In situ characterization of the ackee (Blighia sapida) and its commercial potential in Costa Rica

Abstract

Introduction. The ackee, Blighia sapida, is a tree native to the African continent and in Costa Rica the fruits are consumed mainly by Afro-descendants living in the Atlantic. Objective. The objective of this work was to describe the geographical distribution, phenotypic diversity and management of the ackee crop in the Huetar Atlantic Region of Costa Rica. Materials and methods. A vegetative and reproductive prospection and characterization was carried out, in addition to the measurement of the yield index (IR) of ackee materials in the Region, between 2015 and 2016. Results. Sixty-six trees growing along the Braulio Carrillo highway and the road to the South Atlantic, were evaluated. The cantons with the highest number of genotypes were Siquirres and Limon. The great majority of these materials were found growing near the houses, which denotes a rooting of this species in the local culinary culture. Of the forty genotypes characterized, little phenotypic variability was found in the vegetative characters. As for the fruits, they showed greater diversity, with variation in the weight, size, color and number, and weight and firmness of the arils. A 86.9 % of the genotypes presented arils with firm consistency before and after the cooking test. IR values were between 8 and 20, with the best genotypes having an index close to 8. The agronomic management of the trees in terms of fertilization, pruning, pests and pathogens, control is almost non-existent. Conclusion. It is suggested to validate the use of the trees selected for their good productive performance, and to create the bases to establish the simple agronomic management, which includes the use of fertilization, pruning, higher planting densities, among other tasks, and measure the impact on the productivity and quality of the fruits of this species.