Quality of fruits in apricot cultivars introduced and bred in Nikita Botanical Gardens

Apricot fruits are the sources of biologically active substances. To obtain new cultivars for different use, the parental pairs are selected based on the analysis of the fruit’s biochemical parameters. Seven apricot cultivars and six promising apricot hybrids bred in NBG-NSC and two introduced cultivars were included in the research work. The work was carried out for 3 years (2014-2016) in the conditions of the southern coast of Crimea. The regionalized apricot cultivar ‘Krymsky Amur’ was used as a control. The research aimed to determine pomological characteristics and fruit chemical composition for apricot cultivars and hybrids and to identify prospects of their use for selection. Cultivars ‘Vnuk Partizana’, ‘Lyubimets Richtera’, ‘Fiolent’, and control cultivar ‘Krymsky Amur’ are distinguished by a high organoleptic evaluation of the fruits (4.5-4.7 points). Cultivars bred in NBG-NSC ‘Ananasny Avgustovsky’ (20.5%) and ‘Lyubimets Richtera’ (18.6%) are characterized by a high dry matter content in the fruit (higher or at the same level as in the control cultivar ‘Krymsky Amur’). Fruit taste was greatly dependent on sugars and organic acids combination. The taste of the fruit substantially depends on the combination of sugars and organic acids. The cultivars ‘Odissey’ (0.66%) and ‘Vnuk Partizana’ (1.10%) and hybrid 84-783 (0.96%) have the lower acid content (close to the control). The highest content of ascorbic acid among the studied cultivars was detected in the cultivars Kioto (6.3 mg 100 g^‑1), ‘Ananasny Avgustovsky’ (6.8 mg 100 g^‑1), and hybrid 84-941 (6.7 mg 100 g^‑1). Phenolic compounds have a significant effect on fruit taste and their technological properties. The most phenolic substances are contained in the fruits of the cultivars ‘Odissey’, ‘Ananasny Avgustovsky’, ‘Lyubimets Richtera’, and hybrids 84-941, 84-783, 84-784, 89-429, 89-437 (210-428 mg 100 g^‑1). Cultivar ‘Ananasny Avgustovsky’ and hybrid 84-784 are distinguished by a complex of chemical characteristics. Selected genotypes are promising for use in the breeding program.