By Jasper Raats
A new avocado cultivar will offer farmers a longer harvest period, along with the potential to stabilise their income and compete more effectively in export markets.
Developed by Allesbeste Nursery in Tzaneen, this cultivar could be a breakthrough for local producers. It opens a new market window at a time when South Africa typically needs to import avocados to supplement production from the Western Cape.
Zander Ernst of Allesbeste Farming says the cultivar also shows signs of continuous fruit bearing – a rare trait for avocados, which usually produce in alternating cycles. This is due to the plant’s ability to grow and set fruit again on the same branch after it has already borne fruit, offering the possibility of a more consistent and sustained harvest.
Currently known as AAE1, the cultivar also has an impressive hanging period. While most avocados can remain on the tree for up to 12 months before needing to be harvested, AAE1 has been observed to hang for up to 18 months without weaning or compromising fruit quality. This extended window gives farmers greater flexibility to time their harvests for optimal market conditions.
Ernst says this cultivar is particularly valuable for farmers in the northern regions of South Africa. Until now, the late-season avocado market has been dominated by producers in the Western Cape, where cultivars such as Westfalia’s Gem perform well. The new cultivar would allow farmers in Limpopo and Mpumalanga to compete in the same market window without needing to acquire land in another climate zone.
The June to October harvest period is typically ideal for export markets, where larger fruit command higher prices. However, if market conditions during this window are unfavourable, farmers could leave the fruit on the tree longer and sell it when prices have improved.
An accidental cultivar
The new cultivar originated from a seedling that happened to sprout in an old Fuerte block, Ernst says. It’s not unusual for promising cultivars to emerge from rootstocks or branch mutations – Maluma, for example, was discovered in much the same way.
At first, this particular tree showed no signs of productivity, but over time it began to bear fruit – and the quality was so exceptional that Ernst and his late father, Dr André Ernst, decided to take a closer look at its potential.
The fruit has a dark skin, similar to that of the Hass cultivar, but it is slightly thinner. Initially there were concerns that the thinner skin might make the fruit more prone to bruising, but this did not turn out to be a major issue as the fruit tends to grow on the inside of the tree, where it is sheltered from wind and sunburn. This protection allows for higher pack-out percentages in windy production areas.
One of the ongoing trials is focused on how nutrition and pruning practices affect the optimal management of the tree, which produces two harvests per season. They are also evaluating the cultivar’s suitability for training systems and trellis cultivation, Ernst says. Since the tree is vigorous and has short stems on its branches, it may require more work to train it to a trellis system.
Commercialisation
Ernst has secured plant breeders’ rights for the new cultivar and interest from farmers is growing, but Allesbeste Nursery currently has a limited number of trees available. He has enlisted a number of farmers to trial the cultivar under different climatic conditions and production practices.
At present, Allesbeste has 5,5 hectares planted to the cultivar, now in its fourth production season. According to Ernst, yields are still on the rise, with current harvests ranging between 18 and 20 tonnes per hectare, suggesting strong production potential.
