| One of the most gregarious of fruit trees, the guava, Psidium guajava L., of the myrtle family (Myrtaceae), is almost universally known by its common English name or its equivalent in other languages. In Spanish, the tree is guayabo, or guayavo, the fruit guayaba or guyava. The French call it goyave or goyavier; the Dutch, guyaba, goeajaaba; the Surinamese, guave or goejaba; and the Portuguese, goiaba or goaibeira. Hawaiians call it guava or kuawa. In Guam it is abas. In Malaya, it is generally known either as guava or jambu batu, but has also numerous dialectal names as it does in India, tropical Africa and the Philippines where the corruption, bayabas, is often applied. Various tribal names–pichi, posh, enandi, etc.–are employed among the Indians of Mexico and Central and South America. A small tree to 33 ft (10 in) high, with spreading branches, the guava is easy to recognize because | |
The fruit, exuding a strong, sweet, musky odor when ripe, may be round,
ovoid, or pear-shaped, 2 to 4 in (5-10 cm) long, with
4 or 5 protruding floral remnants (sepals) at the apex; and thin, light-yellow
skin, frequently blushed with pink. Next to the skin
is a layer of somewhat granular flesh, 1/8 to 1/2 in (3-12.5 mm) thick,
white, yellowish, light- or dark-pink, or near-red, juicy,
acid, subacid, or sweet and flavorful. The central pulp, concolorous
or slightly darker in tone, is juicy and normally filled with
very hard, yellowish seeds, 1/8 in (3 min) long, though some rare types
have soft, chewable seeds. Actual seed counts have
ranged from 112 to 535 but some guavas are seedless or nearly so.
When immature and until a very short time before ripening,
the fruit is green, hard, gummy within and very astringent.
The guava has been cultivated and distributed by man, by birds, and
sundry 4-footed animals for so long that its place of origin
is uncertain, but it is believed to be an area extending from southern
Mexico into or through Central America. It is common
throughout all warm areas of tropical America and in the West Indies
(since 1526), the Bahamas, Bermuda and southern
Florida where it was reportedly introduced in 1847 and was common over
more than half the State by 1886. Early Spanish
and Portuguese colonizers were quick to carry it from the New World
to the East Indies and Guam. It was soon adopted as a
crop in Asia and in warm parts of Africa. Egyptians have grown it for
a long time and it may have traveled from Egypt to
Palestine. It is occasionally seen in Algeria and on the Mediterranean
coast of France. In India, guava cultivation has been
estimated at 125,327 acres (50,720 ha) yielding 27,319 tons annually.
Apparently it did not arrive in Hawaii until the early 1800's. Now it
occurs throughout the Pacific islands. Generally, it is a home
fruit tree or planted in small groves, except in India where it is
a major commercial resource. A guava research and
improvement program was launched by the government of Colombia in 1961.
In 1968, it was estimated that there were about
10 million wild trees (around Santander, Boyacá, Antioquia,
Palmira, Buga, Cali and Cartago) bearing, 88 lbs (40 kg) each per
year and that only 10% of the fruit was being utilized in processing.
Bogotà absorbs 40% of the production and preserved
products are exported to markets in Venezuela and Panama.
Brazil's modern guava industry is based on seeds of an Australian selection
grown in the botanical garden of the Sao Paulo
Railway Company at Tatu. Plantations were developed by Japanese farmers
at Itaquera and this has become the leading
guava-producing area in Brazil. The guava is one of the leading fruits
of Mexico where the annual crop from 36,447 acres
(14,750 ha) of seedling trees totals 192,850 tons (175,500 MT). Only
in recent years has there been a research program
designed to evaluate and select superior types for vegetative propagation
and large-scale cultivation.
In many parts of the world, the guava runs wild and forms extensive
thickets–called "guayabales" in Spanish–and it overruns
pastures, fields and roadsides so vigorously in Hawaii, Malaysia, New
Caledonia, Fiji, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico,
Cuba and southern Florida that it is classed as a noxious weed subject
to eradication. Nevertheless, wild guavas have
constituted the bulk of the commercial supply. In 1972, Hawaii processed,
for domestic use and export, more than 2,500 tons
(2,274 MT) of guavas, over 90% from wild trees. During the period of
high demand in World War II, the wild guava crop in
Cuba was said to be 10,000 tons (9,000 MT), and over 6,500 tons (6,000
MT) of guava products were exported.
