Technical Growers’ Guide

Below is a complete Technical Growers’ Guide for Avocado, designed for farmers, plantation developers, and agroforestry investors. It is structured like a professional extension manual and can be expanded into a full book or training module if needed.

TECHNICAL GROWERS’ GUIDE FOR AVOCADO (Persea americana)

Suitable for Philippine & Southeast Asian Conditions

With Agroforestry Integration Options (Agarwood, Timber, and High-Value Trees)

1. BOTANY & VARIETIES

1.1 Species Overview

  • Scientific Name: Persea americana
  • Family: Lauraceae
  • Type: Evergreen fruit tree
  • Growth Habit: 10–15 m, deep-rooted, dense canopy
  • Bearing Age: Grafted (2–3 years), Seedling (5–7 years)

1.2 Avocado Groups

  • West Indian type: Best for lowland tropics (Philippines)
  • Guatemalan type: Cool, high elevation
  • Mexican type: Cooler climates, aromatic skin

1.3 Recommended Commercial Varieties (Philippines)

  • Lowland Varieties:
    • BRS Margarida, Marañon, Local West Indian Selections
  • Mid–High Elevation:
    • Hass, Lamb Hass, Reed, Fuerte

1.4 Pollination & Flower Types

  • Avocado flowers are protogynous dichogamous (A & B type).
  • Best to plant both A and B flowering types to maximize yield.

2. CLIMATE & SOIL REQUIREMENTS

2.1 Climate

  • Altitude: 0–1500 m depending on variety
  • Rainfall: 1200–2000 mm/year
  • Temperature: Ideal 18–30°C, sensitive above 35°C
  • Wind: Avoid typhoon-prone open areas; windbreaks recommended

2.2 Soil

  • Soil Type: Well-drained loam; avoid heavy clay
  • pH: 5.5–6.5
  • Drainage: Excellent drainage is critical—root rot occurs in stagnant water
  • Depth: Minimum 1 m effective depth

3. PROPAGATION & PLANTING MATERIALS

3.1 Propagation Methods

  • Grafted Seedlings (preferred)
    • Advantages: Early bearing, uniform, predictable quality
  • Clonal Rootstocks
    • For disease resistance (e.g., Phytophthora tolerance)
  • Nursery Requirements
    • 50–70% shade for early stages
    • Sterile, well-drained potting media
    • Hardening: 2–3 weeks before field planting

3.2 Planting Material Specifications

  • Age: 6–12 months
  • Height: 60–100 cm
  • Stem: Pencil-size or thicker
  • Leaves: Healthy, deep green
  • Roots: Free of circling roots

4. FIELD ESTABLISHMENT

4.1 Site Preparation

  • Land clearing (manual preferred)
  • Contour layout for sloping areas
  • Dig holes 60 × 60 × 60 cm
  • Mix topsoil with:
    • 5–10 kg compost
    • 200–300 g complete organic fertilizer
    • 1–2 kg biochar (optional)

4.2 Spacing

  • Commercial orchards: 8 m × 8 m (156 trees/ha)
  • Intensive model: 6 m × 6 m (278 trees/ha with pruning)
  • Agroforestry model:
    • With Agarwood: 7 m × 7 m (avocado) + agarwood on the border or alternate rows
    • With Timber: 9 m × 9 m

4.3 Planting Procedure

  1. Plant at onset of rains.
  2. Remove plastic bag carefully.
  3. Plant slightly higher than soil level (avoid trunk burial).
  4. Stake the seedling.
  5. Mulch: 0.5–1 m radius.

5. CARE & MANAGEMENT

5.1 Fertilization Guide

Year 1–2 (Establishment Phase)

  • Every 4 months:
    • Organic: 3–5 kg compost/tree
    • Mineral: NPK 14-14-14 or 16-16-16 (200–300 g/tree)

Year 3–4

  • 5–8 kg compost/tree
  • 400–600 g/tree balanced fertilizer
  • Additional calcium & boron for fruit set

Year 5 onwards (Fruit-bearing)

  • Split application: Pre-bloom, fruit set, fruit enlargement
  • Suggested annual rate per tree:
    • N: 500–700 g
    • P: 250–400 g
    • K: 600–800 g
  • Organic matter: 10–20 kg/tree/year

Biostimulants: Mycorrhizae + Trichoderma recommended.

