Sugar Content, pH, and Weight of Four Germplasms of Cashew Apple (Anacardium occidentale Linn.) Fruits Grown Under Two Agro-Ecological Zones in Ghana

E Odame,L Quansah,H Gonu

doi:10.4314/gjs.v61i2.7

Abstract

Changes in climatic conditions are associated with changes in the physicochemical properties of many fruits. Four germplasms of cashew apple originating from Brazil, Tanzania, Ghana (herein referred to as local) and Mozambique but all grown in Ghana were studied to assess the effect of agro-climatic zones on the sugar accumulation, pH, and weight of these cashew apples. Cashew apples were sourced from experimental stations in Bole and Wenchi in the Northern and Savannah regions of Ghana, respectively. A total of 1800 fruits were used for the experiment. Inter and intra significant differences (P < 0.05) were scored amongst germplasms collected from both locations concerning the measured parameters. Sugar ranged between 8.7% - 12.5% with fruits from Bole having the highest sugar content. The pH value ranged from 3.9 (Local germplasm from Bole) – 4.3 (Tanzania germplasm from both locations). The weight ranged between 33 g (Tanzania germplasm from Bole) – 69.8 g (Brazil germplasm from Bole). Meteorological data (from February 2017- April 2018) collected from both locations inf‍luenced the parameters, thus associating with the fruits from both locations. Conclusively, the present study indicated that, weather and geographical locations had an effect on sugar content, pH, and weight of cashew apples.

Highlights

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale Linn.) is believed to have originated from Brazil in South America and Latin America (Pennington et al, 2004)
Four germplasms of cashew apple originating from Brazil, Tanzania, Ghana and Mozambique but all grown in Ghana were studied to assess the effect of agro-climatic zones on the sugar accumulation, pH, and weight of these cashew apples
The weight ranged between 33 g (Tanzania germplasm from Bole) – 69.8 g (Brazil germplasm from Bole)

Summary

Introduction

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale Linn.) is believed to have originated from Brazil in South America and Latin America (Pennington et al, 2004). There was significant difference (P < 0.05) amongst all the cashew apple germplasms collected from both locations in terms of their sugar content with Local germplasm from Bole recording the highest sugar content (12.5%) whilst Mozambique germplasm from Wenchi recorded the lowest (8.7%) (Table 1). PH, and weight of four cashew apple germplasms from Bole and Wenchi.

Results

Conclusion