Comparative studies on nectar from two self-fertile and two self-sterile cultivars of quince (Cydonia oblonga Mill.) and their attractiveness to honeybees

Summary

Cross-pollination is of primary importance for quince (Cydonia oblonga), whose flowers reward pollinators with pollen and nectar. Characteristics of the nectar from two self-fertile (SF) and two self-sterile (SS) cultivars of quince were compared in a 3-year study, in order to establish if the two fertility groups differed from each other in terms of nectar production and/or insect attraction. The volume of nectar secreted per flower per day was measured using calibrated capillaries. The concentrations of nectar sugars were determined using a hand-held refractometer. The composition of nectar sugars was analysed using thin layer chromatography and densitometry. The quantity and quality of the nectar varied between years, cultivars, and fertility types. The volumes of nectar ranged from 0.40 – 5.30 µl flower^–1 d^–1 over the 3 years. The concentrations of sugars in the nectar produced flower^–1 d^–1 averaged ≥ 20% (w/w) in all cultivars, and ranged from 21.80 – 35.60% (w/w) over the 3 years. Significantly lower volumes of nectar were measured in the SF cultivars than in the SS cultivars in both years of the study. However, the concentrations of sugars in the nectar were not significantly lower in the SF group. The total sugar content of nectar varied between 160.59 – 347.65 mg ml^–1. The main sugar component in the nectar was sucrose, followed by glucose and fructose. Differences in the composition of nectar sugars could not be correlated with the two fertility groups. Our data showed that, although certain properties of their nectar make SS cultivars more attractive to honeybees than SF cultivars, members of the latter group can also attract sufficient numbers of bees to carry out cross-pollination, which is beneficial to both fertility types of C. oblonga.     

Long-term studies on yield,quality and soil fertility of lemongrass (Cymbopogon fiexuosus) in relation to nitrogen application

Summary

A field experiment was conducted over five years (1992–97) at Bangalore (13.58N, 77.558E, 930.m above mean sea level) to study the effect of nitrogen application (0, 50, 100 and 150.kg N ha^–1 year^–1) on yield, oil quality and soil fertility of lemongrass (Cymbopogon fiexuosus) in the semi-arid tropical conditions of South India. Fresh herbage yield of lemongrass differed significantly between years; the yields increased up to the second year after which they started to decline. During the five years, the response to nitrogen was linear, while still maintaining the same content and quality of essential oil. The oil content and chemical composition of oil did not change as the crop aged. Application of nitrogen and phosphorus maintained the fertility of the soil while potassium depletion was noticed.     

Salinity tolerance of bermudagrass (Cynodon spp. L. C. Rich) cultivars and shoot Na,K and Cl contents under a high saline environment

Summary

Increasing need for salt-tolerant turfgrasses continues due to population growth in arid and semi-arid regions where potable water is limited, while soil and existing water sources are salty. Bermudagrass (Cynodon spp. L. C. Rich) is widely used in these areas. Therefore, this experiment was conducted to evaluate the salt-tolerance of ten cultivars of bermudagrass under a high saline soil and water environment. Five salinity levels of irrigation water (3.30, 6.93, 10.2, 14.8 and 17.8 dS m^–1) were prepared and 30 pots were surfaced-irrigated at each salinity level for 1 year. Overall top growth, root growth, K content and K:Na ratio were reduced by 75%, 45%, 77% and 94.5%, respectively; while leaf-firing, shoot Cl and shoot Na concentrations were increased by 4%, 498% and 356%, respectively, when the salinity increased from 3.3 dS m^–1 to 17.8 dS m^–1. Regarding the salt-tolerance of cultivars, ‘Tifway’ was superior in top growth, percentage leaf-firing, Na uptake and K:Na ratio, ‘ISF2’ in root growth, and ‘Tifdwarf’ in Cl uptake. Although ‘Tifway’ showed the greatest reduction in root dry weight, it had the lowest level of leaf-firing and lowest reduction in top growth, which could be due to having the lowest Na uptake. Cultivars exhibited marked differences in their response to salinity; however, no mortality was observed, indicating that all cultivars tolerated the salinity levels used in the experiment.     

