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Article

Total Soluble Solid Content and Nutritional Values of Sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) in the Chihuahuan Desert as Affected by Rainy Season and Topography

by
Martín Juárez-Morales
1,
Martín Martínez-Salvador
1,*,
Celia Chávez-Mendoza
2,
Federico Villarreal-Guerrero
1,
Eduardo Santellano-Estrada
1,
Alfredo Pinedo-Alvarez
1,
Raúl Corrales-Lerma
1,
Nathalie S. Hernández-Quiroz
1,
Griselda Vázquez-Quintero
3 and
José H. Vega-Mares
1
1
Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Perif. Fco. R. Almada km 1, Chihuahua 31453, Chihuahua, Mexico
2
Coordinación en Tecnología de Productos Hortofrutícolas y Lácteos, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A. C. Avenida Cuarta Sur No. 3820, Fraccionamiento Vencedores del Desierto, Delicias 33089, Chihuahua, Mexico
3
Facultad de Ciencias Agrotecnológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, Av. Pascual Orozco s/n, Campus 1, Santo Niño, Chihuahua 31160, Chihuahua, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Horticulturae 2024, 10(8), 819; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10080819
Submission received: 12 July 2024 / Revised: 28 July 2024 / Accepted: 31 July 2024 / Published: 2 August 2024
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Studies in Abiotic Stress Response Mechanism of Horticultural Plants)
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Abstract

:
Sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) grows in the Chihuahan Desert in the north of Mexico and south of the United States. The stem of this species is used to produce a liquor widely known as sotol. A field sampling and a laboratory analysis were carried out to determine the influence of the rainy season, altitude, topography, and aspect over the soluble solid content (°Brix) and bromatological variables of mature plants of sotol in Chihuahua, Mexico. Analyses of variance and Tukey tests were performed. The rainy season and altitude showed significant statistical influence (p ≤ 0.05) on the total soluble solids content; meanwhile, only altitude showed a significant effect on the bromatological variables (p ≤ 0.05). According to the results of the Tukey tests (p < 0.05), sotol plants have the highest concentrations of soluble solid contents before the rainy season (25 °Brix) and at sites with altitudes lower than 1300 m (25.95 °Brix). In addition, the means of raw protein and carbohydrates content were the highest in plants living at altitudes lower than 1500 m, at 1.93% and 31.74%, respectively. Meanwhile, topography, aspect, and the interactions of the evaluated factors did not show significant influence (p ≤ 0.05) over the total soluble solid content, nor over the bromatological variables studied.

