Abstracto
- The characteristics of agricultural products are influenced by biotic and abiotic factors, producing physiological responses in the plant and physicochemical properties in the fruits that are the basis for designations of origin and value-adding strategies in the current market. In the present work, ten cacao materials (Theobroma cacao L.) selected for productivity (FSV41, FLE3, FEAR5, FSA12, FEC2, SCC23, SCC80, SCC55, ICS95 and CCN51) were morphoagronomically characterized, which were established in Santander (931 m. a. s. l.), Huila (885 m. a. s. l.) and Arauca (204 m. a. s. l.), the main producing areas of Colombia. For the evaluation of the physical characteristics, 21 quantitative descriptors were used. The data collected was analyzed using the Pearson correlation matrix and principal component analysis, identifying those descriptors that most contribute to the variability between materials (fruit index, relationship length diameter, weight and diameter of seed and weight and length of fruit). In addition, the effect of the place of harvest on the physical characteristics of the materials could be verified.
