VARIACIÓN DEL TAMAÑO DE LAS SEMILLAS DE Azadirachta indica A. Juss. DE DOS PROCEDENCIAS EN MÉXICO

Abstract

Azadirachta indica (neem) is a valuable multipurpose species, native of India where it has been used as a medicinal, nematicide, insecticide and as a wood charcoal source. lts bioinsecticide properties have been attributed to different compounds known as limonoids, being azadirachtin one of the most important, and that concentrates in the seeds. Because of the growing need to use natural products to prevent pest attacks, neem was introduced to Mexico by the end of the ao·s where the species can grow; one of them is the state of Oaxaca where, in 1992, the Social Solidarity Association Ecosta Yutu Cuii, S. de S. S. established one plantation using seed from two geographical origins (India and The Philippines). Neem trees produce fruits highly variable in size, a feature that has not been assessed in Mexico. This study focused on the characterization of seeds to propase the selection of trees based on morphological traits. In the Oaxaca plantation, seeds were collected from 30 trees of each geographical origin. Length, width and weight were measured in every seed. Results show significant differences between and inside provenances for the weight of the seed, while the length and width had none significant differences between provenances, but they did inside provenances. The discussion emphasizes that the lndian provenance produced the best results for azadirachtin.