1. Introduction

Sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) belongs to the Nolinaceae family. This species is perennial, fibrous, and polycarpic, and its plants possess a high carbohydrate content once they reach maturity [1,2,3]. Climate and topography are highly variable in the desert where sotol plants grow. Particularly, sotol growth is influenced by altitude, slope, aspect, and soil conditions [3,4]. According to Juárez-Morales et al. [4], Dasylirion leiophyllum populations have the highest abundances on gentle slopes and east aspects in the Chihuahuan Desert.
The genus Dasylirion produces high percentages of carbohydrates; therefore, the species of this genus are relevant for human consumption [5]. Ancient fiber analysis reported that sotol was used as a food by native people of the desert of northern Mexico and the southern United States since pre-Hispanic times [6,7,8]. Currently, sotol species are mainly used to produce a widely known alcoholic beverage which is also named sotol. The stem of the plant is shaped like a bulb, which is also known as sotol head, and this is the part of the plant that is used to produce the liquor and also to feed livestock.
Among the carbohydrates produced by the genus Dasylirion, a high percentage corresponds to fructans, which could be affected by climatic factors [2]. In an evaluation of the carbohydrate content in plants of this same genus from Chihuahua, it was found that fructans produced by these species stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli, which are classified as high-quality prebiotics, with a higher quality than commercial inulin [9].
Some studies regarding the carbohydrate production of Dasylirion spp. have reported that the total soluble solid content varies in a wide range of 9.5–35.4 °Brix [10,11,12]. Specifically, for Dasylirion wheeleri, D. leiophyllum, and D. sereke, the total soluble solid contents are reported to range from 15 to 49 °Brix [10,11,12,13,14]. Dasylirion leiophyllum is the most widely used species to produce sotol in Chihuahua; however, no reports have been found about the influence of seasonal climate variation and topography on the carbohydrate production or bromatological composition of this species.
The states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Durango in Mexico have a protected designation of origin to produce sotol [5,15], which means that this beverage can only be produced, processed, and prepared in these areas in Mexico. It is estimated that, for this region, the artisanal sotol production is about 520,000 L year−1, with an annual growth rate of 5% [16]. This sotol boom has increased the pressure of plant harvesting in the natural ecosystems of the Chihuahuan Desert [17,18].
The potential distribution of the genus Dasylirion in northern Mexico is estimated as 6.5 million hectares; however, these species grow in small patches with low abundance [19]. For instance, the minimum abundance values for D. leiphyllum were found to be 40 plants/ha−1 [4]. In this respect, Mexican regulation requests that the regeneration of the species be ensured after harvesting [20], which could be difficult in areas with low abundance of the species. Additionally, the demand for sotol beverage continues to grow [16]. Therefore, some authors agree that it is necessary to establish sotol plantations as an alternative, both to protect sotol populations and to provide enough raw materials to produce sotol [13,18,19].
Given the imminent growth in the consumption of sotol as an alcoholic beverage, knowledge related to the effects of altitude, topography, and seasonal climate variation on the carbohydrate production and bromatological properties of the species could be useful for improved management and conservation efforts for sotol populations. Our aim was to study the influence of environmental variables on the production of sugars and nutritional variables of Dasylirion leiophyllum in Chihuahua, Mexico.

2. Materials and Methods

In the semi-arid zones of eastern Chihuahua State, Mexico, sotol plants were collected at the maturity stage, which is reached after the first flowering of the plants, approximately at the age of 15 years [13,19]. The collected plants were used to analyze the effects of the rainy season, altitude, landforms, and aspect on the total soluble solid content (°Brix). In addition, the effects of altitude, landforms, and aspect on the bromatological variables of mature sotol plant heads were assessed. Sotol heads are a portion of the stem of the plant with a round or oblong shape, formed at the base of the plant leaves.

2.1. Study Area

This research was conducted in the ranches of El Arcoíris, El Morrión, and El Táscate, which are located in the municipalities of Chihuahua, Aldama, and Coyame del Sotol in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, respectively (Figure 1). This region is part of the Chihuahuan Desert. The climate of the area is semi-arid, with precipitation events during the summer season. The mean annual precipitation and the mean annual temperature in this area is 300 mm and 22 °C, respectively. The highest extreme temperature usually reaches up to 45 °C, while the lowest reaches −10 °C [21]. Soils are mostly lithosol, xerosol, and regosol, which are commonly shallow, stony, and have low organic matter contents, where xerophytic shrub communities shape the vegetation [19,22,23]. Table 1 shows the altitude and values of some climatic variables characterizing each of the sampling sites [24].

2.2. Data Collection Structure

Within the limits of each ranch, a mountainous area with the presence of sotol populations was selected. Subsequently, four aspects (north, east, south, and west) and three landforms (valley, hillside, and hilltop) were identified. Figure 2 shows the sampling distribution for plant collection. Based on this design, 12 plants were collected before the rainy season and 12 plants after the rainy season from each ranch. Thus, 24 plants were collected annually from each ranch in the two years evaluated (2020 and 2021).

2.3. Assessed Factors

The total soluble solid content was measured in °Brix, and the data were analyzed using a randomized block design with a factorial arrangement. Four factors (rainy season, altitude, landform, and aspect) were considered in two blocks (the years 2020 and 2021). Regarding the bromatological variables, as the sotol plants were mostly collected during the dry season, both to make alcohol and to feed livestock, the analysis was only performed for the plants collected before the rainy season of 2020, and only three factors (altitude, landform, and aspect) were evaluated. For the latter, the analysis was based on a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement model.
Two levels were considered for the rainy season: A (before the rainy season) and B (after the rainy season); three levels for altitude: level A (“Arcoíris” ranch at a high altitude (>1500 m)), level B (“El Morrión” ranch at a medium altitude (1300–1500 m)), and level C (“El Táscate” ranch at a low altitude (<1300 m)); three levels for landform: level A (valley), level B (hillside), and level C (hilltop); and four levels for aspect: A (North), B (East), C (South), and D (West).

