Caracterização morfoagronômica e multivariada de frutos de bacurizeiro (Platonia insignis Mart.) de plantas matrizes do município de Santa Rita, MA

Abstract

Bacuri (Platonia insignis Mart.) is a fruit native to the eastern Brazilian Amazon, widely appreciated for its characteristic flavor and aroma, being consumed both fresh and processed. Despite its economic, social, and ecological importance, there is a lack of information regarding the morphological and chemical characteristics of fruits in natural populations. In this context, the present study aimed to characterize 22 genotypes of bacurizeiro from a natural population in the municipality of Santa Rita, Maranhão, based on physical and chemical attributes. During the 2023/24 and 2024/25 harvest seasons, 8 to 20 fruits per genotype were collected for analysis of fruit fresh weight (FFW), pulp weight (PW), shape index (SI), pulp yield (PY), total soluble solids content (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), and TSS/TA ratio (chemical ratio, CR). The data were subjected to analysis of variance, with means compared using Tukey’s test (P<0.05). Additionally, correlations among variables were calculated, and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to assess genetic divergence patterns and identify the variables that contributed most to the observed variability. The results revealed wide variability among genotypes, with fruit weights ranging from 84.70 g to 552.51 g. About 81.81% of the genotypes presented oval-oblong fruits (SI > 1.10), and the pulp yield exceeded the average of natural populations by 12%, as 86.36% of the genotypes showed higher values, with emphasis on genotypes 8, 14, and 21, which presented values above 19%. TSS content ranged from 7.97 to 21.03 °Brix, while the average chemical ratio was 13.84, ranging from 6.83 to 31.45. Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between morphological and qualitative traits, while PCA explained more than 60% of the accumulated variance in the first two principal components, allowing the distinction of genotypes with greater agronomic potential. The results highlight the existence of promising genotypes with superior characteristics, which may support strategies for genetic improvement, conservation, and domestication of the species.