Avocado

The avocado plant is a tropical tree. It begins bearing fruits at five to six years of age. The full bearing age maybe expected at about eight to ten years. By then it attains a height of five to fifteen meters.
It may be propagated by seed, grafting, budding and in arching. It has been extensively propagated mainly for its edible fruits.
The avocado fruit maybe oblong, nearly spherical, pear-shaped or bottle-shaped and may vary in length from 10 to 36 centimeters long. In color, it may vary from green, brown to purple. It has one large seed in the center.

Economic and Nutritive Values of Avocado
• The ripe avocado fruit is eaten either plain; with salt or salad dressing; with sugar and milk.
• Ripe avocado fruit is used as an ingredient in ice cream.
• The avocado fruit is energy-producing. Its energy-producing value is 1,000 calories per pound, which is double than that of lean meat. Its fat content is as high as 20 percent and its digestibility can equal that of butter fat and surpass that of beef fat.
• Avocado fruit is rich in Vitamin E, which is popular among people who want to remain young.
• Vitamin E together with Vitamin A is contained in avocado oil that can be extracted from the fruit pulp by using a cold mixed solvent extraction process.
Medicinal Value of Avocado
• Avocado leaves are dried and prepared as tea for the relief of headache and diseases of the throat and stomach. It also regulates menstruation.
• Avocado leaves are heated and while still warm are applied directly on the forehead of the patient for the relief of headache.
• Avocado seeds are toasted and ground and prepared for cure of dysentery.
• The powder made from the toasted seeds is prepared as poultice for inflammations.
• A piece of avocado fruit is said to relieve toothache when placed in the cavity of the aching tooth.
• Avocado seed has been found the cure rheumatism. Pulverized avocado seed mixed with coconut oil can be applied externally on the affected part.
• The pulp can be used to hasten the formation of pus in wounds.

Species of avocado grown in the country are Mexican, West Idian and Guatemalan. The Mexican varities grown in the Philippines are Ganther, Rubla, Gottfried and Northrop. Locally-grown West Indian varieties are Pollack, Family, Gardins, Wilson, Waldin, Wester and Baldwin. Among the Guatemalan varieties grown in the country are Dickeson, Lyon, Troth, Taft, Tumin, Sharpless, Blackman, Solane and Taylor.
Avocado grows best in clay loam soils. Plant at the start of the rainy season, during the months of May to August. Set the plants at 9 to 10 meters apart each way. It is advisable to propagate only budded or grafted plants as trees grown from seeds do not run true to type and slow in coming to bearing.
Avocado fruits are harvested from May to September. Fruits are not allowed to ripen in the tree, as ripe fruits readily full to the ground. Fully mature avocado fruits should be harvested and allow to ripen in clean places at room temperature.