Very interesting thread. From an economical perspective, the issue of alternate bearing is indeed
important to fruit farmers, as it seems that all trees of the same variety in a certain area will follow
the same pattern seasonally. In my experience, avocados (Hass) typically have "on" and
"off" years which is represented regionally, and this trend can affect market price
significantly. An "on" year creates a glut and low market prices, as everyone has a bumper crop
that year. (this trend is more complicated now with the importation of foreign fruit) Alternate bearing
can be pretty extreme with avos, with harvests ranging from 15,000 lbs/acre to 2,000 lbs/acre.
However, if you had Hass avocado trees (the variety is important in a commodity market)
that were unaffected by alternate bearing, you would be a happy farmer. You would have
above average harvests during "off" years and your crop would demand a higher
price, as a result of limited supply. I imagine plant breeders have tried to get
around this one, but I am not sure (anyone know?).
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