Seasonal changes of carbohydrates in fruit peels, leaves and shoots of three pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) cultivars grown in upper Euphrates basin

Abstract

In this study, seasonal changes of carbohydrate amounts in fruit peels, leaves, and shoots of three pomegranates cultivars (‘Kışnarı’, ‘Hicaznar’, ‘Kirlihanım’) have been examined. It has been found that the amount of reducing sugar, total sugar and sucrose in the fruit peels of pomegranate cultivars increased from green to ripe while the amount of starch on the contrary showed a decrease from green to ripe. According to findings the sucrose, reducing and total sugars in the leaves, generally increased until mid-September after the decrease between June and July, and they tend to decrease in October. On the other hand, the starch content of the leaf decreased from the second half of June until the end of August, and then increased until the first half of October. In the analysis performed on the shoots, it has been revealed that the carbohydrate levels did not change in the period between the fall of leaves and the budbreak. In addition, the reducing sugar decreased from January to July and total sugar and sucrose formed a bumpy curve until September, and showed a steady increase starting from this period to the end of the year. It has been determined that the starch contents in the shoots increased regularly between April and July and then followed a fluctuating course from this period until October and decreased from October to the end of December.