Florida avocados, a signature staple in kitchens, a favored fruit tree in landscapes, and a source of pride for the state’s growers, are facing a renewed threat from avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBVd). The disease can severely stunt avocado tree growth, deform fruit, and silently spread through groves.
Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are calling on growers, industry partners, and the public to remain vigilant and take steps now to contain the disease before it further disrupts the state’s avocado industry.
“Avocado sunblotch viroid is an insidious threat to avocado production worldwide and, if not controlled, will result in a loss of fruit production and quality,” said Jonathan Crane, a tropical fruit crop specialist at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center (TREC)…