Varietal differences in the chlorogenic acid,anthocyanin, soluble sugar,organic acid,and amino acid concentrations of eggplant fruit

Summary

Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is an important crop in Japan, with a long history of cultivation. Although many eggplant cultivars and lines have been developed, their nutrient concentrations, including phenolic compounds, have not been investigated in detail. In the present study, we investigated varietal differences in the concentrations of taste (e.g., soluble sugars, organic acids, and amino acids) and functional (e.g., chlorogenic acid, anthocyanins, and amino acids) compounds in eggplant fruit using 34 cultivars and lines with diverse growth habits, fruit shapes, sizes, and colours. The concentrations of taste and functional compounds differed among cultivars and lines. Variations in chlorogenic acid [0.1 – 2.5 mg g^–1 fresh weight (FW)] and anthocyanin (0.0 – 0.4 A₅₃₂ units g^–1 FW) concentrations were greater than those of soluble sugars (e.g., sucrose, 0.5 – 1.7 mg g^–1 FW; glucose, 7.6 – 13.7 mg g^–1 FW; fructose, 6.2 – 15.0 mg g^–1 FW) and organic acids (e.g., citric acid, 0.07 – 0.21 mg g^–1 FW; malic acid, 0.9 – 1.9 mg g^–1 FW). We also found that the coefficient of variation in amino acid concentrations varied with amino acid. Glutamine (27.4 – 135.8 mg 100 g^–1 FW) and arginine (4.5 – 23.1 mg 100 g^–1 FW) had the largest variation between varieties. These results indicate the importance of cultivar selection to optimise the concentrations of ingredients and will contribute to improvements in the functionality of eggplant through breeding.     

Effect of interplanted rice on the growth of tomato in deep solution culture and on the response to salinity

Summary

Tomatoes were grown for 66 d in deep solution culture (a) without aeration, (b) with interplanted rice and (c) with air bubbled through the solution, in factorial combination with two electrical conductivities (4 and 8 mS cm^?1). Root growth was seriously restricted in the poorly aerated solutions (a) and (b). Interplanted rice stimulated shoot growth compared with the un-aerated treatment, and increased the total dry weight, leaf area and fruit yield (fresh weight) by up to 26, 34 and 22% respectively. The total dry weight of plants grown with rice was only 60% of that of the aerated ones but the area of corresponding upper leaves was 73%. Water and nutrient uptake were reduced by poor aeration but, after allowing for the uptake by the interplanted rice, only the uptakes of P and Ca by tomatoes in that treatment were significantly higher than those of the un-aerated plants. The higher salinity reduced growth and the uptake of nutrients. No interaction between aeration and salinity was found.     

Growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant metabolism in mustard (Brassica juncea L.) cultivars differing in ATP-sulfurylase activity under salinity stress

Salinity is one of the major environmental factors limiting crop productivity. The effect of increasing salinity levels (0, 50, 100 mM NaCl) on growth, photosynthetic traits, leaf water potential, oxidative stress, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants was studied in Pusa Jai Kisan and SS2 cultivars of mustard (Brassica juncea L. Czern & Coss.) differing in ATP-sulfurylase activity at 30 days after sowing (DAS). The cultivar SS2 (low ATP-sulfurylase activity) accumulated higher content of Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in leaf than root. SS2 also showed greater content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and H₂O₂ and higher decrease in growth, photosynthetic traits and leaf water potential than Pusa Jai Kisan with increasing salinity levels. Contrarily, Pusa Jai Kisan (high ATP-sulfurylase activity) exhibited higher Na⁺ and Cl⁻ content in root than leaf, lower TBARS and H₂O₂ content and higher activity of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase. However, the activity of superoxide dismutase was greater in SS2 than Pusa Jai Kisan. Higher activity of ATP-sulfurylase in Pusa Jai Kisan resulted in increased content of glutathione, a reduced form of inorganic sulfur and an essential component of cellular antioxidant defense system. The lesser decrease in growth and photosynthesis in Pusa Jai Kisan was the result of lesser Na⁺ and Cl⁻ in leaf, higher turgidity and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes and glutathione content.     

