PROMISING CHERIMOYA (ANNONA CHERIMOLA MILL.) ACCESSIONS IN LOJA PROVINCE, SOUTHERN ECUADOR

The best cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) accessions, found during a collection trip carried out in Loja province, were selected based on selection criteria used in Spain and Australia.
The objective was to have an idea about the fruit quality of the wild cherimoya trees that are found in Loja province.
From the 83 accessions and 357 characterised fruits, the 15 best accessions were selected.
These accessions showed some excellent fruit characteristics, fruit weight varying between 431 g and 926 g, seed index (number of seeds per 100 g fruit) ranging 3.9 – 7.1 and soluble solids varying between 20.0 and 27.5 ° Brix indicating that fruits are rather sweet, and acceptable to consumers.

The five best accessions were compared with the commercial cultivars ‘Fino de Jete’, typical for Spain, ‘Bays’ and ‘White’, typical for USA, and ‘Concha Lisa’ and ‘Bronceada’, typical for Chile and the latter also for New Zealand, using characterisation data obtained in Spain, New Zealand and Chile.
Comparing number of seeds per 100 g pulp and fruit weight it can be preliminary concluded that the best accessions from Loja province could easily compete with some commercial cultivars from cherimoya exporting countries.

First International Symposium on Cherimoya

X. Scheldeman, P. Van Damme

Andean fruits, germplasm, selection, plant genetic resources

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1999.497.9