South African Avocado Growers’ Association
2025 Yearbook
Volume 48
Table of Contents
5 Chairman's Report
E Ernst
HORTICULTURE
8 In vitro Darkening Agents, Phloroglucinol and Dark Treatment influence
Rooting Percentage in Avocado (Persea americana Mill.)
ES du Toit and D Tait
28 Research Towards Optimizing Soil and Foliar Applications of Boron and Calcium
in ‘Hass’ Avocado
D
Lemmer, HW Viljoen and D Viljoen
30 Research towards Reducing Orchard Cold Damage of ‘Hass’ Avocado Fruit
D Lemmer, HW Viljoen and D Viljoen
PATHOLOGY
44 Evaluation of Optimum Detection Times for Avocado Sunblotch Viroid (ASBVd)
During the Phenological Growth Stages of Avocado
L Motaung and AEC Jooste
56 Battling Branch Dieback, Cankers and Fruit Rots in Your Avocado Orchard: What
You Need to Know About the Botryosphaeriaceae
H Beukes, B Slippers and N van den Berg
62 Root Rot Pathogens Shape the Avocado Rhizosphere Microbiome – Impacting Tree
and Soil Health
P Magagula, N van den Berg and V Swart
ENTOMOLOGY
70 Thrips Abundance, Diversity and Development on Avocados and Macadamias in the
Levubu Region of Limpopo
Summary article
POST-HARVEST
72 Prochloraz Residue Removal Background and Protocol
K Muller
78 The Effect of Coatings Combined with Controlled Atmosphere and Controlled
Atmosphere + 1-MCP to Retain Fruit Firmness and Quality During Extended Sea
Freight Exports
D Lemmer, HW Viljoen and D Viljoen
94 Maturity Indexing for ‘Lamb Hass’ Avocado, and Re-Evaluating the Efficacy of
the Currently Used Maturity Indices for ‘Hass’ Avocado Cultivar
A Mditshwa, W Mthimkhulu, S Tesfay, S Shezi and L Magwaza
100 Research to Verify if a Heat Shock Treatment Prior to a Cold Treatment
(Ranging Between 1.1 ºC and 2.2 ºC) Will Affect South African ‘Hass’ Avocado
Fruit Quality
D Lemmer, HW Viljoen and D Viljoen
108 The Effect of Composite Edible Coating: Carboxymethyl Cellulose and Moringa
Leaf Extract on the Postharvest Quality of ‘GEM’ Avocado Fruit Treated at
Different Harvest Maturity Stages
S
Ngubane, N Dyantyi, SZ Tesfay, LS Magwaza and A Mditshwa