Studies on the phenomenal cracking of pomegranate (Punica granatum, Cultivar Taifi) fruits, in Saudi Arabia. 1.- General study of fruit growth and cracking occurrence
1988
Saad, F.A. (King Saud Univ., Riyadh (Saudi Arabia). Faculty of Agriculture)
The data indicated that the growth pattern of the pomegranate fruit was a single sigmoid curve. The cracking of the rind occurred in the latter weeks of fruit growth (July and August). The percentage of cracked fruits was 34. The water content in the rind was significantly decreased in fruits exposed to direct sunlight as compared with those in the shade. Whereas, such difference in water content of fruitlets was not observed between fruits in direct sunlight and those in the shade. Thus, it was suggested that the water stress in the rind slowed down its rate of growth, while the shielded fruitlets (lacking such stress) grew at a normal rate. Hence, fruitlets exerted a pressure on the rind, leading it to crack.
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