2.4. Plants and Data Collection

The locations of the selected plants were georeferenced using a Garmin GPS (Garmin eTrex 20x, Garmin, Olathe, KS, USA). Before harvesting each plant, the plant height (m), the average crown diameter (cm, determined with two crossed diameter measurements over the plant crown), and the diameter at the base of the plant measured at 10 cm above the ground (cm) were recorded. After that, the whole plant was harvested and “jimada” (leaves were cut off to yield the bare sotol head). Before being chopped, the bare heads were measured, and the mean diameter (cm) as well as weight (kg) were recorded (Figure 3). A sample of plant material was then extracted (a notch from the center to the edge of the head) from each head and the material was finely crushed to obtain the juice using a mechanical juicer. The total soluble solid content (°Brix) was measured from each juice sample by using a digital refractometer (Pal-α, Atago, Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan).
Once the aforementioned procedure was complete, a longitudinal sample of each head, containing approximately 10% of the total weight, was extracted. Each sample was finely cut and dried using a stove (Shel Lab Model 1380, Sheldon Manufacturing, Inc., Cornelius, OR, USA) at 70 ± 5 °C until the humidity level reached 6% [25]. The dry material was pulverized using an electric grinder (Thomas-Wiley, Laboratory Mill. Model 4. Thomas Scientific, Swedesboro, NJ, USA) and sieved with a 2 mm mesh. The sample was placed into a closed plastic container and stored at a temperature of 4 °C until the bromatological analysis was performed. The bromatological analysis was performed only on the plants collected before the rainy season of 2020.
The bromatological analysis was performed according to the procedures established by the Mexican standards: dry matter [26], ash [27], crude protein [28], crude fiber [29], ethereal extract or fat [30], and carbohydrates were measured by weight difference.

2.5. Data Analysis

In the first step, a descriptive analysis of the morphometric variables of the plants, the amount of dissolved solids, and the bromatological variables was carried out. To evaluate the normality of the residuals, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test was used. Meanwhile, the homogeneity of variance was evaluated with the means Bartlett test. Factors which did not meet these assumptions were subjected to a logarithmic (y = Ln (xi + 1)) and reciprocal (y = xi/1) transformation [31].
To assess the effects of the factors (i.e., rainy season, altitude, landform, and aspect) on the total soluble solid content and the bromatological variables, an analysis of variance was carried out. For this, a general linear model was used. When significant effects (p < 0.05) were found, a comparison of means was performed using the Tukey test with a significance level of 5%. All the analyses were performed using SAS software V. 9.4 [32].

