HORMONE PHYSIOLOGY OF PREHARVEST FRUIT CRACKING IN POMEGRANATE (PUNICA GRANATUM L.)

The aim of this experiment was an examination of the plant hormone physiology of preharvest fruit cracking in pomegranate (Punica grantum L.). The experiment was carried out with the cultivars ‘İzmir 10’, ‘İzmir 15’, ‘İzmir 16’, ‘İzmir 23’, ‘İzmir 26’, ‘Silifke Aşısı’ and ‘Hicaz’, 4 replicates of each, at the research and experimental field of the Agricultural Faculty of Çukurova University, Turkey, in 2001 and 2002. Abscisic acid (ABA), indole 3- acetic acid (IAA) and gibberellic acid (GA₃) contents were measured in the fruit peel of all the cultivars. At the same time, the yield and percent fruit cracking for all cultivars have been determined. The highest fruit cracking rates were in İzmir 10 and Silifke aşısı, the lowest was in İzmir 16 in 2001, while the highest was in İzmir 15 and the lowest was in İzmir 16 in 2002. The ABA content of the peel was generally higher in cracked fruit than in the peel of healthy (non-cracked) fruit.