5.2 Irrigation

  • Young trees: Weekly (dry season)
  • Bearing trees: Critical stages—flowering & fruit enlargement
  • Drip irrigation is ideal.

5.3 Training & Pruning

Training (Years 1–3)

  • Maintain open-center or modified central leader
  • Height control: Cut back at 1–1.2 m

Annual Pruning

  • Remove water shoots
  • Thin dense interior branches
  • Maintain height at 3–4 m (for easy harvest)

6. PEST AND DISEASE MANAGEMENT

Major Pests

  • Fruit Fly
  • Scale Insects
  • Mealybugs
  • Leaf Miner

Control

  • Sanitation, pruning
  • Yellow sticky traps
  • Neem oil or organic insecticide
  • Biological agents (parasitoids)

Major Diseases

  • Root Rot (Phytophthora cinnamomi)
  • Anthracnose
  • Stem Canker
  • Sooty Mold

Control

  • Good drainage ALWAYS
  • Copper sprays (organic option: Bordeaux mixture)
  • Avoid trunk injury
  • Apply Trichoderma at base

7. FLOWERING, FRUITING & HARVEST

7.1 Flowering

  • Flower type: A or B
  • Water stress (dry spell) followed by rain initiates flowering
  • Good sunlight is critical

7.2 Fruit Development

  • Duration: 6–9 months from flowering
  • Thin fruit if clusters are heavy

7.3 Maturity Indicators

  • Skin darkening (for some varieties)
  • Fruit reaches standard size and weight
  • Dry matter content ≥ 21% (export standard)

7.4 Harvesting

  • Cut with clippers leaving a short stem
  • Handle gently; avoid dropping
  • Store at 7–12°C for extended shelf life

8. YIELD ESTIMATES

Grafted Trees

  • Year 3: 10–25 kg/tree
  • Year 5: 50–80 kg/tree
  • Mature tree: 120–200 kg/tree

Per Hectare Yield

  • 8m × 8m: 18–25 tons/ha

9. AGROFORESTRY MODELS

Model A: Avocado + Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis)

Design:

  • Avocado main crop (7m × 7m)
  • Agarwood at midpoints or border planting
  • Agarwood benefits:
    • Shade-tolerant in early years
    • Extra income through resin induction (8–12 years)

Advantages:

  • Dual-income system
  • Biodiversity enhancement
  • Aromatic crop + fruit crop synergy

Model B: Avocado + Nitrogen-Fixing Trees

  • Erythrina variegata, Gliricidia sepium, Sesbania grandiflora
  • Benefits: Soil fertility, organic mulch, windbreak

Model C: Multi-Strata High-Value Agroforestry

Overstory: Timber (mahogany, molave)
Mid-story: Avocado
Understory: Ginger, turmeric, banana, cacao

10. POSTHARVEST HANDLING & MARKETING

10.1 Sorting & Grading

  • Grade by size, shape, defects
  • Remove latex stains by washing in clean water

10.2 Packaging

  • Single-layer cartons
  • Protective foam nets (export)

10.3 Market Channels

  • Fresh market
  • Processing: oil, guacamole, puree
  • Export (Hass varieties preferred)
  • Farm-direct & agritourism sales

11. FINANCIAL OUTLINE (Summary)

(Assuming 1 hectare, 156 trees)

Establishment Cost (Year 0–1):

₱250,000–₱400,000

Annual Operating Cost:

₱90,000–₱150,000

Revenue (Year 5 onwards):

₱300,000–₱900,000/year depending on yield & market price

Return on Investment:

  • Breakeven: Year 4–5
  • Peak profitability: Year 7–15

12. ADDITIONAL MODULES I CAN PROVIDE

If you want, I can also prepare:

✅ A full Avocado Business Plan
✅ A growers’ manual PDF with images/diagrams
✅ An agroforestry model integrating avocado + agarwood (illustrated)
✅ A training module (scripts, activities, handouts)
✅ A feasibility study with ROI tables

Just tell me which format you want next.