Persea americana - Avocado tree

Description and Uses

Persea americana (Avocado tree) is a tropical tree from Colombia & Venezuela . It is mainly grown for its fruit crops , which have a long shelf life. The crop is harvested by hand picking. It starts flowering after 7 - 10 years. The yield will be 20 kg/tree/year, but in its top season there will be a yield of 100 kg/tree/year. Other crop types include; {missing data} . The {missing data} is used as major food . The fruit is used as " high vitamin-C content, " with {missing data} ({missing data} - {missing data}) as its significant phytochemical. There is Avocado oil extracted by centrifugal extraction from the tree's fruit yielding 5% - 25% oil. The tree's wood is called avocado wood and has a density of 400 - 520 kg/m³. Regarding firewood production the tree's growing speed is fast, it's energetic value is 3800 ckal/kg and the wood's drying speed is medium. After 100 years the tree can be totally removed as it reached its commercial and ecological goal. Persea americana has a lifespan of 400 years.

Environmental limitations

The tree is 19 meters tall with a crown of 13 meters wide. The tree prefers a planting distance of 600 cm and a row distance of 900 cm. It is very fast growing and intolerant to shade. Persea americana has a shallow root-system and it has symbiotic associations with the Glomus intraradices fungi (endo-mycorrhiza). It is not able to fix nitrogen with "any bacteria. The name(s) or string of bacteria include(s) "not applicable ". The tree's flower-morphology is hermaphroditic and is pollinated by bees. Persea americana is evergreen and not allelopathic and has no thorns.

Persea americana thrives in an altitude of 0 to 2500 meters above sea-level (tropical). The minimum temperature is -4°C; optimally between 10 - 35°C. The optimal rainfall is 1550 mm/year. Without irrigation the annual rainfall should be between 300 - 2500mm (L/m²). The optimal soil-pH is between 5.0 - 6.0 in a soil texture of sand. To salt it is a bit tolerant to wind a bit tolerant and to fire intolerant.

Pests and Diseases

Persea americana is susceptible to the following pests: Acysta perseae , Chrysomphalus dictyospermi , Epimecis detexta , Euwallacea fornicatus , Oligonychus perseae . Oligonychus yothersi And it's susceptible to the following diseases: White mould , Potato virus X (PVX) , .

Seed Propagation

Seeds are recalcitrant and can be stored for 3 months. There are approximative 65 seeds/kg. The seeds can be propagated as followed:

• (1) Store harvested seeds in water or in the fruit at room temperature
• (3) Remove the seeds from cold to a permanent warm temperature.
• (3) Seeds germinate above ground (epigeous)