Dynamic of Fruit Growth and Internal Fruit Quality of ‎Apricot Trees Grafted on Rootstock or with Interstem

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This study was carried out to investigate impacts of Myrobalan rootstock and Blackthorn interstem on fruit growth, physico-chemical features and bioactive compounds of two apricot cultivars (‘Harcot’ and ‘Roksana’) in 2010 and 2011. Fruits of both cultivars on Myrobalan and/or Blackthorn grew with a classic double sigmoid curve from full bloom time to harvest. During growth and development periods, average fruit weight of both cultivars significantly increased, but differences between rootstock and interstem were not found. Myrobalan induced higher values of most fruit physical features (fruit thickness, sphericity, aspect ratio, surface area, fruit volume, flesh firmness) and some chemical attributes (soluble solids content and titratable acidity), whereas Blackthorn induced only higher ripening index values. Regarding cultivars, ‘Roksana’ possessed better physical features, except flesh firmness, and higher soluble solids content, ripening index value, total flavonoids content and total antioxidant capacity. Present results confirm the better adaptation of Myrobalan rootstock with ‘Roksana’ and ‘Harcot’ scion cultivar to sandy loam and acidic soil than Blackthorn interstem.