A Few Species Dominate the Market TropicalTropical FruitsFruits 89% of the market Citrus Minor Species of the Americas Bananas and plantains Mangos Pineapple 5% of the market Papayas Avocados Immense diversity Dates Potential for economic development Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Other 6% of the Market Regionally Important Americas (1,000) Africa (1,200) Cherimoya Tamarind Minor Fruits from Central and Sugar apple Asia (800) Soursop South America Breadfruit Guava Jackfruit Sapodilla Mangosteen Annonaceae Sapote Rambutan Myrtaceae Passion fruit Durian Passifloraceae Snake fruit Sapotaceae Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Minor Fruits from Central and Annonaceae South America Annonaceae Annona cherimola - Cherimoya Annona muricata - Soursop Annona squamosa - Sugar Apple Myrtaceae Psidium guajava -Guava Passifloraceae Passiflora edulis - Passion fruit Sapotaceae Manilkara zapota - Sapodilla “The masterpiece of nature” Pouteria sapota - Sapote Mark Twain Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University 1 Family Annonaceae Origin of Annonaceae Over 120 genera and 2,000 species A. muricata Soursop Most important genera Annona species A. squamosa Antilles and northern Sugar Apple South America Temperate species - Asimina triloba SE Mexico • Paw paw, poor man’s banana • Understorey tree • Eastern North America A. cherimola Cherimoya Andes in Ecuador and Peru Fruit weighs up to 1 kg 3 major species although many others are also eaten Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Adaptation of Annona species Annona species Species Common Altitude Best growth Best fruiting Species Common Tree size Fruit size Adaptation name name (m) cherimola Cherimoya 700-2400 7-18C min 8-12C min cherimola Cherimoya 5-9 m Medium Subtropical 15-28 max 18-22C max 16-30 ft Citrus climate Light frosts OK muricata Soursop 0-1000 muricata Soursop 7.5-9 m Large Tropical Guanábana Most tropical of species Guanábana 25-30 ft squamosa Sugar apple 0-1000 15-25 min 17-21C min squamosa Sugar apple 3-6 m Small to Hot, dry tropical Sweetsop 25-32 max 25-30C max Sweetsop 10-20 ft medium climates Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Flower Structure Stamens Flower to Fruit - Sugar apple Three exterior petals Multiple stamens and pistils Pistils Sanewski. 1991.Custard apples. QDPI. Alexander, Scholefield and Frodsham. 1987. Some tree fruits for tropical Australia. CSIRO. Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University 2 Aggregate Fruit Cherimoya One flower - multiple pistils A. cherimola Fruit - Aggregate Medium Normally 150-500 g Skin Up to 2.7 kg Thin to thick 4-8” x 1-4” Flesh Shape Snow white Sanewski. 1991. Conical to heart shaped Highly aromatic Custard apples. QDPI. Smooth to covered with Many seed rounded protuberances Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Soursop Sugar Apple Guanábana A. squamosa A. muricata Fruit - Aggregate Fruit - Aggregate Large Small to medium Skin 1 to 6.8 kg < 0.5 kg Skin Thick 4-12” x 1-6” 2.3 - 4” long Bitter Flesh Shape Shape Flesh ** Creamy white Ovoid Nearly round, Ovoid White, cottony Highly aromatic Heart shaped or conical Highly aromatic Many seed Oblong conical Knobby segments Brown seed Carpels adhere loosely Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Atemoya Propagation - Annona spp A. cherimola x A. squamosa Seed - Traditional Rootstock Used Fruit - Aggregate African Pride African Pride Stores dry for 2-4 years Cherimoya Intermediate between Gives variable fruit size • cherimola or reticulata cherimoya and sugar and quality Soursop apple • muricata or reticulata Growth Grafted onto seedlings • NOT squamosa or cherimola requirements Sugar Apple Uniform fruit quality Intermediate between • reticulata or squamosa cherimoya and sugar Gefner Earlier fruiting apple • 1-2 years earlier Pink’s Mammoth Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University 3 Production - Yields Soil - Annona species Cherimoya Precocity • 25-80 fruit per tree Soursop Wide soil range Cherimoya Soursop - shy bearer Best • Bears in 3-5 years • 12-24 fruits/tree pH 6.5 to 7.6 • Deep, rich, well drained • Maximum yields in • 5-16 mt/ha Sensitive to 10th year • Semi dry Sugar apple waterlogging Soursop • 50-100 fruits/tree Cherimoya Sugar Apple • Bears in 3-4 years Water logging Pollination Best Sugar apple intolerable Hand pollination • Medium soil increases