Advances in avocado propagation for the sustainable supply of planting materials

Description

Avocado is a high-value horticultural crop desired for its premium nutritional qualities. Commercial trees are propagated by grafting wood from a fruiting cultivar onto a rootstock variety. Rootstocks are commonly seedlings derived from any available seed in the growing region. This often results in poor-quality rootstocks, further constrained by their genetic heterogeneity and seasonal availability. Clonal propagation of rootstocks developed through breeding or selection programs can improve productivity and allow orchard intensification due to their genetic homogeny. This chapter discusses advances in avocado tissue culture for clonal propagation. The chapter highlights the potential of this technology, as well as recent innovations in techniques such as micropropagation, meristem culture and micrografting, for improving the sustainable supply of high-quality avocado plants to support future avocado industry growth.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Avocado cultivation 3 The problem of clonal avocado propagation 4 Tissue culture for plant propagation 5 Tissue culture as a sustainable alternative for avocado propagation 6 Advances in micropropagation of avocado 7 Meristem culture for the future of sustainable avocado propagation 8 Micrografting for complete field-ready disease-free planting material 9 Conclusion 10 Where to look for further information 11 References