Formerly, round and pear-shaped guavas were considered separate species–P.
pomiferum L. and P. pyriferum L.–but they are
now recognized as mere variations. Small, sour guavas predominate in
the wild and are valued for processing. 'Redland', the
first named cultivar in Florida, was developed at the University of
Florida Agricultural Research and Education Center,
Homestead, and described in 1941. Very large, with little odor, white-fleshed
and with relatively few seeds, it was at first
considered promising but because of its excessively mild flavor, low
ascorbic acid content, and susceptibility to algal spotting, it
was abandoned in favor of better selections. 'Supreme' came next,
of faint odor, thick, white flesh, relatively few, small seeds,
high ascorbic acid content and ability to produce heavy crops over
a period of 8 months from late fall to early spring. 'Red
Indian', of strong odor, medium to large size, round but slightly flattened
at the base and apex, yellow skin often with pink blush;
with medium thick, red flesh of sweet flavor; numerous but small seeds;
agreeable for eating fresh; fairly productive in fall and
early winter. 'Ruby', with pungent odor, medium to large size; ovate;
with thick, red flesh, sweet flavor, relatively few seeds. An
excellent guava for eating fresh and for canning; fairly productive,
mainly in fall and early winter. 'Blitch' (a seedling which
originated in West Palm Beach and was planted at Homestead)–of strong
odor, medium size, oval, with light-pink flesh,
numerous, small seeds; tart, pleasant flavor; good for jelly.
'Patillo' (a seedling selection at DeLand propagated by a root
sucker and from that by air-layer and planted at Homestead)–of very
mild odor, medium size, ovate to obovate, with pink
flesh, moderate number of small seeds; subacid, agreeable flavor; good
for general cooking. (As grown in Hawaii it is highly
acid and best used for processing). 'Miami Red' and 'Miami White',
large, nearly odorless and thick-fleshed, were released by
the University of Miami's Experimental Farm in 1954.
Guava seeds remain viable for many months. They often germinate in 2
to 3 weeks but may take as long as 8 weeks.
Pretreatment with sulfuric acid, or boiling for 5 minutes, or soaking
for 2 weeks, will hasten germination. Seedlings are
transplanted when 2 to 30 in (5-75 cm) high and set out in the field
when 1 or 2 years old. Inasmuch as guava trees cannot be
depended upon to come true from seed, vegetative propagation is widely
practiced. Pruned branches may serve as propagating
material. Cuttings of half-ripened wood, 1/4 to 1/2 in (6-12.5 mm)
thick will root with bottom heat or rooting-hormone
treatment. Using both, 87% success has been achieved. Treated softwood
cuttings will also root well in intermittent mist. In
Trinidad, softwood, treated cuttings have been rooted in 18 days in
coconut fiber dust or sand in shaded bins sprayed 2 or 3
times daily to keep humidity above 90%. Over 100,000 plants were produced
by this method over a 2-year period. Under
tropical conditions (high heat and high humidity), mature wood 3/4
to 1 in (2-2.5 cm) thick and 1 1/2 to 2 ft (45-60 cm) long,
stuck into 1-ft (30-cm) high black plastic bags filled with soil, readily
roots without chemical treatment.
Guava trees are frequently planted too close. Optimum distance between
the trees should be at least 33 ft (10 m). Planting 16
1/2 ft (5 m) apart is possible if the trees are "hedged". The yield
per tree will be less but the total yield per land area will be
higher than at the wider spacing. Some recommend setting the trees
8 ft (2.4 m) apart in rows 24 ft (7.3 m) apart and removing
every other tree as soon as there is overcrowding. Where mass production
is not desired and space is limited, guava trees can
be grown as cordons on a wire fence. Rows should always run north and
south so that each tree receives the maximum
sunlight. Exudates from the roots of guava trees tend to inhibit the
growth of weeds over the root system. Guava trees grow
rapidly and fruit in 2 to 4 years from seed. They live 30 to 40 years
but productivity declines after the 15th year. Orchards may
be rejuvenated by drastic pruning.