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The avocado crop is widely grown in Colombia, especially the commercial variety called Hass. This accelerated cultivation of avocado has not been properly planned locally, but influenced by external recommendations, which in many cases are not applicable to the local conditions in Colombia. This situation has led to the failure of many avocado crops, which are faced with serious technological lags, inducing low sustainable levels. Amongst the most serious limitations is the avocado wilt complex (AWC). This term is used to describe a multi-complex diseases associated with different causal agents, which can be of biotic and abiotic origins, and can affect roots and stem of avocado plants in all stages of development, causing similar aerial symptoms. The objective of this study was to describe the AWC and its implications in Colombia, emphasizing essential aspects such as symptomology, causal agents, incidence, distribution, economic impact, associated problems, factors predisposing, management practices, technology of information, and future scenarios. The information described in this manuscript is part of multiple research developed in the field, greenhouse and laboratory by the author for more than 8 years, in addition to the literature reported in Colombia in the different topics described above. This study should serve as a fundamental basis for understanding the impact of AWC and give the basic information for a correct management technically and scientifically.El cultivo de aguacate en Colombia viene creciendo en los últimos, especialmente variedades comerciales como el Hass. La acelerada siembra de aguacate ha carecido de una planificación adecuada y se ha desarrollado bajo recomendaciones técnicas externas, las cuales en muchas circunstancias carecen de aplicabilidad para las condiciones del país. Esta situación ha conducido al fracaso de muchas explotaciones, donde existen fuertes rezagos tecnológicos que evitan que este sistema productivo sea sostenible. Dentro de los mayores limitantes se encuentra el complejo marchitez del aguacate (CMA), termino definido para múltiples patologías asociadas a distintos agentes causales, los cuales pueden ser de origen biótico o abiótico, que afectan el sistema de raíces y la base del tallo de plantas de aguacate en todos los estados de desarrollo, induciendo síntomas de expresión similares en la parte aérea. El objetivo de este trabajo fue realizar una descripción del CMA en Colombia, realizando énfasis en aspectos básicos como sintomatología, agentes causales implicados, incidencia, distribución, importancia económica, problemática asociada, factores determinantes, prácticas de manejo, uso de tecnologías de la información y escenarios futuros. La información que se describe hace parte de múltiples ensayos investigativos desarrollados en campo, invernadero y laboratorio por el autor por un periodo de tiempo de más de 8 años, además de la literatura reportada para Colombia en los distintos tópicos descritos anteriormente. Este trabajo se convierte en la base fundamenta...

Avocado root rot is the most important disease of this fruit crop worldwide. This pathology may be caused by several biotic and abiotic agents, with the oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi being the pathogen more frequently associated with poor phytosanitary conditions. There are disease control methods available that can reduce disease severity and allow plants to recover; however, they are not consistently and promptly applied. In addition, only chemical products are used by farmers as the preferred management method. This research aimed to evaluate different root rot management strategies in a commercial orchard. Data suggest that individual control methods are not as effective as when they are applied in combination, as in the T8 treatment (metalaxyl + mancozeb applied in drench; injection of potassium phosphite to each plant stem; potassium silicate applied in drench; addition of a layer of organic mulch and incorporation of 10 kg of composted substrate, both applied to the ground around the base of each tree). Using this strategy, the area under the disease progress curve for the avocado root rot was reduced by up to 68.6%, and the extra-quality avocado fruit class increased by as much as 44% compared to the diseased control plants (T0) (P < 0.01). With the combined treatment T8, farm income showed a 9.5-fold increase, probably due to an increase in the percentage of viable roots by up to 9.4-fold, which would have improved nutrient and water uptake.