Yield and Fruit Quality Traits of Mamey Sapote Cultivars Grown at Two Locations in Puerto Rico.

The demand for tropical fruits has increased significantly during the last decade as consumers seek healthy and more diverse food products. There is a lack of formal experimentation to determine yield performance and fruit quality traits of mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota) cultivars. Six mamey sapote cultivars (Copan, Magaña, Mayapan, Pace, Pantin, Tazumal) grown on Ultisol and Oxisol soils were evaluated for 5 years at Corozal and Isabela, PR, respectively. There was a significant difference in the number and weight of fruit per hectare between locations, averaging 25,929 fruit/ha and 16,527 kg⋅ha^-1 at Corozal and 17,887 fruit/ha and 11,920 kg⋅ha^-1 at Isabela. 'Tazumal' had the highest 5-year mean number and weight of fruit per hectare, but fruit of this cultivar was very small and contained several seeds, which could reduce its marketability. At Corozal, cultivars Tazumal and Magaña had significantly higher fruit yield per hectare than the rest of the cultivars, whereas 'Magaña', 'Tazumal', and 'Pantín' had the highest fruit yield at Isabela. At both locations, 'Pantin' had relatively high yield, above-average soluble solids concentration values, and adequate fruit size and weight for domestic and export markets (650-900 g), making this cultivar suitable for planting at various agroenvironments typical of the humid tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]