Native Fruit Tree Improvement in Amazonia: An Overview - Indigenous Fruit Trees in the Tropics: Domestication, Utilization and Commercialization - page 101

included among the environmentally friendly and economically viable options
for the region. Smith et al . (1998) analysed the numerous constraints on the
adoption of agroforestry, while Clement (1997) analysed those on development
of underutilized fruit tree species, both of which help to explain the expansion
of pasture and grains. These constraints notwithstanding, fruit crops in orchards
or agroforestry systems are important in the region; as this importance
increases, area, labour involvement, productivity and income generated also
increase. The most important species, however, are not native to Amazonia,
which is apparently an anomaly when compared with South-east Asia, the
other world centre of origin of tropical fruit crops (Clement, 2004).
The majority of the fruit species used, cultivated and domesticated by
Native Amazonians are indigenous to Amazonia and include at least eight
domesticates, 18 semi-domesticates and 21 incipient domesticates, as well as
another 33 fruit crops from other parts of Central and South America that have
been domesticated to varying degrees (see Tables A6.1-A6.3). Hundreds of
other species remain wild, either because they never attracted enough Native
Amazonian attention or because they naturally occur in sufficient abundance to
make cultivation unnecessary. Two of the Amazonian natives that are
important around the world today are cocoa ( Theobroma cacao L.) and
pineapple ( Ananas comosus Merr.). Others are moderately familiar as minor
fruits and agroforestry fruit tree species: peach palm ( Bactris gasipaes Kunth),
abiu or caimito ( Pouteria caimito Radlk.), inga or ice cream bean ( Inga edulis
Mart.) and Brazil nut ( Bertholletia excelsa Kunth). All of the other native fruits
are of minor importance regionally, although they may be important locally. At
the same time, the most important fruits in Amazonia are banana and plantains
( Musa spp.), orange ( Citrus sinensis Osbeck) and other citrus species, coconut
( Cocos nucifera L.), mango ( Mangifera indica L.) and several American species
from outside Amazonia that had been introduced before European conquest,
such as papaya ( Carica papaya L.), passion fruit ( Passiflora edulis Sims.) and
avocado ( Persea americana Mill.).
The small percentage of native Amazonian fruits known outside the region
raises a question. Why are Amazonian fruits so often unimportant in the market?
Are the fruits to blame? Many cannot be consumed in natura . Patiño (2002)
divides neotropical fruits into those that require processing and those that do
not, with many more in the first category. Most have unacceptably short shelf
lives. Many have strange flavours, aromas or textures that are acquired tastes.
Most are extremely variable in quality because they are seed-propagated, and
only the most intensively selected come relatively true from seed. This latter
point is the major problem for most fruits around the world and can be solved
through appropriate improvement strategies, which is the topic of this topic.
Additionally, many neotropical fruits are more like staple foods than desserts
(see Table 6.1; most of the palm and starchy oily fruits), which places them at a
competitive disadvantage in extra-Amazonian markets that concentrate on
dessert or fresh out-of-hand fruits, although this characteristic may make them
more important for food security and sovereignty at the subsistence level.
Over the last half-century there has been considerable research and
development (R&D) on native American fruits implemented principally by