Abstract
Yellow pitahaya is an exotic fruit that is rich in essential nutrients and antioxidants. In Colombia, it grows naturally in warm areas, but it is not clear which species exist because this genus presents a lot of intra and interspecific hybridization. More studies are needed in this field along with characterizations of the genotypes. This study aimed to undertake an in situ morphoagronomic evaluation of yellow pitahaya genotypes from five municipalities in Boyacá, Colombia. Measurements were taken in a completely random design. Qualitative and quantitative descriptors for cladodes, fruits and covered production systems were evaluated with a descriptive analysis, Spearman correlation variance, and multivariate and cluster analysis. The results showed that cladode characteristics such as cladode width, distance between areoles, number of spines, length of areoles, margin ribs of cladode and waxiness could be used to identify Megalanthus spp. Characteristics such as weight (270–274 g), size (100 mm), color of the fruit and pulp as well as acidity (0.18) and soluble solids (15.7) were highly variable between the genotypes. Genotypes with good morphological and fruit characteristics were identified (Gen2 and Gen9), which can provide the bases for the selection of pitahaya that satisfy the needs of farmers and consumers.
Highlights
The Dragon fruit, known as pitaya or pitahaya, belongs to the Cactaceae family, which originated from the southern and central regions of Mexico and America, and is separated in two genera: Hylocereus and Selenicereus
The climatic conditions of the study region were characterized by few fluctuations in the photoperiod and average temperatures
This study demonstrated that the natural populations of pitahaya from the five departments showed high variation in the morphological characteristics that were evaluated in situ
Summary
The Dragon fruit, known as pitaya or pitahaya, belongs to the Cactaceae family, which originated from the southern and central regions of Mexico and America, and is separated in two genera: Hylocereus and Selenicereus It is a nutritious and exotic fruit cultivated throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Pitahaya production has attracted interest in the United States, Australia, Southeast Asia, Israel and other regions [1] This fruit has gained considerable attention from consumers because it is a unique fruit that can tolerate drought stress and contains a considerable amount of nutrients. Pitahaya fruit contains substantial amounts of unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic) with broad applications in therapeutic and cosmetics preparations [3] It has drawn worldwide attention because of its new flavor, color and attractive appearance, along with enormous health benefits [4]. It gained commercial potential in different countries as the result of consumer preference for new, exotic, and phytochemically rich fruits and its adaptability to new environments with abiotic stress tolerance, such as droughts and extreme temperatures [5]
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