Resumo

SANCHEZ-URDANETA, A.B et al. Morphological characterization of guava fruit (Psidium guajava L.) in a farm at Mara municipality, Zulia state. Rev. Fac. Agron. [online]. 2007, vol.24, n.2, pp.282-302. ISSN 0378-7818.

In order to characterize morphologically the fruit of guava of several variants an essay was conducted in Mara municipality, Venezuela. Plants of "Blanca", "Criolla" "Roja", "Cubana" and "Montalbán" variants formed the treatments, with ten plants of each variant. Shape, apex, base, cavity, mass, diameter, and longitude of the fruit, the insertion point of the peduncle, presence and shape of the sinus, color and texture of the epicarp, color and mass of the mesocarp and endocarp, number and mass of seeds were evaluated. Frequency tables were done for the qualitative and quantitative variables were evaluated through analysis of variance, and principal component analysis. In "Blanca", "Criolla Roja" and "Cubana" the spherical fruit was the shape predominating, in "Montalban" was the piriform shape. Shape of fruit base in "Blanca" and "Cubana" was concave, in "Criolla Roja" was convex with neck and in "Montalban" with neck. In variants "Criolla Roja", "Cubana" and "Montalban" the epicarp color was yellow, while in Blanca dominated the green-yellow epicarp. There were statistical differences (P<0.05) for the mass of the fruit, mesocarp, endocarp, and epicarp. "Blanca" variant showed a higher mass of the fruit, mesocarp, endocarp, and epicarp. The seeds mass of "Blanca", "Criolla Roja", "Cubana" and "Montalban", and the seeds number of Blanca and "Criolla Roja" were statistically different (P<0.05) when they were compared to the other variants. "Blanca" and "Criolla Roja" had the higher number of seeds by fruits. Results confirmed that fruit morphology was different among the evaluated variants. The information generated by the CP highlight the qualitative variables as the ones which mainly affected the morphological characterization.

Palavras-chave : Psidium guajava; descriptor; fruits.