92169 Auckland, New Zealand Introduction Large tree size and inconsistent fruit yields cost avocado growers money each year.
Large trees contribute to orchard crowding.
In crowded orchards, lower branches become unproductive and fruiting sites are restricted to the upper canopy zones. When this happens, orchards are thinned either by removing alter-nate trees or by severe pruning. Both options can result in dramatic short-term reductions in yield. In New Zealand, we are adopting three approaches to the development of better tree structure with the ultimate aim of growing smaller, more productive avocado trees suitable for high density plantation sys-tems. With young trees we are committed to the development of dwarfing rootstocks and also to the development of single leader pruning systems.