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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Mayaguez, Puerto Rico » Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research » Research » Research Project #438831

Research Project: Reducing avocado losses to major challenges by improving resistance selection and disease management using next generation technologies

Location: Tropical Crops and Germplasm Research

Project Number: 6090-21000-061-004-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Oct 1, 2020
End Date: Aug 31, 2025

Objective:
Conduct multistate evaluation, semi-commercial trials, and release of the five advanced UCR rootstocks. Rootstock field-testing nationwide and their commercial release will reduce avocado loses due to PRR and abiotic stresses and evaluate early adoption of these new elite material.

Approach:
Field evaluation of 5 advanced, soon to be released rootstocks from the University of California- Riverside (UCR) with good resistance to Phytophthora root rot (Prr) and salinity tolerance will be planted in a randomized complete block design in Mayaguez, PR. Experimental treatments will include:1) five UCR rootstock selections grafted with Hass; 2) a local (‘Criollo”) rootstock grafted to Hass; 3) in addition, avocado selections will be evaluated in this experiment. Parameters to be recorded will include: Canopy height, trunk diameter, overall vigor, leaf nutrient concentration, fruit production, among others.