Evaluation location: Puerto Rico, United States
Research on sapodilla (Manilkara zapota) has been very limited. A field
study was conducted to determine the yield potential, fruit quality traits, leaf
nutrient composition, and scion/rootstock compatibility of ‘Prolific’ sapodilla
grafted onto 16 sapodilla rootstock seedlings. For this purpose, seedlings (maternal
half-sibs) of cultivars Adelaide, Arcilago, Aruz, Blackwood, Blocksberg, Guilbe,
Hanna, Jamaica-1, Larsen, Mendigo-1, Gallera, Morning Star, Russel, Prolific,
Timothe, and Vasallo-1 were used as rootstock seedlings and evaluated during
7 years of production at Isabela, PR. Year showed a significant effect on the number
of fruit per hectare, yield, individual fruit weight, fruit length and diameter, and
total soluble solids. Rootstock seedlings had a significant effect on the number of
fruit per hectare, yield, and individual fruit weight but had no effect on other fruit
traits. The year · rootstock interaction was not significant for any of the variables
measured in the study. Rootstock seedlings ‘Timothe’, ‘Vasallo-1’, ‘Larsen’, and
‘Aruz’ had the highest 7-year mean for number and the yield of fruit averaging
4479 fruit/ha and 1245 kghaL1
, respectively. ‘Timothe’ and ‘Vasallo-1’ significantly out yielded the ‘Prolific’ rootstock seedling. The number of fruit per hectare
and corresponding yield obtained in this study were very low probably as the result
of wind exposure, the presence of the fungus Pestalotia causing floral necrosis, or
both. Scion/rootstock incompatibility was not the cause of the low yield performance of grafted trees. The average individual weight of fruit was 282 g and ranged
from 264 to 303 g. Averaged over rootstock seedlings, leaf tissue nutrient
concentration did not vary greatly over time. Moreover, tissue nutrient concentration was similar before and after fertilization events