| Popis: |
Fruit cracking is a major physiological disorder that greatly limits fruit yield and quality. The value of cracked fruits is reduced and these fruits are not marketable due to the poor quality of the fruit. Severity of cracking depends on genotypes, fruit orientation on the canopy, soil condition and environment. Many factors contribute to fruit cracking. Physiological, genetic and environmental aspects of fruit cracking are summarized in this paper. Under the same environmental conditions, some genotypes are sensitive or some are tolerant. Certain correlations were observed between susceptibility to fruit cracking and some fruit traits (fruit shape, fruit size, fruit firmness; fruit skin anatomy and strength, fruit skin stomata, cuticular properties, osmotic concentration, fruit pulp water capacity and fruit growth stage). In addition, fruit cracking is a quantitative trait and is controlled by several genes. The best way to reduce fruit cracking at present would be appropriate orchard management that takes into account and tries to minimize the water stress, nutrition and physiological factors involved in fruit cracking. No single factor can be advocated as sufficiently effective in controlling fruit cracking. Measures to reduce fruit cracking include the use of plastic rain covers and bagging and spraying with mineral and plant growth regulators. Knowledge of the causes of cracking has produced management strategies that include genetic improvement, ecophysiological conditions, agronomic practices such as pruning, irrigation, and nutrition, application of plant growth regulators and use of plastic covers, etc. KEYWORDS: Fruit cracking, Genotypes, Genetic, Nutrition, Environment, Orchard management |
