“Scientists have found a genetic switch that could shave years off avocado breeding by allowing researchers to identify one of a young tree's most important traits long before it flowers.

Researchers at UC Riverside helped identify the gene that controls whether an avocado tree has an A- or B-type flowering pattern. These flowering patterns determine how neighboring trees exchange pollen, making them an important factor in avocado production…

Avocado growers typically plant a mix of A- and B-type trees because the two flowering patterns complement one another. When one type is releasing pollen during its male phase, the other is more likely to be receiving pollen during its female phase, increasing the chances of successful pollination and fruit production…

Previously, there was no way to determine whether a seedling would become an A- or B-type tree until it matured, a process that can take five to 10 years. The newly identified genetic marker changes that. The gene, known as SDMYB, is a floral transcription factor that controls flowering behavior in avocado trees.”

From Phys.org.