Research into the flowering dynamics and molecular regulation of heterodichogamy in avocado trees holds significant importance for both agricultural practice and scientific understanding. Avocado is a valuable crop worldwide, with increasing demand driven by its nutritional value. However, optimizing fruit yield and quality proves challenging because of the unique reproductive strategy of avocado trees. With Type A and B trees flowering at different times of the day promoting cross-pollination becomes crucial. Understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying the timing of flower maturation is crucial for efficient pollination and fruit set, directly impacting yield and profitability for avocado growers. By elucidating the key genes involved in heterodichogamy and their regulatory pathways, this research can inform targeted breeding efforts to enhance pollination success and fruit production in avocado orchards.

Moreover, unravelling the molecular intricacies of flower development in avocado contributes to broader scientific knowledge in plant biology and reproductive biology. Avocado exhibits a specialized form of heterodichogamy, a reproductive strategy that sets it apart from many other plant species. Insight gained from this research can advance our understanding of how plants coordinate flowering and reproductive timing. Additionally, identifying molecular markers associated with flower type and heterodichogamy facilitates the development of screening tools for growers to accurately classify avocado trees and optimize orchard management strategies.

Therefore, the research aims to identify differentially expressed genes between Type A and B avocado trees and to develop a putative model for heterodichogamy in avocado using differentially expressed genes from an RNA-seq experiment, with the goal of developing a screening tool for the identification of Type A and B avocado trees. This research bridges fundamental and applied science, offering practical solutions for sustainable avocado production while enriching our understanding of plant reproductive biology.

 

ARP Team Members

Johane Cilliers

 

New Publications

Magagula P, Swart V, Fourie A, Vermeulen A, Nelson JH, van Rooyen Z, van den Berg N. (2025) Avocado rhizosphere community profiling: white root rot and its impact on microbial composition. Frontiers in Microbiology 16 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1583797
van den Berg N, Magagula P, Backer R, Swart V. (2025) Towards developing an integrated approach for the treatment of white root rot in commercial avocado orchards. Phytoparasitica 53(32) 10.1007/s12600-025-01250-1 PDF
Harvey A, van den Berg N, Swart V. (2025) In silico characterisation of the avocado WAK/WAKL gene family with a focus on genes involved in defence against Phytophthora cinnamomi. Frontiers in Plant Science 15:1474781. 10.3389/fpls.2024.1474781 PDF
Harvey A, van den Berg N, Swart V. (2024) Describing and characterizing the WAK/WAKL gene family across plant species: a systematic review. Frontiers in Plant Science 15:1467148. 10.3389/fpls.2024.1467148 PDF
Joubert M, van den Berg N, Theron J, Swart V. (2024) Global transcriptomic analysis in avocado nursery trees reveals differential gene expression during asymptomatic infection by avocado sunblotch viroid (ASBVd). Virus Research 339:199263. 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199263. PDF