How to grow avocado fruit for export market (Persea americana)

Avocado fruit is an important export commodity from Kenya. Kenya has a place in the international markets alongside the other producer countries like Chile, Peru and South Africa. In Dubai 70 to 80 per cent of avocado fruit come from Kenya when the fruit is in season. There is also a specific window for Kenya, due to a longer season which runs from March to September enabling good returns. There is need for agro-enteprneurs to acquire the relevant accreditation including KenyaGap, GlobalGap and ISO compliance certificates to compete on a worldwide scale. The crop takes about 3 years to give the first produce. During this period fast growing crops may be interplanted between rows to ensure sustainability of income generation from the avacado orchard. One acre can give a gross income of Ksh 2Million per year with minimal inputs.

 Avocado Varieties: Fuerte and Hass are the main export varieties. Other varieties include Nabal, Puebla, Pinkerton, Tonnage, Simmonds.

Ecological requirements 
Altitude: 1500-2100 m a.s.l. depending on variety,

Rainfall: at least 1,000 mm p.a.

Temperature: 25-28⁰C,

Soils: Deep, fertile and well aerated, Optimum pH 5.5-6.5.

Propagation: Grafting or budding methods are used for  avocado propagation. Wedge grafting is preferred.

Nursery: Use healthy, egg sized seeds to produce rootstock.

Grafting: when the seedling reach pencil size thickness.

Avocado orchard establishment:

Land preparation: Remove tree stumps, bushes and perennial

weeds and then plough the ground to 30 cm depth.

Planting holes: 60 x 60 x 60 cm to be dug early before planting

Spacing: and 7 x 4 m for high density, 9 x 9 m for conventional planting.

Fertilizer: CAN

Age of tree	Manure (kg/tree)
1-3yrs	45
4-5yrs	45
6-7yrs	60
Over 8yrs	60

Pruning: 1st years pruning is done to encourage lateral growth

and multiple framework branching. Maintenance pruning

done annually after harvesting.

Windbreak: Placed at right angles to the prevailing winds.

Weed control: Manual weeding, cover crops (preferably with

Legumes) or mulching.

Harvesting: Avocado fruit harvesting begins in the 3-4^th year.

Yield: Production of avocado orchard is 250-300 kg/tree/year.

Post harvest: Cool storage within 24 hours

Utilization: Eaten fresh, used in ice cream flavouring,

base for milk shakes and soups. Oil is used for the manufacture

of creams, lotions and soaps.

Marketing: The main export  varieties are Fuerte and Hass.

Avocado beauty soap formula

This is a nutritious fruit grown in Kenya for local consumption and export. It can be eaten whole in addition to being made into milk shake .Avocado beauty soap is yet another possible value added product in high demand and can be made in times of glut to as per the formula below. 

Requirements for avocado beauty soap formula

10 parts fruit paste

5 parts water

1 part silicate

2 parts caustic soda

5 parts coconut oil

Perfume

1 teaspoon formalin (preservative)

Mould for shaping

Gloves for hands protection

Colour (oil based)

Goggles for protection of the eyes

A mask for covering the nose and the mouth

The order of mixing ingredients in avocado beauty soap formula is 5 parts water: 1 part silicate: 2 parts caustic soda: 10 parts fruit paste: 5 parts coconut oil, for best product

Peel well ripe fruit, remove seeds and mash into a smooth paste. Sieve and put aside. Measure 5 parts of water, 1part silicate and mix in a plastic bowl. Add 2 parts of caustic soda and stir until it dissolves. Measure 10 parts of the fruit paste; mix with 5 parts of coconut oil. Add a little perfume and 1teaspoon of formalin to the paste.


Mix the fruit paste mixture with caustic soda mixture to complete the formula and stir thoroughly. Put the avocado beauty soap mixture in moulds for shaping and shake to remove air bubbles. The product is ready for use after 24 hours. Pack, label and market. 

Growing Avocado trees in Kenya (persea Americana)

Avocados fruits are grown for export and local market in Kenya. The plants are native to America but grows well in Kenya. Avocados are very nutritious with high protein and oil content. Climatic conditions requirements for growth of avocado fruits trees are altitudes of They perform well from 0-2100 m above sea level (asl). Varieties Tonnage and Simmonds  perform well in lowland with altitude  90 - 800 m. 'Hass' and 'Nabal varieties' are for 800-2100 m asl. 'Fuerte' and 'Puebla' do best at 1500-2100 m asl.  Well distributed annual rainfall of 1000-1200mm is required.The soils should be deep and free draining. Main varieties suitable for growing in Kenya  include:-   

Variety	Variety’s characteristics
Fuerte	Hybrid, Green, thin skinned pebbled fruits of very good flavor
Haas	Vigorously growing trees with black fruits. grows well in kenya
Nabal	Green fruits with good flavour.Bears in alternate years
Puebla	Dark green trees bearing round purple fruits. Used as rootstock

Avocado trees seedlings are grown in the nursery, from healthy egg sized seeds which are extracted from the fruits and planted in boxes, seedbed or 4kg containers. Grafting should be carried out when the seedlings reach pencil thickness. The wedge grafting method is the most successful. Grafting should be done when the root stock is still soft. The scion should be dormant at the time of grafting and should match the size of the rootstock. Wrap the grafting joint thoroughly to exclude water from the union. Planting of avocado trees is done at a spacing of 9m×9m.Dig planting holes 60cm ×60cm× 60cm separating top soil and subsoil. Mix the top soil with 20kg of well rotted manure, 120grams of double super phosphate fertilizer. Remove the seedling from the pot keeping the root and soil structure intact, and plant using the top soil mixture. The subsoil may be used to make a basin around the plant. Water and shade the avocado seedlings immediately after planting. Application of manure and fertilizer on growing avocado trees is done twice a year following soil analysis report, or the general guideline below:

Trees age	CAN	Double supers	Muriate of potash	manure
1-3  years	120 g	220 g	-------	15kg
4-5  years	220 g	450 g	-------	15kg
6-7  years	450 g	650 g	220gm	30kg
8-9  years	650 g	650 g	450gm	30kg
10-14years	900 g	1   kg	650gm	------
15 + years	1.3kg	1.2kg	650gm	------

Deficiencies in trace elements may occur in avocado fruits trees causing leaf discoloration. Leaf analysis can be done by agricultural laboratories for an accurate report.

Nutrient element	Deficiency symptoms	Control measures
Zink	Mottled leaves, light yellow patches between plant veins, abnormal Development of Growing shoots.	Application of 250g Zinc sulphate for each year of age up to 4.5kg along drip line
Manganese	--------------------	Spray manganese sulphate on Young plant leaves
Iron	Loss of green colour on tree leaves	Apply 360g iron chelate for Each year of age
Excess Chlorine	Avocado trees tip burns & plant root damages	Apply calcium, magnesium, Ammonium phosphate. Avoid chlorine fertilizers

Initial pruning of fruit trees can be done to give a good shape but latter pruning is limited to removal of of dead branches. It’s not easy to tell when fruits are ready for harvesting, and the recommendation is, pick a few fruits from the plant , keep at room temperature.Mature fruits  soften within ten days without shriveling. There are no major pests and diseases on growing avocado trees.For more information see http://www.journalofkenyanhorticulture.blogspot.com/2012/08/pruning-and-canopy-management-of.html