MORPHOLOGICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF GUAVA (Psidium guajava L.) TYPES COLLECTED IN SUMAPAZ, COLOMBIA

Abstract

Guava (Psidium guajava L.) is a neotropical fruit species. In Colombia, its morphological and biochemical variability has been poorly studied. In this research, fruits of wild guava from six localities of the Sumapaz province, state of Cundinamarca, Colombia were characterized. Eight quantitative and six qualitative characters were recorded in order to determine their level of variation, the latter were discarded due to low contribution to the variation of genotypes. The averages of fruit weight (78.16 g), roundness index (92 %), total soluble solids (8.62 ºBrix) and vitamin C content (170.82 mg 100 g^-1) indicate that there is potential in the wild varieties studied for their direct utilization. Among the sampled sites, the accession from Guavio was found to be outstanding in morphological characteristics, with average fruit weight of 120.17 g, longitudinal and transverse diameter of 7.48 and 5.92 cm, respectively, but it did not stand out in traits such as total soluble solids (6.46 ºBrix) or vitamin C content (158.85 mg 100 g^-1). Accessions from other sites ranged from 8.55 to 9.43 ºBrix of total soluble solids while in ascorbic acid content the Udec genotypes showed the highest value (201.61 mg 100 g^-1). In the grouping analysis by locations, it was found that the Guavio accession formed a single group and the rest of the accessions another one. The Guavio type did not show outstanding values in the biochemical characters, but it did in morphological traits; the separation it showed in relation to the rest of the accessions is centered on the influence of fruit characteristics. Results indicate the existence of some types of wild guava of importance for direct use or genetic improvement in the province of Sumapaz, Colombia.