Avocado is one of the world’s most economically important subtropical/tropical fruit crops, ranking fourth in export value behind bananas, grapes and apples. In the past 20 years, global avocado production has increased dramatically, with production now occurring in over 70 countries as a result of increased consumer demand.
This growth in production and consumer demand has been attributed to the fruit’s remarkable sensory, nutritional and nutraceutical properties. However, continued growth of the sector depends on optimising these properties, as well as improving the sustainability of pre-harvest cultivation and post-processing operations in the face of several challenges, including climate change.
Built on a lifetime’s experience from one of the world’s leading experts in the field, Sustainable production and postharvest handling of avocado considers how the avocado value chain can be optimised to achieve this growth. The book includes seven chapters which each offer a detailed insight into different elements of avocado production, covering topics such as nutritional compounds and health benefits, cultivars, growing techniques, pest and disease management, as well as post-harvest physiology and treatment and handling.
Written by a world-renowned expert, Sustainable production and postharvest handling of avocado will be a standard reference for commercial avocado growers, producers, processors and retailers, university and other researchers in tropical fruit science, as well as government and other private sector agencies supporting the sustainable production of avocados.
Author(s): Elhadi M. Yahia
Series: Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science, 157
Publisher: Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 358
City: Sawston
Sustainable production and postharvest handling ofavocado
Title Page
Half Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Series list
Acknowledgements
Foreword
Chapter 1 Avocado: an introduction to the fruit and its pre- and postharvest processing
1 Introduction: origin and history
2 Global production and consumption
3 Avocado races and cultivars
4 General characteristics
5 Preand postharvest management: opportunities and challenges
6 Conclusion and future trends
7 What this book covers
8 Acknowledgements
9 Appendix: institutions and organizations involved with avocados
10 References
Chapter 2 Nutritional value, health benefits and uses of avocado
1 Introduction
2 Nutritional compounds
3 Bioavailability
4 Potential health benefits of avocados
5 Folk medicinal, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other applications
6 Potential allergic and toxic compounds
7 References
Chapter 3 The global avocado industry
1 Introduction
2 America
3 Africa
4 The South Pacific
5 Europe and the Mediterranean
6 Asia
7 References
Chapter 4 Advances in pre-harvest management of avocado
1 Introduction
2 Flowering and pollination
3 Environmental conditions
4 Cultivars
5 Rootstocks
6 Propagation
7 Growing techniques
8 Soil management
9 Nutrition and fertility management
10 Irrigation and water management
11 Disease and pest management
12 References
Chapter 5 Advances in postharvest physiology, technology and handling of fresh avocado
1 Introduction
2 Fruit physiological characteristics
3 Fruit physiological disorders
4 Postharvest diseases
5 Quarantine treatments
6 Maturity and ripening indices
7 Harvest
8 Postharvest treatments and packinghouse operations
9 References
Chapter 6 Postharvest processing of avocado
1 Introduction
2 Important processing products
3 Examples of common processes
4 Hygiene and safety
5 References
Chapter 7 Trade and marketing of avocado
1 Introduction
2 The Mexican–US avocado trade model
3 Markets and marketing
4 Marketing at points of sale
5 Overview of costs and returns
6 Quality and safety standards for markets
7 References
Index