Screening of genotypes of menthol mint Mentha arvensis for high yields of herbage and essential oil under late cropping conditions of the sub-tropical Indo-Gangetic plains

Summary

The essential oil yields and expression of related characters were compared for seven cultivar genotypes of menthol mint Mentha arvensis using two methods of planting in the winter rabi – summer season (October to July) in a sub-tropical agroclimatic environment. The crops of all the cultivars were planted in the field by (1) sowing of suckers on 2 January and (2) transplanting germinated pieces of sucker at different times between 17 March to 14 April. Staggering of transplanting time up to 7 April did not affect oil yields and the related plant growth properties of mint crops. The oil yields of the crops planted on 14 April were lower by about 30%. In the early sucker planted crops, the oil yields were about 30% higher than those obtained from the transplanted crops of 17 March to 7 April and about double that obtained from crops transplanted on 14 April. The oil yields from the crops of the superior genotype Kosi were equal to or higher than the corresponding means of all genotypes under both planting methods. The oil yield from the crops of Kosi genotype obtained by sucker sowing method was estimated as 333 kg ha^–1. The corresponding average yield from the crops of this genotype obtained by transplanting of germinated suckers between 17 March and 7 April was about 293 kg ha^–1 and that from the crop transplanted on 14 April was 218 kg ha^–1. With the Kosi genotype, the latter two types of transplanted mint crops gave oil yields lower only by about 12% and 33% compared with the long-duration sucker-sown crop. It is concluded that a crop of mustard (brassica), Bengalgram (chickpea) or wheat sown between October and November and harvested between early March to middle of April could be taken before cropping of the Kosi genotype of M. arvensis by plantlet transplanting. These results demonstrate the potential of the following rotation of crops in the sub-tropical environments: from June/July/August to October/November (kharif cropping season), rice, maize, sorghum or pigeonpea; from November/December to February/March, mustard and Bengalgram or from November/December to April (rabi cropping season), wheat; from March/April to June/July (zaid cropping season), transplanted menthol mint.     

An assessment of the in-vitro multiplication rates of fourteen black currant cultivars

Summary

The in-vitro multiplication rates of fourteen black currant (Ribes nigrum) cultivars from a range of geographical origins were compared. Shoot tips and axillary buds were cultured for 21 days in a medium supplemented with 2.2 mg l^?1 6-benzylaminopurine. The highest shoot multiplication rate achieved was by cv. Ben Lomond, where the mean rate was 3.53 shoots from a single initial expiant. Mean rates between 1.50 and 3.33 were obtained from other cultivars. The results are discussed in relation to the parentage of each cultivar.     

Comprehensive evaluation of the Fruit Quality of the Main Cultivars of Pear (Pyrus spp.) in North China

To establish a quality evaluation system of the fruit quality of pear, 15 evaluation indicators of 9 main cultivars of pear (Pyrus spp.) in North China were analyzed. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were used to form a comprehensive evaluation model and select the characteristic indicators of the fruit quality. All of the 15 evaluation indicators showed significant differences from the results of ANOVA (P?<?0.05) among different cultivars. The values for coefficient of variation (CV) among 15 evaluation indicators ranged from 1.46% to 326.38%. There were different degrees of correlations between the evaluation indicators based on the results of CA. PCA was used to remove the overlapped information between the indicators, and then there were new variables with less information, so that the principal component comprehensive model was established. The rank of the 9 cultivars based on comprehensive scores of the fruit quality was listed as follows: ‘Mili’?>?‘Xuehua’?>?‘Hongxiangsu’?>?‘Daguoxing’?>?‘Yali’?>?‘Huangguan’?>?‘Yuluxiang’?>?‘Hongxiaoli’?>?‘Anli’. By combining HCA and principal component comprehensive model, titratable acid content, sugar-acid ratio, h^* and fruit shape index were selected to be the characteristic indicators for the evaluation of the fruit quality of the main cultivars of pear in North China.

     

Effect of gibberellic acid on seedling growth in two wild species of pistachio

Summary

Beneh (Pistacia mutica F. & M.) and kolkhong (Pistacia khinjuk Stock) are wild species of pistachio which grow naturally with other trees in some parts of Iran. Because of their adaptibility to severe environmental conditions and their resistance to some pests and diseases, they can be used as rootstocks for pistachio cultivars. Poor germination and very low seedling vigour of these two species have been a major problem in using them as rootstocks for pistachio cultivars. In this study gibberellic acid (GA₃), at five concentrations (100, 250, 500, 750 and 1000 mg l²¹), were used during and after stratification to enhance seedling growth. The results showed that GA₃, applied during and after stratification, significantly increased the length, trunk diameter, internode length, leaf area and fresh and dry weight of seedlings of both beneh and kolkhong species. However, application of GA₃ after stratification was more effective on seedling growth of beneh. GA₃ applied at higher concentrations (500 and 750 mg l²¹) increased the rate of growth, but growth malformations were clearly evident in seedlings of kolkhong. GA₃ at 250 mg l²¹ enhanced seedlings growth of kolkhong. It was concluded that application of GA₃ to the seedlings might be a useful method for promoting rapid shoot growth of beneh and kolkhong and reduce the expense of seedling production in glasshouse conditions.     

