PRELIMINARY DETERMINATION OF YIELD COMPONENTS FOR VANILLA (Vanilla planifolia Jacks. ex Andrews) CULTIVATION IN TOTONACAPAN REGION, MEXICO

Abstract

Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) is one of the most important commercial tropical crops originating in Mexico, however in the last 25 years the volume of
production and the yield of the crop have diminished considerably. Current knowledge about technological packages for the cultivation of vanilla; just as traditional knowledge about production systems, is very limited. But information on the components that determine vanilla yields that
could be addressed through agricultural management is even smaller. Therefore, the aim of this work was to analyze variables and factors
that affect the yield of the vanilla crop in the Totonacapan region, Mexico. Two vanilla genotypes Q1 and Q6 were evaluated, the Q6 was
studied in two sites. 28 agronomic variables associated with yield were analyzed. A biplot Principal Component Analysis was carried out, with
the purpose to identify the relationship level between the grouping of individual plants and yield variables. The results allowed to identify three
performance profiles (PR) in the evaluated germplasm. It was observed that the profiles of higher yield and fruit quality associated with the Q6,
independently of the locality, are correlated with less health and higher levels of fruit fall. While in the most wild material Q1, a profile with lower
yield values was distinguished, but with low levels of fruit fall and higher health parameters.