BROKAW NURSERY ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF NEW AVOCADO ROOTSTOCKS

Ventura, CA—Brokaw Nursery, LLC, of Ventura recently secured the licenses for three patented avocado rootstocks and a number of experimental avocado rootstocks from the Volcani Institute of the Agricultural Research Organization of the State of Israel. Brokaw, which is the largest avocado nursery in the United States, is now the exclusive licensee for these patents in the US and in the main avocado growing countries of the world.

The patented rootstocks are Tami (VC801), Ben-Ya’acov1 (VC66) and Miriam (VC218). In extensive field tests performed in Israel, each of the three newly licensed rootstocks exhibited beneficial traits. Tami is particularly characterized by Phytophthora cinnamomi resistance. Ben-Ya’acov1 exhibited a lower tendency towards alternate bearing; Phytophthora cinnamomi resistance; salinity resistance; and induced productivity on grafted varieties. Lastly, Miriam exhibited Phytophthora cinnamomi resistance; drought resistance; alkaline soils resistance; and salinity resistance.

“We are thrilled to announce the availability of these new rootstock varieties, in addition to the recently released ZeralaTM and LeolaTM rootstocks from South Africa,” said Rob Brokaw of Brokaw Nursery. “They reflect our nursery’s continuing commitment to offer avocado growers a broad portfolio of rootstocks tailored to a variety of growing conditions.”

Unauthorized propagation, production and sale of the materials is prohibited. For more information within the US, contact Brokaw Nursery, LLC at (805) 647-2262 or Norma@BrokawNursery.com (mailto:Norma@BrokawNursery.com). For international inquiries, contact Consuelof@BrokawNursery.com (mailto:Consuelof@BrokawNursery.com).

For further details, please see the following Gem and Carmen-Hass presentations and the University of California’s Avocado Variety List .

The Clonal Advantage at Brokaw

Since the beginning of avocado culture, growers have sought to find and reproduce the ideal avocado tree. Due to genetic variability in seeds, the technique of grafting seedlings using clonal buds from superior crops has become the accepted practice. The results are the Hass, Pinkerton, Bacon, and other well-known varieties. 

At Brokaw Nursery, we’ve used this concept to propagate clonal rootstocks, uniform rootstocks that display a wide range of benefits. These stocks are genetically identical and exhibit uniform behavior when planted in identical situations. Clonal rootstocks allow you to plant the best tree for your specific needs. 

Clonal rootstocks are often selected for their tolerance to Phytophthora cinnamomi (Pc), a fungus that causes Avocado Root Rot disease. (Tolerance should not be confused with immunity). Other desirable rootstock attributes include tolerance to salinity, alkalinity, and iron chlorosis. As new fruit and rootstock varieties are developed, Brokaw Nursery strives to make these varieties available to its customers.