Characterization of palm heart harvested from several crossing combinations between E. Oleracea Mart. and E. edulis Mart. growing under different conditions. I. Raw material

Abstract

Some physical, chemical and biochemical characteristics of palm heart Euterpe oleracea Mart, and Euterpe edulis Mart., harvested from interespecific hibrid plants, were studied. The palms were grown at two locations in São Paulo State, Brazil, under two insolation conditions: full sunlight and shaded by forest trees. Buffering capacity, enzimatic activity and pH of palm heart were affected by the location. Growing conditions affected only yield (per plant basis) and pH of palm heart. Reciprocal plants yielded less than normal crosses. The same was true for hibrids with tillering capacity in comparison to plants with a single growing point. A relationship between a morphological characteristic of the seedling and the yield of mature plants was found.