Initiatives by Ifapa in Malaga seek to promote sustainability in avocado cultivation

The president of the Andalusian Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries, Food and Organic Production Research and Training (IFAPA), Marta Bosquet, along with the delegate of the Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in Málaga, Fernando Fernández, announced an innovative project in Málaga to address the challenges of avocado cultivation in the region. Faced with water scarcity and diseases affecting the crop, the initiative seeks to promote the sustainability of avocado production on the Andalusian coast.

During the presentation, Bosquet highlighted the importance of avocados in Andalusia and emphasized the need to address the sector's challenges through research and experimentation. IFAPA aims to make crops more resilient, profitable, and sustainable, tackling current problems without compromising future generations. The project includes research on the use of microorganisms to improve avocado tolerance to irrigation water salinity, rootstock resistance to diseases and water stress, and the development of an application for the efficient management of avocado irrigation.

With the participation of around 50 professionals from the sector, the presentations detailed the approaches that will be followed to optimize irrigation management, address water stress, and assess water needs. The day also included a discussion between the experts and the participants, where the study on the molecular basis of the interaction between avocados and the fungus Neofusicoccum spp. was explained. This crop, which represents 75% of the national production area in Andalusia, plays a crucial economic role in the region, and the Ifapa initiative aims to ensure the future sustainability of the crop. In the last season, Málaga cultivated avocados on 7,500 hectares, with a production of 78,000 tons.

Source: aenverde.es