There is no shortage of consumer appetite for avocados. Frequently incorporated into appetizers and desserts, avocado demand has surged in popularity.
Meanwhile, production of avocado in the United States is under constant threat from diseases like Laurel wilt (LW) and Phytophthora root rot (PRR). They can devastate orchards if left unchecked. There is still much to learn about how growers make decisions regarding disease management and the economic costs and benefits of various management options.
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural (UF/IFAS) scientists are collaborating in a groundbreaking multi-state LW and PRR survey initiative. The survey aims to gather critical data on grower decision-making, economic implications and management strategies. Researchers hope to develop rational and sustainable disease management strategies tailored to each state’s unique circumstances.
The researchers are seeking input from avocado growers, industry stakeholders and research institutions across the U.S.
The multi-state researcher group includes UF/IFAS, University of California Riverside, University of California Davis, University of Hawaii and Texas A&M University.
“It is important for all avocado industry members, growers, packers, shippers, etc. to participate in the survey to capture their past and present strategies to deal with these two devastating fungal pathogens which threaten avocado production,” said Jonathan Crane, a UF/IFAS professor of horticultural sciences and Extension tropical fruit specialist stationed at UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC) in Homestead. “The information garnered from this survey will assist current efforts and inform future efforts at responding to invasive pests that threaten agricultural production.”
Valuable Crop
The U.S. avocado industry is an economically important crop for multiple states in the southeastern U.S. Most of the avocado production in the U.S. is contributed by California, with Florida and Hawaii closely behind. With a total national production of 149,600 tons in 2021, the industry reached a value of $341.9 million, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NAAS).
LW is an invasive, lethal disease in the southeastern United States spread by a fungus transmitted by the ambrosia beetle. The disease wilts and then browns tree leaves, killing entire trees in only a few weeks.
PRR induces root decay in avocado trees that leads to tree mortality if not treated. Excessive water intensifies the susceptibility of plants to PRR. The presence of limestone soils and effective drainage has helped prevent this from becoming a significant issue in South Florida so far.