ESTIMATIVA DE PRODUÇÃO, CARACTERIZAÇÃO FÍSICA E PERFIL QUÍMICO DE AMÊNDOAS DE NOGUEIRA-PECÃ

Abstract

The pecan (Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) C. Koch) is a fruit species adapted to southern Brazil, which has been consolidated as an important raw material for agro-industry, generating income and diversification in rural properties. This study was conducted in a private country estate in the city of Cachoeira do Sul - RS, in order to verify the efficiency of randomized branch sampling to quantify the production of fruits in pecan with three different ages (5, 7 and 10 years) compared with conventional production systems. Moreover, it was also evaluated the physical and chemical profile of four cultivars (Barton, Choctaw, Stuart and Shawnee) of pecan. To perform the random sampling of branches, we were tested two selection techniques: probability proportional to the diameter (PPD) and uniform probability (PU), applied in nine trees, three of every age. The physical characterization was performed by measurement of length, diameter, weighing and yield 100 fruits, divided into four replicates of 25 fruits for each cultivar. To obtain the chemical profile analysis was performed by direct insertion (fingerprinting) in a mass spectrometer by electrospray ionization method used a sample pool (n=10) for each cultivar. The analysis enabled the classification of almond cultivars due to the similarity index and principal components analysis. Random sampling branches underestimated the fruit production in the evaluated ages, and its main disadvantage the high sample error, which stabilized with eight trees and three sampled paths. The cultivar Stuart showed higher mass fruit, almonds and peel, getting the lowest almond yield (49,84%). The cultivar Choctaw demonstrated high mass of fruit and almond, with a quantity of intermediate shell, reaching an average yield of 52,65%. The Shawnee Barton had almond cultivars and yields higher than 50%, less bark and smaller fruit size relative to the other. The pecan produces almonds with physical and chemical differences and increased production with increasing age.