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The role of fruit mineral composition on fruit softness and mesocarp discolouration in ‘Pinkerton’ avocado (Persea americana Mill.)

Summary The successful marketing and export of fruit depends, to a large degree, on the predictability and consistency of quality. The ‘Pinkerton’ avocado, however, is prone to a physiological disorder known as “mesocarp discolouration” during and after storage. Furthermore, fruit have been found to arrive at their European destination with variable softness. Mesocarp discolouration was initially thought to be the result of chilling injury, however differences in quality were noted between fruit from different origins. Fruit were subjected to mineral analysis following a suspicion that pre-harvest factors played a role in fruit quality. Excessive nitrogen concentrations were found to have the most significant role in determining the severity of mesocarp discolouration. In addition, decreasing copper, manganese and boron concentrations during the season also appeared to contribute to the development of the disorder. The results of this study indicate that interactions between minerals could be more important in determining quality than evaluating individual elements.