Determining Fruit Characteristics Turkish Sweet Cherry (Prunus avium L.) Grown in Afyonkarahisar: Local Cultivars and Genotypes

Abstract

Sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) is one of the most widely produced and consumed stone fruit species in the world and Turkey. Due to this agricultural importance, breeding studies are carried out in cherry for various purposes. The main breeding objective is to increase self-sufficiency and fruit quality in cherry worldwide. In this study, we aimed to determine the relationship between fruit cracking, which is a serious problem in fruit quality, and fruit characteristics, which are the morphological characteristics of the fruit, with genotypes and local cultivars and to determine the cracking resistance of cherry fruits. Annual temperature, relative humidity and precipitation data, which are known to be highly related to cracking in ripening fruits until harvest, were also taken. Differences were found in fruit weight, fruit width, seed weight, fruit stem weight, TA, pH, L*, a*, b*, hue, croma and crack resistance characteristics between genotype and local cultivars. Among the traits examined, fruit weight was 4.05–5.14 g, width was 20.47–22.80 mm, length was 18.49–19.06 mm, seed weight was 0.58–0.68 g, peduncle length was 31.79–36.44 mm, and peduncle thickness was 1.09-1. 17 mm, peduncle weight 0.08–0.11 g, TA 7.62–9.37%, pH 4.20–4.37, SSC 13.53–15.05%, L* 28.55–33.05, a* 9.44–22.92, b* 2.18–8.23, hue 11.98–20.15, croma 9.71–24.26 and cracking index 6-12.40. It was determined that there was a low negative correlation between the cracking index and fruit weight, fruit length, seed weight, TA, pH and L* and a low positive correlation between fruit width, fruit stem length, thickness and weight, SCC, a*, b*, ho and croma. According to the results of the heatmap clustering analysis, three of the local cultivars were clustered together (A), while the other local cultivars and genotypes were clustered in a separate arm (B). Similarly, fruit weight, seed weight, peduncle thickness, SSC, peduncle weight, TA, fruit length, peduncle length and cracking indexes were categorized as the first group, and other components were categorized as the second group. As a result of the research, local cultivars and genotypes with high fruit weight and cracking resistance were identified. We believe that these genotypes can be employed in both breeding and breeding research.