Potential of some species of genus Roystonea for heart-of-palm early production

• Grant number: 19/03444-3
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: December 01, 2019
• End date: May 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Valéria Aparecida Modolo
• Grantee: Valéria Aparecida Modolo
• Host Institution: Instituto Agronômico (IAC). Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento (São Paulo - Estado). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Erval Rafael Damatto Junior ; Lilian Cristina Anefalos ; Norma de Magalhães Erismann ; Shirley Aparecida Garcia Berbari ; Silvia Regina de Toledo Valentini

Abstract

The heart-of-palm, a product obtained from the upper extremity of the stipe of certain palms, was already consumed by native people in Brazil as well as other countries of South and Central America, since remote times. The abundance of these palms in the forests, and its acceptance by the consumers, allowed the establishment of a rentable market based on the rational exploitation of heart-of-palms based on the exploitation of this product, which began to be classified as a gourmet vegetable. For many decades the predatory exploitation of some native species of palms, besides depleting its reserves, has led to a drop in trade, mainly concerning exports. Since the decade of 1980 of past century effort of the research has promoted changes in the heart-of-palm productive chain. With the introduction of new earlier species of palms, it became possible the precocious production of heart-of-palm. In the 1980 decade the production cycle was from 5 to 10 years whereas nowadays, with the study of new species and development of production technology carried out in the last 40 years, the cycle has decreased to 18 months. Presently the main part of heart-of-palm production is based on cultivation, by means of the introduction of new palm species (peach palm and Australian Royal palm) and on the production technology improvement. The introduction of the Roystonia palm in this scenery as a viable and profitable market may represent a new alternative for heart-of-palm early production. Nevertheless, there are no studies giving directions on the cultivation as well as on the peculiar characteristics of its heart-of-palm, its industrialization as well as its acceptance by consumers. The objective of this project is to evaluate the agronomic and economic potential of palms of genus Roystonea for heart-of-palm production as well as the organoleptic properties of the product, both in natura and processed. (AU)