New guava varieties benefit producers from the north of Nayarit

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The INIFAP indicated that this fruit has suitable agronomic qualities for the producers.

As part of the Agricultural Strategic Plan, the National Institute of Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research (INIFAP) selected new varieties of guava through an improvement in resistance to pests and diseases, as well as in agroclimatic characteristics for greater profitability for the benefit of producers of the north of the state of Nayarit.

The Institute – decentralized agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food (Sagarpa) – detailed that the outstanding varieties are “Calvillo Siglo XXI” and the selections “12” and “20”, with three periods of flowering during January-February, April-May and July-August.

In a statement, the INIFAP noted that the varieties “Merita” and “Caxcana”, have flowering period throughout the year and together, are recommended and optimal for cultivation, development, and production in the municipalities of Santiago Ixcuintla, Tuxpan, Rosamorada, and Tecuala, in Nayarit.

He pointed out that this fruit has suitable agronomic qualities for the producers , due to its availability during most of the year, with greater supply in the months of October, November, and December.

The guava , he explained, requires humid and dry environments, with heights of zero to one thousand 600 meters above sea level, environmental conditions of 15 to 35 degrees Celsius (° C), optimal precipitation between one thousand and three thousand 800 millimeters, and from 70 to 90 percent of relative humidity, conditions that this area of the state of Nayarit presents.

Data from the Agri-Food and Fisheries Information Service (SIAP) indicate that, worldwide, Mexico ranks fourth as a producer of guava, a fruit that is grown in more than 22 thousand 500 hectares in 20 states, with a production close to 325 thousand tons in 2017

The cultivation of guava is one of the 12 most important fruit trees, where most of the production goes to the domestic market for fresh consumption and around 13 thousand tons are exported to the United States, Canada, Spain, and Germany, mainly.

The per capita consumption of guava in Mexico is estimated at 2.5 kilograms, almost four times more than other countries such as Venezuela and Brazil, which are also important producers of guava in Latin America.

The Mazatlan Post