The objective of this work has been to study the influence of spacing on chemical and physical-chemical characteristics of peduncles of irrigated early dwarf cashew (Anacardium occidentale L. var. nanum). The experiment was carried out in an area of 1.57 ha within the Experimental Station of Vale do Curu, located in the county of Paraipaba, Ceará, Brazil. Four treatments were evaluated: one traditional (6.0 x 8.0 m) and three densely spaced (4.0 x 3.0 m; 6.0 x 3.0; and 8.0 x 3.0 m), to which trimming and paring were applied. The peduncles were harvested for analysis in August 1998 and taken to the Postharvest Physiology Laboratory of Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical. The following characteristics were evaluated: total soluble solids (SST), total titrable acidity (TTA), TSS/TTA ratio, vitamin C and tannin (polymeric, dimeric and oligomeric) contents. No significant differences were found among treatments for the characteristics evaluated, and the figures found in the experiment were similar to those reported in literature.
cashew tree; fruit quality; plant density
