Characterization of yellow pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus Haw.) genotypes under two productive systems in Colombia

Abstract

Selenicereus megalanthus Haw. It is an exotic fruit tree, with productive and nutritional potential. In Colombia, there is a great phenotypic and genotypic diversity, but its genetic studies are scarce. The objective was to characterize morphologically 15 selected yellow pitahaya genotypes, under two productive systems in the open field and under cover, in the municipalities of Miraflores and Zetaquira, in Boyacá, Colombia. Quantitative characters were evaluated: plant height (PH), number of vegetative sprouts (NVS), sub-sprouts (SS), longest sprouts length (LSL), distance between areoles (DBA), width of the ribs in the apical region (WRA), width of the ribs in the middle region (WRM), width of the ribs in the basal region (WRB), height of undulations between successive areoles in a rib (HUA), number of spines per areole (NSA) and longest spine length (LSP). The results showed under the two productive systems and the evaluated localities that the variables with the highest coefficient of variation (greater than 90%) were the number of sub-sprouts, height of the undulations between successive areoles (HUA) and the longest spine length (LSP). High positive correlations were obtained between the distances areoles, the width of the ribs and the length of the spines (r>0.7). The conglomerate showed that the characteristics that define the groupings are height of the plant, the texture of the cladodes, the width of the ribs and the height of the undulations. Characters associated with the shoots and cladodes were identified, which directly influence the vegetative propagation and therefore the yield of the yellow pitahaya.

Yellow Pitahaya (Selenicereus megalanthus Haw.) Growth and Ripening as Affected by Preharvest Elicitors (Salicylic Acid, Methyl Salicylate, Methyl Jasmonate, and Oxalic Acid): Enhancement of Yield, and Quality at Harvest

“…In relation to pulp content, all treatments showed higher pulp percentage (50-59%) and lower peel percentage (41-53%), with the exception of SA at 10 mM. These results agree with those reported by Morillo et al [36] for yellow pitahaya under two productive systems: open field, and under cover.…”

“…In plum, preharvest application of OA (at 0.5, 1, and 2 mM) induced higher yield in control from the first harvest date, while the contrary occurred in the second one, suggesting that exogenous OA delays on-tree ripening process, although total yield and the number of fruits per tree were always higher in OA-treated trees [36]. Pomegranate trees treated with OA at the same concentrations resulted in higher crop yield due to a higher number of fruits, but with similar fruit weight with no dose-dependence effect [19].…”