Avocado production in Huatusco, Veracruz, Mexico Avocado production

Abstract

Objective: Characterize the avocado production system in Huatusco, Veracruz.

Design/methodology/approach: Interviews based on the snowball method were applied to avocado producers in Huatusco, Veracruz, and fruit and water samples were also taken to perform a multiresidual analysis of pesticides.

Results: The plantations are rainfed and in monoculture with a density of 100-150 trees/ha. The Hass variety predominates on Andosols soils, and slopes of 5-100%. Most of the producers (92 %) carry out conventional management with the application of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. In the control of weeds, in addition to herbicides, they use brush cutters. No pesticides were detected in the water samples, while Imidacloprid, Thiabendazole and α-Cypermethrin were identified in a fruit sample with concentrations allowed in Mexico of 0.0038±0.0014 mg/kg, 0.0022±0.0009 mg/kg and 0.0703±0000 mg /kg, respectively.

Limitations on study/implications: Detailed and frequent sampling of avocado fruits should be carried out to determine pesticide residues. This type of analysis should also be carried out on running water near the avocado orchards.

Findings/conclusions: The empirical knowledge of the producers in the case of soils is more specific than the scientific classification, since they identify five classes of land beyond Andosols. On the other hand, there is a marked inequality in land ownership given that 25% of the producers (large scale) own 86% of the established area. Although the concentrations of pesticides in a preliminary sampling did not exceed the limits of residues allowed in the avocado pulp, it is recommended to reduce the number of pesticide applications.