Biometric characteristics of varieties of açaí (Euterpe oleracea) fruits

Abstract

Açaí (Euterpe oleracea) is a fruit with economic importance for the North region. However, little is known about the biometric characteristics of the varieties of this species. The study aimed to verify the differences in the biometric characteristics of three varieties of açaí fruits, occurring in the northeast mesoregion of Pará, Eastern Amazon. Ripe fruits of the varieties açaí chumbinho, açaí comum and açaí BRS-Pará were collected and then submitted to measurement of fresh mass, longitudinal and transversal diameter of the fruits; fresh and dry mass and moisture of pulp and seed; and the ratio between pulp and seed. The variety BRS-Pará obtained higher values ​​in the longitudinal and transversal diameter, fresh fruit mass, fresh and dry mass and pulp moisture. However, the chumbinho variety stood out in the percentage of fruit pulp with 36.85%. In the cluster analysis, based on the Euclidean distance, three evident groups were formed for the varieties BRS-Pará, chumbinho and comum. In the analysis of principal components, the group formed by the variety BRS-Pará presented the transversal diameter and fresh mass of the fruit and the seed as the most relevant variables. It is concluded that the variety BRS-Pará was superior in most of the variables. However, the chumbinho variety presented a higher percentage of pulp, which could be attractive for the exploitation of açaí fruits and an advantage for the producer of this variety.