The demand for avocados is skyrocketing globally, but the rise in temperature due to global warming has led to a shortage of the popular plant, which is considered tropical and needs a certain temperature and a lot of water to survive.
Researchers at Israel's MIGAL Institute and Or Shapira Volcani Research Institute have found the temperature threshold to keep young Hass avocados, which accounts for 85% of global avocado commerce, plant leaves healthy.
Young potted plants were subjected to different temperature gradients in a controlled-climate chamber, according to the study. The results showed that the plants were gradually damaged from 49 °C, until severely and irreversibly damaged at 53 °C. Thus, implying that the heat stress threshold for young Hass avocado plants is between 49–51 °C under low light intensity.
The study warned that extreme heat from global warming could lead to global food insecurity impacting more than avocados, including fruit trees and citrus.
The research was published the scientific journal Plants.