Some Important Fruit Characteristics of Apricot (cv. Aprikoz) Accessions Grown in Kagizman District in Turkey

Abstract

With their rich nutrients, fantastic flavor and taste, excellent medicinal value and health care functions, apricot has been continuously well received by consumers as important horticultural crop. The fruit has a great market value as fresh and dried food commodity and has the highest market share of agricultural income. Aprikoz an important apricot cultivar in particularly grown in western part of Aras valley located in Eastern Anatolia in Turkey. With long growing period, different types of Aprikoz cultivar has been shown in field in terms of tree and fruit characteristics. This study aimed to determine of some important fruit characteristic of eight accession of Aprikoz cultivar grown in Kagizman district located in western part of Aras valley. The accessions were compared each other in terms of fruit weight, flesh/seed ratio, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, total antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content. The results revealed that accessions statistically highly differed from each other for all of the searched parameters. The accessions exhibited fruit weight, fruit flesh/seed ratio, soluble solid content and titratable acidity between 36. 55 -48.22 g, 8.67 -13.33, 19.12 -22.83% and 1.27 -2.02%, respectively. Total antioxidant capacity varied from 4.17 to 6.37 mmol AA l-1 based on FRAP assay. The total phenolic contents ranged between 255 -356 mg GAE l-1. The results can be the basis for the selection of suitable accessions for future breeding activities in apricot.