Collecting Pouterias ( Pouteriaspp.), Sapodilla ( Manilkara Zapota) and Caimito ( Chrysophyllum Cainito) for the Creation of New Markets

Abstract

The pouterias, sapodilla and caimito are all members of the family Sapotaceae native to Central America. These fruit are important local commodities throughout Tropical America, and for sapodilla and caimito, Tropical Asia as well. They have considerable potential in the Americas and throughout the tropical world as local and export commodities; however, considerable obstacles remain for horticultural improvement. Furthermore, genetic resources are poorly understood and generally lacking for the systematic development of these crops. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (FTBG) located in Coral Gables, Fla., USA has been active in the collection of these crops for the past two decades in Central America. Collecting has concentrated on collaboration with local contacts in Costa Rica and Nicaragua who are directly involved in the harvesting and marketing of local fruit. Such collaborations have allowed for the identification, collection and importation of superior selections of each fruit, nearly exclusively from seedling trees within home gardens on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. New collections of the pouterias have concentrated on 3 species ( Pouteria sapota(Jacq.) H. E. Moore & Stearn, P. viridisCronq., and P. fossicolaCronq.) and possibly hybrids among them. Emphasis has been placed on selections for the fresh market with superior production, fruit quality and horticultural traits of the tree. With sapodilla, emphasis has been placed on the selection of superior fresh fruit and trees with superior horticultural traits. Caimito collections have been limited by difficulties in the location of superior selections and clonal propagation. The emphasis has been on the selections of superior fresh fruit quality. Collections have also been made of other species in the Sapotaceae with potential as rootstocks for commercial use.