Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
The important commercial species are:
A. cherimola
Mill.
Cherimoya (English); chirimoya (Spanish);
cherimolier (French); anona (Mexican); noina
ostrelia (Thai); chirimoya (German)
A. squamosa
L.
Sugar apple, sweetsop (English); anon, riñón
(Spanish); noina (Thai); nona seri kaya (Malay);
custard apple (Indian)
A. squamosa
×
A. cherimola
Atemoya, custard apple (English); atemoya
(Spanish)
Annona diversifolia
Saf .
Ilama (English, Spanish)
Annona glabra
L.
Pond apple (English); mamon (Philippine)
Annona montana
Magfady
Mountain soursop (English); guanábana
cimarrona (Spanish)
Annona muricata
L.
Soursop (English); guanabana, atio
(Philippines); guanábana, catoche (Spanish);
durian belanda, nona sri kaya (Malay); nangka
belanda (Indonesian); thurian-khaak (Thai);
sitaphal (Indian); fruta de conde, graviola
(Brazilian); zapote agrio, catoche (Mexican);
corossol épineux (French)
Annona reticulata
L.
Custard apple, bullock's heart (English); anon,
anona, corazón (Spanish)
Rollinia orthopetala
R.DC.
Biriba (Brazilian).
Area of origin and distribution
Cherimoya (
A. cherimola
Mill) is thought to have originated in the highlands of
Ecuador and Peru. The antiquity of the fruit is attested to by ancient artifacts
shaped in the form of the fruit in Peru. Distribution through Central America
and Mexico probably occurred at an early date, as it has become naturalized in
the cool highland areas. Distribution continued from Mexico to the Caribbean
islands and then to the African coast and the Mediterranean. Introduction to
Africa and the Far East is attributed to early Spanish navigators.
The cherimoya is considered the best of the
Annonas
and is cultivated in
subtropical regions and in the tropical highlands. In most areas, it is grown
as a garden tree or as part of a subsistence farming system. Commercial
production occurs in Spain, Bolivia, Chile, Peru and New Zealand (George
and Paull, 2008). Experience has shown that the California coastal regions
are more conducive to cherimoya production, having higher relative humidity
(RH) (70-80%) in spring and summer than in the interior valleys, where the
RH can drop to less than 40% during the hotter part of the day in summer.
The tree grows to about 7.3 m; it is vigorous when young but tends to
decline in growth with age. New buds cannot sprout until the leaves have
