Abstract
Nutritional and commercial value of the apricot fruits depends on the interaction among several factors, including the management strategies, the environmental conditions, and the genotype. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of orchard management and pedoclimatic conditions on apricot fruit quality traits (soluble solids, titratable acidity, dry matter and soluble solids and titratable acidity ratio) and phytochemical content (total phenolic content and antioxidant activity). Two apricot cultivars (Kioto* and Pieve*) were subjected to three different organic systems: (i) a standard management (BAU), (ii) an innovative diversified system with reduced tillage based on the natural cover conservation (INC) and (iii) an innovative diversified system with introduction of different cover crops (ICC), for two consecutive years (2019–2020). Overall, besides the effect of the climatic conditions, the multivariate analysis revealed the role of management systems, rather than genotype, on the quality of apricot fruits. In particular, INC soil management positively affected soluble solids, titratable acidity and dry matter parameters, especially in environments with low precipitation and high solar radiation (20.7 ± 1.7 g 100 g−1 FW, 19.9 ± 2.5 g MA 100 g−1 FW and 0.23 ± 0.2 g 100 g−1 FW respectively). In addition, the results indicate that ICC management showed the highest antioxidant values (1.45 ± 0.19 μg of Trolox equivalent (TE) 100 mg−1 FW), especially in the environment with high precipitation. This study was a useful tool for farmer to choose an effective organic system management in order to obtain fruits with high quality parameters.
Highlights
Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is a fruit species widely spread in the temperate zones of the world, whose fruits are highly appreciated for their characteristic flavor, sweetness and juiciness
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of orchard management and pedoclimatic conditions on apricot fruit quality traits and phytochemical content
This paper provides information regarding the effects of different organic management systems during two-year trials on fruit quality traits (SSC, titratable acidity (TA), dry matter (DM), and solids content (SSC)/TA) and phytochemical content (TPC and AA) of two widely spread apricot cultivars
Summary
Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) is a fruit species widely spread in the temperate zones of the world, whose fruits are highly appreciated for their characteristic flavor, sweetness and juiciness. The increasing market demand in production and consumption of fresh and dried apricots is mainly due to the positive effects on human health and disease risk reduction [2,3,4,5,6]. Apricots are rich in several phytochemicals such as sugars (mainly glucose, fructose and sucrose), organic acids (mainly malic, citric and quinic acids) [7], and bioactive compounds (phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins). All these compounds coupled with the fruit’s physical and chemical characteristics are responsible for the apricot quality. Phenols strongly contribute to the antioxidative potential of the fruit, suggesting a key role in the defense system against oxidative stress in human tissues [8]
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