ISHS Acta Horticulturae 598: International Symposium on Sustainable Use of Plant Biodiversity to Promote New Opportunities for Horticultural Production Development
HORTICULTURAL POTENTIAL OF ANDEAN FRUIT CROPS EXPLORING THEIR CENTRE OF ORIGIN |
| Authors: | X. Scheldeman, P. Van Damme, J.V. Ureña Alvarez, J.P. Romero Motoche |
| Keywords: | Annona cherimola, cherimoya, Vasconcella, highland papaya, germplasm, Ecuador, plant genetic resources. |
| DOI: | 10.17660/ActaHortic.2003.598.14 |
| Abstract:
Southern Ecuador is generally acknowledged to be located in a biodiversity hot spot. Several species of agricultural and horticultural crops can be found there with a huge genetic diversity and can be found in wild or in semi-cultivated status as backyard crops. Cherimoya (Annona cherimola Mill.) and several species of highland papayas (Vasconcella spp.) have their centre of origin in southern Ecuador and are cultivated as minor fruit crops in several subtropical zones worldwide. Little research work has been carried out so far in exploring the crops’ centre of origin. Germplasm collection and characterisation can give valuable information to local and international crop breeding programmes whereas a detailed study of the ecology of wild stands, may provide useful information on climate and soil preferences of the crop and can -combined with a GIS analyses- be used to locate suitable cropping areas. Collection and characterisation of 137 wild and semi-cultivated cherimoya accessions was carried out in southern Ecuador between January 1996 and March 1998. A tremendous variability of pomological characteristics was encountered, typical situation of a main centre of biodiversity. The best accessions collected during these trips can easily withstand preliminary comparison with commercial cherimoya cultivars (‘Fino de Jete’, ‘Bays’, ‘White’, ‘Bronceada’ and ‘Concha Lisa’). The collection of Vasconcella germplasm was carried out between August 1997 and April 2000. A total of 211 accessions of the common species Vasconcella cundinamarcensis (Solms-Laub.) Badillo, V. stipulate (Badillo) Badillo and V. × heilbornii (Badillo) Badillo were collected together with some accessions of the rarer species V. candicans (A. Gray) A.DC., V. microcarpa (Jacq.) A.DC., V. monoica (Desf.) A.DC., V. palandensis (Badillo et al.) Badillo, V. parviflora A.DC. and V. weberbaueri (Harms) Badillo. These accessions showed great variability and raised several questions about their exact taxonomic position. Preliminary studies of the papain content of some of these accessions showed papain activities up to 20 times higher than those of papaya (Carica papaya L.). Edapho-climatological conditions in the collection areas indicated the preferences of cherimoya and highland papayas in their natural environment, and were used, combined with GIS studies, to determine the potential cultivation zones. | |
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