Evaluación de las características organolépticas de combinaciones patrones injertos de cultivares de cacao (Theobroma cacao L.)

Abstract

Although the grafting technique is common in cocoa cultivation, the rootstock-cloneinteractions on the sensory quality developed are not known. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the flavor profile of nine rootstock-grafting combinations of Ecuadorian Nacional type cocoa cultivars. Three rootstocks (EET 400, EET 399 and IMC 67) and three National type clones (EET 800, EET 575 and EET 484) were used. The temperature and pH dynamics in the micro fermentation process were evaluated. The dried almonds were then transformed into cocoa liquor and the sensory quality was analyzed by expert tasters. Withthe micro fermentation technique, temperatures between 42 and 45 o C were obtained and the pH reached an average of 6.2. The overall evaluation of the combinations showed that there were differences in the quality of the organoleptic profile between the standards used for a given clone. For all combinations all cocoas showed very low values of nutty and floral notes, with the highest notes corresponding to fruity and cocoa. These results demonstrate that different rootstock-graft combinations lead to changes in sensory profiles and provide the basis for further evaluation of the effect of the rootstock, about which little is known.