Genotype selection of Pouteria sapota (Jacq.) H.E. Moore & Stearn, under a multivariate framework

• Published in: Acta agronomica (Palmira) Vol. 65; no. 3; pp. 312 - 317
• Main Authors: Pinto, Renan Mercuri, Nakamura, Luiz Ricardo, Ramires, Thiago Gentil, López Bautista, Ezequiel Abraham, Dos Santos Dias, Carlos Tadeu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bogota Universidad Nacional de Colombia 01-07-2016
• Subjects: cluster analysis; Discriminant analysis; factor analysis; Fruits; Genetics; Multivariate analysis; Plant genetic resources; Trees
• ISSN: 0120-2812; 2323-0118
• DOI: 10.15446/acag.v65n3.49877

The Pouteria sapota, also popularly known as sapote or mamey sapote, is a fruit tree of sapotaceae family originally from the tropical region of Central America with a great importance due to the almost complete utilization of the tree (fruit, seeds and wood) by industries. Thus, the study of its features becomes indispensable for selecting the most promising genotypes to increase the profitability of its production. In this study, it was used a dataset of 63 sapote trees placed in the botanical garden of Centro Agronmico Tropical de Investigacin y Enseanza (CATIE), located in Turrialba, Costa Rica. 17 quantitative characteristics were measured from trees, in order to evaluate the yield potential through the application of two multivariate statistical techniques: factor analysis (FA) and cluster analysis (CA). Firstly, the FA was performed and the 17 initial characteristics were reduced to four common factors that might describe particular characteristics like fruit, seed, wood and leaf. Thereafter, a CA was performed, with scores of FA, which allows the formation of five groups of trees with different traits. This methodology revealed the most promising trees in the economic point of view for every industry that uses the tree as raw material.