Proceedings of California Avocado Research Symposium 2003

November 1, 2003
Ventura Beach Marriott Hotel
Ventura, California

SPONSORED BY THE CALIFORNIA AVOCADO COMMISSION

Edited by: Guy Witney
Director of Industry Affairs
California Avocado Commission
38 Discovery, Suite 150, Irvine, California 92618
gwitney@avocado.org

California Avocado Commission Production Research Committee

Our Mission: To provide California Avocado Growers a means to achieve optimum profitability, now and in the future, through focused research, global collaboration, and effective communication of results.


Table of Contents:

A. BREEDING AND GENETICS
Screening and Evaluation of New Rootstocks with Resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi
John A. Menge, B. Mckee, E. Pond, G. Bender, M. Arpaia, B. Faber, M. Crowley, M. Clegg, T. Chao, P. Mauk, A. Alizadeh
Department of Plant Pathology, UCR

Enhancement of Avocado Productivity. Plant Improvement-Selection and Evaluation of Improved Varieties and Rootstocks
Mary Lu Arpaia, D. Stottlemyer, P. Robinson, W. Manor, K. Fjeld, J. Sievert, UC South Coast Avocado Volunteers, R. Scora, J. Menge, D. Crowley, M. Clegg, M. Hoddle, B. Faber and on-farm cooperators
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, UCR

Application of Molecular Markers to Avocado Improvement
Michael T. Clegg, V. E. T. M. Ashworth, Paul Robinson, Haofeng Chen
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, UCR

Production of a New Generation of Avocado Rootstocks by Somatic Hybridization and Genetic Engineering
Richard E. Litz
Tropical Research and Education Center, University of Florida

B. DISEASES
Biocontrol of Phytophthora Root Rot of Avocado with Mulch and Biocontrol Agents
John A. Menge, D. Crowley, M. Crowley, E. Pond, J. Borneman, B. Mckee, B. Faber, G. Bender, P. Mauk, J. Downer, P. Clark, V. McDonald, Bob Tombe
Department of Plant Pathology, UCR

Sensitive Detection and Characterization of Viroid, Virus, and Virus-like Agents of Avocado
J. A. Dodds, D. M. Matthews
Department of Plant Pathology, UCR

C. PESTS
Biological Control of Avocado Thrips: Revisiting the Efficacy of Green Lacewing Releases
Mark Hoddle, Lindsay Robinson
Department of Entomology, UCR

Biology and Chemical Control of Avocado Thrips; Pesticide Resistance Monitoring with Avocado Thrips and Persea Mite
Joseph Morse, P. Oevering, P. Phillips, B. Faber, M. Hoddle, L. Robinson, F. Byrne, N. Toscano
Department of Entomology, UCR

Biology and Management of Avocado Thrips (Scirtothrips Persea Nakahara)
Pascal “Eve” Oevering, B. A. Faber, P. A. Phillilps, UC Cooperative Extension, Ventura County

D. PHYSIOLOGY
Avocado Tree Physiology-Understanding the Basis of Productivity
Robert L. Heath and Mary Lu Arpaia, M. V. Mickelbart*
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, UCR
*(MVM) Soil, Plant and Ecological Sciences Division, Canterbury, New Zealand

Eliminating Alternate Bearing of the 'Hass' Avocado
Carol J. Lovatt
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, UCR

Use of Plant Growth Regulators to Increase Fruit Set, Fruit Size and Yield and to Manipulate Vegetative and Floral Shoot Growth
Carol J. Lovatt
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, UCR

Rootstock Selections for Improved Salinity Tolerance of Avocado
David Crowley, Mary Lu Arpaia, W. Smith, P. Clark, G. Bender
Department of Environmental Sciences, UCR
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, UCR

E. POSTHARVEST
Hass Maturity Project
M.L. Arpaia, D. Boreham*, S. Collin, J. Fjeld, J. Sievert, and on-farm cooperators
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, UCR
*CDFA Avocado Inspection Services

Avocado Postharvest Quality
M.L. Arpaia, J. Sievert, S. Collin, K. Fjeld, M. Coetzer, D. Stottlemyer
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, UCR
A. Woolf, A. White, HortResearch, Auckland, New Zealand
J. Smilanick and D. Margosan, USDA, ARS, Parlier, CA