The areas planted with avocado in Colombia have increased to position this fruit in international markets. To achieve this goal, the offered fruits need to meet optimal production standards. The aim of this study was to identify the main physiopathologies and damages that may cause the rejection of avocado cv. Hass fruits for export purposes during pre-harvest, harvest, and processing in packinghouses, and quantify the economic impact of said exclusion criteria. Typological characterization and quantification of damages that may cause fruit rejection were performed at the laboratory, field, and packinghouses. Data were obtained from 136 Colombian productive plots with monitoring and data collection records for a minimum of five years. At the packinghouse level, data associated with factors that affect quality (both, those identified at packing plants and those detected in simulated shipments) were considered. The main causes of fruit rejection during pre-harvest and harvest were: low calibers, damage to the epidermis by insect pests from the subfamily Melolonthidae, thrips, mites, the bug Monalonion, overripe fruits, and sunburn damage. In addition, pathologies such as anthracnose and stem end rot, and problems associated with browning of vascular bundles, irregular ripening, chilling injury, and lenticel damage were highly limiting at packinghouses. The economic analysis identified losses of 5.78 and 5.68% in farms and packinghouses, respectively, which are equivalent to US dollar (USD) 80.29 per produced ton. This work generated information that allows prioritizing strategies to improve fruit quality and reduce economic impact.

Avocado is currently an important crop in Colombia, given its growth in planted area and the increase in exports. The destination market of Colombian avocado is mainly international, and its quality is outstanding. However, the physical and chemical characteristics associated with the quality of the avocados produced are not currently well known in Colombia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physical, chemical and nutritional parameters associated with the quality of Hass avocado in eight localities of the department of Antioquia based on descriptive statistics. Additionally, the quality was related to the localities through a multivariate analysis. As a result, quality at preharvest parameters of Hass avocados cultivated in Antioquia is similar or superior to that reported internationally based on physical and chemical variables. In addition, a relationship was established between the quality of fruits and the plots where these were cultivated, which allowed discriminating fruits by their region of origin. This work shows an approach to the determination of quality parameters in Hass avocado in Colombia and how they can be related to the characteristics of its productive system, which can lead to defining a product with added value.

Areas cultivated with Hass avocado crops in Colombia have growth rapidly. One of the major limitations is the avocado wilt complex disease (AWC) caused by biotic and abiotic factors which have increased under the El Niño southern oscillation ENSO phenomenon (El Niño, La Niña). The objective of this study was to evaluate different strategies for mitigating the adverse effects associated with the ENSO phenomenon and AWC in avocado crops. We evaluated native materials, mulches, and parameters associated with the production of seedlings and planting practices in the field. The response variables tested were plant development, incidence, severity, mortality, and microbial dynamics, among others. The results indicated that native genotypes of Persea americana had different levels of adaptability to drought and flooding conditions. These genotypes also showed some degree of resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi and Verticillium sp. infection with several degrees of rootstock-scion incompatibility with the Hass cultivar. In addition, mulch reduced the variability of soil moisture and temperature in the soil profile. Adequate selection of genotypes and new tools for planting have decreased the susceptibility to adverse effects associated with the ENSO phenomenon and the incidence and mortality caused by diseases under drought and flooding conditions. This work presents alternatives to mitigate adverse effects of climate variability in avocado crops under tropical conditions.

Avocado is one of the most desirable fruits worldwide because of its flavor and nutritional contributions. Currently, Colombia is a very dynamic country where the cultivated area and volumes of exported fruits have been increasing year after year. This situation poses a challenge for the country, which must produce fruits with excellent parameters of ripening, external and internal quality. This study used a series of elements associated with quality in avocado and its application in tropical conditions, which were determined based on reports from the world scientific literature reported in journals, books, manuals and conferences. In addition, information obtained from commercial esays on plantations and the experiences of packing and marketing companies in Colombia was used. The approach presented here is associated with a modern concept of quality in the food industry and how it can be applied to the avocado value chain; preharvest aspects that determine quality, management practices conducive to improving quality, and harvest parameters and their relationship with quality were also used. This study generated alternatives for increasing the added value in the avocado production system based on quality parameters and identified delays in the supply chain of this important agro-industry under tropical conditions.

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