Morphological characterization of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) criollo type in Mexico

Abstract

Objective: Achieve the morphological characterization of Criollo-type cocoa from Mexico. Design/methodology/approach: For morphological characterization, 17 Criollo-type cocoa accessions and 30 varietal descriptors were proposed by Avendaño et al., (2014), and this was carried out on five-year-old trees in the Rosario Izapa Experimental Field of INIFAP during two production cycles. Results: With the first three principal components, 47.3% of the variation was explained and the variables that most explained this variation were the color of the young leaf, anthocyanin pigmentation of the pedicel, basal constriction of the fruit, shape of the fruit apex and length/diameter ratio of the fruit; sepal length, sepal width length, fruit length, fruit exocarp thickness, seed width, seed length/diameter ratio and cotyledon color. The cluster analysis allowed us to differentiate two groups where the color of the unripe fruit was one of the descriptors that contributed the most to forming the groups. Limitations on study/implications: Knowledge of the diversity of Mexican Criollo-type cocoas allows for establishing strategies for conserving and using this type of cocoa. Findings/conclusions: In Mexico, the Criollo cacao genetic group presents a wide morphological variation in the descriptors of leaf, flower, fruit and seed. The shape of the apex of the leaf, the anthocyanin pigmentation in the flower, the color in the mature and immature state, and the shape and basal constriction of the fruit, as well as the color of the cotyledon, are the descriptors that allowed us to differentiate the Criollo cocoas studied.