Biochemical and Pomological Characteristics of Hawthorn (Crataegus Spp.) Fruits Grown in Şemdinli, Hakkari

Abstract

The present study was conducted in Şemdinli town of Hakkari province in 2013-2014. The pomological and chemical characteristics of hawthorn (Crataegus spp.) fruits with different colors were investigated. Fruit samples were taken from 39 hawthorn trees selected from the villages of Şemdinli. In pomological analyses, fruit weight, fruit height, fruit width, number of seeds, seed weight and flesh ratio were determined. In chemical analyses, soluble solids content, pH, titratable acidity and sugar contents were determined. The evaluated accessions had average fruit weights of between 2.16-4.89g and flesh ratios of between 77.86-85.99%. Of the investigated genotypes, 16 were identified as promising genotypes. The greatest fruit weight was observed in yellow A-4 genotype with 4.89 g and the least fruit weight was observed in red L-9 genotype with 2.16 g. While glucose and sucrose were the dominant sugars in yellow hawthorn fruits, glucose and fructose were dominant in black and red hawthorn fruits. Of 16 promising hawthorn accessions, 7 had “yellow” skin color, 5 had “red”, 3 had “black” and 1 had “white” skin color. Current findings provide quite significant outcomes for further breeding studies. © 2016, Centenary University. All rights reserved.