Fruit quality of plum cultivars developed at the Fruit Research Institute in Čačak, Serbia

Abstract

The experiment evaluated the fruit characteristics (fruit weight, length, width and thickness, and stone weight) and contents of primary metabolites (soluble solids, total sugars, invert sugars, protein, titratable acidity and pH) in the fruit of plum cultivars. Research included fruits of thirteen plum cultivars developed at the Fruit Research Institute in Čačak (Serbia). During the experimental period (2016-2018), significant differences in the parameters tested were observed among the cultivars. The fruit weight ranged from 26.9 g to 67.4 g, and stone weight from 0.89 g to 2.27 g. The fruit and stone weight were the greatest in cultivar ‘Timočanka’, and the lowest in cultivar ‘Zlatka’. The highest value for average fruit length was obtained in ‘Timočanka’ (52.4 mm) and ‘Čačanska Rana’ (51.7 mm), fruit width in ‘Timočanka’(45.1 mm) and ‘Valerija’ (46.2 mm), while fruit thickness was the highest in ‘Valerija’ (44.6 mm). In terms of primary metabolites, cultivars ‘Krina’ (21.8%), ‘Mildora’ (21.9%), ‘Pozna Plava’ (21.2%) and ‘Valjevka’ (20.9%) had the highest content of soluble solids. The highest total and invert sugar contents were determined in ‘Mildora’, while ‘Mildora’, ‘Zlatka’ and ‘Valerija’ were found to have highest content of protein. In contrast, the highest values for titratable acidity and pH value were obtained in ‘Čačanska Lepotica’, and the lowest in ‘Mildora’ and ‘Nada’.