LEAF BIOMETRICS AND CORRELATIONS WITH COMMERCIAL FRUIT YIELD OF PAPAYA CULTIVARS EVALUATED IN AMAZONAS

An experiment was carried out in the municipality of Iranduba/AM with the aim of measuring the characteristics of total number of leaves per plant (NTFP), average mature leaf length (CMFM), average mature leaf width (LMFM), petiole length (CP) and leaf area (AF) of papaya cultivars and evaluating their possible correlation with commercial fruit yield.The treatments consisted of fifteen papaya cultivars, spaced 3.5 m x 2.0 m apart.The experimental design was randomized blocks.The experimental unit consisted of 10 plants in a row, with a total experimental population of 600 plants, after sexing.The yield of commercial fruit (kg/ha) in January 2010 and in the quarter Jan-Feb-Mar/2010 (PFC), and the number of commercial fruit (n o fruit/ha) in January 2010 and in the quarter Jan-Feb-Mar/2010 (NFC), were obtained from weekly harvests of fruit at harvest point.The average data was submitted to analysis of variance using the software (Sisvar software 5.6) (Ferreira, 2011), and the means of the characteristics were compared between the cultivars using the Scott-Knott test (1974).Leaf area was estimated using the mathematical model that relates it to the length of the central vein of mature leaves, according to Campostrini & Yamanishi (2001).The Caliman M5 cultivar had the highest NTFP and the highest CP, while the Sunrise Solo P.K. and Solo BS cultivars had the highest CMFM, the highest LMFM and the highest AF.The Caliman 01 cultivar stood out in terms of CP in the Jan-Feb-Mar/2010 quarter, and also in terms of NFC in the same period.The cultivar Brilhoso stood out in the month of January/2010, with the highest yield, both in terms of weight (PFC) and number (NFC) of commercial fruit.There was a significant positive correlation between the NFC measured in the Jan-Feb-Mar/2010 quarter and the NTFP measured in January 2010, as well as between the PFC in the Jan-Feb-Mar/2010 quarter and the AF, and between the NFC in the Jan-Feb-Mar/2010 quarter and the leaf area.