Abstract

The Pica lemon is an acid lime (Citrus aurantifolia), a citrus fruit closely linked to the commune of Pica that is grown in the oases of Pica, Matilla and Valle de Quisma, localities in the province of Tamarugal, Tarapacá region / Chile. A physical - chemical characterization of the fruit was carried out for 18 months considering three types of orchards: traditional - semi-technified - technified, differentiated by the irrigation system used. To determine the number of trees and fruits, a Stratified Random Sampling was used for a mean with proportional fixation at p < 0.05. The results obtained show that the fruits from Traditional and Semi-technified orchards have a weight greater than 27 grams, an equatorial diameter greater than 34 mm and a juice content greater than 44% compared to the fruits from Technified orchards, probably associated with the soil moisture content resulting from the volume of water applied through irrigation. In all three types of orchards, the juice content of the fruits is the main component and complies with international regulatory values. The fruits have an elongated shape greater than 1, associated with low environmental humidity that characterizes desert climates, and have a similar peel thickness of 1,5 mm. In addition, the fruits in the three types of orchards have a soluble solids/acidity ratio greater than 1, which indicates a higher percentage of soluble solids in the juice. The equation was determined with which a size table was built from the weight of the Pica lemon fruits. The results constitute reference values for the Pica lemon fruits produced in these oases of the Atacama Desert.