MAPPING ORCHARD FRUIT QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF APRICOT (PRUNUS ARMENIACA L.) CULTIVARS ´BELIANA´ AND ´LINDO´

The market has become increasingly more demanding about information on product origin, production inputs, environment impacts and quality. Frequently, information required by the post-harvest and marketing components must be sourced from the producer. Also, the information sought from the producer needs to be based on complex data collected under a wide range of field conditions. The objective of this work was to use tools such as geographic information systems and geostatistics to generate information that can be used to optimise physical and financial aspects of apricot production systems. Apricot fruits from geo-referenced groups of trees were analysed at harvest for soluble solids content (°Brix), firmness, dry matter and colour (a* value). From these data were elaborated quality maps for cultivars ‘Beliana’ and ‘Lindo’ of the studied apricot orchard. Fruits of ‘Beliana’ were firmer and had lower °Brix, dry matter and a* values than ‘Lindo’. For ‘Beliana’, the °Brix was lower in the Eastern and Western orchard borders and for ‘Lindo’ in the North. Dry matter and firmness were lower in the central part and in the East, respectively, for ‘Beliana’. For ‘Lindo’, dry matter was higher in the North-East, where the firmness was lower. Higher a* values appeared in two central orchard spots for ‘Lindo’ and in the inside part of the orchard for ‘Beliana’. These maps can help the producer to make decisions about harvesting time or localised correction of production factors.