Researchers from the University of La Laguna have developed a genetic method to identify avocado varieties belonging to the Antillana race, which is commonly associated with tolerance to saline irrigation water. The method is intended to support nurseries by enabling genetic certification of rootstocks.
The invention is currently under evaluation by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office and is supported by two international scientific publications. According to the researchers, the development addresses ongoing issues in the Canary Islands and Mediterranean regions, where incorrect identification of avocado varieties has resulted in production losses linked to water and soil salinity.
The method focuses on identifying Antillana race rootstocks, which are regarded as better suited to high-salinity growing conditions. The research builds on work initiated in 2022 and has resulted in a patent application titled "Method, primers, and kit to identify specific genomic regions of horticultural avocado race," which has been formally published by the Spanish Patent and Trademark Office.
The research line is led by José A. Pérez Pérez and Mario A. González Carracedo from the genetics department at the University of La Laguna. In 2022, the team published a study in Agronomy describing the use of retrotransposons, sometimes referred to as "jumping genes," to analyse avocado genetic diversity and develop molecular markers.
A second study, published in 2025 in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, demonstrated that the molecular markers developed are capable of detecting the Antillana race with full sensitivity. The study also showed that the method can identify hybrid rootstocks, improving classification accuracy in commercial nursery settings.
The researchers note that the salinity of water and soil remains a limitation for avocado expansion. "Until now, farmers acquired plants trusting their resistance to salinity, relying solely on visual identification of morphological traits, which often failed," the researchers explain.
They add that the technology "provides a molecular analysis tool designed to eliminate this uncertainty, drastically reducing the waiting time for farmers to know if their investment has been worthwhile."
The method enables genetic confirmation of the Antillana genomic component and allows nurseries to verify whether rootstocks are pure Antillana or show hybridisation with other races, such as Mexican or Guatemalan types, which are generally less tolerant to salinity. The technique is based on standard PCR analysis, making it compatible with basic quality control laboratories.
Validation of the method was carried out using avocado cultivars supplied by researchers from ICIA-CSIC and Agro-Rincón S.L. The research received funding from the Government of the Canary Islands, with support from the University of La Laguna's Knowledge Transfer Office.
Source: Tenerife Weekly
