Avocado Pest- Treatment advice needed

[jeffandgop]

In Chiang Mai we have two Haas avocado trees , 7 years old. 
Our fruit is being damaged by an insect I haven’t identified. I have observed very small black caterpillars and today a small flying insect with an orange body on one fruit. 
Can anyone identify what is boring singular holes in the immature unripened fruit and how to treat?

Thank you. 

[DavidH555]

Google "growing avocado in Thailand pdf" and there is a few great pdf's on all things growing avocado's in LOS

Edited May 13, 2021 by DavidH555

[jeffandgop]

Not looking for general avocado info. My request has a specific need not answered in your “pdf” suggestion. Should u have specific info that addresses my issue I’d be greatful

[Rhacsyn]

Anything on or under the leaves? What was the size of the black "caterpillar?

[drtreelove]

Holes in Avocados and Avocado Tree Pests (sfgate.com)

 

You are assuming that an insect is doing the damage, but I suspect that the insects you see on the fruit are not the cause of the holes, but rather secondary opportunistic feeders attracted to the exposed tissues from what appears to be rodent or bird damage. 

But without an ID or photo of the pest actually present or feeding in the wound, then we are just guessing.

 

Exact pest ID and treatment may not be possible or practical.  Bag the fruit as it starts to develop.

 

If you really want to pursue possibilities for an ID, there is a pomology department at MaeJo university ag sciences where I have received good info in the past when we lived and farmed near there, but I forget names.  CMU ag dept is also a good resource.  There was a woman PhD pomology professor who headed the HLB - citrus greening research project who was very friendly and informative when I inquired about that disease . 

Take the damaged fruit itself as a sample. You may get a bit of a run around at first but if you are patient and lucky you will eventually get to see a knowledgeable, English-fluent  professor. 

[jeffandgop]

On 5/13/2021 at 9:14 PM, drtreelove said:

Holes in Avocados and Avocado Tree Pests (sfgate.com)

 

You are assuming that an insect is doing the damage, but I suspect that the insects you see on the fruit are not the cause of the holes, but rather secondary opportunistic feeders attracted to the exposed tissues from what appears to be rodent or bird damage. 

But without an ID or photo of the pest actually present or feeding in the wound, then we are just guessing.

 

Exact pest ID and treatment may not be possible or practical.  Bag the fruit as it starts to develop.

 

If you really want to pursue possibilities for an ID, there is a pomology department at MaeJo university ag sciences where I have received good info in the past when we lived and farmed near there, but I forget names.  CMU ag dept is also a good resource.  There was a woman PhD pomology professor who headed the HLB - citrus greening research project who was very friendly and informative when I inquired about that disease . 

Take the damaged fruit itself as a sample. You may get a bit of a run around at first but if you are patient and lucky you will eventually get to see a knowledgeable, English-fluent  professor. 

I set up a reply yesterday to thank you but don't see it...so, thank you for your response and advice...I had read many of your posts and was hoping you'd might chime in....my first thoughts were birds, but when I saw the insects  in 2 instances on the fruit I wasn't sure that it is bird damage...now I believe that's what it is...I'll keep my eyes tuned and may bag as you suggested...the 2 years in which I was able to enjoy mature fruit from one of the two trees was all I had hoped for- creamy and buttery taste and made great guacamole......I'll post more photos as the fruit grows larger...

[drtreelove]

On 5/14/2021 at 3:28 PM, jeffandgop said:

I set up a reply yesterday to thank you but don't see it...so, thank you for your response and advice...I had read many of your posts and was hoping you'd might chime in....my first thoughts were birds, but when I saw the insects  in 2 instances on the fruit I wasn't sure that it is bird damage...now I believe that's what it is...I'll keep my eyes tuned and may bag as you suggested...the 2 years in which I was able to enjoy mature fruit from one of the two trees was all I had hoped for- creamy and buttery taste and made great guacamole......I'll post more photos as the fruit grows larger...

Sometimes we don't know which comes first, the bug or the bird.  Did the bugs start the feeding on the fruit and the bird came along to eat the bugs, or did the bird taste the fruit and the bugs came along to feed on the exposed fruit?  Bagging is a pain, but it may protect against both.  "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".  

