a few species dominate the market tropical fruits v … few species dominate the market v89% of the...

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Tropical FruitsTropical FruitsMinor Species of the AmericasMinor Species of the Americas

Immense diversityImmense diversityPotential for economic developmentPotential for economic development

Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University

A Few Species Dominate the Market

89% of the marketCitrusBananas and plantainsMangosPineapple

5% of the marketPapayasAvocadosDates


Other 6% of the MarketRegionally Important

Americas (1,000)CherimoyaSugar appleSoursopGuavaSapodillaSapotePassion fruit

Africa (1,200)Tamarind

Asia (800)BreadfruitJackfruit MangosteenRambutanDurianSnake fruit

Minor Fruits from Central and South America

AnnonaceaeMyrtaceae

PassifloraceaeSapotaceae


Minor Fruits from Central and South America

AnnonaceaeAnnona cherimola - CherimoyaAnnona muricata - SoursopAnnona squamosa - Sugar Apple

MyrtaceaePsidium guajava - Guava

PassifloraceaePassiflora edulis - Passion fruit

SapotaceaeManilkara zapota - SapodillaPouteria sapota - Sapote


Annonaceae

“The masterpiece of nature” Mark Twain

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Family AnnonaceaeOver 120 genera and 2,000 species

Most important genera Annona speciesTemperate species - Asimina triloba

• Paw paw, poor man’s banana• Understorey tree• Eastern North America

Fruit weighs up to 1 kgTropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University

Origin of AnnonaceaeA. muricata

SoursopAntilles and northern

South AmericaA. squamosaSugar AppleSE Mexico

A. cherimolaCherimoya

Andes in Ecuador and Peru

3 major species although many others are also eaten


Adaptation of Annona speciesSpecies Common

nameAltitude

(m)

Best growth Best fruiting

cherimola Cherimoya 700-2400 7-18C min15-28 max

8-12C min18-22C max

muricata SoursopGuanábana

0-1000

squamosa Sugar appleSweetsop

0-1000 15-25 min25-32 max

17-21C min25-30C max

Most tropical of species


Annona speciesSpecies Common

nameTree size Fruit size Adaptation

cherimola Cherimoya 5-9 m16-30 ft

Medium SubtropicalCitrus climate

Light frosts OKmuricata Soursop

Guanábana7.5-9 m25-30 ft

Large Tropical

squamosa Sugar appleSweetsop

3-6 m10-20 ft

Small tomedium

Hot, dry tropicalclimates


Flower Structure

Three exterior petalsMultiple stamens and pistils

Stamens

PistilsSanewski. 1991.Custard apples. QDPI.


Flower to Fruit - Sugar apple

Alexander, Scholefield and Frodsham. 1987. Some tree fruits for tropical Australia. CSIRO.

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Aggregate Fruit One flower - multiple pistils

Sanewski. 1991.

Custard apples.

QDPI.


CherimoyaA. cherimola

Fruit - AggregateMedium

Normally 150-500 gUp to 2.7 kg4-8” x 1-4”

ShapeConical to heart shapedSmooth to covered with rounded protuberances

SkinThin to thick

FleshSnow whiteHighly aromaticMany seed


SoursopGuanábanaA. muricata

Fruit - AggregateLarge

1 to 6.8 kg4-12” x 1-6”

