Morphometric characterization of mezcal agaves from the Northern Region of Guerrero

Abstract

The current knowledge of farmers in the Northern Region of Guerrero about the identification of agave species and varieties used in mezcal production is limited. By not knowing the scientific name of these species, they are prevented from accessing information on forms of reproduction, management and byproducts, as well as the certification processes of agave plantations for mezcal production. This research aimed to characterize the morphometry of mezcal agaves and identify traits that can be used for their identification. The research was conducted from 2016 to 2023, collecting 230 agave specimens in 31 localities in the Northern Region of Guerrero. Twenty-three morphometric traits were measured, which were entered into a database in Microsoft Excel^®. Principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were performed in the R software version 4.0.3. The first five principal components explained 79.59% of the variation. Linear discriminant analysis required two discriminant functions to explain 89% of the variation. The traits that contributed the most in the principal component analysis were tooth uniformity, leaf margin, and length of tooth in the middle of the leaf. In linear discriminant analysis, the traits that contributed the most were wider leaf width, leaf length, and leaf base width. The identification of these species and varieties will make it easier for farmers to certify their agave plots and give added value to the mezcal.