Morphological characterization of sweet chestnut fruits from forest plantations in central Chile

The sweet chestnut ( Castanea sativa Mill.) is one of the most important starchy foods worldwide due to its low fat content and high nutritional value. This study is the first analysis of the sweet chestnut fruit in forest plantations where the morphological properties are characterized, in terms of caliber, size, shape, and internal cracking, damage, and cavities. The study was based in three sites in Chile, Los Rios Region (39°S), where most of the forest chestnut plantations are located. Scott and Knott test of variance and contingency tables were used as statistical methods for site comparisons. In general, no significant differences in size were found among sites. Moreover, the Chilean forest sweet chestnut can be defined as a small-caliber fruit with slight internal cracking and internal damage and almost no cavities. Therefore, due to its morphological characteristic (especially caliber), it has the potential to be used for secondary food products.