Biología floral de cacao (theobroma cacao l.); criollo, trinitario y forastero en México

With the objective of identifying the dynamic of the floral biology and fruit development of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) varieties, Creole, Trinitario and Forastero in the Soconusco region, Chiapas, Mexico, and relating them with environmental variables, the floral biology of five biological variants of T. cacao L. called: Creole: Carmelo, Lacandón, Lagarto; Trinitario: RIM 24 and Forastero: PMCT-58, was studied. The trees used were of juvenile stage (4-5 years) with 3 m height. Randomly, 10 floral buds from each tree were identified, without considering their position (n150 floral buds between the five materials). The variables were: growth of floral bud, growth, development and maturation of the fruit, related to the variables precipitation/temperature with fruit growth. The longitudinal growth period of the fruit was differential between the materials and varied from 110 to 150 daa (days after anthesis) and the diameter from 50 to 70 daa. The longest fruit (270 mm) was Creole lagarto and it grew until 150 daa; however, Trinitario RIM 24 cacao presented the highest growth in less time, reaching a length of 230 mm and diameter of 60 mm in 120 daa. The lowest growth was found in Forastero PMCT-58 cacao with 150 mm of length and 70 mm of width in 130 daa. The floral biology of the Creole, Trinitario and Forastero genotypes showed small variations in length and diameter of the floral bud, as well as the time of highest growth in the five materials of cacao.