Avocado Production

Control of pest, diseases

physiological disorders and
weeds

By Naomi Muriuki
• Problems of pest, diseases, physiological
disorders and weeds can be significantly
reduced through a number of management
decisions, for example:
• Selection of proper orchard site
• Selection of cultivars
• Controlled fertilizer application
• Timely spray application programmes
• Orchard sanitation
• Timing of irrigation
• The most efficient and economical method of
pest and disease control is prevention. The
preventive measures include weed control,
proper selection of planting material,
maintaining optimum plant density and
proper fertilizer application.
Some major pests affecting avocado and their control measures
 Damage
• Moths lay eggs superficially on the fruit of avocado.
Larvae hatch, develop, and can enter through the skin.
• Larvae entrance holes create lesions that lessen the
marketability of the fruit.
• Lesions develop into a raised crater on the fruit
surface, with an inconspicuous hole in the center
where the larva has entered.
• Signs of the disease are brown spots on the affected
fruit, dark brown residue from the larvae and moulds.
• Premature ripening and dropping of fruits also occur
with infestations
 Control
• Proper orchard sanitation in combination with natural
enemies normally keeps this pest under control.
• Infested fruits (both on the tree and fallen fruits) should be
removed regularly (twice a week), and buried at least 50 cm
deep, or dumped in a drum filled with water mixed with a
little used oil. The fruits should be left in the drum for 1 week.
• This moth also attacks citrus, cotton, maize, castor, tea, guava
and carambola fruits. Other host plants include wild guava
plants, oak trees and wild castor. These other host plants
should be included in the sanitation programme.
• If possible, remove wild host plants from around the orchard.
• Use pheromones and biological control methods for
disrupting mating
 Control
•Proper orchard sanitation in combination with natural enemies
normally keeps this pest under control.
• Practise monitoring.
• Collect all fallen fruit and destroy by one of the following
methods:
Burying them at least 60cm or 2 feet deep in the soil.
 Putting them in a drum of water with 1 inch of oil for
minimum 2 weeks.
 Burning them
• Bagging of fruits: Newspaper with edges folded and stapled to
form a bag in which to insert fruit to protect it from fruit flies.
• Apply baits or fly traps.
•Trap flies using commercial pheromone traps - Methyl Euginol
(Bactrolure liquid) at 20 traps per acre
 HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN FRUIT FLY TRAP
• Take a plastic bottle.
• As bait, use 1/2-cup vinegar, mixed with water.
• Add 4 - 6 drops of liquid dish soap (it heavies down the wings
and the fruit flies drown). Do not stir.
• Then take a pen or pencil and poke 4 to 5 holes in the plastic,
just big enough for a fruit fly to fit into, about 7mm. Once a
fruit fly crawls in, it cannot get out. You would think they would
just fly back out through the holes, but they will not. If you see
fruit flies crawling around on the surface of your plastic
container but not going inside, make the holes larger.
• Hang the bottle in an area where you have seen most fruit flies.
Depending on the amount of fruit flies you have, you can
expect to start seeing the bottle fill up within just a few hours.
Collect catches and dispose of to reuse your fruit fly trap.
 Damage
• Discoloration, malformation, leaf and fruit
drop, and retarded growth.
• Damage is caused by toxic saliva, extraction of
plant sap and honeydew in association with
sooty mould.
• A severe infestation forms a continuous crust
over the underside of leaves.
 Control
• Conserve natural enemies. Scales are usually
kept under control by parasitic wasps, ladybird
beetles and lacewings, provided no broad-
spectrum pesticides are used and no ants are
present.
• Use insecticides.
 Damage
• Thrips are sometimes troublesome pests in
avocado. They may cause damage to the leaves and
fruit. Affected parts become whitish or silvery and
are usually covered by dark-coloured droppings.
• On fruit, feeding begins near the calyx, gradually
producing a scar that can cover the whole fruit.
Attacked fruits develop a leathery brown skin.
Feeding is most common on young fruit; economic
damage generally occurs on fruit up to 2 cm in
length (2-3 weeks after fruit set). Older fruit with
thicker skin is less susceptible to attack
• The infested plant tissues will turn brown and
dry up, if the damage is too severe.
• On fruit, feeding begins near the calyx,
gradually producing a scar that can cover the
whole fruit.
• Attacked fruits develop a leathery brown skin.
 Control
• Conserve natural enemies. Predatory thrips,
lacewings and predatory bugs attack thrips.
 Other pests
Mites
• Mites cause brown spots on leaves and fruits. They
increase the leaf falls.
• They establish a web like structure, which appears
as a silvery spot.
• Good farming procedures, including proper pruning
and irrigation, are necessary to maintain their
control. Note that insecticides are responsible for
the expansion of these insects’ population. The use
of horticultural oil is a recommended measure.
• Insects Borers
• They tunnel into avocado trees, where they
lay eggs.
• This causes branches to weaken and fall off.
• A preferred measure to prevent their spread is
to cut out the infected branches immediately.
• Lace-bugs:
• Causing yellow spots on leaves, lace bugs result in
damage of leaves.
• When the weakened leaves fall out, the fruits and
the wood are exposed to ultraviolet rays that are
very destructive.
• Horticultural oils or pyrethrin are recommended for
their treatment.
Caterpillars
• Caterpillars spread damage to fruit, flowers and
leaves.
