There is still demand for avocado plants in Spain, in spite of the water deficit situation and the adverse weather conditions. "However, that demand is moving to areas with better water conditions," says agricultural consultant Paco Gil, manager of Viveros Royal Plants. "In fact, the expected results had been achieved by the end of the spring commercial campaign for avocado plants."
"The Levante area of Valencia, as well as the provinces of Cadiz and Huelva, are consolidating as expansion areas for a crop which is grown mostly on the coast of Granada and in the Axarquia, in Malaga. These areas, which are working on improvements for increased efficiency in the production, are involved in a process of change that started with the implementation of water infrastructures; for now, with the use of regenerated water and, in the future, with desalinated one."
"It is also worth noting the interest shown by producers in the northern part of the country, where the crop is becoming increasingly popular," he says. "This change will require a process of adaptation to new conditions, in which plant material will play a fundamental role. Plant material is becoming more and more important as a determining factor in achieving positive results in production projects."
"As far as the export of avocado plants is concerned, it is growing compared to recent seasons, with Morocco and Portugal as the countries with the greatest increases in surface area."
Current challenges
The diversity of possible situations makes it even more necessary to plan and study each project's conditions beforehand, so that the right plant material will be used. "We are aware of how demanding this is. It is forcing us to work continuously on improving our production process and to provide new materials adapted to conditions that are different from the current ones."
"Keeping the Botryosphaeria s.p. fungus under control is one of the biggest problems we are constantly facing. We have implemented a disease control process combining the use of thermotherapy of the plant material with biofungicide treatments, with satisfactory results."
"Another important aspect is the offering of solutions to address the constant changes in the sector. The use of reclaimed water, or the poor quality of this water, is making it necessary for us to work with plant material with high salinity tolerance, because avocados are a crop that is very sensitive to chloride content. Such changes are not easy to manage within a short period of time, as the lack of information and experience in the area won't allow us to predict the reality of the sector's future."
"What is clear is that we have effective tools to face this problem. We currently have rootstocks that have developed successfully in high salinity conditions, the most representative of which are the Degania, Ashdot, Lula, Nachar, Farchild and Tzrifin."
"We are also working on the development of our own selections, which are now in a trial phase and will soon be marketed."
"We are developing new micropropagation protocols"
"The supply of new avocado materials is important, although we must remain cautious and see this as the beginning of a new period that will require adjustments and evaluation."
"We have to distinguish between real opportunities and commercial opportunism. Our advice is always to approach nurseries with the right experience for consulting, as they will surely advice you on the best option. Our commitment to the growers is to stand behind them during the projects' implementation process, to provide them reliable support and to solve any problems that may arise during this process."
"We are constantly working on improvements, which is why five years ago we launched our in vitro cultivation laboratory, where we are busy fine-tuning different micropropagation protocols for different crops, such as bananas, pineapples and avocados. Obtaining new plant materials is a very long process (between 8 and 10 years) that will require testing phases both in the laboratory and in the field to ensure that the material maintains its unique features and that it is safe for the consumer."
"We are consultants".
"At Viveros Royal Plants we not only sell plants. The core of our activity is the agronomic consultancy service, with which we approach projects from a technical perspective, aiming to improve results."
"We participate in national and international projects, perfectly aware that the supply of plants is part of our service and, therefore, that the demand for quality is essential."
For more information:
Viveros Royal Plants S.L.
Finca Jardín del Ingenio,
CP 29700 Vélez-Málaga, Málaga. Spain
Tel.: +34 627 96 56 01
[email protected]
www.royalplants.es