Six mamey sapote cultivars were evaluated by USDA-ARS at the Corozal Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Puerto Rico for fruit production and quality. Six-months-old trees grafted onto 'Pantin' rootstocks were transplanted to the field April 25, 2000. The Ultisol soil (Corozal clay; clayey, mixed, isohyperthermic Aquic Haplohumults) had a pH in water, 4.75; pH in calcium chloride, 4.11; ammonium nitrogen, 23.01 mg/kg; nitrate nitrogen, 9.17 mg/kg; organic carbon, 1.19 %; phosphorus, 5.88 kg/ha; potassium, 54 mg/kg; calcium, 1551 mg/kg; magnesium, 62 mg/kg. Historical weather data for this site are: rainfall, 964 mm; evaporation, 696 mm; maximum temperature, 30.6 (C); minimum temperature, 19.9 (C); elevation, 195 m.
Six mamey sapote cultivars were evaluated at the USDA-ARS Isabela Research Farm for fruit production and quality. Six-months-old trees grafted onto 'Pantin' rootstocks were transplanted to the field February 2, 2000. The Oxisol soil (Coto clay: clayey, kaolinitic isohyperthermic Typic Hapludox) had a pH in water, 6.62; pH in calcium chloride, 6.06; ammonium nitrogen, 11.05 mg/kg; nitrate nitrogen, 6.60 mg/kg; organic carbon, 1.20 %; phosphorus, 15.79 mg/kg; potassium, 470 mg/kg; calcium, 1664 mg/kg; magnesium, 68 mg/kg. Historical weather data for this site are: rainfall 890 mm; evaporation, 808 mm; maximum temperature, 29.3 (C); minimum temperature, 21.8 (C); elevation, 126 m.
An ex situ collection of twenty-six mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota (Jacq.) H. E. Moore & Stearn) accessions at the USDA-ARS TARS research farm, in Isabela, Puerto Rico was evaluated for horticultural and agronomic traits. Six-year-old, clonally propagated trees (rootstock 'Pantin') that were regularly irrigated, fertilized and pruned were used for the evaluation. Orchard was planted in a randomized complete block design with two trees in each of four blocks in a diamond pattern with 6.1 m between rows and 4.9 m between trees in a row. Fruit count and weights were collected during monthly harvests for a period of 3 years (May, 2007 through May, 2010). A subset of randomly selected fruit for each accession, at every other harvest was further evaluated in laboratories for fruit dimensions, number and seed dimensions, total pulp and degrees Brix.