The susceptibility of modern tomato cultivars to blossom- end rot in relation to salinity

Three cultivars, Counter, Calypso and Spectra, were grown in NFT at a range of salinities (electrical conductivities of 5,10 and 15 mS cm^-1) in two successive crops during the year. The incidence of blossom-end rot (BER) in ‘Calypso’ and ‘Spectra’ was substantially higher than in ‘Counter’ at all salinities. In the early crop, ‘Calypso’ had the highest incidence of BER at 10 mS cm^-1, of which the proportion of international BER was greater than in ‘Spectra’. In the late crop, ‘Spectra’ had a higher incidence of BER than ‘Calypso,’ and a higher proportion of external BER. In the early crop, the incidence of BER in both cultivars grown at 10 mS cm"1 was higher than those at 15 mS cm^-1, mainly due to an exceptionally high incidence of internal BER. In the late crop, however, the reverse was true. ‘Counter’, which is not susceptible to BER, had a higher shoot dry weight than the two BER susceptible cultivars. Nevertheless, ‘Calypso’ and ‘Spectra’ set more fruit in the lower and upper trusses respectively. A high incidence of BER was related to a high number of fruit set in the susceptible cultivars. Both the Ca content and the daily rate of Ca accumulation in the fruit were reduced by salinity, but no differences between cultivars were observed. The distal placenta and locular tissues had the lowest Ca content in the whole fruit and appeared to be the site of the earliest symptoms of BER. The interaction between cultivar and salinity affecting the Ca content of these tissues was not significant. The causes of susceptibility to BER in tomato are discussed.     

Characterization of bud-burst potential in Rhododendron catawbiense ‘Album’ plants from in vitro culture by measuring the manganese contents in the distal buds

Summary

It had been established that photoperiodic conditions influence morphogenesis in Rhododendron catawbiense ‘Album’ (Ericaceae). Plants developed from cuttings obtained by in vitro culture were grown in a greenhouse for one or two years, under different photoperiodic treatments. Under long days, the upper buds followed a rhythmic development. Under short days, the inhibition of the growth of the distal buds allowed the development of shoots from the plant base. When plants were placed under long days after six weeks under short days, the distal buds recovered their capacity to form a new growth unit. To find a method to characterize growth potential of vegetative buds, measurements of their mineral content were made. A relationship between the changes in manganese level of the distal buds and their growth potential during the formation of the vegetative system has been established. Under short-day conditions, manganese increased to reach more than 500 mg kg^-1 dry matter in several weeks. Under long days, the manganese level in the upper buds gradually decreased before burst. These results may not provide an explanation for the role of manganese in relation to the buds physiological activity. On the other hand, manganese measurements may be a useful test to estimate growth potential in Rhododendron buds.     

Performance of some apple cultivars under tropical Zambian conditions

Summary

Ten apple cultivars (Malus domestica Bork) Ein Shemer, Anna, Rome Beauty, Tropical Beauty, Alexander, Orleans, Winter Banana, Black John, Starking Delicious and Red Delicious were evaluated for their suitability for tropical Zambian conditions. Winter Banana, Black John, Starking Delicious and Red Delicious, which were mostly high-chill cultivars, showed poor vegetative development: delayed budbreak, shoot growth and progressive loss of vigour and most of the trees died before maturity. Of the remaining low-chill cultivars, ‘Ein Shemer’ had the highest fruit yield at 49 6 2.3 kg tree²¹ and ‘Alexander’ the lowest (5.3 6 1.0 kg tree²¹). This response was due to the high number of fruits per tree, ‘Ein Shemer’ had up to 907 6 83.7 per tree whereas low yielding cultivars like ‘Rome Beauty’ and ‘Tropical Beauty’ had fewer than 106 6 25.3 fruits per tree. The individual fruit weight was inversely related to the total number of fruits per tree. It ranged from 58 6 5.1 g in Ein Shemer to 191 6 24.8 g in ‘Rome Beauty’.     

