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Avocado Farming

This document provides information on avocado farming in Kenya. It discusses several varieties of avocados grown in Kenya like Hass, Fuerte, Puebla, Nabal, and Pinkerton. It also outlines the ecological requirements for avocado growth, planting procedures, field management practices, and pest and disease controls. Key steps in harvesting avocados are also summarized.

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176 views8 pages

Avocado Farming

This document provides information on avocado farming in Kenya. It discusses several varieties of avocados grown in Kenya like Hass, Fuerte, Puebla, Nabal, and Pinkerton. It also outlines the ecological requirements for avocado growth, planting procedures, field management practices, and pest and disease controls. Key steps in harvesting avocados are also summarized.

Uploaded by

RajaBada
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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AVOCADO FARMING

Introduction

Avocado is an important commercial fruit in Kenya both for local and export markets.
The fruit is highly nutritious - rich in proteins and cholesterol free. Both large-scale
growers and small-scale farmers cultivate it. The fruit is also a source of minerals e.g.
magnesium, phosphorous, calcium & potassium and vitamins e.g. A, B1, B2, B6, C & D
needed for a healthy diet. In addition to being used as food, the fruit is gaining a wide
use in cosmetics too.

Common varieties grown in Kenya

Hass​: It is one of the popular varieties grown in Kenya.


It is characterized by dark purple colour when ripe and
has a good shelf life.
Has moderate spreading habit.
Recommended spacing: 7M by 8M.
Matures 8-9 months after flowering.
Fuerte:​ It is characterized by green and thin slightly
rough skin even when ripe.
Has a wide spreading habit.
Recommended spacing: 8M by 10M
Matures 6-8 months after flowering.

Puebla​: Used as rootstock by many farmers as it has


no fibre and is resistant to diseases. The flesh is
green, juicy and of good flavour.
It is a rapid grower, erect with drooping branches.
Matures 5-7 months after flowering.

Nabal​: The fruit has green/yellowish flesh.


The tree is alway upright, bears heavily but has a
tendency of alternate bearing.
Recommended spacing: 8M by 8M.
Matures 8-9 months after flowering.

Pinkerton​: The fruits are long pear shaped with


dark/pale green skin colour.
The tree has moderate spreading habits, bears heavily
& regularly
Recommended spacing: 6M by 6M.

Contact iShamba on 0711082606 or SMS to 21606 to know the best variety in your
regions and where to get seedlings

Ecological Requirements

Avocado does well under the following conditions:


● Altitude range between 1000m to 2000m
● Well distributed rainfall range of not less than 1000mm. Water in the dry season
● Optimum temperature range of 20 to 24 degrees celsius
● Deep, well-drained fertile sandy or alluvial loams soils with pH ranging from 5-7

Planting Material

Avocados can be grown from seeds or from seedlings. Graft to improve the variety by
increasing its resistance to diseases, improving yield and increasing its adaptability to
different soils.

Planting

When planting avocado, follow these steps:

1. Remove stumps and plough the land upto 30 cm deep


2. Dig holes 2ft by 2ft by 2ft. Space holes depending on the variety, soil fertility and
climatic conditions. Spacing may range from 6m by 7m to 8m by 10m

3. Separate the top soil and the subsoil


4. Mix topsoil with 2 buckets (20kg) of well rotten manure and 120g of TSP/DAP
5. Fill back the soil-manure-fertiliser mix
6. Remove the polythene, plant the seedling carefully and firm the soil around the hole
7. Water well
Field management

1. Mulching​- Apply mulch to reduce moisture loss and controls weed growth
2. Irrigation​- Water is vital in several stages of tree development and the fruiting
cycle.
3. Use 5 to 20 litres of water depending on the size of the seedling
4. Fertilization- ​Apply 1 wheelbarrow of well decomposed manure twice a year ie
during the onset of long and short rains. Also, Topdress with 120g of CAN.
5. Lack of minerals will be seen in the leaves. Call 0711082606 for more.
6. Pruning​- Prune at early stages before flowering and upon completion of
harvesting. This will encourage lateral growth and multiple framework branching.
Ensure the tree canopy height is always maintained at 70% of its row width. This
will allow light to penetrate, improve yield and provides a superior tree structure
7. Thinning​- This involves removing some of the already formed fruits in order
reduce competition for nutrients, therefore ensuring high-quality fruits. Too many
fruits will result to small sized fruits.
8. Weed-​ Weed to reduce competition for nutrients and water.

Pest and diseases control


Common Pests include:

1. Red spider mites- They are red-brown insects which hide under the leaves.
2. Avocado Thrips- They are small insects which suck sap from the leaves

3. Whiteflies- Small white insects which also suck sap from avocado trees
4. Fruit Flies- They lay eggs on the fruits causing them to rot. Hang traps on trees to
stop them.
5. Pests can be controlled by spraying with effective pesticides.

Diseases

The common diseases attacking avocado are fungal. They include:

1. Avocado root rot​. It is a fungal disease which causes to have sunburnt and die
back at the tips. The trees also produce sparsely and have fewer leaves which
are pale and wilted. The roots decay and the whole tree dies prematurely.
Affected trees should be uprooted and destroyed. We recommend Hot water and
fungicide treatment of seeds for seedling production to preventive measure. For
affected trees, spray with a fungicide e.g. Ridomil or Master 72WP.
2. Anthracnose​: The fruits develop dark brown and dry spots. Young fruits may
drop. In more mature fruits, the infection remains hidden until the fruit is
harvested and ripens. Control with a copper based fungicide e.g Oshothane or
Thiovit Jet.
Observe proper management, sanitation and maintenance of the trees to control
diseases in your orchard.

Harvesting avocados

Grafted avocado varieties start to fruit after 3-4 years. The following are some of the
indicators of reaching maturity:

● A change in colour from green to black or purple in dark varieties

● The fruit stems turn yellow, the skin may appear less shiny, or the end develops
rust-like spots on green varieties

● Some varieties develop a whitish appearance.

● Fruits float on the surface when immersed into water.

You can harvest 250-300kgs per tree in a year (8-10 tonnes per acre per season).

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