Evaluation of Psidium guajava accessions and some other Psidium species for fruit characters.

Abstract: Thirty-seven accessions of P. guajava and 6 Psidium species (P. chinensis, P. quadrangularis, P. molle, P. cattleianum, P. guineense and P. friedrichsthalianum) were studied for fruit weight, volume, length, breadth, total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity, skin colour and pulp colour. Cultivar Kamsari had the highest fruit weight. The TSS was highest in the cultivar Bangalore Local (12.70 degrees Brix), however, this cultivar has hard seeds. In most of the cultivars, the skin colour was yellow and cultivars such as Apple Colour and Chittidar had red spots on the skin. The cultivars Beaumont, EC- 147039, 147037, 162904, 147036, 147034, G-6, Kamsari, Pati, Portugal, Red Flesh had pink to red flesh colour. P. quadrangularis and P. guinees produced large fruits. The TSS was highest in P. friedrichsthalianum. The hybridization programme carried out has resulted in the isolation of one superior red-fleshed cultivar H-21.