AVOCADO
(Persea americana, Ec .: Lauraceae)
Avocado is an evergreen tree in the tropical areas of Mexico and Central America. In recent years there has been an increase in cultivated areas, with Mexico as the main country of production, while in Greece there is an increasing dynamic of cultivation in Crete, and generally in the citrus cultivation zones.
Avocado is divided into 3 botanical types. The Mexican type that is the most resistant to cold. The Guatemalan type with less resistance to cold, larger fruit and a pleasant taste. And the type of West Indies that thrives in hot and humid conditions.
FRUIT and NUTRITIONAL VALUE
Avocado fruits with their special, buttery texture and taste are eaten raw have and a high nutritional value. They are harvested only if they acquire the desired organoleptic characteristics related to their oil content. Ripe fruits can be preserved on the tree for several months, remaining hard, while softening only after harvest.
Avocado fruit reduces bad cholesterol and improves good cholesterol helps reduce stress and fights cancer. In addition, it helps regulate hypertension, strengthens bones and its antioxidants have a positive effect on vision. Finally, its fruit oil is widely used in medicine and its seeds for the preparation of poultry feed.
HERBAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SOIL CLIMATE CONDITIONS
The Avocado tree is a large tree, 5-15m high, while in some cases it reaches 20m. Fruiting starts from the 3rd – 6th year of age, it enters full fruition at the age of 12 – 18 years, and its productive life reaches 25 – 35 years. Each shoot will bear 1 to 2 fruits, while it has two or more shoots per year (spring – summer). As a subtropical plant, it has special climatic requirements; it needs hot climates and relative humidity of 60-65%. Important factors to consider are the suitable pH of soil, low carbonate content, low salinity, good soil drainage, and the lack of previous of soil-borne diseases. Planting distances are determined by soil fertility, subject and variety and are usually 5m x 6m in rectangular formation. Special care is needed when planting young trees; they are very sensitive to sunburn, so it is imperative to protect the trunk and their branches by shading or painting.
IRRIGATION
Avocado, as it grows its roots horizontally, is sensitive to lack of water but also to excessive moisture, as well as to the quality of irrigation water. Critical periods for the irrigation of plants are: the flowering-fruiting, the formation and growth of the fruit, and the period of ripening of the fruits in order to avoid fruit fall. In general, it is important to water the avocado as close to the required amount of water as possible, as applying too large amounts can lead to increased filtration rates of water and nutrients to depths that cannot be absorbed by the plant or cause root suffocation problems with the development of fungal diseases, especially in poorly drained soils.
There are two main irrigation systems used in avocado cultivation:
- Irrigation with sprinkling, and spraying water under the crown, which gives good results mainly in sandy and sloping soils and has a wide application. It is important to create a proper study for the installation in terms of operating pressure, sprinklers as well as operating time for each terrain.
- Drip irrigation is considered the most appropriate irrigation system, as it also contributes to water economy. For new plantations, the average summer daily irrigation needs are set at 10-20 lt/tree/day in the first year of plantation, rise is to 20-40 lt/tree/day in the third year of plantation and reach the 50-100 lt/tree/day after the fourth year, depending on the variety and soil-climatic conditions. The limits of required quantities for the rational use of irrigation water in the developed trees are set at 600 – 700 mᵌ/acre/year.
Palaplast has a wide range of products that can be used to install a reliable and efficient irrigation system either with sprinklers (spray under the crown) or with drippers:
- Microsprinklers : “Pal Stable Angled Spayer”
- Microtubes Complete PVC : “Microtube PVC Ø7 ”
- Micro Fittings : “Spike ”, “Adaptor ”
- Self-Compensating Drippers : “AXIOS-SC ”
- Irrigation Pipes : “AGROPAL 10atm ”, “DRIP-PAL ”
- Filters : Self-adjustable Hydrocyclonic “HYDRO-SPIN 2” & 2”S , “Elbow small (screen)”
- Clamp Saddles : “Clamp saddle 10atm (with bolts & metallic reinforcing ring)” and the new design “Clamp saddle 6atm drawer ”
- Various Fittings : “Compression fittings 10atm”, “Lock Type Fittings”
- Plastic Valves : “Ball valve 10atm ”
- Stands
