Determination on quality characteristics of some important Japanese plum (Prunus Salicina Lindl.) cultivars grown in Mersin-Turkey

This experiment was conducted in Mut-Mersin from 2008 to 2009 to determine the phenological and pomological characteristics of ‘Angeleno’, ‘Autumn Giant’, ‘Bella Di Barbiano’, ‘Black Amber’, ‘Black Beauty’, ‘Black Diamond’, ‘Fortune’, ‘Globe Sun’, ‘Obilnaja’, ‘October Sun’, ‘Original Sun’ ‘President’, ‘Queen Rosa’ and ‘T.C Sun’ Japanese plum (Prunus salicina Lindl) cultivars. In the experimental years, flowering periods, harvesting date, fruit dimensions, fruit weight, seed weight, flesh/seed ratio, total soluble solid contents (TSS%) and acidity were determined. Fruit weight (g) ranged from 46.71 g (Obilnaja) to 91.26 g (Black Diamond). Among the cultivars tested, ‘Black Diamond’, ‘Queen Rosa’ and ‘October Sun’ had the biggest fruits. Date of full bloom ranged from 13 March for ‘Black Diamond’ to 4 April for ‘T. Sun’. From the results of this research the following conclusions were determined: 1) Fruit maturation were earlier on ‘Black Beauty’ and ‘Obilnaja’ cultivars than the other cultivars. 2) In terms of fruit weights ‘Black Diamond’, ‘Queen Rosa’, ‘October Sun’ and ‘Autumn Giant’ were bigger than the other cultivars.