Determination of physical, chemical and color changes during fruit development in dried apricot cultivars cultivated in Malatya province

This research was carried out to determine physical, chemical and color changes during the growth and development periods of Kabaaşı, Soğancı and Hacıhaliloğlu apricot cultivars cultivated in Malatya province. All apricot cultivars have reached approximately 75% of the total harvest fruit length during the first period of one month after flowering. In all three cultivars, an increase of nearly 50% of harvest fruit weight value was occured in the last one month of fruit growing period. The fruit weight of the apricot cultivars varied between 29,45g (Kabaaşı) and 47,99g (Soğancı) during the harvesting period. It has been determined that dried apricot cultivars which was sampled from the end of flowering to the harvest date the increase in fruit width and volume values showed double sigmoid curve. The highest values of fruit width, thickness, weight, volüme, total soluable solid content and total sugar values were obtained from Soğancı followed by Hacıhaliloğlu cultivars and lowest values in Kabaaşı cultivar. It was also determined that the most important part of total soluable solid content in the apricot was sugar, for all three cultivars TSS content and total sugar content increased remarkably towards the end of har vest period. It has been found that acidity value decreases and pH value increases significantly during maturation period. It has been found that Hacıhaliloğlu cultivar's fruit ground and cheek color was brighter, Kabaaşı cv. has more red colored skin. It has been determined that L and a values have reached highest levels close to harvest date. Relationships between some physical, chemical and color change values during the growth and development periods of the fruits in the dried apricot cultivars were determined by correlation analysis.