EVALUATION OF FRUIT GROWTH AND POSTHARVEST PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF NECTARINE [Prunus persica var. nectarina (Ait.) Maxim.]

Abstract

A 3-year study was done to compare the blossoming and harvesting date, fruit physical and chemical composition of six nectarine cultivars grown with High Density Planting system under western Serbian conditions. A high variability among and within cultivars was found and significant differences were observed among them in all properties analyzed. Year-by-year variations were observed for blossoming and harvesting date, length of fruit growth, soluble solids content, fruit weight and fruit firmness. On the basis of evaluated data, the best fruit performance registered in ‘Caldesi 2000’ and ‘Syrio’ grown with HDP on heavy soil. Contrary, the poor fruit physico-chemical properties were observed in ‘Mayfire’, especially in ‘Nectared 4’. This evaluation may help to select a set of nectarine cultivars with better fruit quality attributes, which in our growing conditions might be indicated in ‘Caldesi 2000’, ‘Syrio’, somewhat ‘Weinberger’ and ‘Fantasia’.

Keywords

• chemical composition
• flesh firmness
• fruit size
• fruit shape
• high density planting system