NUTRIENT REMOVAL BY MENDEZ AVOCADO FRUIT

Abstract

Avocado (Persea americana Miller) cv. Mendez is of economic importance in Mexico because it is harvested when the production of Hass decreases, so it reaches a better price. In order to preserve this commercial advantage, it is necessary to produce high quality fruit by applying the nutrients required by the plantation. As the nutritional status of avocado fruit is influenced by soil and climatic factors, agronomic management, fertilization, cultivar and flowering season, which interact in a producing area, the aim of this research was to compare the concentration and removal of de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn and B by fruit tissues (exocarp or skin, mesocarp or pulp, seed coat and embryo) of the main crop (June to September) of the Mendez avocado produced in the regions of Jalisco, Michoacan and Nayarit. Fruit was collected by orchard (seven) and region (three) with ≥ 22.7 % of dry matter in the mesocarp (by microwave method). The weight of fresh and dry matter was obtained from tisusue of each fruit to determine the concentration of nutrients and calculate the removal from each tissue and whole fruit. One-way analysis of variance and the Waller-Duncan mean comparison test were performed. The exocarp of fruit from Jalisco removed more P, Ca, Fe and Cu. In Jalisco and Michoacan the mesocarp exerted larger removal of K, Mg and Cu. The seed coat of the fruit from Jalisco excelled in K, Ca and Cu. As for the embryo, fruit from Jalisco and Michoacan presented the highest removal of nutrients. In Michoacan and Jalisco the fruit showed the largest total removal of P (0.41 to 0.43 kg t^-1), K (4.20 to 4.42 kg t^-1), Mg (0.34 to 0.35 kg t^-1) and Fe (10.18 to 10.25 g t^-1), while in Nayarit it was for B (13.25 g t^-1).