3. Results

The height of the sotol plants in this study averaged 1.21 m, with a coefficient of variation (C. V.) of 0.15. Meanwhile, the weight of sotol heads averaged 9.48 kg, with a C. V. of 0.54. As can be observed in Table 2, the means of plant height and measurements of the sotol heads did not show similar ranges of variation. This was probably due to differences in the plants’ ages or soil conditions. Adult plants can reach large sizes, but the sotol heads might remain small.
For the total soluble solid content, the evaluated plants averaged 23.6 °Brix, with a C. V. of 0.18. Regarding the bromatological analysis, carbohydrate production averaged 29.45 with a C. V. of 0.15, while dry matter reached a value as high as 42.12% with a C. V. of 0.14 due to the fibrous nature of this plant species. In contrast, sotol plants seemed to have low contents of crude protein compared to other species such as grasses. In this study, the mean crude protein reached 1.71%, with a high level of variation (C. V. = 45%).
As a result of the analysis of variance on the total soluble solid content, the Bartlett test estimated Pr > ChiSq values of 0.7209, 0.8222, 0.8117, and 0.2982 for the factors of rainy season, landform, aspect, and altitude, respectively. Meanwhile, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test to evaluate normality in the residual’s distribution reached p > 0.150. The two tests were compared using a significance level of 0.05. Therefore, in both cases, the p value was >0.05, so it was concluded that the assumptions of homogeneity of variances in the means of the factors, as well as the normality in the residuals, were fulfilled.
The factors of rainy season and altitude showed significant effects (p < 0.05) on the total soluble solids in the sotol heads (Table 3). Meanwhile, the block effect and the factors of landform, aspect, and their interactions showed no significant influences (p < 0.05) on the °Brix (Table 3).
According to the Tukey test, there is enough statistical evidence to assume that the means of total soluble solid content in sotol plant heads are higher before the rainy season (25.71 °Brix) than after it (Table 4). In addition, it can be concluded that the amounts of total soluble solids produced by plants growing at altitudes lower than 1300 m are significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those produced by plants growing at higher altitudes (Table 5).
Considering the levels of the bromatological variables for each studied factor, the analysis of homogeneity of variances using the Bartlett test resulted in a PChisq > 0.05 (Table 6). Therefore, Ho was accepted, and the variances among these variables were assumed to be homogeneous. In addition, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test to prove the normality of residuals reached p > 0.150. Thus, we concluded that the distribution of the residuals followed a normal trend.
The only factor showing significant effects (p < 0.05) on the bromatological variables was altitude (Table 7). For the rest of the factors, as well as for their interactions, no significant effects were found (p ≤ 0.05). Thus, we might assume that landforms such as valleys, hillsides, and hilltops do not affect either the total soluble solid content or the bromatological variables of Dasylirion leiophyllum in Chihuahua, Mexico. Furthermore, no evidence was found that both groups of variables were affected by aspect.
According to the Tukey test applied to the bromatological variables, the crude protein and carbohydrates produced in the sotol heads were significantly higher (p > 0.05) in plants growing at altitudes lower than 1500 m than in plants growing at higher altitudes. In the same way, the means of sotol fat, fiber, and dry matter were higher in plants growing at lower altitudes (Table 8).
Plants of Dasylirion leiophyllum produce higher total soluble solid contents before the rainy season and at altitudes lower than 1300 m. In addition, bromatological variables for this species, such as protein, fiber, carbohydrates, and dry matter, show higher concentrations in plants growing at altitudes lower than 1500 m. These results could be useful for sotol production or animal feed, as well as for the establishment of sotol plantations.

