Nitrogen uptake of avocado trees on an
alternate bearing cycle. These values are
from a 'Hass' orchard near Moorpark, CA which
blooms in February and is harvested in July.
For both "on" and "off" trees, very little N
is taken up during the dormant period. The
time of greatest uptake is around March
through May, when exponential growth of the
maturing crop, fruit set of the new crop and
the spring flush all occur. In "on" years,
more of the spring N uptake is allocated to
the fruit, while in "off" years, more is
allocated to the new shoots. In "on" years,
uptake is also high from July through October
as the new crop has its first stage of rapid
growth; however, uptake at this stage is
slower in "off" years [2,4].
Nitrogen distribution in 20-year old 'Hass'
avocado trees. Measurements were taken in August
of an 'on' year [3].
Avocado N removed at harvest from a 'Hass' avocado orchards in California. Values include the flesh, peel and seed.