Desempenho de clones elite de pinheira (Annona squamosa L.)

Abstract

Sugar apple (Annona squamosa L.) is a fruit tree of great economic importance, whose productivity in Brazil is limited by the high genetic variability of orchards and the absence of registered cultivars. This work aimed to evaluate and characterize morpho-agronomically three elite sugar apple clones (UNI 1, UNI 2, and UNI 3), from the UNIMONTES/UFMG breeding program, aiming to generate subsidies for their recommendation and registration as commercial cultivars. The experiment was conducted at the UNIMONTES Experimental Farm, in Janaúba, MG, between 2023 and 2025, in a randomized block design with four replications and six plants per plot, evaluated in five consecutive harvests. Floral characteristics, physical fruit characteristics, peel, pulp and seed fractions, chemical attributes (soluble solids, pH, titratable acidity), production per plant and productivity per area were analyzed. The analyses included descriptive statistics, qualitative and quantitative morphological characterization, estimates of genetic parameters, evaluation of stability and temporal adaptability, and correlations between traits. Significant variability was observed among the clones, especially for flower length, fruit dimensions and mass, seed mass and number, as well as pulp yield, with high heritability for flower length and moderate heritability for fruit size and mass traits. Clone UNI 2 stood out for its greater fruit mass and production, higher pulp percentage, and high productive stability; UNI 1 presented higher soluble solids content and a greater number of seeds; and UNI 3 differed in the reddish-pink color of the fruits and higher pulp yield, with a lower percentage of seeds. The strong positive correlations between fruit mass, dimensions, structural fractions, and production indicate that easily measurable traits can be used in the indirect selection of superior clones. The three materials presented agronomic performance and morphological attributes compatible with the requirements for superiority, supporting their indication for registration with MAPA as pineapple adapted to the Brazilian semi-arid region