New Zealand avocados account for just 2% of the global supply, but we are the ninth largest international avocado exporter! With over 4,000 hectares of avocados grown in Aotearoa, primarily in the Bay of Plenty and Northland, growing avocados has gone from strength to strength over the last 10+ years.

Growing avocados presents challenges, and New Zealand avocado growers must keep on top of nutritional requirements to ensure high-quality fruit and yields while mitigating the damage to avocado trees by Phytophthora, a fungus-like pathogen that can have devastating effects on both tree health and crops.

Nutritional Requirements for Growing Avocados

All minerals are required when growing avocados, and since they can be exceptionally large trees carrying large crops, this is a factor that should be kept in mind when replacing minerals. New Zealand Avocados are especially prone to deficiencies in Nitrogen, Zinc, Boron and Calcium.

All of these nutrients have their role to play in producing top quality New Zealand avocados. Boron is important for fruit development and fruit set, and Biomin Boron, a glycine chelated single mineral product, is designed to improve flowering and fruit set. Increased Boron levels in avocados have been shown to lower incidence and severity of post-storage flesh discolouration, partially because Boron is essential in the movement of Calcium.

Calcium plays a dominant role in determining fruit quality in avocados. It strengthens and protects fruit tissues and cell walls and has been linked to delayed ripening, greater firmness after storage and reduction in quality defects and physiological disorders such as flesh discolouration and vascular browning. Biomin Calcium is wax soluble and absorbed through the foliage within hours of application, enhancing fruit quality and addressing deficiencies.

Zinc deficiency, in Hass avocados especially, has been shown to reduce fruit size and to produce round, misshapen fruit. Biomin Zinc is highly bio-available and is essential for normal leaf development, shoot elongation and the set of any flowers or developing fruit.

Safeguarding against Phytophthora

Avocados, like so many crops around New Zealand, are susceptible to the fungus-like pathogen Phytophthora, which causes damage to root systems. Damaged root systems are less effective at obtaining and delivering nutrients and water to trees. This particular pathogen can prove challenging when growing avocados.

Phytophthora, like many pathogens and insect pests, thrive in a high-nitrogen environment, and excess Nitrogen can also negatively impact avocados by promoting excessive vegetative growth. Maintaining nutritional balance is important, and that’s where a product like Phoscare can give New Zealand avocado growers the edge. Phoscare provides a highly available source of P and K with zero Nitrogen and in addition, can safeguard against Phytophthora and other fungus-like pathogens.

Phoscare works by activating the phytoalexins within a plant, ramping up its own health and defence system. The active ingredient in Phoscare, phosphite, has been shown to inhibit the growth of fungus-like pathogens.

By using Roots, Shoots & Fruits Biomin organic mineral fertilisers, New Zealand avocado growers will ensure they have all the nutritional requirements necessary for crops that are high yielding and of high quality. As we all know, and it’s true even for human health, prevention is better than having to cure.

More information about the products we have talked about in this blog is available in the links below, and if you have any questions, simply email us at rsf@rd2.co.nz