Chile promotes research to improve the quality of Hass avocados and reduce black spots

Writing and reporting by Macarena Bravo | Lee esta historia en español . Chile is definitely an avocado-loving country. In 2025, per capita consumption of the green fruit reached nearly 20 pounds, 10 pounds higher than the year before, and according to the Chilean Avocado Committee, the trend is not slowing any time soon. Given the Andean country’s devotion to avocados, it’s no surprise that local researchers are working to address one of the main diseases threatening the industry: black spot. Chile’s quest to reduce black spots The physiological disorder appears as dark patches on the fruit’s skin after prolonged storage under refrigeration and in the open air. It strictly affects the product’s appearance, but can still result in significant economic losses. According to data collected during critical seasons, the problem has affected between 10 percent and 20 percent of exported fruit, highlighting the scale of the challenge for the sector. Romina Pedreschi, professor at the ...