Development of a New Method for the Highly Effective Identification of Cold Resistance in Living Avocado Varieties

Abstract This paper first identified the cold resistance of 38 varieties of avocado by determining the semi-lethal low temperature (LT 50 ) of the leaves using an electrical conductivity method in combination with a logistic function, and then analyzed the correlation between the LT 50 of 27 varieties and the capacitance measured 9 different parts of the leaves in vivo, to explore the relationship between the cold resistance of various avocado varieties and the capacitance of different parts of avocado leaves, so as to develop a new method for highly effective identification of cold resistance of living avocado varieties. The results showed that various avocado varieties’ LT 50 was significantly positively correlated with the capacitance of some parts of leaves, showing that the cold resistance of various avocado varieties was negatively correlated with the capacitance of various leaf parts. The results of mango variety trials conducted for comparison is coincident with the theoretical conclusion reached in the identification of the cold resistance of the avocado. So as to the study of the cold resistance of avocado and mango varieties, the capacitance of live mature leaves measured in the field can be used as a new method for the judgment of cold resistance. Highlight A new method for identification of avocado cold resistance through measuring the capacitance of different parts of leaves was developed. This method are simple, quick and efficient.