4. Discussion

This study found that the total soluble solid content (°Brix) of D. leiophyllum in Chihuahua, Mexico, was 16.51% higher before the rainy season than after it. It could be assumed that, during the winter and spring, plants accumulate sugars in their heads, since the total soluble solid content is mainly formed by complex sugars such as fructooligosaccharides, fructosyl polymers, and other smaller molecules such as glucose and fructose [13,33,34]. Several authors have indicated that variables such as temperature, precipitation, aspect, slope, altitude, and soil influence plant growth and species abundance [34,35,36,37]; however, they do not specifically report the influence of these physical variables on sugar production or the production of biochemical compounds in sotol.
Bennie et al. [38] stated that incident solar radiation on the vegetation determines its photosynthetically active wavelengths, so the spatial variation of topographic variables influences the productivity of the vegetation pattern. In this regard, Juárez-Morales et al. [4] found D. leiophyllum plants to have greater abundance and size on gentle slopes and valleys, as well as on eastern aspects, although in this study, we did not find statistical evidence (p < 0.05) to assume that landforms or aspect influence the production of dissolved solids.
Sotol plants growing at sites with altitudes lower than 1300 m contain higher soluble solid contents than those growing at sites with higher altitudes (p < 0.05). This result suggests that both the harvest of wild plants and the establishment of commercial plantations could be more attractive in sites with low altitudes, although plants of this species apparently grow faster at altitudes above 1500 m [4]. This is controversial, since plants produce greater quantities of sugars at lower altitudes, while at higher altitudes, plants grow faster and more abundant populations are found [4].
Sotol plants constitute a significant portion of the diet of the nomadic people of the arid zones where it grows [6,7,8]. In recent years, however, it has been mainly used for the liquor production and, to a lesser extent, as a supplement to feed livestock during the drought season [6,39,40]. Regarding its nutritional value, some authors report specific information on the nutritional and total carbohydrate values of species such as D. leiophyllum, D. werlery, and D. cedrosanum [10,14,41]; however, no reports have been found about the influence of environmental variables on such values in sotol plants. This study found that bromatological variables such as ash, crude protein, fat, carbohydrates, and dry matter content are higher in plants of D. leiphyllum growing at altitudes below 1500 m than those living in upper sites (p < 0.05).
The dry matter, ash, and fat values were similar to those reported by some authors for D. wheeleri and D. cedrosanum in other regions of northern Mexico [14,41]. Meanwhile, the mean of crude protein content found for D. leiophyllum (1.9% (p < 0.05)) at altitudes below 1500 m was higher than those reported for D. wheeleri and D. cedrosanum, whose values were 0.86% and 0.49%, respectively [14,41]. This apparent difference is possibly associated with climatic and edaphic factors, specifically extreme temperatures and low precipitation, which could influence plant productivity [42,43], since the distribution area of D. leiophyllum is different than the area where the other two species are distributed [13,19].
Comparing the values of the bromatological variables from this study with data reported for Agave tequilana W [41,44,45,46], we found that the carbohydrate, dry matter, and ash contents were similar for both species, while the fiber and protein contents were higher for D. leiophyllum. Thus, it can be assumed that the fat, dry matter, and carbohydrate contents in D. leiophyllum coincide with the values reported for Dasylirion spp. and A. tequilana W in Mexico; however, the fiber and protein contents seem to be higher for D. leiophyllum.
Sotol is considered a key species for the functioning of desert rosette scrub communities. In its adult stage, it reaches up to 2 m in height, while older plants can grow even taller, with crown diameters greater than 1 m. The leaves of such plants are arranged in rosettes, which helps water from precipitation to flow through the leaves and stems until it reaches the ground, forming small islands with more productive soils [10,13,19]. In addition, they produce heads that are attractive for the sotol industry, which reach different weights depending on the species. In this study, the sampled plants averaged 9.48 kg in weight, with a coefficient of variation of 0.54.
The large, canopy areas of sotol plants contribute biomass to the shallow and stony soils. Similarly, the sotol crown cover influences the percentage of light, temperature, and wind speed at the ground level, which reduces wind erosion and evaporation of soil moisture [47,48,49]. Moreover, dead leaves generate mulch, creating microhabitats where fungi, bacteria, and soil-forming invertebrates such as ants and termites grow, thus contributing to maintaining healthy ecosystems [12,50]. These are some of the characteristics that highlight the importance of sotol in the arid ecosystems of the Chihuahuan Desert. Hence, we consider that the results of this study provide useful information for the establishment of commercial plantations in sites more conducive to the generation of carbohydrates, which could reduce the pressure to harvest wild plants in the native ecosystems of this region.

5. Conclusions

The rainy season and altitude showed statistical effects on the total soluble solid content (°Brix) of Dasylirion leiophyllum in Chihuhaua, Mexico. Sotol plants reach higher sugar concentrations (°Brix) before the rainy season than after it. In addition, plants living at altitudes lower than 1300 m show higher total soluble solid contents than those living at higher altitudes.
No influence of landforms such as valleys, hillsides, and hilltops on the total soluble solids content was found.
Altitude showed statistically significant effects on the ash, fat, fiber, carbohydrate, and dry matter contents of Dasylirion leiophyllum in Chihuhaua, Mexico.
The crude protein and carbohydrate concentrations for D. leiophyllum in Chihuahua, Mexico were higher for plants living at altitudes lower than 1500 m.
No influence of landforms (i.e., valleys, hillsides, and hilltops) or aspect on the bromatological variables of Dasylirion leiophyllum in Chihuahua, Mexico, was found.
The findings of this study could be useful both to protect the native population of Dasylirion leiophyllum and to establish sotol plantations in the Chihuahuan Desert.