Determining the S-genotypes of several sweet cherry cultivars based on PCR-RFLP analysis

Summary

Based on the cDNA sequences encoding sweet cherry self-incompatibility associated ribonucleases (S-RNases), a PCR-based S-allele typing system for sweet cherry cultivars has been recently developed. Using this technique, we determined S-genotypes of the three newly released Japanese cvs Kouka-Nishiki, Beni-Sayaka and Beni-Shuho and one British cv Merton Glory that was classified as a Universal Donor, which is able to be used as a pollen donor for all cultivars in pollen incompatibility groups I to XIII. Furthermore, we also determined the partial sequences of the S-RNase genes of ‘Rainier’ (S¹S⁴)‘ and ‘Sato-Nishiki (S³S⁶)’,which leads to the development of a more reliable S-allele identification method of PCR-RFLP for sweet cherry cultivars. Total DNA isolated from leaves of the four cultivars along with those from ten cultivars with known S-genotypes were PCR amplified with two sets of primers that were designed from DNA sequences encoding the signal peptide (Pru-T2) and two conserved domains (Pru-C2 and Pru-C4R) of sweet cherry S-RNases. By comparing the size of PCR products on agarose gel, the 5-genotypes of ‘Kouka-Nishiki’, ‘Beni-Sayaka’, ‘Beni-Shuho’ and ‘Merton Glory’ were suggested to be S¹S³, S¹S⁶, S⁴S⁶, and S⁴S⁶, respectively. Two of these three S-genotypes (S¹S⁶ and S⁴S⁶) were found for the first time. DNA sequencing of PCR products from S-alleles of ‘Rainier’ and ‘Sato-Nishiki’ revealed that Ban II, Nru I, Apa LI and Ava I sites, respectively, were unique in the S¹-, S³-, S⁴- and S⁶- sequences flanked by Pru-T2 and Pru-C4R primers. RFLP analysis of the PCR products using these enzymes confirmed that S¹-, S³-, S⁴- and S⁶-alleles of the four cultivars contained the respective restriction enzyme recognition sites.     

Factors affecting the quality and in vitro germination capacity of strawberry pollen

Summary

Poor pollen quality and germination capacity curtails early yield in strawberry. The aim of this study was to establish a reliable method for in vitro assessment of strawberry pollen germination ability and to investigate further the effects of photoperiod and gibberellin on pollen germination and quality. In the first part of the study, pollen from seven strawberry cultivars (Chandler, Selva, Tudla, Camarosa, Eris, Pajaro and Irvine) was collected and its germination capacity and incidence of deformed pollen grains assessed in vitro using the hanging-drop technique. Highest germination rates, in ‘Selva’, were observed in a nutrient medium of 10% sucrose. Addition of calcium nitrate to the medium decreased the germination percentages of all cultivars. There was no significant difference, on average, between the germination rate at 20° and 25°C. Genetic factors affected the incidence of deformed pollen grains significantly, with ‘Pajaro’ showing the highest percentage (76%). In the second part, groups of young strawberry plants, cultivar Seascape, grown either under natural early spring conditions or under long-day or short-day conditions were sprayed once with GA₃ at 0, 50, or 200 mg l^–1. Pollen germination and deformation and stamen length were assessed three months later. In plants of the first group, GA₃ at 50 mg l^–1 increased pollen germination and decreased the incidence of deformed pollen grains, while GA₃ at 200 mg l^–1 decreased pollen germination without affecting the formation of deformed pollen grains. Plants of the second group showed a higher rate of pollen germination under long than under short days. GA₃ at 200 mg l^–1 decreased pollen germination under either short- or long-day conditions compared with the controls but doubled the percentage of deformed pollen only under short days. Stamens in control plants grew four times as long under long- than short-day conditions. GA₃ did not affect stamen length under long days but significantly enhanced their growth under short days.     

Changes in fruit quality in black chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa) during maturation

Summary

Black chokeberry fruits are rich in anthocyanins and can be used as a raw material for the production of natural food colourants. Fruit quality was studied during maturation in three true black chokeberry cultivars and in three cultivars derived through hybridization between chokeberry and rowans (Sorbus spp.). For each trait studied, the three black chokeberry cultivars were very similar. The three hybrid cultivars differed however from the black chokeberry cultivars for some traits in both timing and size of the response which indicates that cultivar selection for improvement of fruit quality can hardly be done among the true black chokeberry genotypes but may be efficient when the hybrid cultivars are also included. For the black chokeberry cultivars, maximum berry weight was reached already by the 22 August. Anthocyanin content increased by 180% during the period mid-August to mid-September. Meanwhile, the content of undesirable brown compounds increased by 100%. The content of malic acid remained unchanged whereas total acidity decreased in the initial part of the study period. Variation among sampling dates in total acidity was negatively correlated with variation in berry weight which suggests that dilution by water uptake affects total acidity. For the true black chokeberry cultivars, optimal harvest date was determined to be 8 September for this trial, when both mean berry weight and anthocyanin content had reached their maximum. By harvesting one week earlier browning was reduced by 32% but with a simultaneous decrease in anthocyanin content of 20%.     