[jeffandgop]

Well, since I posted in mid May, the avocado tree is doing just fine and really no further damage have I noted...no birds, insects, etc..no further instances of previously untouched fruit shows signs of pests or injury.   This tree has given us about 7 edible avos in the last 3 years...maybe 6 more did not survive to maturity...incredibly, to my surprise, this year the tree has exploded with fruit.  3 months since I first observed the buds popping, only about 4 units have fallen off the tree and as of today I count 45-50 fruit growing on the tree...I expect it will be another 3 months before they are fully ready to be harvested...here are some pics I took today and thanks again for all of your previous inputs....

 

 

[drtreelove]

Beautiful!  Please share info on any significant soil and water management practices you use.  

 

IMHO, your love and attention is felt by the trees, as much and other inputs.  My little white magic 'yipsee' wife would be making offerings of flowers and fruit for the spirit of the tree. 

 

My two satang:  Don't let your guard down, it will take adequate water and fertility to carry this abundant fruit crop to a tasty maturity.

 

Its rainy season so water management will be only to keep vigilant with a deep watering program during a dry spell,  two weeks or more. You can dig down a few inches to a foot to monitor soil moisture content, or to avoid root damage, use a soil moisture meter or soil sampling tube. 

 

Leaching of nutrients can be significant during monsoon season. Vegetative growth and fruit development uses up certain nutrients.  Keep up the soil fertility and plant nutrition with a good COF input,  (complete organic fertilizer) or composted chicken manure like CP's "maw din", available at Kamtieng plant market.  Best Garden State is close to getting their fertilizer blends up and running on FB, Lazada and website. Otherwise, OrganicTotto's bokashi is still the best COF I've found in Thailand. 

 

I hope that helps, Don

[jeffandgop]

6 hours ago, drtreelove said:

Beautiful!  Please share info on any significant soil and water management practices you use.  

 

IMHO, your love and attention is felt by the trees, as much and other inputs.  My little white magic 'yipsee' wife would be making offerings of flowers and fruit for the spirit of the tree. 

 

My two satang:  Don't let your guard down, it will take adequate water and fertility to carry this abundant fruit crop to a tasty maturity.

 

Its rainy season so water management will be only to keep vigilant with a deep watering program during a dry spell,  two weeks or more. You can dig down a few inches to a foot to monitor soil moisture content, or to avoid root damage, use a soil moisture meter or soil sampling tube. 

 

Leaching of nutrients can be significant during monsoon season. Vegetative growth and fruit development uses up certain nutrients.  Keep up the soil fertility and plant nutrition with a good COF input,  (complete organic fertilizer) or composted chicken manure like CP's "maw din", available at Kamtieng plant market.  Best Garden State is close to getting their fertilizer blends up and running on FB, Lazada and website. Otherwise, OrganicTotto's bokashi is still the best COF I've found in Thailand. 

 

I hope that helps, Don

Yes, it does help, and thanks...but I confess I don't have a regimen of soil and water management...other than periodically freshening up the soil with bags from the nearby nursery...organic fertilizer which my wife buys and applies...but I do pull the weeds and dropped leaves continuously from around the base!!  I do remove dead branches and any fungus that I might see...the tree abuts a wall where a small khong runs by below...the house blocks a lot of severe wind and sun....am just lucky I guess.......oh, I do visit the tree everyday and speak good thoughts for its continued health!!

[jeffandgop]

Harvested our Haas avocados today. This one tree, planted at our home as a sapling some 7 years ago, and in that time produced only 5 or 6 fruit on two occasions, this year she came into her own. Having already pulled about 10 delicious fruit within the last month, today I removed the rest- 38 in all. 
That’s going to be a lot of guacamole. Please send tortilla chips!!!

[kickstart]

Must agree with Dr T nice fruit,I was at our locale market today ,a guy was selling some Avocados 60 baht /kg  he said they come from CM, one of the few times I have seen them for sale outside Big C .

I would say not an easy fruit to sell ,most Thai's would not know what they are.