Author Contributions

The conceptualization was performed by M.J.-M. and M.M.-S.; preparation of methodology by M.J.-M., C.C.-M., M.M.-S., and G.V.-Q.; field sampling by M.J.-M., J.H.V.-M., and R.C.-L.; formal analysis by E.S.-E. and M.M.-S.; writing—original draft preparation by M.J.-M., M.M.-S., and C.C.-M.; and review and editing by F.V.-G., N.S.H.-Q., and A.P.-A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Data Availability Statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Acknowledgments

We thank CONAHCYT, Mexico, for supporting the doctoral graduate studies of the first author by means of a scholarship (No: 370469). We also thank to the Facultad de Zootecnia y Ecología-Universidad Autónoma de Chihuahua, which provided support to perform the field sampling and the laboratory analyses. We thank the landowners for allowing us to carry out the field sampling, contributing to the development of this study.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Horticulturae 10 00819 g001
Figure 1. Location of sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) sampling sites.
Figure 1. Location of sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) sampling sites.
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Figure 2. Sampling distribution for each site (ranch).
Figure 2. Sampling distribution for each site (ranch).
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Figure 3. Dasylirion leiophyllum in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Figure 3. Dasylirion leiophyllum in Chihuahua, Mexico.
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Table 1. Characterization of the sampling sites.
Table 1. Characterization of the sampling sites.
RanchAltitude (masl)pp
(mm)		Max Temp
(°C)		Min Temp
(°C)		ETP
(mm)
El Arcoirís>150036239.9−5.971101
El Morrión1300–150028842−4.52606
El Táscate<130020343−2.31888
Abbreviations: masl (meters above sea level), pp (precipitation), Max Temp (maximum temperature), Min Temp (minimum temperature), ETP (potential evapotranspiration).
Table 2. Descriptive statistics of nutritional content, dissolved solids, and morphometric variables of sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) in natural populations in the state of Chihuahua.
Table 2. Descriptive statistics of nutritional content, dissolved solids, and morphometric variables of sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) in natural populations in the state of Chihuahua.
TypeVariablesMeanStandard DeviationC. V.Minimum ValueMaximum Value
Sotol plant variablesPlant height (m)1.210.190.150.621.82
Average crown diameter (m)1.530.230.150.982.15
Crown area (m2)1.890.570.300.753.61
Base diameter (m)0.260.060.230.120.45
Pineapple diameter (m)0.240.050.190.150.41
Pineapple weight (kg)9.485.150.541.8732.03
Bromatological analysis variablesAsh (%)1.260.270.210.71.68
Ether extract (%)0.690.350.50.311.69
Raw fiber (%)7.002.030.293.1710.56
Crude protein (%)1.710.450.260.942.74
Carbohydrates (%)29.454.540.1518.536.2
Dry matter (%)42.126.130.1426.449.2
Soluble solid content(°Brix)23.604.360.1814.9737.37
C. V. = coefficient of variation.
Table 3. Effects of the rainy season and topographic factors on the °Brix of Dasylirion leiophyllum in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Table 3. Effects of the rainy season and topographic factors on the °Brix of Dasylirion leiophyllum in Chihuahua, Mexico.
SourceMean SquareF-ValuePr > F
Block32.2522.970.0881
Rainy season (RS)365.11833.66<0.0001
Landform (Re)5.6650.520.595
Aspect (As)3.2060.30.8802
Altitude (Alt)147.28613.58<0.0001
RS × Re6.3330.580.5598
RS × As6.4520.590.6673
RS × Alt30.1182.780.0676
Re × As9.5470.880.5129
Re × Alt5.7620.530.7131
As × Alt8.3310.770.6155
RS × Re × As9.0110.830.5493
Re × As × Alt1.9530.180.8355
Table 4. Comparison of means of °Brix in heads of Dasylirion leiophillum as affected by the rainy season.
Table 4. Comparison of means of °Brix in heads of Dasylirion leiophillum as affected by the rainy season.
VariableRainy Seasonmsd
Before the Rainy SeasonAfter the Rainy Season
°Brix25.7192 B21.4726 A1.5919
Means with the same letters are not significantly different; means with different letters are significantly different, msd (minimum significant difference).
Table 5. Comparison of means of °Brix in heads of Dasylirion leiophillum as affected by altitude.
Table 5. Comparison of means of °Brix in heads of Dasylirion leiophillum as affected by altitude.
VariableAltitude (masl)msd
>15001300–1500<1300
°Brix21.119 C23.710 B25.957 A1.5919
Means with the same letters are not significantly different; means with different letters are significantly different, msd (minimum significant difference).
Table 6. Bartlett test for homogeneity of variance of the bromatological variables.
Table 6. Bartlett test for homogeneity of variance of the bromatological variables.
VariablePr > ChiSq
TopographyAltitudeAspect
Ash0.9580.5790.409
Fat0.1380.0640.002
Fiber0.9210.6380.236
Protein0.1900.0820.639
Carbohydrates0.3040.0700.154
Dry matter0.2370.0420.854
Table 7. Effect of altitude on the behavior of bromatological variables in heads of Dasylirion leiophyllum.
Table 7. Effect of altitude on the behavior of bromatological variables in heads of Dasylirion leiophyllum.
VariableMean SquareF-ValuePr > F
Ash0.3849.040.0115
Fat0.75528.430.0004
Fiber38.27137.470.0002
Protein0.7979.440.0103
Carbohydrates37.8854.40.0500
Dry matter214.58828.520.0004
Table 8. Comparison of means of bromatological variables according to the effect of altitude for heads of Dasylirion leiophillum in Chihuahua, Mexico.
Table 8. Comparison of means of bromatological variables according to the effect of altitude for heads of Dasylirion leiophillum in Chihuahua, Mexico.
VariableAltitude
>15001300–1500<1300Dms
Ash1.010 B1.333 A1.431 A0.1934
Fat0.435 B0.607 B1.035 A0.2418
Fiber4.907 C6.911 B9.187 A1.0620
Protein1.360 B1.846 A1.936 A0.4195
Carbohydrates26.263 B30.341 A31.741 A4.0369
Dry matter33.975 C41.042 B45.333 A3.8598
Means with the same letters are not significantly different; means with different letters are significantly different.
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Juárez-Morales, M.; Martínez-Salvador, M.; Chávez-Mendoza, C.; Villarreal-Guerrero, F.; Santellano-Estrada, E.; Pinedo-Alvarez, A.; Corrales-Lerma, R.; Hernández-Quiroz, N.S.; Vázquez-Quintero, G.; Vega-Mares, J.H. Total Soluble Solid Content and Nutritional Values of Sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) in the Chihuahuan Desert as Affected by Rainy Season and Topography. Horticulturae 2024, 10, 819. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10080819

