Articles
INCREASE OF APRICOT ADAPTIBILITY
The varieties’ ability to maintain the fruit-bearing regularity and fruit quality, irrespective of changeable environmental factors, ensures their high adaptibility and universality in different natural regions.
Apricot is one of the most ancient crops introduced by man into culture.
However, its area is not so large and the world production oscillates in range of 1.0–1.3 mln. t.
Europe and Asia are main producers of apricots and America and Africa are less significant ones.
The cultural assortment relates mainly to one species of Armeniaca vulgaris Lam. within the range of which original ecologo-geographical groups have formed.
In Central Asia apricot is characterized by higher heat-resistance great diversity of assortment, and its fruits by high flavour quality both in fresh and dried state, and sweet kernel.
Sugar contant in best varieties is as high as 16–20%, dried fruit yield 27–35%. Yields are not always stable which is connected with early flowering, coinciding with spring frosts causing partial or full loss of yield.
Transcaucasia is characterized by its original assortment.
Fruits of Armenian varieties are notable for their attractiveness, higher sugar content and lower acidity which determines originality of their flavour.