APRICOTS (PRUNUS)

Although the gene pool of apricot contains species and varieties which range in areas of adaptation from the cold winters of Siberia to the subtropical climate of North Africa and from the deserts of Central Asia to the humid areas of Japan and eastern China, commercial production areas are still very limited.
Production fluctuates considerably from year to year.
Major production regions and principal cultivars in each region are presented where known (Table 1). Although production figures are not available from China, Paunovic (1972) estimated that Chinese production was similar to that of Turkey, Spain, and the U.S.A. In general, only one or two cultivars are grown in each region and their culture is unique to that region.
This supports the view of many researchers that apricot cultivars are severely restricted in their ecological adaptation.

The predominance of one or two major cultivars in each production area is partly responsible for large fluctuations in yield and makes apricots vulnerable to adverse environmental conditions, diseases, and pests.
Moreover, the major cultivars of 13 of the top 21 apricot producing countries (Spain, Italy, U.S.A., Greece, France, Morocco, Hungary, Romania, South Africa, Bulgaria, Australia, Algeria, and Yugoslavia) belong to the European group which by its origin is known to have a very narrow genetic base (Kostina, 1969).

Genetic Resources of Temperate Fruit and Nut Crops

Sharon A. Mehlenbacher, V. Cociu, F. L. Hough

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1991.290.3