Specialist outlet Portal Frutícola reported the arrival in Mexico of Luna UCR, a new avocado variety developed by the University of California Riverside (UCR) and managed by the Spanish company Eurosemillas. JALISCAVO is the first company authorized in the country to propagate its genetics, plant it and market it.
Luna UCR was named by TIME magazine among the best inventions of 2023 in the agriculture category, and it arrives as a tool to modernize avocado orchards in Jalisco.
A variety designed to complement Hass
- Type B flower: it pollinates Hass (type A), which supports higher productivity per hectare.
- Fruit with characteristics similar to Hass and very good post-harvest life.
- Smaller, upright canopy that makes harvesting easier and allows higher-density plantings.
- Ripens three to four weeks after Hass, opening a high-demand supply window.
- Particularly well suited to high-altitude areas above 1,900 m.
Two planting schemes are proposed: Luna UCR interplanted with Hass, to take advantage of cross-pollination, or Luna UCR on its own.
“It is a great tool to modernize orchards in a simple way: more trees per hectare, more available pollen and more profitability.”
Pilot orchard and official nursery
JALISCAVO already has a pilot orchard in Jalisco, where the country's first Luna UCR avocados are developing, and Vivero Luna as its official nursery for plant production. Interested growers can visit the pilot orchard to see the variety first-hand.
For Jalisco growers, Luna UCR opens an opportunity in the state's highlands and in market windows when Hass supply is lower. JALISCAVO partners have priority access to the first plants.
Source: Article based on information published by Portal Frutícola(opens in a new tab).