawaii, and represents up to 20% of all avocados grown in NSW, Australia. It is a regular and moderate bearer with excellent quality fruit. Sensitive to frost. More disease and pest resistant than Fuerte.
ZutanoOrigin R.L. Ruitt, Fallbrook, 1926. Mexican variety, hardy to 25°F. Large pear-shaped fruit. Shiny, thin yellow-green skin. Flesh is pale green with fibers and has a light flavour. Moderate peel ease.
Other cultivarsOther avocado cultivars include Spinks. The fruit of the cultivar Florida, grown mostly outside California, is larger and rounder, with a smooth, medium-green skin, and a less-fatty, firmer and fibrous flesh. These are occasionally marketed as low-calorie avocados. Historically attested varieties (which may or may not survive among horticulturalists) include the Challenge, Dickinson, Kist, Queen, Rey, Royal, Sharpless, and Taft.
Avocado-related international trade issuesAfter the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) went into effect in 1994, Mexico tried exporting avocados to the US. The US government resisted, claiming that the trade would introduce fruit flies that would destroy California's crops. The Mexican government responded by inviting US Department of Agriculture inspectors to Mexico, but the U.S. government declined, claiming fruit-fly inspection is not feasible. The Mexican government then proposed to sell avocados only to the northeastern US in the winter (fruit flies cannot withstand extreme cold). The US government balked, but gave in when the Mexican government started throwing up barriers to US corn.
Legitimate pest-invasion issues exist, as avocado pests originating in Mexico have made their way to California, including the persea mite and avocado thrips. These pests have increased pest control costs and made previously-relied-upon biological control less feasible. Other potentially disastrous pests, including a weevil, remain risks. Another argument is that the lower prices generated by Mexican (and Chilean) imports would increase the popularity of avocados outside of California, thereby assuaging the loss of profits due to the new competition.
Today avocados from Mexico are allowed in all 50 states. This is because USDA inspectors in Michoacán (the Mexican state where 90% of Hass avocados from Mexico are grown), have cut open and inspected millions of fruit in Uruapan, finding no problems. Imports from Mexico in the 2005–2006 season exceeded 130,000 tonnes.
In 2009, Peru joins Chile and Mexico as an exporter of avocados to the US.
Avocados were more expensive in the US than in most other countries, because those consumed in the US were grown almost exclusively in California and Florida.[clarification needed] The avocado tree requires frequent, deep watering to bear optimal amounts of fruit, particularly in spring, summer, and fall; and due to the increased costs for water in Southern California versus those of prior decades, it is now a costly crop to grow. California produces about 90% of the United States' avocado crop.
Internationally, avocado exports are dominated by Mexico.
Health benefitsHigh avocado intake has been shown to have an effect on blood serum cholesterol levels. Specifically, after a seven-day diet rich in avocados, hypercholesterolemia patients showed a 17% decrease in total serum cholesterol levels. These subjects also showed a 22% decrease in both LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglyceride levels and 11% increase in HDL (good cholesterol) levels.[20] Additionally a Japanese team synthesised the four chiral components and identified
