The guava is a fruit which belongs to the Myrtaceae family, its origin is not well defined, within these plant materials are grouped about 3000 species of which the genus Psidium includes about 100 species native to Tropical America.
▶ The guava is a small tree generally between 3-10m, the leaves can be oval, elliptic or lanceolate 4-12 cm long by 3-4 cm wide, with prominent veins and numerous transparent glands. The flowers are large and white. The fruit is a fleshy aromatic berry, with the calyx persistent at the apex. With numerous very hard seeds in the pulp.
▶ Credits: Wikipedia. – [Image of Public Domain]
Psidium guajava is a tropical fruit which is consumed fresh as well as processed in the form of pulp, juices, jams among others, being of great acceptance in Venezuela. In the Maracaibo plain alone, more than 4000 hectares are cultivated, where the agro-ecological conditions and the traditional production system are favorable.
In the 1980s and 1990s, guava became the most important fruit crop in the northwestern region of Zulia State, specifically in the Mara Municipality, where it accounted for 80% of national production, producing an average yield of 25,000 to 35,000 kg/ha on approximately 3,500 ha.
Some historians agree that the fruits whose origin is between Central America and North America have been introduced in the most tropical and subtropical zones around the world, but this plant is mostly cultivated in tropical countries.
The varieties that are commercialized are imported mainly from South Africa and Brazil, where the white and red pulp fruits are commercially grouped.
NOTE: Reference material.