AVERAGE FRUIT WEIGHT VARIABILITY OF PEAR CULTIVARS UNDER GROWING CONDITIONS OF LATVIA

Average fruit weight (AFW) is one of the most important quality indicators, which mainly depends on the inherited characteristics of a cultivar, but may be affected also by thinning and growing conditions.
Pear is one of the most common pome fruit crops in Latvia, and pear orchards occupy approximately 200 ha.
Currently about 30 pear cultivars are grown in the orchards, unfortunately they are already outdated and should be replaced.
The aim of this study was to evaluate pear germplasm and identify cultivars with acceptable and stable AFW, as well as to assess the impact of environmental factors during different periods of fruit development on AFW. The evaluation was performed in a period of six years on
37 pear cultivars grown at the Latvia State Institute of Fruit-Growing.
The total fruit average weight did not show significant differences among years of evaluation, however, statistically significant differences were found among the tested cultivars.
The largest average fruit weight in all years of study was found for cultivars ‘Bojniczanka’ (385 g) and ‘Jubileen Dar’ (363 g), whereas the lowest ones – for cultivar ‘Talgarskaya Krasavitsa’ (137 g). Large variation in the fruit average weight among years was found for cultivars ‘Jubileen Dar’ and ‘Fritjof’. Stable average fruit weight during years of testing in Latvia was found for cultivars ‘Clara Fries’, ‘Lyubimitsa Osenyaya’ and ‘Vizhnitsa’. Strong correlation among average fruit weight and the average air temperature was found for the initial period of fruit development.
Average fruit weight of cultivars ‘Tayushchaya’, ‘Robert De Neufville’ and ‘Concorde’ were significantly influenced by precipitation and average air temperature.

XII International Pear Symposium

B. Lāce, G. Lācis, M. Blukmanis

fruit development, yield, precipitation

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2015.1094.24