ShapeOvoidHeart shapedOblong conical

SkinBitter

Flesh **White, cottonyHighly aromaticBrown seed


Sugar AppleA. squamosa

Fruit - AggregateSmall to medium

< 0.5 kg2.3 - 4” long

ShapeNearly round, Ovoid or conicalKnobby segments

SkinThick

FleshCreamy whiteHighly aromaticMany seedCarpels adhere loosely


AtemoyaA. cherimola x A. squamosa

Fruit - AggregateIntermediate betweencherimoya and sugar apple

Growth requirements

Intermediate between cherimoya and sugar apple

African Pride African Pride

Pink’s Mammoth

Gefner


Propagation - Annona spp

Seed - TraditionalStores dry for 2-4 yearsGives variable fruit size and quality

Grafted onto seedlingsUniform fruit qualityEarlier fruiting

• 1-2 years earlier

Rootstock UsedCherimoya

• cherimola or reticulata

Soursop• muricata or reticulata• NOT squamosa or cherimola

Sugar Apple• reticulata or squamosa

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Production -Precocity

Cherimoya• Bears in 3-5 years • Maximum yields in

10th year

Soursop• Bears in 3-4 years

Sugar apple

YieldsCherimoya

• 25-80 fruit per tree

Soursop - shy bearer• 12-24 fruits/tree• 5-16 mt/ha

Sugar apple• 50-100 fruits/tree

PollinationHand pollination increases yieldsBeetles are pollinators


Soil - Annona species

Wide soil rangepH 6.5 to 7.6Sensitive to waterlogging

CherimoyaBest

• Medium soil• Medium fertility

SoursopBest

• Deep, rich, well drained

• Semi dry

Sugar AppleWater logging intolerable


Cherimoya

As compared to the Sugar apple

Ships betterBetter flavor

Normally eaten as a fresh fruit

Commercially grown in many subtropical and highland tropical regionsNo production figures available


Soursop

Truly tropical adaptationUses

Some fresh and cannedPulp is soldMuch as drinks

Commercially suffers from low production


Sugar Apple

Not as firm as CherimoyaNeed to harvest before the carpels separateUses

Mainly fresh

Most widely grown Asia, S. America, S. Mexico, Caribbean Guava

MyrtaceaePsidium guajava

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Production

Grown widely inCentral and south AmericaWest IndiesIndia and other parts of AsiaAfrica

Many places it has naturalized


Plant Small tree (33’ or 10 m)

Spreading structureBark flakes off


Flowers and Fruit

Two major commercial types of fruit

Pollinated by honey bees


The Guava in the Americas

Americas - light yellow skin, pink flesh, sweet, acid


The Guava in Asia

Asian - green skin, white flesh, sweet, low acid


Origin of Guava - Tropical America

First evidence of domestication in Peru

800 BC

200 BC

Spanish and Portuguese explorers spread it to Africa and Asia

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AdaptationSoil

Widely adaptablepH 4.5 to 9.4 Somewhat salt resistantGood drainage recommended but tolerate poor drainage

ClimateThrives in both dry and humid climatesCan survive only a light frostBoth lowland and in highlandsRequires 40 to 80” (1,000 to 2,000 mm) rain


PropagationRooting stem cuttings most common


PropagationAir layering and Grafting also done


Planting - higher density in Thailand

Americas5-10 m square

Thailand2-4 m x 5-6 m


Planting - Orchard life shorter in Thailand

Americas30-40 yearsProduction decrease after 15 years

Thailand4-5 years because yield decreaseBegin fruiting in 8 months from rooted cutting


Induction of fruitingFruit on new growth from 1 year old woodInduce to fruit by

Cut off half of branchBend to horizontal position

Fruit develop inThailand, 16-20 weeksAmericas, 12-21 weeks

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Induction of fruiting

Bamboo structures in Thailand

SupportEase of shoot bending


Fruit thinningThin down to 1-2 fruit per shoot

Ensure good fruit sizeAvoid breaking branches


Fruit baggingDone in Asia


Fruit baggingDone in Asia

Two bag sytem• Inside, plastic bag, fruit fly protection• Outside, newspaper, sunburn protection


Fruit yield and harvest

Thailand90% fresh

AmericasCommonly cooked/processed

• Canned• Paste• Jelly• Juice

Harvested Guava Fruit in Thailand

Passion fruitPassifloraceae

Passiflora edulis

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Passion flowerPassifloraceae

Passifloravarious species


PlantPerennial climberUp to 15 m (50 ‘)


Flower and fruit

FlowersSolitary, showy, incompatibleCurrent season growthFlowers throughout year

FruitBerryMature in 8-12 weeks


Origin of Passiflora edulis

Purple passionfruit originates from southern

Brazil, northern Argentina, and Paraguay

The origin of the yellow passionfruit is not

known


AdaptationSubtropical to Tropical Highland Climate

Needs highland climate for good flowering and fruiting• Cool winters (5 C; 41 F), no frosts• Warm summers (14 to 24 C; 57 to 75 F)