Influence of sub-optimal temperature on tomato growth and yield: a review

Summary

The effects of temperature on growth, development and yield of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) are reviewed with special emphasis on cultivar differences. The focus is on sub-optimal temperatures, above the level where chilling injury occurs. Temperature has a large effect on all aspects of development. Leaf and truss initiation rates decrease linearly with decreasing temperature. Although these rates may be different for different cultivars their response to temperature is the same. Young plants grown at sub-optimal temperatures produce thicker leaves, so they intercept less light and therefore have a lower relative growth rate. There was no interaction between temperature and cultivar for relative growth rate and related traits. In a crop producing fruits, this aspect is less important as most of the light is intercepted anyway. At sub-optimal temperatures, fruit set is reduced as a result of poorer pollen quality. The period between anthesis and ripening of the fruit increases and, as the growth rate of the fruit at a certain developmental stage is independent of temperature, fruits become larger at sub-optimal temperature. Higher temperature leads to an increase in early yield, at the cost of vegetative growth, but may also cause a delay in later trusses. Total yield over a whole season might be equal at lower temperatures, but higher tomato prices early in the season do not make it economically profitable to reduce the temperature in the greenhouse. Short-term effects might thus be different from long-term effects. In the literature, the link between yield and whole plant growth is often missing, limiting the possibilities of studying the underlying processes that contribute to changes in yield. Breeding for cultivars with equal production at lower temperatures is hampered by the limited variation for temperature response in cultivated tomato. Therefore breeders have to look for other sources of variation, as in related wild Lycopersicon species.     

Techniques for manipulation of the annual growth cycle in raspberry

Summary

Walnut (Juglans regia L.) leaves provide a source of healthy compounds, phenolics, which could be useful for the prevention of diseases in which free radicals are involved. In this study, walnut leaves from 14 different cultivars were studied for their total phenolics contents and anti-oxidant activities. Anti-oxidant activities were evaluated by measuring the scavenging activities of leaf extracts against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. The total phenolics contents of the cultivars ranged from 17.7 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE) g^–1 FW to 39.6 mg GAE g^–1 FW. The highest scavenging activities were found in methanol extracts of walnut leaves. Total phenolics contents were highly correlated with anti-oxidant activity (R²= 0.94 – 0.92).     

Plasticity and stability in the major fatty acid content of almond kernels grown under two Mediterranean climates

Summary

Oil contents and fatty acid compositions were determined in 17 almond cultivars growing under two different Mediterranean conditions, in northeast Spain and in central Morocco. The major differences were irrigation management in Spain and higher temperatures in Morocco. Although a cultivar effect was observed for some compounds, the general trend was for an increase in total oil content [58.65% vs. 55.58% (w/w)] and in the percentage of oleic acid [71.1% vs. 68.62% (w/w)] in those kernels harvested in Spain, probably due to having lower temperatures and better water status. As the total oil content and level of oleic acid in almond oil are the major parameters for higher quality almond kernels, these results emphasise the need to optimise the management of almond orchards to improve kernel quality, not only from the commercial and industrial points of view, but also because of their healthgiving properties.     

Almond Oil Quality as Related to the Type of Pollen Source in Iranian Self Incompatible Cultivars

ABSTRACT

The effects of different pollen sources including five cultivated almond cultivars (Genco, Tuono, 15–5, Filip Ceo, and Supernova) on quantity and quality of chemical composition of two Iranian self-incompatible cultivars (Shahrood 12 and Shahrood 21) as well as self-pollination of these cultivars were investigated. Results showed a variation in oil content and fatty acid composition between two studied cultivars. The oil content was not affected by pollination treatments but the fatty acid composition of almond oil significantly was influenced by type of the pollen source. The most common unsaturated fatty acids found in the kernels of all treatments were oleic acid (68.72–88.26%) and linoleic acid (10.57–22.36%). The type of pollen source with modified oleic/linoleic acid ratio affected the oil quality. The highest oleic/linoleic acid ratio was obtained in Shahrood 12 (8.35%) and Sharood 21 (4.78%) cultivars, which pollinated with Filip Ceo and Supernova pollens, respectively.