Production of four avocado (Persea americana) varieties’ seedlings from the seeds under Katibougou's agroclimatic conditions in Mali

Abstract

The socio-economic and nutritional importance, as well as the various possibilities of using avocado, give it a reason to promote its production among the main fruit species cultivated in Mali. Four varieties of avocado (Hass, Ettinger, Linda, and Kampong) evaluated for their growth performance. The seedlings were generated using two production techniques, direct sowing in pots and the toothpick technique, under greenhouse conditions. The seedlings were transplanted in the Rural Polytechnic Institute for Training and Applied Research (IPR / IFRA) of Katibougou (IPR/IFRA) orchard under Fisher's block device with three replications. The findings were as follows: the toothpick method recorded the shortest germination time compared to direct seeding in pots, with 13 days against 43 days after sowing, respectively. For the Kampong, Hass, Linda, and Ettinger varieties, the rates of seed germination were 67%, 60%, 50%, and 43%, respectively. Linda produced significantly more leaves with an average of 73 leaves, followed by Hass, Ettinger, and Kampong with averages of 51, 37, and 35 leaves on the 56^th day after transplantation, respectively. Likewise, Linda had the most branch ramifications, followed by Hass, Ettinger, and Kampong, with averages of 3, 2, 1, and 1, respectively at the 56^th day after germination. These findings suggest that, among the tested varieties, the Linda cultivar growths quickly compared to others. Moreover, this study proves that the avocado plants as well as its cultivation can successfully be introduced in Katibougou, Koulikoro-Mali.