AVOCADO FRUIT ROTS: A REVIEW OF INDUSTRY

Over the last 25 years there has been considerable research on avocado fruit rots. Rot potential can theoretically be reduced from 100 % to 6.8 % by using copper fungicide application, postharvest Sportak ® (prochloraz) application, transport at 6o C, and ripening before sale at 15o C. Orchard surveys have shown that growers generally do not use an adequate copper spray programme and that if calcium application was increased, fruit quality could be enhanced. Other changes in practice have improved fruit quality, such as in-line spray application of insecticides for fruit destined for the USA market. Dipping fruit in an insecticide bath without the inclusion of a fungicide provided a 'spore bath ' that inoculated the fruit with rot fungi. Fruit imbibed with water are more susceptible to handling damage that may provide entry points for avocado rot fungi. Consequently there is a recommendation that avocado fruit are no longer harvested in the rain. A number of alternatives to copper sprays and postharvest Sportak ® application have been tested, as well as different postharvest storage conditions. From these preliminary results, a number of strategies have been identified as promising for providing further improvement to postharvest quality of avocado fruit