%0 Journal Article
%T Yield and Fruit Characteristics of Various Apricot Cultivars under Subtropical Climate Conditions of the Mediterranean Region in Turkey
%A A. Aytekin Polat
%A Oguzhan Caliskan
%J International Journal of Agronomy
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/687345
%X Seven apricot cultivars (¡°Beliana,¡± ¡°Canino,¡± ¡°Precoce de Colomer,¡± ¡°Feriana,¡± ¡°Rouge de Sernhac,¡± ¡°Tokalo£¿lu,¡± and ¡°Macar¡±) were evaluated at the experimental orchard of the Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Mustafa Kemal University, Hatay, Turkey. Phenological and pomological characteristics such as flowering period, average fruit weight, yield, fruit dimensions, flesh/seed ratio, acidity, and total soluble solids (TSSs) were examined. In addition, yield parameters of the cultivars were evaluated. Over four years, the highest average fruit weight was obtained from ¡°Rouge de Sernhac¡± (37.9£¿g), while ¡°Feriana¡± had the lowest (30.9£¿g). The flesh/seed ratio was the highest in the ¡°Canino¡± (16.8). ¡°Canino¡± had the highest TSS content with 14.5%, whereas ¡°Beliana¡± had the lowest TSS value with 10.6%. ¡°Beliana¡± and ¡°Feriana¡± ripened the earliest (May 20) while ¡°Precoce de Colomer¡± ripened latest (June 7). The average yield was highest on ¡°Rouge de Sernhac¡± (41.2£¿kg/tree). ¡°Beliana¡± and ¡°Feriana¡± cultivars are recommended for precocity, and ¡°Rouge de Sernhac¡± and ¡°Tokalo£¿lu¡± for middle season in D£¿rtyol, Turkey. 1. Introduction More than 80% of apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) production comes from the Mediterranean area and is concentrated in a period of 30¨C40 days, mostly in June [1]. Turkey is the world¡¯s largest producing country of both fresh and dried apricot. Apricots are grown in almost all parts of Turkey, except in the very humid regions around the Black Sea and in the high plateaus of the East Anatolian Region [2]. Most production is drying cultivars whereas fresh apricot cultivars are produced primarily in coastal regions, especially the Mediterranean and Aegean Sea regions of Turkey [3]. In Turkey, apricot is grown in a wide range of climatic conditions. Weathers are very cold during winter and very arid during summer in main apricot growing areas: Malatya, Erzincan, and I£¿d£¿r provinces. Apricots grown in these provinces damaged frequently by late spring frost. However, the climate of Mediterranean region which have semiarid, having hot summers and mild-winters can be occurred rarely frost damage [4]. Hatay, which is located in the eastern Mediterranean coast of Turkey, has the most suitable ecological conditions for growing table apricot. Apricot planting in Hatay area has increased rapidly due to the comparative advantage of earliness of harvest. In Turkey, strong market demand, along with the introduction of foreign cultivars, opens up promising possibilities to extend the cropping season to May and June. Breeding programs for
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/ija/2013/687345/