Biometrical and physicochemical characteristics of the star fruit (Averrhoa carambola L.) selections

Author(s)

Paulo Sérgio Rodrigues de Araújo

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2000-03-01
• Advisor: Keigo Minami

Abstract

This research aimed to evaluate biometrical and physicochemical characteristics of star fruit selections. The experiment was carried out at Escola Superior de Agricultura "Luiz de Queiroz", Departamento de Produção Vegetal and Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Laboratório de Entomologia, of the Universidade de São Paulo from Piracicaba, São Paulo state, Brazil. The fruits were collected from of 15 star fruit trees (Averrhoa carambola L.) of a commercial orchard, in Mirandópolis, São Paulo state, Brazil. Six harvests collections of 50 fruits for plant each, were made in the period between among the first semester of 1997 and first semester of 1999 for biometric evaluations: length, diameter mass, corners and seeds numbers. The evaluation of the physical-chemical parameters was accomplished by aleatory sampling consisting three fruits per plant, being analyzed the total titatrable acidity , total soluble solids , firmness, pH and skin color. It was observed that the two plants produced the largest fruit, with high total soluble solids content, low number of seeds, only differing with relationship to the number of seeds. Those plants are interesting for graftaging as new scion clones due to the quality of the fruits for fresh consumption. As an option for rootstock, three plants were selected, due to the great number of seeds and high total titatrable acidity. Another plant was selected for the industry, due to good fruit size, high total titatrable acidity and low number low number of seeds. (AU)