Biometry and oil contents of Acrocomia aculeata fruits from the Cerrados and Pantanal biomes in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Biometric features and oil contents of macauba (Acrocomia aculeata) palms natively growing in sites representatives of the Brazilian Cerrados (Campo Grande – CG, and Sao Gabriel do Oeste – SGO), and Pantanal (Corumba – CO, and Aquidauana – AQ) biomes were studied. The objective was to obtain data that could assist better planning for the exploitation of natural populations, and knowledge to help selection and breeding programs. Plant (spines presence; stem circumference; number and length of bunches) and fruits characteristics (fruits per bunch; size; mass; proportion of components – husk, pulp, shell and kernel; fruits moisture at ripening; pulp and kernel oil content) were measured from ten native palms from each site. There was variability in biometrics, biomass production potential and oil yield in the palms within each site and among the sites. No correlation was found between biometrics features and oil contents. On average, plants from CG showed better general productive characteristics than any other of the studied sites, but a large variability in fruits size. Palms from CO presented smaller fruits, but they were more homogeneous in size and with higher kernel oil contents. Fruits from SGO show bigger mass and size, but it did not result in higher fruit biomass production or oil yield. Although oil yields potential were almost half of what is usually measured in other areas of Brazil, results provided interesting data for a better planning to rational exploitation of native macauba groves in these areas. Variability within plants from all sites indicate that they could be a reserve of genetic materials for further development of cropping systems aiming production of oil and other useful products.

► Acrocomia aculeata (macauba) is a palm that occurs in large part of South, Central and North America.
► It can be used for different applications (animal and human nutrition, biofuels and energy).
► Fruits of macauba in Mato Grosso do Sul show large variability in phenotypic characteristics.
► Knowledge of its diversity is important to predict productive potential, selection and breeding programs.