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Volume 15
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10.3390/plants15121807
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Effect of Water Regimen on Fruit Growth, Metabolomic Profile, and Postharvest Quality of ‘Hass’ Avocados

by
Daniela Olivares
1,
María E. Ulloa
1,
José I. Covarrubias
2,
Edgard Álvarez
1,
Miguel Á. García-Rojas
1,
Carolina Salazar
1,
Rodrigo Candia
1,
Reinaldo Campos-Vargas
2,
Romina Pedreschi
3,4 and
Bruno G. Defilippi
1,2,*
1
Instituto de Investigaciones Agropecuarias, INIA-La Platina, Santiago 8831314, Chile
2
Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8820808, Chile
3
Facultad de Ciencias Agronómicas y de los Alimentos, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Quillota 2260000, Chile
4
Millennium Institute Center for Genome Regulation, Santiago 8331150, Chile
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Plants 2026, 15(12), 1807; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15121807
Submission received: 17 March 2026 / Revised: 29 May 2026 / Accepted: 5 June 2026 / Published: 11 June 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Plant Response to Abiotic Stress and Climate Change)
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Abstract

Preharvest climatic conditions and irrigation management are decisive determinants of avocado postharvest performance. Avocado trees are highly susceptible to the water regimen, conditions that disrupt carbon assimilation, mineral nutrient uptake, and biomass partitioning. This study evaluated the effects of deficit irrigation imposed during early stages of fruit growth, coinciding with active cell division, on fruit development and postharvest quality of ‘Hass’ avocado. Deficit and excess irrigation induced physiological stress, reducing stem water potential (≈−1 MPa) and altering photochemical efficiency, while FV/FM remained unaffected. Fruit growth was strongly affected, with weight reductions of up to 26% during development and 22% at harvest under severe deficit, resulting in fruits becoming more yellowish-green. In contrast, excessive irrigation promoted larger fruit with darker green skin, with delayed maturation. Metabolomic revealed that the fruit developmental stage was the main driver of metabolic variation, while irrigation effects were minor and stage-dependent, limited to osmotic-related metabolites such as GABA. These findings indicate that early-season water imbalances primarily affect fruit growth through changes in water relations rather than metabolic reprogramming, highlighting the importance of precise irrigation management during critical developmental stages. Fine-tuning water supply during early developmental stages is a strategic tool for optimizing fruit size and postharvest quality in avocado.
Keywords: water regimen; mineral content; global quality; avocado; postharvest water regimen; mineral content; global quality; avocado; postharvest
Graphical Abstract

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MDPI and ACS Style

Olivares, D.; Ulloa, M.E.; Covarrubias, J.I.; Álvarez, E.; García-Rojas, M.Á.; Salazar, C.; Candia, R.; Campos-Vargas, R.; Pedreschi, R.; Defilippi, B.G. Effect of Water Regimen on Fruit Growth, Metabolomic Profile, and Postharvest Quality of ‘Hass’ Avocados. Plants 2026, 15, 1807. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15121807

AMA Style

Olivares D, Ulloa ME, Covarrubias JI, Álvarez E, García-Rojas MÁ, Salazar C, Candia R, Campos-Vargas R, Pedreschi R, Defilippi BG. Effect of Water Regimen on Fruit Growth, Metabolomic Profile, and Postharvest Quality of ‘Hass’ Avocados. Plants. 2026; 15(12):1807. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15121807

Chicago/Turabian Style

Olivares, Daniela, María E. Ulloa, José I. Covarrubias, Edgard Álvarez, Miguel Á. García-Rojas, Carolina Salazar, Rodrigo Candia, Reinaldo Campos-Vargas, Romina Pedreschi, and Bruno G. Defilippi. 2026. "Effect of Water Regimen on Fruit Growth, Metabolomic Profile, and Postharvest Quality of ‘Hass’ Avocados" Plants 15, no. 12: 1807. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15121807

APA Style

Olivares, D., Ulloa, M. E., Covarrubias, J. I., Álvarez, E., García-Rojas, M. Á., Salazar, C., Candia, R., Campos-Vargas, R., Pedreschi, R., & Defilippi, B. G. (2026). Effect of Water Regimen on Fruit Growth, Metabolomic Profile, and Postharvest Quality of ‘Hass’ Avocados. Plants, 15(12), 1807. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15121807

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