• Sprays of Bacillus thuringiensis are very effective;
giving special attention to the folded leaves
where the caterpillars tend to thrive.
 Major fungal diseases of avocados
1. Root rot
• Avocado root rot is the most serious disease that affects
the crop.
• The disease, caused by the fungal pathogen Phytophthora
cinnamomi, thrives in poor drainage conditions. This
disease can attack trees of any size and age.
• The fungus can be spread or introduced to new areas by
use of infected seeds, infested soil, and irrigation water
containing spores of the fungus and infected
seedlings.
• The host range of the fungus includes Acacia, Camellia,
Casuarina, Cypress, Eucalyptus and Grevillea.
 Damage
• Leaves of infected trees are small, usually pale or
yellow green, are often wilted and fall prematurely
giving the tree sparse appearance.
• In advanced stages of the disease, branches die,
fruit remains small and crop yield drastically
reduces.
• Feeder roots get blackened, decay and die.
• Infected trees die prematurely
 Control
• Some of the preventive measures include:
• use disease-free seed.
• Treat seed for planting in a hot-water bath at 48 to
50 degree Celsius for 20 minutes. After the hot-water
treatment, rinse the seed immediately with clean,
cold running water and spread out to dry thoroughly
on a clean surface not in contact with the soil.
• Use clean nursery soil for container-grown plants.
The soil should be well drained and carefully irrigated
to prevent excessive moisture. Use tolerant/resistant
rootstocks (e.g. “Duke No. 6” and “7”; “G 6”).
• Remove diseased trees from the field.
• Avoid movement of soil or water from diseased to
non-infested areas.
• Use cultivation equipment first in a healthy portion
of the orchard before use in diseased areas.
Washed and dry cultivation equipment after use in
diseased areas.
• It has been suggested that applying a layer of
gypsum and a 10 to 15cm layer of
an organic, coarse mulch underneath the avocado
tree’s canopy, but several centimetres from the
tree’s trunk, supplies calcium and suppresses the
development of root rot.
Anthracnose (Colletotrichum gloeosporioides)
• It is caused by the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and
infects an avocado tree’s fruit, flowers, small branches
and foliage, leaving spots, lesions and decay.
• This fungal disease is primarily a post-harvest problem
when fruit is at maturity stage. Infection takes place
when fruit is still very young and the fungus stays
dormant till the fruit ripens. This disease thrives in
areas of high humidity.
• The anthracnose fungus lives saprophytically on twigs,
rotten fallen fruits and dead or dying infected leaves.
The fungus is spread by water splash.
 Control
• Remove dead branches and twigs since they
harbour the fungus.
• Pruning limbs to at least 2 feet off the ground
increases air circulation at the base of the tree
and removing debris from underneath the tree
prevents pathogens.
• Remove fallen rotten fruits from the field.
• Apply copper-based fungicides pre-flowering,
at fruit formation, and after harvest.
 Damage
• Lesions appear as small dark spots, slightly raised, oval to
elongated.
• These spots join up, giving a corky appearance to the
surface of the fruits, impairing the appearance
but not the internal quality of the fruit.
• Fruits are only susceptible when young until about half
size development.
Control
• Remove dead branches and twigs since they harbour the
fungus.
• Remove fallen rotten fruits from the field.
• Apply copper-based fungicides pre-flowering, at fruit
formation, and after harvest.
 Damage
• The lesions appear as small light-yellow spots on fruits
and leaves. They later become reddish brown and
eventually become hard and crack.
• Mature fruits are resistant. The disease development is
favoured by humid conditions and high temperatures.
• The fungus is essentially spread by water splash and its
spores are also wind-borne.
Control
• Remove dead branches and twigs since they harbour the
fungus.
• Remove fallen rotten fruits from the field.
• Apply copper-based fungicides pre-flowering, at fruit
formation, and after harvest.
 Other diseases include:
1. Avocado black streak:
• This tree infection causes black streaks on the bark.
• This disease can be well prevented by adhering to
proper fertilization and irrigation practices.
2. Algal leaf stain:
• Caused by the virus Cephaleurors virescens, this disease
affects the trees so that red spots are visible on the
leaves, twigs and branches.
• Preventive measures include correct weeding and
pruning. Serious cases can be treated with copper-
based fungicides.
3. Sunblotch:
• Virus Avocado sunblotch viroid, this is a much more
serious condition of the trees and once contracted, it
cannot be cured. It causes stunted growth, discoloration
of fruits and the leaves and reduced yields.
• Prevention of this disease can be maintained through
proper sanitation. In addition, since this disease can be
transmitted via grafting, one must ensure that they
purchase certified seedlings.
4. Bacterial soft rot:
• This causes a dark, stinking rot on the fruit. Once
contracted, the disease cannot be cured. For this
reason, buy seeds that have been certified and maintain
a high level of sanitation in all agricultural procedures.
 Weed Control
• Weed control is important because weeds steal
water and fertilizer from the young tree.
• Weed control is also a means to control
diseases and pests.
• Use mulching and hand weeding to control
weeds.
• Herbicides are not recommended during the
first year of growth.
 conclusion
• The agro-ecological conditions have an effect
on avocado fruit growth and development and
significantly affect the oil content.
• It is important to keep the avocado plant free
from any pests and diseases.