Yellow passionfruit is more tropicalRain

• 760-1,200 mm per year• Poor set if rain during flowering

Poor tolerance to wind - requires trellisSoil

Medium texturepH 6.5 - 7.5Well drained


Production

AmericasBrazil, greatest producer of juiceColombia, Ecuador, Peru

AfricaSouth AfricaKenya

AsiaNew GuineaTaiwanIndiaSri Lanka

AustraliaHawaii

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Propagation

Seed propagationUsually done by seedSeedlings can be used for rootstock

Vegetative propagationLayers or rooted cuttingsGrafting

• Maintain hybrids• Use rootstock resistant to nematodes and disease


PlantingSpacing

3-6 m between plants2-5 m between trellis rows

Training and PruningTwo wire fence trellisTrain leaders to wiresPeriodically tip back laterals


Cultivation and fruitingFruiting

Begins in 15-18 monthsProductive life 4-8 yearsYield, 3-30 MT/ha

Needs cross pollination for good production

Pollinators: bumble bees and hummingbirds


HarvestingHarvest

Picked from ground daily (ripe fruit fall)Picked from vines 1-3 times/weekExpensive to harvest

Fruit productsMainly juice (30-40% yield)

SapodillaSapotaceae Manilkara

zapota


PlantSlow growing, long lived tree

Elegant pyramidal shape60 - 100’ (18 - 30 m)

Strong, wind resistantBark

Rich in chicle - a white, gummy latexBase for chewing gum

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Flowers and FruitFlowers

Small and bell like3 sepals/petals


Flowers and FruitFruit

Round to conical2-4” (5-10 cm) wideSkin - rusty brown, scurfy

ImmatureHard, gummyVery astringent (tannins)

FleshYellowish to reddish brownGrainy to smoothSweet flavor like a pear0-12 seed


Origin of SapodillaOriginated in Yucatan and surrounding areas

Cultivated in Central America since ancient

times

Taken to Philippines

early in Colonial period


Production

Wild trees in Mexico (Tabasco, Chiapas, Yucatan)

Tapped for chicle gumTree cultivated for fruit throughout the tropics


AdaptationNot strictly tropical

Mature tree can withstand 26 F (-3C) for several hoursYoung tree can be killed by 30F (-1C)

SoilAdapted to calcareous soilsGood drainage neededDrought resistantSalt resistant


Propagation

SeedGerminate readilyFruit in 5-8 years

Vegetative propagationGraftingAir layers (fruit in 2 years)

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Planting

Spacing35-40 feet (Morton)15-20 feet in India (Storey)30 feet in poor soil


Cultivation and fruiting

Fruits mature 4-6 months after floweringFruiting season

In tropics, almost continouslyMexico

• Peak harvest is Feb-April and Oct-Dec

Florida• Harvest from May to Sept• Peak in June and July


Harvesting - Major by product

ChicleWas chewed by the Mayans Tapped from wild and cultivated trees

Introduced into the USA in 1866Commercialized by incorporating flavorsPeak production in 1930Now replaced or diluted with other latexes or synthetic gums

SapoteSapotaceae

Pouteria sapota


Plant

Tree60-100’ (18-30m)Variable tree shapeDeciduous or evergreen


Flowers and FruitFlowers

Small flower clusters (6-12) form in axils where leaves have fallen

FruitRound to elliptical

• 3-9” (7.5-23 cm)• 0.5-5 lbs (0.2-2.3 kg)

Rind, brown, leatheryFlesh

• Salmon pink to red• Soft• Sweet, pumpkin-like flavor

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Origin of Sapote

Lowlands of southern Mexico and northern

Nicaragua


AdaptationTropical to near tropical climates

Elevation up to 2,000’ (610 m)Cold sensitive - defoliation and deathRain

• 70” (1,780 mm)• Intolerant of drought

SoilsBest growth - Deep clay and clay loamTolerates a wide range of soilsSensitive to waterlogging


Production

Mainly cultivated in Central America and tropical South America


Propagation

Seed propagationSeed lose viability quicklyOnly for rootstockSeedlings are variable and slow to bear (8-10 years)

Vegetative propagationBudding and graftingBear in 1-4 years


Cultivation and fruiting

Spacing25 to 40’ (7.5-12 m)

Time to bear fruitGrafted trees bear in 1-4 yearsFruit well for 100 years


Harvesting

Maturity determinationDifficult Reddish tingeSample fruit on tree and check flesh color

HarvestBy handPicking pole with cutter

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a few species dominate the market tropical fruits v … few species dominate the market v89% of the...

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