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  • 20-12-2021

TOTEM: Trial on Avocado saplings

Spain is the only European producer and exporter of this exotic fruit, acting as a gateway to the rest of Europe. The main limitation of avocado is the high oxygenation requirements of its roots, which in this crop are very shallow, so all measures aimed at promoting air circulation in the soil should be encouraged. In young plantations, it is important to favor the development of the root system and, therefore, soil preparation and crop management measures are essential, aimed at promoting the presence of organic matter and preserving the soil structure, in order to avoid stagnations and promote good root growth.

Getting a good root is one of the most important objectives in any crop to ensure its good development. In Herogra Especiales we work with high quality products, technology and research in order to meet all the needs of your crop.

Therefore, TOTEM is the ideal product to enhance the root development of the crop.

To evaluate the effect of the product TOTEM on avocado saplings as a root development enhancer compared to a control.

The trial was performed in coloration with a trial company. The agronomic data of the trial are shown below.

  • Crop: avocado saplings.
  • Variety: Hass with pattern D7 variety.
  • Location: Brokaw España S.L. facilities.
  • Application system: fertigation.
  • Start of the trial: December, 2019.
  • End of the trial: October, 2020.

The trial was conducted in individual pots to better evaluate avocado root growth. A treatment with TOTEM as well as a control treatment has been tested; both treatments have a base nutrient solution. There were 10 plants per treatment. The application was carried out via irrigation.

Table 1 shows the application calendar.

Table 1. Application calendar

Four root applications were made at the indicated doses (Table 2). The applications were made manually, as indicated above; both the control and the TOTEM treated have a nutrient solution, which is a preparation with a solution based on the Montgomery-Taboada (2017) study.

Table 2. Application of treatments

The following growth visual parameters were used:

  • Aerial biomass
  • Root biomass

The trial was conducted at the facilities of Brokaw España S.L., a tropical fruit tree nursery specialized in the design and production of avocado, mango and other tropical fruit tree saplings, under field weather conditions. It began on December 28th, 2019 with the sowing of the plants provided by the company Brokaw, leaving a month for them to adapt to transplanting before the first treatment. The first treatment was applied on February 4th. Finally, after 10 months of testing, the saplings were taken to the field.

  • Aerial biomass:

The data in Graph 1 show how the TOTEM treatment significantly improved aerial biomass values, with a growth of 31 % higher than that of the control. In addition, significant differences were shown between the treatments.

Graph 1. Aerial biomass obtained with each of the treatments used. The columns headed by the same letter belong to the same statistical range.

The following image shows the appearance of the saplings in the sampling (Figure 1). At first glance, a better aerial development of the TOTEM® treatments is observed, which corresponds to a greater root development.

Figure 1. Aspect of the most representative individual plant of each treatment. On the left, nutrient solution or control; on the right, TOTEM® + nutrient solution.

 

  • Root biomass

When analyzing the root biomass data (Graph 2), the highest record was achieved with the TOTEM treatment, which improved root growth by 53 % more compared to the control.

Graph 2. Root biomass obtained with each of the treatments used. The columns headed by the same letter belong to the same statistical range.

Figure 2 shows root images of avocado saplings from the different treatments.

Figure 2. Aspect of the most representative root of each treatment. On the left the control; on the right TOTEM.

These saplings have been transplanted in the field at a commercial farm in the area of Huelva, belonging to Grupo La Caña, and will be evaluated in the field by their technicians.

The TOTEM treatment improves the root development of avocado saplings and, therefore, is reflected in a better development of the aerial part with respect to the control; with 31 % more aerial biomass and 57 % more root biomass. Better root development can help to optimally overcome post-transplant stress and is a desirable characteristic for avocado saplings.

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