yields • Medium fertility Beetles are pollinators Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Commercially grown Cherimoya in many subtropical Soursop Commercially suffers and highland tropical from low production regions As compared to the Truly tropical Sugar apple No production adaptation figures available Ships better Uses Better flavor Some fresh and Normally eaten as a canned fresh fruit Pulp is sold Much as drinks Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Sugar Apple Most widely grown Asia, S. America, S. Not as firm as Mexico, Caribbean Guava Cherimoya Need to harvest before the carpels separate Myrtaceae Uses Mainly fresh Psidium guajava Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University 4 Plant Production Small tree (33’ or 10 m) Spreading structure Grown widely in Bark flakes off Central and south America West Indies India and other parts of Asia Africa Many places it has naturalized Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Flowers and Fruit The Guava in the Americas Pollinated by honey bees Americas - light yellow skin, Two major commercial types of fruit pink flesh, sweet, acid Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University The Guava in Asia Origin of Guava - Tropical America Spanish and Portuguese explorers spread it to Africa and Asia 200 BC First evidence of domestication in Peru 800 BC Asian - green skin, white flesh, sweet, low acid Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University 5 Adaptation Propagation Soil Rooting stem cuttings most common Widely adaptable pH 4.5 to 9.4 Somewhat salt resistant Good drainage recommended but tolerate poor drainage Climate Thrives in both dry and humid climates Can survive only a light frost Both lowland and in highlands Requires 40 to 80” (1,000 to 2,000 mm) rain Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Propagation Planting - higher density in Thailand Air layering and Grafting also done Americas 5-10 m square Thailand 2-4 m x 5-6 m Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Planting - Orchard life shorter in Thailand Americas Induction of fruiting 30-40 years Fruit on new growth from 1 year old wood Production decrease after 15 Induce to fruit by years Cut off half of branch Thailand Bend to horizontal position 4-5 years because yield decrease Fruit develop in Begin fruiting in 8 Thailand, 16-20 weeks months from rooted cutting Americas, 12-21 weeks Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University 6 Fruit thinning Induction of fruiting Thin down to 1-2 fruit per shoot Ensure good fruit size Avoid breaking branches Bamboo structures in Thailand Support Ease of shoot bending Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Fruit bagging Fruit bagging Done in Asia Done in Asia Two bag sytem • Inside, plastic bag, fruit fly protection • Outside, newspaper, sunburn protection Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Fruit yield and harvest Thailand 90% fresh Americas Commonly cooked/processed Passion fruit • Canned • Paste Passifloraceae Harvested Guava Fruit in Thailand • Jelly • Juice Passiflora edulis Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University 7 Plant Perennial climber Up to 15 m (50 ‘) Passion flower Passifloraceae Passiflora various species Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Flower and Origin of Passiflora edulis fruit Purple passionfruit originates from southern Flowers Brazil, northern Solitary, showy, incompatible Argentina, and Paraguay Current season growth Flowers throughout year The origin of the yellow Fruit passionfruit is not Berry known Mature in 8-12 weeks Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Adaptation Subtropical to Tropical Highland Climate Production Needs highland climate for good flowering and fruiting • Cool winters (5 C; 41 F), no frosts Americas Asia • Warm summers (14 to 24 C; 57 to 75 F) Brazil, greatest New Guinea Yellow passionfruit is more tropical producer of juice Taiwan Rain Colombia, Ecuador, • 760-1,200 mm per year India Peru • Poor set if rain during flowering Sri Lanka Africa Poor tolerance to wind - requires trellis Australia South Africa Soil Hawaii Kenya Medium texture pH 6.5 - 7.5 Well drained Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University Tropical Horticulture - Texas A&M University 8 Planting Propagation Spacing 3-6 m between plants Seed propagation 2-5 m between trellis