Avocado fruit is superior to many fruit varieties in terms of fat content, calories and protein per kg. Its caloric value is 3 times more than banana and 1.5 times more than beef. Although it has a high fat content, it is easy to digest as it contains more unsaturated fatty acids and has the ability to lower cholesterol levels in the blood. It also contains 11 different vitamins (such as A, B, C and E) and 14 different mineral substances (such as iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc). Where it grows naturally, it is an important source of food for the local people and is called “the butter of the poor”. Avocado fruits have different shapes, colors and sizes. Fruit size varies between 200-600 grams. Fruits can be round, oval or pear-shaped. The color of the peel varies from slightly yellowish green to dark green, from brown chestnut color to deep blue-black. The skin surface may be smooth or rough. The flesh is light yellow to cream colored and greenish towards the rind. The flesh contains a high percentage of fat. Each fruit has a single seed. Propagation Method Avocados can be propagated by different methods. The most widely used commercial production method is grafting. In our country, Mexican descendants are preferred as rootstocks for the propagation of avocados by grafting because they are more resistant to cold, chlorosis caused by lime and some diseases. Seeds are taken from trees of a variety that produces strong seedlings, is free from disease and is known to be cold resistant. The seed should be sown immediately after being removed from the fruit. Before sowing, removing the seed shells, cutting a thin layer from the top and bottom, and treating the seeds with hot water prevents some diseases and accelerates germination. Avocado seedlings can be grown either directly in the semi-shade environment or initially in the greenhouse and then in the semi-shade environment according to the available facilities. While it takes 2-2.5 years to grow seedlings in the semi-shade environment, this period is shortened by half in the greenhouse and then in the semi-shade environment. Sown seeds germinate in 1 to 6 months, depending on the growing environment. The developing shoots should be fertilized when they are 5-6 leaves. Necessary control should also be carried out against diseases and pests seen during the development of the seedlings. Avocados grown in the greenhouse become ready to be grafted 5-6 months after seed sowing. 2-3 weeks after grafting, the petioles of the grafts fall off and signs of shoots are seen. During this period, shoots from the rootstock should be cleaned. When the shoots from the pencil reach 10-15 cm, the shoot with the best development is left and the others are cut from the bottom of the pencil. The remaining shoot is then tied to a suture to ensure that the sapling grows upright and as a single stem. Graft ties should be removed 8-10 weeks after grafting. The developing saplings should be fertilized with Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium at 3-week intervals.
Iron chelate is added to the seedlings showing iron deficiency and the deficiency is eliminated. Necessary control is carried out against diseases and pests to be seen in this period. Saplings are watered at 7-10 day intervals during growth. On summer days when dry and hot winds blow, the irrigation interval can be shortened even more. Saplings grown in this way can be planted in the garden after 1 year from seed sowing. In the cultivation of seedlings in semi-shade environment, the seeds sown in the fall reach the grafting thickness after 1 year. Irrigation In the first years of avocado orchards, irrigation is done by giving water to the bowls made for each sapling or the gutters that contain the saplings. Depending on the climate and soil structure, the saplings should be watered at intervals of 7-10 days to wet the root zone, and over-watering should be avoided. As the trees start to yield, the pan and furrow irrigation method is generally applied. In some commercial avocado orchards established in recent years, drip irrigation method, which is a modern irrigation system, has started to be applied. These systems have many advantages. It also allows the application of fertilizer to the trees along with irrigation. The start and end dates of irrigation are adjusted according to the start and end dates of the rains. Avocados need water the most in July-August. If they are left without water during these months, severe fruit drop occurs.
