Tree architecture and flower pruning to improve production will be the hot topics addressed by speakers at this week's New Zealand and Australian Avocado Growers' Conference in Tauranga.

Fifty experts from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and USA will be among the speakers at the conference called Nutritional Values at ASB Arena Baypark from today to September 12.

Experts from around the world will meet in Tauranga this week to discuss avocados.

Among them will be Dr Grant Thorp, a senior scientist with Plant & Food Research, who has conducted research seeking to understand the natural growth habits of the avocado tree in order to develop training and pruning systems.

Researchers have looked to the apple industry and its work on tree architecture, which typically involves single-leader trees growing on dwarfing root stocks.

'We don't have dwarfing root stock available in the avocado industry, so we are looking at tree training and pruning to develop a single-leader tree.

'Avocado tend to be big trees, with several large trunks, whereas we are after a slender, pyramid growth habit – narrow trees, slightly wider at the base than at the top, with not too much shading on the inside of the tree.”

Grant will also discuss irregular bearing, the tendency for avocado trees to produce a heavy crop in one season, and be almost barren the next.

'It's a worldwide problem – in some years growers might get no crop at all.”

Jerome Hardy, technical manager with AVOCO, the conference's principle sponsor, says scientists and avocado growers are learning how to teach avocado trees to grow in a more productive manner in a bid to improve the yield and regularity of harvests.

'Research to be presented at the conference will update delegates on the latest thinking in a branch of science known as tree architecture; and most growers I know will be closely following any new research related to tree pruning.

'Historically, as an industry, we have not been confident about pruning – the first obstacle is that fruit is lost in the process – and I have seen the enthusiasm of even the most resolute chainsaw-wielding characters fade quickly when fruit starts to tumble.

'However, thanks to some determined growers and researchers, the idea a programme of annual pruning has the potential to improve productivity and efficiency is finally taking hold.

'The potential benefits are many. If we get this right we can simultaneously control tree height, improve access, lift tree health and fruit quality and, most importantly, reduce the impact of alternate bearing.”

Further details about the conference are available at: www.avocadoconference.co.nz