Fruit production and quality of sweet orange genotypes selected for the state of Acre, Brazil

Abstract

The Acre State, Brazil, has edaphoclimatic conditions suitable for the cultivation of sweet orange trees; however, production is limited by the lack of genotypes adapted to the region. The aim of this study was to evaluate the production and quality of sweet orange fruits grafted onto ‘Rangpur’ lime, in order to identify promising genotypes that could be used as a cultivar. The experiment was carried out between 2010 and 2012 in the experimental field of Embrapa, AC, Brazil, in a randomized block design, with 19 genotypes and local Aquiri cultivar. These were propagated by budding, originated from matrices propagated by seeds, and were selected from nine municipalities of Acre, Brazil. A total of 20 treatments with three replications were used in this study. The number of fruits per plant, production per plant, productivity, and fruit quality (fruit mass, longitudinal and transversal fruit diameter, peel thickness, juice yield, soluble solids, titratable acidity, quotient between soluble solids and titratable (ratio), and technological index) were evaluated. Joint analysis of variance and Scott-Knott tests were performed to compare means, as well as Pearson’s correlation and cluster tests, using the Ward method and Mahalanobis distance. The sweet orange genotypes 6, 8, 9, 52, and Aquiri cultivar presented the best productivity indicators, with average values ??above the national productivity. The isolated effect of the year factor showed a greater number of fruits, production per plant, and productivity in the 2010 harvest.