Apricot selection in Bitlis province

In Türkiye, where various climate conditions exist, cultivation of local apricot varieties may offer a solution to the problem of late spring frosts in apricot cultivation. This could lead to the development of late-flowering and high-quality fruit new varieties. This study aimed to determine the pomological and biochemical characteristics of apricots grown from seeds in the Bitlis region and to genetically identify them. Fruit weight among genotypes ranged from 11,04 to 32,66 g, with genotype 13TAT05 having larger fruits. While five genotypes had round seeds, seeds were long in 15 genotypes. Only three out of 20 genotypes had sweet seeds. Seed weight varied among genotypes, ranging from 1,42 g (13MUT20) to 3,06 g (13AHL12). Soluble solids content (SSC), titratable acidity (TEA), and pH ratios varied among genotypes, ranging from 9,67% (13MUT20) to 25,40% (13ADC17) for SSC, 0,29% (13HİZ06 and 13BİT08) to 2,49% (13TAT01) for TA, and 3,70 (13TAT01) to 5,62 (13ADC17) for pH. considering important fruit quality criteria such as fruit weight and SSC in apricots, genotype 13TAT05 stands out in terms of fruit size, while genotype 13ADC17 is notable for its SSC content. Significant differences were observed among genotypes in terms of individual phenolic compounds and organic acids. One of the main phenolic compounds detected in apricot genotypes in our study was rutin. Rutin content varied between 3,32-152,49 mg 100g-1 and 13TAT01 genotype gave the highest value. In our study, one of the individual phenolic compounds we detected in apricot genotypes was rutin. The rutin content varied between 3,32 and 152,49 mg per 100g, with the 13TAT01 genotype yielding the highest value. Chlorogenic acid is another phenolic compound found in high amounts in Prunus species. The 13ADC13 genotype had the highest content at 96,79 mg per 100g. The 13AHL12 and 13ADC13 genotypes exhibited high concentrations of catechin. Molecular characterization through 10 iPBS-retrotransposons resulted in a total of 180 bands of which 147 were found polymorphic. The mean polymorphism (80,77) and polymorphism information content (0,329) value revealed the presence of a good level of genetic diversity in the evaluated germplasm. The maximum genetic distance was 0,7932 between the 13ADC16 and 13TAT02 genotypes and these genotypes can be considered as a potential candidate parent for future breeding activities