PHYSICO-CHEMICAL EVALUATION OF FRUIT OF IMPROVED BANANA CULTIVARS IN BRAZIL BY MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS

The aim of this study was to assess physico-chemical fruit characteristics of 15 disease-resistant banana hybrids being evaluated by Embrapa and commercial cultivars ‘Grand Naine’ (AAA), ‘Pacovan’ (AAB) and ‘Prata An㒠(AAB). Physical characterization included chroma, hue angle, yield, number of hands, number of fruits, bunch weight, pedicel length, pedicel diameter, peduncle weight, fruit length, fruit diameter, skin thickness, fruit length of the penultimate hand and fruit diameter of the penultimate hand. Chemical characterization included total carotenoids, reducing sugars, total sugar, titrable acidity, soluble solids, ash, moisture, protein and starch. The data were subjected to cluster analysis using the Unweighted Pair-Group Average (UPGA) method and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) from the correlation matrix. The cluster analysis showed the formation of three distinct groups. The first was formed by cultivars ‘Ambrosia’, ‘Bucaneiro’, ‘Calipso’, ‘FHIA-02’, ‘FHIA-18’, ‘BRS Maravilha’, ‘Grand Naine’ and ‘BRS Caipira’; the second was formed by ‘BRS Garantida’, ‘BRS Preciosa’, ‘BRS Japira’, ‘BRS Pacovan Ken’, ‘PV 79-34’, ‘Prata Anã’, ‘Pacovan’, ‘BRS Tropical’ and ‘BRS Platina’; and the third group was formed by ‘Thap Maeo’. The results were confirmed by PCA, where the first two components explained 47% of data variation.