AMA Style

Juárez-Morales M, Martínez-Salvador M, Chávez-Mendoza C, Villarreal-Guerrero F, Santellano-Estrada E, Pinedo-Alvarez A, Corrales-Lerma R, Hernández-Quiroz NS, Vázquez-Quintero G, Vega-Mares JH. Total Soluble Solid Content and Nutritional Values of Sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) in the Chihuahuan Desert as Affected by Rainy Season and Topography. Horticulturae. 2024; 10(8):819. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10080819

Chicago/Turabian Style

Juárez-Morales, Martín, Martín Martínez-Salvador, Celia Chávez-Mendoza, Federico Villarreal-Guerrero, Eduardo Santellano-Estrada, Alfredo Pinedo-Alvarez, Raúl Corrales-Lerma, Nathalie S. Hernández-Quiroz, Griselda Vázquez-Quintero, and José H. Vega-Mares. 2024. "Total Soluble Solid Content and Nutritional Values of Sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) in the Chihuahuan Desert as Affected by Rainy Season and Topography" Horticulturae 10, no. 8: 819. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10080819

APA Style

Juárez-Morales, M., Martínez-Salvador, M., Chávez-Mendoza, C., Villarreal-Guerrero, F., Santellano-Estrada, E., Pinedo-Alvarez, A., Corrales-Lerma, R., Hernández-Quiroz, N. S., Vázquez-Quintero, G., & Vega-Mares, J. H. (2024). Total Soluble Solid Content and Nutritional Values of Sotol (Dasylirion leiophyllum) in the Chihuahuan Desert as Affected by Rainy Season and Topography. Horticulturae, 10(8), 819. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10080819

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