Competitiveness and productivity: key to development and innovation of Andean fruiticulture

The Hass avocado (HA) and granadilla (G) seedlings and plants provided optimal fruit under fertigation, with early fruiting and higher productivity compared to control crops. Also for HA and G, 2 consortia of microorganisms increased the absorption of nutrients in vigorous and healthy plants. The adjustment of pesticide-free periods in HA reduced rejections in commercialization. Three promising passion fruit materials were validated. During post-harvest, shelf lives of fresh fruit were determined and that of avocado was prolonged using modified atmospheres. The shelf life of frozen HA pulp was measured. In transformation, following market analysis, numerous products derived from fruit or their residues were designed, some with scaling studies, production costs and environmental impact, and others reached the market. In addition, circular economy schemes such as fruit waste biorefineries were proposed. The aforementioned has been transferred to fruit chain stakeholders, and divulged to researchers and the wider society.