Micropropagation of Solanum muricatum Ait. (Pepino)

Abstract

Pepino (Solanum muricatum Ait. -family Solanaceae) is a well-known fruit in countries like Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru (Jordan and Botti 1992). In Spanish-speaking countries the name is pepino dulce (sweet cucumber), but in most other countries the name pepino is used. It comes in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and qualities. Often the fruits (Fig. 1) are exotically colored. Inside they are somewhat watery and pleasantly flavored, but normally not over-sweet (Anonymous 1989). Pepino fruits are, at their best, sweet and juicy and are used as a dessert fruit. As far as is known, breeders have not yet tackled the pepino seriously, except in New Zealand (Sanewski 1986–1987; Atkinson and Gardner 1991). At present, pepino remains a little-known crop which is currently unexplored and underexploited (Anonymous 1989). In countries like Chile, New Zealand, and the USA (California), pepino is already growing under modern and controlled conditions (Cornejo et al. 1990), but not on a large scale. The international markets (Europe, Japan, and the United States) have been opening in recent years (Anonymous 1989).